College Being

Image by eflon

Most college students look forward to the long days of summer when the textbooks can be tucked away and eight hours of sleep can be had on any given night. Yet once summer sets in, many people find themselves with a case of the summertime blues. Here are a few causes of summer depression and steps you can take to help things go a little smoother.

1. Schedule Change

Even though so many students look forward to the freedom summer provides an abrupt change in routine can throw your head into disarray. The disruption of not having somewhere to be at a certain time can actually be quite a stressful situation. According to UCLA researchers, staying on some kind of steady schedule over the summer can help improve sleep, decrease boredom and make you feel like you’re still accomplishing something.

2. Seasonal Affective Disorder

According to UCLA, as much as six percent of the United States population suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Most people with SAD suffer in the winter, when the weather is colder and days are shorter. Yet about one-tenth of those suffering from the disorder end up getting bummed out in the summer. Planning a getaway with friends can help keep you occupied and get your mind off summertime depression.

3. Financial Stress

The weight of financial stress can hit college students in the summer. Stress only compounds when the pressure is on to find a summer job and build up an egg nest for next semester. When money’s tight, spending more time with family is a great and inexpensive way to be around people who can help put your financial woes into perspective. Summer is also a great time to rework your budget and come up with a financial plan for next year.

4. Self-Esteem Issues

Summer can be tough on your self-image. The days of shorts and bathing suits tend to make people feel self-conscious about their bodies. Being embarrassed tends to make people withdraw, spend less time with friends and fall into a cycle of depression. To combat those feelings, it is important to recognize what situations trigger those awkward moments and avoid them. A good exercise routine will also work wonders for self-perception.

5. Excessive Heat

The heat of summer can bring out the worst in tensions. Granted, those days spent lounging by the beach or hanging out at the pool are great, but sometimes it is simply too hot. It is all too easy to find yourself spending more and more time indoors. The couch or bedroom can become a depressing place after you’ve spent endless hours indoors. To stay cool and get out of the house, consider a gym membership, yoga class or simply walk around an air-conditioned mall when you get antsy.

6. Intellectual Boredom

College students are used to being challenged on a daily basis. There’s always an essay to write or test to cram for. Yet once summer sets in, many people find the lack of intellectual stimuli downright depressing. A summer class can help you stay focused and knock some credits out of the way. Even when you’re off campus, there’s always the option of taking some courses online to keep your brain fresh. From online health care administration to criminal justice degrees, there are options out there for almost every field of study.

Summer is an important time for college students to regroup and relax. Getting plenty of sleep and staying sharp is an excellent way to stay on an even keel and feel refreshed for next year. The key is keeping your options open and knowing what factors trigger the summertime blues.

Julie Lee loves to write about college education and health. Some of her articles about online college degree programs like health care administration have been featured on several student publications.

4 Comments

With back to school time upon us, here are some great reasons to reconsider purchasing those necessary textbooks and opting to rent them instead.

1. Renting textbooks is cheaper

Renting your textbooks can save you up to 80% of the cost of the book. This means that if you rent just one textbook this semester, you’ll save about $80 – $100. Think about all of the things you can use that $80 on instead of your textbooks. Eighty dollars can get you 53 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, 3 pedicures or 1 Olympus digital camera! If you rented 7 textbooks this academic year, you would save enough money to buy yourself a brand new Toshiba laptop. That seems like a better investment of your money!

2. Renting is more sustainable

When you rent your textbooks, fewer resources are consumed, which results in less landfill. The fewer new textbooks in circulation, the less trees needed to make the books. At BookRenter. We don’t have a central warehouse where we keep all the books. We use our intelligent supply chain that means the books take the shortest distance possible to reach the student. It’s faster and it keeps our carbon footprint low!

3. Renting is more convenient

When you rent your textbooks, you avoid having to deal with buyback at the end of the semester or getting stuck with the book if the bookstore won’t buy it back. Plus, BookRenter has locations at over 500 college campuses around the country so you can rent directly from your college store.

4. Rentiing is risk-free

If you drop a class within the first 3 weeks, don’t fret having to deal with your textbooks. Simply return it within 21 days for a complete refund. At any point throughout the semester or quarter, you can decide to buy the book if you need it. You will never pay more than the value of the book and the money you paid to rent it goes towards the price of the book.

5. Renting helps people in your community!

Websites like BookRenter donate children’s books every time an order is placed on the site. Fueling learning through literacy is an important cause, and BookRenter is dedicated to placing books into the hands of children. We’ve donated over 75,000 books, and that number grows each day. Do something good for the community while you save a bunch of money for yourself!

This guest post was written by Rachel Freeman of BookRenter. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

1 Comment

The stereotype of the starving college student didn’t come from nowhere. With beaucoup bucks going towards tuition and books you probably don’t have a lot left over for extras like, say, living expenses.

This means you’re balancing a tight monthly budget that has very little wiggle room. And yet, you likely have plenty of ideas about how to spend the little bit of money that you have. Not only are there necessities to cover, but you also want to have some fun!

You might not be able to get everything on your list while you’re in school, but by finding ways to cut back you can definitely save up for the things you really want. Here are just a few areas that offer ways to save.

1. Food. You may not be too keen on the cafeteria food, but the campus eating plan is probably one of the cheapest options for food you’re likely to find. Of course, if you like fruits and veggies you can probably discover great deals on fresh produce at a local farmer’s market (where haggling is accepted and expected). But likely you can find fresh and healthy choices for a balanced diet at the school cafeteria, especially if you request the addition of such items.

2. Transportation. Having a car in college may not be the best idea. Even if you own the vehicle you’re going to have to pay associated costs like registration, insurance, parking, and gas (not to mention maintenance). And if you live on campus this is a total waste of money. Even if you have a house or apartment you can ride a bike or utilize public transportation for a lot cheaper than owning and operating a vehicle.

3. Events. Are you interested in purchasing Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, or Adele tickets? Perhaps you like to attend sporting events. Or maybe musical theater is your bag. Whatever you want to go see in the way of entertainment, you probably know that it’s going to cost a lot (more than your meager budget will allow, in any case). But there are ways around paying an arm and a leg for your tickets. You can try to win them for free from a radio station, but that’s a long shot. Instead, consider becoming a member on the station website or the Facebook page of the band, team, or venue you like so that you can take advantage of presales (where attendance will cost you the price that’s printed on the ticket) and special events.

4. Rent. Living in the dorms means that you’re paying a set price. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about that. But once you move off campus you can definitely find ways to cut the cost of putting a roof over your head. Of course you can look for low-rent options like studios, converted lofts, or rooms for rent. But if you want a house with a yard (and no upstairs neighbors) you should get a few friends together to rent a place. Just make sure the people you choose are compatible and reliable with the rent money.

5. Tuition and books. These two items take up a huge chunk of your budget, but they don’t have to be ongoing expenses. Just because you didn’t nab a scholarship or grants as a freshman doesn’t mean you should stop applying. There are tons of options available for students seeking funding for school, especially on the internet, so try to apply for one or more scholarships each week; you’re bound to hit at least one and even $500 could provide a welcome windfall.

This guest post was written by Leon Harris, a contributing writer to College Being.

3 Comments