Bright FuturaStudent Review Of “Shut Up and Play the Hits”: A Very Loud Funeral
Posted on October 16, 2012
If it’s a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever.
This is the title card that opens up this incredible documentary chronicling the last 48 hours of the band LCD Soundsystem who performed their final three and a half hour show at Madison Square Garden on April 2nd, 2011.
A Little History of the Band:
LCD Soundsystem began in 2001 when their first single “Losing My Edge” gained widely favorable reviews for its new and electronic beat and the message that it conveyed. The band then released their first album “LCD Soundsystem” which also received highly favorable reviews. The head of the band, James Murphy, is a DJ now after his retirement and never wanted anything to come out of the band. He remarks in the film that, “…I never wanted to tour.” Murphy just wanted to do what he loved and that was to make music. In 2007, their second album “Sound of Silver” was released with the singles “North American Scum”, “All My Friends” (MY FAVORITE), and “Someone Great”. By this time, the band was touring around the country, was garnering a very successful fan base, and along the way Murphy enlisted his friends to play with him at concerts. In 2010, their third and final album was released entitled “This Is Happening”. Murphy’s intention with the album was to keep it secret for as long as possible so as not to spoil it for any fans. The album was released on May 17th with subsequent singles “Drunk Girls” and “I Can Change”, the former accompanied by a music video directed by Spike Jonze. On February 8th, 2011, the band announced that they would be playing their last show on April 2nd. When tickets were released the site crashed and Murphy went on a rant on his Twitter saying that he hated scalpers who bought tickets and were selling them for ridiculous amounts of money. In order for fans to see them the band played four warmup shows at Terminal 5 the days before the final show. On April 2nd, Murphy and the band played their final three and a half hour show accompanied by Reggie Watts, Arcade Fire, and numerous other friends and guests and just as fast and as crazy as the start of the band, LCD Soundsystem was no more.
The Movie:
The begins with the title card (See above) and immediately dives right into the final minutes before the show where Murphy and his band are sitting in the dressing room preparing for the show. What happens then is pure magic. The documentary wastes no time into getting right to the concert and the show begins with “Dance Yrself Clean”. The movie is interwoven with intricate and beautiful shots of the diehard crowd, the band itself, and the morning after when James Murphy wakes up in his New York apartment to the licks of his French Bulldog, Petunia, who seems to be the most well-behaved dog ever almost as if she understands the conflicting emotions her master is going through. Also interwoven is an interview conducted a week before the show between Murphy and Chuck Klosterman. The shots of the band are so gorgeous though and they should be since so many cameras were used and some of the shots were filmed by great directors such as Spike Jonze. The songs played throughout the film are “Dance Yrself Clean”, “All My Friends”, “45:33″, “Sound of Silver (Intro)”, “Us v Them”, “North American Scum”, “Movement”, “Yeah (Outro)”, “Someone Great”, “Losing My Edge”, “Jump Into The Fire (Harry Nillson cover)”, and “New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down”.
Also watch for cameos by Aziz Ansari who can be seen crowd surfing during “Yeah” and Donald Glover who can be seen dancing during “Yeah”.
The Review:
For those of you asking who LCD Soundsystem are and why this concert was sold out, I will tell you. The reason LCD Soundsystem is hailed as one of the most influential bands of the past decade is for 1) Their unique sound which combines an electronic, dance, punk theme with rock instruments and 2) Their ideas. One of the reasons people love LCD Soundsystem is because they always hated being labeled as something. They didn’t want to be anything big or popular. They simply wanted to be. Murphy made LCD Soundsystem because he wanted to hear the music he wanted to hear so he thought he should make it himself. That’s why LCD Soundsystem played to a sold-out crowd on April 2nd, 2011 at Madison Square Garden. Murphy also loved his fans. He cared about them and thanked them all for coming. He apologized to the people high up in the seats. He cared about his fans. 
The ending to the film plays out so well in the story that even if you have never heard of LCD Soundsystem before you might get tears in your eyes when Murphy announces that it’s their last song and “New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down” starts playing. Murphy pauses a few seconds in and says, “This is my last time to do a dramatic pause.” You can hear the sadness in his voice when he says this. The movie ends with white balloons falling down from the ceiling and a crying boy in the audience.
