Where to Get Cheap Textbooks

Textbooks are ridiculously expensive. I'm talking in the thousands for one semester. No, really. My first semester, I paid $978 for five textbooks because I didn't know where to get them. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, so I've compiled a list of the best websites to find your textbooks cheaper than you'll find them anywhere else.

1. Amazon- Amazon is the first place I look for my books. You can usually find used books on Amazon really cheap. You can even rent books from Amazon.
2. Chegg- On Chegg, you can save up to 90% on textbooks. You can also rent.
3. ThriftBooks- An online used bookstore. They have all genres of books, but they also have textbooks.
4. Directtextbook- Directtextbook is an online price comparison website that shows you where you can find the cheapest price for your book.
5. Half.com- An Ebay company where you can find textbooks for half price.
6. Ebay- Like Amazon, you can find used textbooks very cheap.
7. Abebooks- A website where you can find used and new books for low prices.

Although most of the time, your books will be more expensive at on-campus bookstores, make sure to check anyway. Sometimes you can rent a book there cheaper than buying one used or they can price-match. Also, if you're waiting for your book to be delivered to you after you need it, don't forget to check out your campus library.

Still stressing about how expensive college is? Check out how to save money for college students and how to make money on the side.

Dorm Room Ideas

Buying everything for your dorm can be nerve-wracking because it's so expensive, and there's so much to buy. I made my dorm bedding for cheaper than you can buy it, and you can too! Keep reading to find out how.

I saw lots of cute dorm bedding ideas on Pinterest, but they were all so expensive; at least $150 each just for bedding. I made my dorm bedding for half of that price. Let me just go ahead and say that I got a cheap reversible comforter at Walmart for $20. I also bought the sheets, but the rest of it I made, and that's what really brought it together.

The folded blanket on my bed is the main project for this post. I took a cotton fabric that I wanted to coordinate with my room and made it into a blanket. If you want to have this preppy style to your dorm, you should probably have 2-3 colors you can coordinate. I chose navy and coral/pink. Most twin size comforters are around 66"-68". That will be the length of your blanket. The width is whatever you want it to be. I cut out two pieces of the fabric. Lay one piece down, right side up. Lay the other one on top, right side down. Next, cut batting to the size of the fabric, and lay it on the top. Pin all the way around the blanket, and sew all except one side. It's hard to sew batting to fabric, but if you add tissue paper on top, it helps. Now turn the blanket inside out and sew the part you left open. There is your blanket to polish the look of your dorm!

I got navy sheets to match my comforter, but I also used them for something else; a bed skirt. In order to make a bed skirt, all you have to do is get a twin size flat sheet and either put it under your mattress, or where your sheet normally goes and just don't tuck it in. It really puts together your room because you can't see everything that's stuffed under your bed.

Keep an eye out for detailed posts coming about my décor and how I made my pillows.

What I wish I Would Have Known as a Freshman

1.) You probably won't stay friends with most of your high school besties.

2.) I know homework is important, but you need to take time for yourself. Going out and having fun keeps a healthy balance.

3.) Stop saying no. When my friends would ask if I wanted to do something, no was my go to answer. I always had homework I wanted to get done, when really it could have waited.

4.) Try to keep up a healthy lifestyle. It's hard when all you want to do is cry and eat chocolate and ramen noodles, but you'll feel better in the long run if you try to be healthy.

5.) Ask for help if you need it. I'm really bad for not asking for help because I don't want to seem stupid. However, most professors will understand. It's better to feel stupid than to get a bad grade because you was too stubborn or embarrassed to ask.

6.) Take advantage of student discounts. There's no explanation for that.

7.) Go out of your comfort zone. I went to some activities on campus that I normally wouldn't go to by myself, which is totally out of my comfort zone. By doing that, I made some great friends, so don't be afraid to try something new.

8.) Procrastination is the devil. Waiting until last minute will just make it harder on yourself.

9.) Take classes that will interest you. You might have your mind set on a major, but try out classes that sound interesting. They might even make you want to change your major.

10.) It's okay to change your major. Yeah, that might put you a little behind. What's getting a year or so behind compared with the rest of your life with a job you can enjoy?

11.) Go to at least one sporting event. It can be fun, and you may even get a free t-shirt.

12.) Keep common medicine. Getting a headache and having to go all the way out to Walmart for medicine isn't fun.

