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Planning for the Future

It’s never too early to begin thinking about financing your life after graduation. Here are some tips that could open future opportunities and help you avoid future problems:

Plan now for your next step, whether that’s additional education or work. Get to know faculty members by visiting them during their office hours to learn about their specific areas of study and ask their advice about your career. Faculty members frequently mention that they wish more students came to talk with them, instead of just meeting them when a problem occurs.
Keep your address current with the registrar even when you have finished your degree or program and especially if you stop classes for a term. This notification is doubly important if you have student loans; you do not want to get a negative report on your credit rating because you missed information about your loan.
Make a point of establishing a savings account and adding to it regularly, even if you can manage only a few dollars a month. The sooner you start, the greater your returns will be.

Your education is the most productive investment that you can make for your future and that of your family. Research shows that completion of programs or degrees after high school increases earnings, opens up career options, leads to greater satisfaction in work, results in more engaged citizenship such as voting and community service, and greatly increases the probability that your children will go on to college. College is a big investment of both time and money, but it’s an investment of proven worth.