Why is this last show such a big deal? How are so many people affected by this? The big question on everyone’s mind after the initial announcement was, “Why end a band at the top of your career?”
Is It Worth Your Money:
If you are a diehard LCD fan, then you should definitely invest in the Blu-Ray which has the entire show on its other two discs although I would recommend this to anyone since the music is SO enjoyable. You might find a new band you love.
LCD Soundsystem, I love you and you will always be remembered!
5 Games To Play On Your Commute
Posted on September 29, 2012
1. The Make-Babies-Smile Game
This might be hard if you’re in the car, but if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a city of some sort (sorry rural Kansas), you might be commuting to school or your internship by something that puts you annoyingly close to other people.
The good news is that 20% of the population as of December 2011 in the US is under 15 years old, according to some people who like numbers. Out of that, a good portion are monsters, or, um, babies.
Making funny faces at strangers makes you the weirdo on the bus whom no one wants to sit next to, but making funny faces at babies are totally acceptable.
- 5 points for making a baby smile.
- 10 points for making them laugh.
- Minus 20 for a parent catching you.
- 50 points for a babysitter catching you.)
2. The Look-Someone-In-The-Eye Game
It’s rude to stare, but it’s not rude if they don’t know it. On the train, subway or bus, look at someone from across the way and see how long it takes for the person to look back. In the mean time, make up a story of what they did this morning based on what they’re wearing/shit they have with them.
Generally, the quota goes: the bigger the city, the more the crazies and the more the crazies, the funnier stories. Once the person does look back at you, be sure to shyly glance down. Be careful because they might think you’re into them. Be sure to pick good-looking people just in case they make a move.
3. The HIMYM Game
If you’re taking multiple means of transportation to class or internship, chances are you will be around people, unless you go to a loner school or live in the middle of a cornfield. If you are in a cornfield, watch out for aliens. If not, remember Signs taught us aliens sometimes stray from the cornfield (possibly because of the drought).
Photo credit: redicecreations.com
Anyway think of How I Met Your Mother episode “Subway Wars” where everyone is racing to get to a restaurant to see Woody Allen. If you can’t think of this, go watch How I Met Your Mother.
Photo credit:gawker.com
Try to picture yourself as each of the characters while taking the different forms of transportation.
While walking think of Marshall versus The Machines:
While on the subway, remember Lily running for nothing and understanding the instructor when no one else does.
While on the bike, think of Barney on the pedi-cab.
4. The Licenses Plates Game
This one’s an oldie but a goodie: If you’re driving, or just are around license plates, make funny sentences with the letters.
5. The Singing-In-The-Car
If you’re driving and the weathers nice, roll down the windows and blast your favorite songs (like that’s not what we would do anyway). The key is to get someone else to sing along with you. Generally this happens if you yourself are belting out lyrics.
Tips for this game:
- Don’t blast shitty music
- Don’t make it the over-played song everyone is singing on the radio (or minus points)
- Don’t get so into the song you’re listening to that you end up in an accident (also minus point)
Good luck and “may the odds be ever in your favor.”
Photo credit: charismamoran.com
Sorry, but I had to. Plus it was an excuse to put a picture of Gale’s sexy face on this post.
Kelly Craig | Bright Futura Columnist
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Where Did RG3 Go To College?
Posted on September 23, 2012
Who The Hell Is RG3?
Well RG3, despite your first guess, isn’t the gay gold-plated personal assistant robot from Star Wars. That my friend is C3PO @__@... So who is this guy getting all this buzz. Allow me to explain.
Robert Griffin III (RG3) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins.
Griffin was born in Japan on February 12, 1990 where his parents, Robert Jr. and Jacqueline, both U.S. Army sergeants, were stationed. The family later lived at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington, and then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, before finally settling in Copperas Cove, Texas in 1997.
He was selected by the Redskins with the second pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.Qarterback Robert Griffin III was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 2012-2013 NFL Draft.
Where Did RG3 Go To College? What Position Did RG3 Play In College?
He played college football for Baylor University where he was the starting quarterback.
What Did RG3 Study In Undergrad?
Griffin graduated in three years with a degree in political science and a 3.67 GPA, while appearing on the Dean’s List twice.During his final year of college sports eligibility, he was studying for a master’s degree.
What Is RG3 Getting His Masters In?