13.) Take advantage of free food. In the long run, it can save you quite a bit of money.

14.) I know it seems like it's dragging by now, but when you look back, it goes by in the blink of an eye. Don't take it for granted.

InboxDollars Review

Can you really make money with InboxDollars? The answer depends.

First, let me explain how this website works. You can join this website for free. I decided to join because I was looking for a way to just earn a few extra bucks online. I came across this website from a blog post, 32 Legitimate Ways to Make Money at Home, which came from The Penny Hoarder. All you need to sign up is an email and a password. You get $5 just for signing up. Here's the catch: you have to make $30 before you can receive the money you made. It says you can make money through surveys, videos, playing games, searching the web, and checking emails. I have listed the pros and cons below.

Pro #1:
It is simple and free to sign up, so you may as well try it.

Pro #2:
I kind of/sort of made money. More on that later. But you CAN make money if you put lots and lots of time into it.


Con #1:
Although it says you can earn through videos, there has not being a single video available for me to watch, and I started over a month ago.

Con #2:
Earlier I said that I kind of/sort of made money. I have only made $9.53 throughout the past month. I spent hours doing surveys, and that is all I have made; although I will probably never see that money because I have to earn $30 first.

Con #3:
It also says you get paid to read emails. By that, it really means that you get paid 25 cents to sign up for some form of insurance or other ridiculous offer.

Con #4:
You don't make a lot from surveys, even if you get to take a survey. Surveys pay more for the longer it takes to complete it. A typical 5 minute survey probably pays about 25 cents. Although that doesn't sound too shabby, I haven't qualified for many surveys. I spend about 10 minutes on a survey, just to get through it and say that I was disqualified.

Overall, I definitely would not recommend InboxDollars. However; it is free to sign up, so give it a try if you want to see for yourself. If you don't feel like wasting your time, I highly recommend to not even sign up.

Signs it's the End of the Semester

1.) You're trying to figure out how many meal plans you have left and see that you have a ton left, so you'll be making a lot of trips to the cafeteria OR...

2.) You have to buy actual groceries at the end of the semester because you used all of your meal plans.

3.) Remember when you ate semi-healthy? And went to the gym? Good times. Hello stress eating.

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4.) You went from dressing up nice at the beginning of the semester to looking like you're sporting Kanye West's clothing line.

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5.) Unless you have presentations, which is another sign it's the end of the semester. Fun.

6.) You stopped doing your assigned readings, although you may have never started.

7.) Everything is due at the same time.

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8.) You really want to skip class, but they might go over what's on the final that day.

9.) You don't even want to hear the word "final" after all of the homework you just finished.

10.) Maybe you didn't finish your homework. Now's the perfect time to procrastinate, right?

11.) You think about all of the things you have to do. You watch a marathon of your favorite TV show on Netflix, while continuing to think about all that you have to do.

12.) Because of waiting until the last minute, you have to stay up all night every night to do homework and study for finals.

13.) And that means lots and lots of coffee.

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14.) You try to calculate exactly what you need to make on your upcoming papers and finals to get the letter grade you want.            

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15.) You should have known when you said you'd start studying earlier at the beginning of the semester that you wouldn't.

16.) You'll have several breakdowns. You may shed a few tears.

                              


17.) Everyone starts asking for bonus points.

18.) The only thing helping you make it through the last of the semester is your countdown until the last day.

                        
                                    

What I Eat in a Day: College Edition

It's so hard to eat healthy in college. Anyone who lives in a dorm probably knows that. My refrigerator is tiny. My freezer is less than one foot in width and length. I don't have a stove. Basically, I'm stuck with unhealthy processed food. However, I have been trying to find alternatives for the things like Ramen Noodles and Mac n' cheese that are just as easy to fix. I am showing you what I ate today in hopes that it will give you some idea as to what you can eat and still be healthy while living on campus.

Breakfast:

I have been eating 1 banana everyday for breakfast. I know a lot of people will say that is not enough, but when I eat a heavier breakfast, I feel sick for the rest of the morning. I also don't like actual breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, oatmeal, etc., so I don't have many options. Some other foods that I have tried and loved are protein bars, as well as Fiber One bars shown above.