Griffin needed only three years to complete his bachelor’s degree in political science at Baylor and immediately began working on his master’s in communications. Griffin before the draft explained that all he needs to complete the degree is either a thesis paper or a film. He said he’ll likely go the film route and explained the project in an interview with the Washington Post.
What Are RG3′s Future Projects?
According to the Washington Post “It’s something called mixed reality.”
Griffin says his film will focus on using mixed reality in football. He envisions a training scenario in which an athlete can go into an indoor facility and line up alongside 10 “projected” teammates, facing a “projected” defense.
“Say I want to go against Ravens defense,” Griffin said, “I can type in ‘Ravens’ defense,’ and boom, I’ve got 11 animated Ravens defensive players. …actual 3-D images of guys, where you can see them coming at you, a more real-life feeling.”
The technology exists and plenty of people are working in this area, but Griffin says it would take a lot of money for it to gain widespread use in the football world. It’s at least five or 10 years away, he predicts.
His final project would be a film that focuses on the possibilities. Griffin envisions a coaching environment that can change how Xs and Os are taught.
It’d be like stepping inside a Madden video game. Griffin has other things to focus on now — like the Redskins’ playbook, for example — but he says he hopes to finish his master’s degree in the coming year.
RG3 Highlight Video From College
Maximillian Garland| Bright Futura Columnist
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5 Life Lessons To Be Learned From Scrubs
Posted on September 19, 2012
If you didn’t watch Scrubs then your life probably isn’t as well-rounded as mine or any other avid Scrubs fan but that doesn’t mean you wont enjoy some amazing quotes. Let the deep advice mixed with humor commence!
1. Life Is Scary
You’re scared because if you try and fail, there’s only you to blame. Well, Missy, let me break this down for you, Bobbo-style. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes. It’s all up to you. So get up off your keister, get out of here, and go start doin’ the work. -Dr. Bob Kelso
2. Overcome Your Fears
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately about taking chances, and how it’s really just about overcoming your fears. Because the truth is, every time you take a big risk in your life, no matter how it ends up, you’re always glad you took it.” -Dr. John Dorian
3. The Power Of A Strong Partner
It’s weird. Just by the simple act of pushing me to do the right thing, I remembered why Carla’s the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. – Dr. Christopher Turk
4. How Relationships Work
Bottom line: it’s couples who are truly right for each other wade through the same crap as everybody else, but the big difference is they don’t let it take them down. One of those two people will stand up and fight for that relationship every time. If it’s right, and they’re real lucky, one of them will say something. – Dr. Perry Cox
5. You Can’t Go It Alone aka You’re No Superman
Well, I know what I’ve been told, You gotta know just when to fold. But I can’t do this all on my own. No, I know, I’m no Superman.
Don’t even pretend like you can’t think of another example of how Scrubs changed your life. Leave it in the comments below.
Maximillian Garland| Bright Futura Columnist
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5 Things Batman Can Teach You About College
Posted on September 17, 2012
(Warning Contains Minor Spoilers: But if you haven’t seen TDK by now you should just quit at life.)
1. Have A Plan That Makes Sense And Works.
There were plenty of examples in this film of poor planning and lack of a strategy — For instances
- When Commissioner Gordon sends all of his cops underground. Seriously… very dumb!
Or when
- Batman being as out of shape as he was, goes to face Bane in the sewers of Gotham e.g. On his own territory.
Lucky for you most professors aren’t doing everything in their power to kill you.
The truth is most professors give plenty of time to accomplish assignments. Sure, every now and then your course load overlaps to form the perfect storm, but if you tighten down the hatches, and break out the big guns, you can brave anything.
The take away here is to always have a well thought-out plan.
Projects: If you have a project due in a week, map out your approach. Rather than playing it by ear, try reading the outline a couple times.
Exams: If you aren’t sure what is going to be on the test, meet with your professor one on one and ask other students in class.
TAKE NOTES: Once you have shed some light on your direction and you have developed a solid strategy, move forward. Never move around in the darkness because Bane was raised in it and he will beat your ass. Sallimsayin’
2. Attractive People, Distract People
Always stay focused. Finding someone to care about is wildly necessary but so is not failing out of college. Be sure to find balance.
A stressful relationship doesn’t always mean that the person is secretly the mastermind behind your demise, trying to fulfill Ras al Ghul destiny.
The person you are with should be supportive of your goals and aspirations not trying to stab you through your awesome tricked out black bat armor.
3. Work With People You Trust
In a city of corruption and violence, Batman has hand pick an incredible team to surround himself with. This is no accident. There is a good reason why Bruce Wayne pals around with Alfred, Robin, Gordon, and Fox. These great men are as important if not more important than Batman’s gadgets. Their willingness to keep Batman motivated and looking in the right direction is what really makes Batman who he is in this film.
While there will be times when you, like Batman, should look at a friend who wants to study with you and say in a raspy voice “I work alone.”
There will also be times when study groups are beneficial. Try to always remember the value of a targeted team approach.
Remember iron sharpens iron and there will be a day when you need to lean on those around you.
4. Always Being Prepared
Walking into a presentation or exam unprepared is asking for your back to be broken.
If you want to have a fighting chance against some of the biggest most juiced up challenges, you are going to have to be ready.
Saying something as simple as “know your course material” feels trite and condescending
but the sad truth is that there are people who don’t grasp these simple fundamental
principles.
Don’t ever get too cocky because even badass billionaire Bruce Wayne can get is ass handed to him.
5. Why Do We Fall Down?
So we can learn to pick ourselves up. Perhaps no greater theme has stretched across Nolan’s Batmanverse, and for good reason. Not only is it appealing to the ears, but it carries weight in any world, fictional, collegiate, or the oft cited “Real World” our parents and professors have so-long tried to prepare us for.
We will all fall at some point. Some assignments will simply break us. Mental exhaustion is a real thing and something that all of us must prepare for. When it happens you mustn’t let it halt you. Whether it was a paper or an exam, you learn from your mistakes, swallow your pride and move forward. You’re not the first person who turned in a masterpiece only to be handed back more red ink than you saw in the entirety of high school, and you won’t be the last.
Failing is a college course that offers no credit.
And the only way to ace this class is to keep doing the work, keep attending the lectures , and keep fighting for justice doing your best. The fact of the matter is, no matter what you do, trust me something in college will eventually break you. Even if you are prepared and you studied like a mad man. The true strength is never giving up. Rise, dust yourself off and try again. Gotham Your G.P.A Needs You.
Maximillian Garland| Bright Futura Columnist
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10 Things You Do That Blow The Interview
Posted on August 1, 2012
Below I have listed 10 Things You Do That Blow The Interview
1. Your Attire
Your interview attire is
- outdated
- messy
- too tight
- to loose (Dress pants shouldn’t look like pajamas)
- slutty (ladies!)
- too revealing
- too flashy.
Sometimes you won’t find these dress codes in writing; but if you look around you’ll find that all employees are dressed in a similar way.
Take note: It is always better to be slightly overdressed than under dressed. However tuxedos make you look like an idiot. Leave that level of swag for James Bond
2. Your Physical Appearance
You look
- stupid (cough* mouth breathers cough* )
- disheveled
- outdated
- sloppy
- smelly
- overpowering (i.e. too much perfume).
You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but a job candidate’s “cover”—overall grooming and interview attire, for example—is likely to be judged by prospective employers, according to a report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
3. Your Eye Contact
Your eye contact is
- weak
- shifty
- disrespectful (fellas!)
- intense.
I don’t care how hot your new boss is, DO NOT undress her with your eyes!
4. Your Handshake
Your handshake is
- limp
- too forceful
- clammy
- non-existent
In my personal uncertified opinion,
If you have to choose between knuckle bumping your interviewer and not shaking their hand(s), I’d choose the knuckle bump.
Take notes: Employers indicated that a candidate’s handshake is likely to have a greater influence on their opinion of a candidate than many other more obvious attributes, such as unusual hairstyles and colors, tattoos, and body piercings. However, that doesn’t give you the right to go dye your hair like Marshall Mathers.
5. Verbal Fillers
You say
- ah
- um
- like
- ya know
way too much.
You sound like a Valley girl seriously! Ah Kay!
Listen To This Annoying Lady Talk About Crutch Words
6. What You Say
You
- talk too much
- use poor grammar
- say inappropriate things (i.e. swearing)
- can’t answer interview questions
- say politically incorrect things
If you say “no homo” or “sike naw” in an interview don’t expect a call back. What are you 14?