Lunch:

Today for lunch, I made a tuna salad sandwich. I often go back and forth between tuna and chicken. It's so easy and so delicious. I just mix up canned tuna (in water) or chicken with about a tablespoon of sweet relish and Greek yogurt (instead of mayo). I either put it on a whole wheat tortilla wrap or honey wheat bread; today I chose the latter. I usually eat this with an apple, baby carrot chips and ranch dressing, or baked potato chips.

Dinner:

For dinner, I bought some pulled grilled chicken. It is already cooked, so all you have to do is zap it in the microwave. The brand in the picture does not use antibiotics or growth hormone. I usually dip the grilled chicken in some honey mustard or ranch for some flavor and I heat up some canned veggies to go with it.

Snacks:

For snacks, I usually eat Fiber One brownies shown above, or the Fiber One bar I mentioned earlier.

That's everything I ate today! If you want to me compile a list of ideas for meals in college or just more What I Ate Today blogs comment down below!

16 Ways to Make Great Grades

As a college student, my main goal is to achieve great grades, and I'm sure that is your goal too. I know people have different standards for what a good grade is. C's get degrees, right? But you should always work your hardest, because that's how you'll get the best outcome. Aim for the highest grade, even if you think it's impossible.

Here are 16 tips to guarantee great grades:

1.) Go to all of your classes. Even if it seems like it's a class that you can miss, don't. It will always end up hurting you. You will either miss something important such as information for a test or you won't learn something that you could use later on. It mostly just looks good on  the student, and the professor will remember that.

2.) Get to know your professors. They will remember you, and that can help you out. Also, don't just get to know the professor in that way. Know what kind of discussions they will have. Know what kind of questions they will ask. If you take multiple tests in one class, pay attention to the types of questions they ask on the first test, and you will have an idea of what kinds of questions will be on the next test.

3.) Get involved in the class. If your class is having a discussion, make sure you are involved. You don't only learn more, but it looks good on you as well.

4.) Read the syllabus. Look at all of the assignments, and see if there are any you can get ahead on.

5.) Get organized. Use a planner or an assignment sheet to write down your assignments and readings, and when they are due. Refer back to the syllabus every now and again to make sure you didn't skip any assignments.

6.) Do NOT procrastinate. I know, basically everyone does it, but it is best if you get a head start. You'll have more time to edit papers, so you'll find more of your mistakes. And of course, you just don't want the quality of work that looks like it was turned in at 11:55 P.M. when it's due at 12:00 A.M. the same day.

7.) Listen to the professor. I know, this is a given. Make sure you pay attention to the things the professor emphasizes. There is a great possibility that it will be on the test.

8.) Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, never be afraid to ask. I know sometimes professors can be mean about it, but that's as far as it goes. It doesn't hurt your grade to ask.

9.) Study early in the semester. Start studying a little bit for each class throughout the semester. I always take and organize notes after each class, this way I don't have to cram, and I better understand the concepts.

10.) Read your chapters. I know in some classes, you don't actually have to, but if you're going to have a test or an assignment, it's always better to read than not.

11.) Find sources online. A lot of textbooks have supplemental sources that go along with your textbook. Try to find those. If you can't find those, get on Quizlet and find sets with some topics of your class, and look at those to obtain a better understanding. You can also find websites to correct your grammar for papers.

12.) Prepare strategies to deal with stress. You're going to be stressed throughout the semester. It always happens. Sometimes you have freak-outs. Find a way to manage your stress, because stress can affect how well you do in the class. Prepare strategies to help you cope with presentations and exams.

13.) Know how you study. Most people like to study in certain ways. Flashcards help me, re-writing notes might help others. Find the best way that you retain information and use it.

14.) Get in groups. This goes along with figuring out how to study, but find a few of your classmates and get together. You can review each others papers and help each other study for tests.

15.) Learn to take notes. If your professor doesn't post a powerpoint, this is especially important. There are several methods of taking notes. Learn which way works the best for you. Ask questions in your notes. Make note of things you don't understand. Make it colorful.

16.) Don't memorize. Sure, memorization can be good for tests, but sometimes not. A lot of questions on tests are hypothetical, so you will not only have to know the definition, but you will have to apply it. LEARNING instead of memorization is not only better for tests, but for a foundation for other classes.

I hope these tips help, and have a great semester!