7. You Come Off As ________
You appear
- overconfident
- pushy
- self-centered
- insecure
- aloof
- ditzy
- scatter-brained
- desperate
- retarded (please don’t dribble during an interview)
8. How You Speak
You talk
- too fast
- too slow
- too loud
- too soft.
If you sound like pork pig when you talk. You you you yyyaaaouu aint getting the job. Just sayin’
9. Your Odd
You
- giggle
- fidget
- act awkward
- have facial tics
- lack expression
- scratch your balls…
There isn’t really a cure for being weird. I hear being homeless is kinda fun though.
10. Your Lacking In Certain Traits
You lack
- sincerity
- self-confidence
- clarity
- individuality
- conviction
- sense of smell (take a shower bro)
|
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Source: National Association of Colleges and Educators (NACE)
So, what have we learned?
93% of communication is non-verbal, so if you want the job and you aren’t getting it reevaluate yourself. Ask someone to be blunt with you. I can tell you that many of the negatives above can be improved by focusing on one thing: Attitude.
Take a hard look at the 10 reasons above and commit to finding a way to improve your first impression factor.
It’s your career.
Own your actions and take control of your professional development. I promise, employers will take notice.
Your Turn
If you know someone who think could benefit from reading this or if you learned a little somethin’ somethin’, please share it. We college kids gotta eat too.
Feel free to share any reasons I missed below. Better still, if you’ve got a resource you’ve used that has helped you get over one or more of these first impression-busters, please share it below so fellow readers can use it as well.
Maximillian Garland| Bright Futura Columnist
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Internships After Graduation?
Posted on July 18, 2012
Graduation is a very major milestone in everyone’s lifetime. After years of continuous studies, quizzes, assignments, and tests, you are finally free to take your first steps in your professional life. However, that is a major test in itself nowadays. With the economic downturn, finding a good job is nearly impossible because of the number of applicants jumping at every good opportunity. What you can do to improve your odds however is apply for part time jobs or through the various recruitment services available online such as: http://www.inspiringinterns.com/
Who says internships are only meant for students?
Students and fresh graduates both can apply for internships and use them to gain access to the organizations where they want to get full time jobs.
They are an excellent method to test careers and employers and to enhance your network. They might even give you access to better positions, as opposed to entry-level jobs.
Good full time jobs are very difficult to come by if you don’t have some experience written on your resume. However, with internships or temporary placements such as a part time job, you might just find the kind of job you were looking for. Once you have access into an organization, you can easily network
Network. Network. Network.
All you need are good interpersonal skills and a professional attitude. Internships are specially useful to get the feel for an organization and gain entry there. Once you’re in, you’re in. Most organizations put together a resource pool of interns that they can hire later on as full time employees. That, combined with a strong network within the company is all you need to find yourself a decent full-time position.
According to surveys by several educational and human capital development institutes, employers usually hire most of their interns for full time positions. Internships are low risk scenarios where the intern gets to know the organization and how it works, while they get to see the candidate in action. This gives them a much better understanding of how they will perform in a proper job. This makes internships excellent tools for both entities to see how well they fit together.
Whether you go for an unpaid or paid internship, both are pretty good investments of your time as long as you have done your homework about the organization. Just make sure you use that time to make a permanent place in the organization for yourself.
Once you’re through the internship term, you won’t necessarily get a full time position there right then. However, you will still gain some experience and learn some new skills. You will also be able to add a few stars to your resume and hence, will improve your chances of getting a good job at other firms. Moreover, if you have networked properly during the internship, you should have a decent network of contacts that you can utilize for career advice and referrals.
Regardless of all this, you have to tell the company what you want. Until they know that you are interested in a full time position there, they won’t be sure about it. Why wait for them to decide to hire you? Once you’re through half of your internship term, communicate your interest to your boss and ask them what the proper steps would be to apply for a certain department. If done properly, this should give you the entry-point you wanted.
How College is Like: Legend of Korra
Posted on July 5, 2012
College rocks, so does Legend of Korra. There are a number of different things we can learn from Legend of Korra, I mean their main characters are young people too. So let’s see what connections we can find in Korra and in college:
MONDAY MORNINGS
READING THE SYLLABUS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT
YOUR FRIEND OFFERS YOU A MIXED DRINK
THEN BACK TO MONDAY…-__-
FINALS
AFTER THE EXAM, WHEN YOUR FRIEND ASKS YOU HOW YOU DID ON THE WRITTEN PORTION AND ALL YOU SAY IS, “…WRITTEN PORTION?”
THE LAST EXAM BETWEEN YOU AND FINALS
YOU RETURN HOME FOR SUMMER BREAK!
THEN YOU GET YOUR GRADES BACK, AND YOU REALIZE YOU PASSED THAT ONE CLASS YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDA FAILED
“I’M A BOSS.”
Hope you Avatar fans enjoyed this article. Got anymore gifs you can relate to college?
Post them below.
Leon Langford| Bright Futura Columnist
Barack Obama Singing Boyfriend by Justin Bieber
Posted on June 26, 2012
What Is The College Party?
The College Party is a new political organization that is pretty much better than all the other lame ass political parties combined (fact.com). If you are in college and you aren’t interested in joining The College Party, you are probably extremely racist and hate education, new born babies, and delicious breakfasts in bed.
What Is The College Party’s Political Platform?
Uhh…things that matter to college students dumbass!
>>Find Out How You Can Join The College Party Here <<
Barack Obama Singing Boyfriend by Justin Bieber
Barack’s making these promises now because he’s afraid we’re going to leave him in November.
Maximillian Garland | Bright Futura Columnist
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12 Things College Students Don’t Need
Posted on June 25, 2012
Of course, not all students’ needs are the same — students in medical studies, for example, may not require might need a powerful computer while students engineering and computer science may.
But, generally speaking, here are 12 expenses campus life doesn’t absolutely require:
12 Things College Students Don’t Need
1. New textbooks
Never ever ever buy a new textbook from the box store.
While the convenience may be tempting you honestly should never buy from you school bookstore. There are hundreds of textbook sites online now, and even programs that will find you the cheap priced textbook and the place to buy it.
Disclaimer: Bright Futura receives a kick back for all books purchased using this tool. Help support Bright Futura by purchasing using our free textbook tool
You can also see if there is a free downloadable e-book version 
Advantages to getting an E-Book
1. Some things don’t get better with age.
Paper textbooks are expensive to produce and expensive for schools to buy. And as books are passed along from one student to the next, they get more highlighted, dog-eared, tattered, and worn.
2. Heavy backpacks. Weighed-down students.
It’s no secret that paper textbooks are heavy. But what you may not know is that backpack weight is an increasing problem among kids. Studies show that heavy backpacks can lead to both chronic back pain and poor posture — and many kids are carrying a quarter of their body weight in textbooks. -Apple
If online textbook shopping isn’t your thing or the book can’t be found see if your university has an old edition.
More and more universities are offering textbook rental programs to help students avoid paying unfathomable new-book prices. Check to see whether your university offers a rental program, which is most often available for the school’s core-curriculum and prerequisite classes.
Ask a friend to go halves on it. Often times the books you are looking for have already been purchased by a friend or at least need to be. If your friend is no longer taking the class ask if you can buy it from him/her. Or if you and your friend are both taking the class split the cost and study together! Knowledge is power.
2. A Top of the Line Laptop or Desktop Computer.
This is dependent on your preference but the reality is that an inexpensive laptop or desktop should do the trick. In fact I didn’t even have a laptop for the first 2 years of college. I survived…barley. I would note however that while netbooks are cheap, their small keyboards and slow processing speed really suck.
3. A Printer.
You have two options, you can skip the printer all together and just print from the school labs which will save you money on the printer and the ink or you can g a cheap/free printer on $50 for a printer, $30 a pop for replacement ink and $9 per pack of paper.
If you decided against buying a printer: For about $10, you can buy a flash drive instead, save your 20-page term paper on it and print the paper in the campus computer lab, which btw you’re already be paying for in tuition!
- Flash drive
- Send yourself files via gmail
- Use Dropbox
- Use Google Drive
Take Notes: Some schools include a technology fee in room-and-board costs — $100 per semester in some cases.
4. A Pricey Smart-Phone Plan
While I personally have a smart phone and would kill anyone who tried to take it from me, they aren’t a requirement for college. Especially if you can’t afford/need it.