Eating Healthy in College

Over the past week or so, I have had no energy. I've felt worse than I ever have. I tried to keep up with when I started to feel bad so that I could find the culprit, and I realized it was the food that had been making me feel so bad. Since this semester started, I have been on a traditional broke college student diet, which consists of the cheapest things I could find (Ramen Noodles). Ramen noodles, potato chips, cookies, and Little Debbie brownies. Who has time for a real meal, right? I have a meal plan, and in a way, that makes things worse. I have access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. With desserts. And pop. Since I'm paying a ton of money for it, I might as well get my money's worth, right? Wrong. My body has felt so bad the past few days, and it is just not worth it. Here is my pledge: I'm  going to start being healthier. If you're in the same boat as me, here are some of the challenges I want to try, and you can do them too.

1.) Don't drink pop. I know well before I drink it that it's going to make me feel bad. What do I do? I drink it anyway. About 30 minutes later I'm thinking, "Why on earth did I do that?" I know a lot of people preach, "MODERATION, MODERATION, MODERATION!" I can't do that. For example, if I cut down to one snack a week, that craving is still there. One time I didn't eat a (unhealthy) snack for about a month, and I had ZERO cravings. Well, I thought moderation was okay, so I got a unhealthy snack. That broke the cycle, and I still haven't started back. Darn brownies. Anyway, everyone is different, so moderation could be okay for you. Just do what feels right for your body.

2.) Water. Water. Water. I drink water quite often now, but I'm challenging myself to drink a lot more. How much should you drink? A lot of people throw out exact amounts, but I just listen to my body and check my pee. If your pee is pretty light, you are probably drinking enough water.

3.) Do not buy food just because it is cheap. I have had so much Ramen Noodles lately, it's ridiculous. It's so hard to buy the more expensive food when you're in college. (You probably know where I am coming from.) Of course, you should look at the price, but also look at the nutrition label. I'm challenging myself to not buy food based on price until I look at the nutrition label.

4.) Cut out processed food. Okay, this is hard. I know. I'm not saying completely cut it out. Just try to eat more natural things. Well, that's hard too. Especially when all you can eat is something that is microwavable. Try to find healthier processed food, if that's even a thing.

5.) Check nutrition labels. This goes along with what I have already said. Do some research and get an idea of  what exactly should be on the nutrition label for it to be healthy.

6.) Eat healthy fast food. There is no such thing as healthy fast food that I know of. That's why it's fast. I know that totally contradicts what I just said, but just hold on. You can find nutrition labels for a ton of fast food restaurants online. Before you go out to eat, check these out. See what looks the healthiest or what you can do to make it healthier. I'm going to start taking off one of the buns off of my sandwiches. Ask for low fat mayonnaise. I know a lot of people think getting salads at restaurants is healthy, but if you cover it with dressing, it may even be worse. Sorry.

7.) Eat more fruits and veggies. This goes along with cutting out processed food, but try to eat more fruits and veggies. This is something I'm trying very hard to do. I don't like many vegetables, so it's kind of hard for me, but I am going to eat more of what I do like. They are so healthy for you in so many ways. And when I say veggies, I don't mean go get some potato chips because they're made of potatoes. I wish that would work, but trust me, it doesn't.

8.) Make time to eat healthy. This is so hard in college. You try to work around your schedule to eat, and it just doesn't work. You end up snacking before one class just so you can make it to your next class and not be starving. You're up late doing your paper last minute. You will get hungry. It's unavoidable. Plan out what you're going to eat throughout the day. If you have some free time, try to prepare something, like a turkey wrap, that you can just grab and take with you that's a healthier option.

9.) Don't stress eat. I'm guilty as charged. If I'm stressed out, I'll just nibble on potato chips or something throughout the day. I'll eat a whole pack of cookies (slight exaggeration). I'm going to start waiting a few minutes after I get pretty hungry, just to see if I stay hungry. If I don't stay hungry, I was probably just craving it because I was stressed. Your body can  trick you into thinking you're hungry. Just give it a little while, and you will be able to tell if you was actually hungry or not.

10.) Don't buy it. If unhealthy food is in your dorm, you're more than likely going to eat it. If it's not there, you can't eat it. Take advantage of buying your own groceries.

If you are in the same boat as I am, I hope this works for you. I'm no dietitian, but I guarantee this will make you feel better. It makes even help you shed some pounds.

Leave a comment below if something not listed helps you.