Fortunately, there are less-expensive, no-contract alternatives. Consider Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk Plan, which uses Sprint’s Nationwide Network. Plans start at $35 a month, for which you get unlimited Web, data, messaging and e-mail and 300 Anytime minutes. Simply buy a phone, select a plan at www.virginmobileusa.com, activate it on the Web site and manage your account online.
5. Cable TV
I personally don’t understand having cable tv at any point in life. Their are hundreds of things to watch and do on the internet and real life. However, if you’re a huge tv buff I’d suggest you
1. Cut back, watching TV isn’t a good look!
2. Cut this additional expense by accessing a wide variety of current entertainment and news online.
You can stream programs from your computer or a Web-enabled device, such as an Xbox 360 gaming console, a Playstation 3, a Wii or a TiVo:
- TV Shows: XfinityTV.com and Hulu.com, for example, let you download TV shows free. You can also catch recent episodes of your favorite shows at the networks’ own sites. Hulu.com now offers Hulu Plus, which for $8 a month gives you access to more than 1,000 seasons of current and classic TV shows, hundreds of movies (including films from the Criterion Collection) and limited commercial introduction in 720p high definition. College students can get a one-month free trial if they sign up with their .edu e-mail address. Movies.
- Movies: Netflix offers for $8 a month unlimited TV episodes and movies streaming online through a Web-enabled device.
- Sports: WatchESPN (formerly ESPN3.com) streams live broadcasts of professional sports, such as professional baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis, and of course college basketball and football. You can stream WatchESPN content to an Xbox 360, but you must have an Xbox Live Gold membership, which is $10 a month, or $60 a year (same goes for streaming Netflix content with the Xbox 360).
6. A Car
In a nine-month academic year, according to AAA, the average small sedan would rack up about $3,000 in expenses, including costs for gas, standard maintenance and insurance. Parking permits and any tickets or breakdowns would add even more to the bill. Keeping the car parked at home could lower insurance premiums, too.
7. A Credit Card
The average freshman who has a credit card has nearly $700 in card debt, according to a recent study by Sallie Mae. To curb the frivolity of first-year credit card spending, Uncle Sam is now enforcing stricter credit card rules. Anyone younger than 21 is required to prove his or her ability to repay any debts or have a parent (or someone else 21 or older) co-sign the card application.
Help your student stay in the black by withholding your signature until he has a long track record of fiscal responsibility. A debit card is a good way to get started.
8. High bank fees
Open an account at a bank that is close to campus and has nationwide coverage.
Don’t use an account with the hometown bank at college. Otherwise you could spend up to $5 when withdrawing money from an out-of-network ATM.
Consider opening an online checking account with a bank that doesn’t charge ATM fees or that refunds ATM surcharges by other banks.
Be sure to read the fine print: Some of these banks do not refund ATM fees beyond a certain amount, and some require the account holder to maintain a minimum account balance every month.
Open an account with a credit union that belongs to a surcharge-free network. Click here to locate one.
9. Overdraft protection
You now have the option when you open an account to opt out of overdraft protection. That means the bank either will not permit you to withdraw funds if your balance is too low or will ask whether you want to pay a $35 fee and proceed with the withdrawal. This is not a one-time decision; you can switch your preference if you decide you want the bank to cover overdrafts. Checks and recurring payments that cause you to overdraw the account are not covered even if you opt out, so you can still incur hefty overdraft fees.
10. A Big Meal Plan
Often, the money you spend on a meal plan does not roll over from year to year — if you don’t use the money, you lose it. Best to start low and see how much you eat. Many colleges give you the opportunity to replenish meal-plan funds midyear. You could also supplement your meal plan with gift cards to the local grocery (or pizza joint). Or you can buy gift cards at GiftCertificates.com.
11. Campus health insurance
If you have family health coverage, your child may still be covered under that plan when she goes to college. If your plan does not cover out-of-network costs, a campus health-insurance plan may be a more cost-effective option. Be careful, though: Some college policies have low coverage maximums, which could leave you with thousands of dollars in uninsured expenses.
12. Private loans
The hefty price tag on higher education makes it hard to avoid student loans, so steer clear of private student loans.
They usually carry variable rates (as opposed to the fixed rates of federal loans), have fewer repayment options and allow students to rack up high balances. (See Be Wary of Private Student Loans.)
Maximillian Garland | Bright Futura Columnist
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