The Financial Student

Happy 4th of July!

Hoboken NJ July 4th on Flickr! by Bob Jagendorf

To my fellow Americans, Happy Independence Day! Remember to be safe out there when celebrating. I wish you and all those from another nations a happy and safe weekend. I’ll be hanging out with friends and family all weekend (and Monday!), so no posts until Wednesday.

Thanks readers, subscribers, and commenters. You’re all kickass!

A Temporary Change in Programming…

The Financial Student has been in existence for five months now. During that time, I’ve written five posts every week and genuinely had a good time doing it. I’ve made some good connections with both other bloggers and readers.

However, things are incredibly busy for me right now. I graduate in just three weeks and am in the middle of sending out invites and preparing for graduation. I’m now working 30-40 hours a week. Add in the time I want to spend hanging out with my friends and family and it’s hard to find time to write quality blog posts.

Because of this, I’ve decided to scale back my posting schedule. This will be my last post of the week. Starting Monday the 10th of May, I’ll start posting three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A Saturday round-up type post is also likely.

I’m aiming to resume my usual five posts per week schedule sometime in June when things settle down a bit and I can start to relax and give The Financial Student the attention it needs.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Be More Productive By Setting Up a Work Only Location

When I first started this blog, I spent some time writing posts a week or two in advance. This was helpful in case there was a day when I just didn’t feel like writing or something came up like an illness. But, as the excitement of starting a blog has worn off, it’s been hard to maintain an article reserve.

I’ve been trying to find a way to increase my motivation and get back to the days of having multiple posts saved up. Also, I’ve wanted to buckle down and finish up scholarship applications and other college paperwork.

Then, a few weeks ago I came across this post from the Smart Passive Income blog. Basically, the author bought a new laptop to use only for personal and non-work related tasks. He uses his desktop computer for work – blogging, his online business, etc. I couldn’t afford a new computer, but I did come up with a solution that’s been working really well for me.

Specific locations for specific tasks.

My family computer is an HP laptop. Almost exclusively, I would only use it in the living room because it’s just so comfortable to lie on the couch. I was doing every task in this same location – Facebook, online banking, blogging, blog email, personal email, financial aid papers. This was not good for productivity.

Now, what I’ve been doing for past few weeks is simple: When I need to get stuff done, like writing a blog post, I head upstairs to my desk and plug my laptop into a desktop monitor and regular sized keyboard and mouse. When I’m ready to just relax and want to browse Facebook or watch a YouTube clip, I go downstairs to the living room.

I’ve been doing this for about 2-4 weeks now and it’s been a huge help. I have about 5 blog posts plus a huge list of ideas already in reserve to use in case I’m sick or otherwise can’t write. Since starting this “system” I’ve been managing due dates for school forms and scholarships much better using Google Calendar. I also don’t feel any sense of guilt when I’m downstairs browsing YouTube because I know I’ve already accomplished the important tasks for my day.

If you’ve been having trouble getting everything done, try picking one location (preferably not your couch or bed) where you can focus on one task at a time and really accomplish whatever it is you need done.

Weekly Roundup – I Could Get Used to This Blogging Thing Edition

I’ve been blogging now for 3 months. I started The Financial Student back in the last week of December 2009, but didn’t officially “launch” until January. I honestly can’t believe the time has gone by so fast. Writing 5 days a week isn’t always fun, but I have no plans to stop. Here’s to another 3 months!

And here are some of my favorite articles from the past week or so.

Are You In a Dead End Job? asks some good questions to help you realize if your job isn’t going to take you where you want it to. For me, the biggest factor is passion. I can’t imagine working a typical 9-5 job at a company that I don’t love.

The Rip: Overpriced HDMI Cables is a sigh of relief for anybody considering purchasing a high definition telvevision. Please, for the love of God, do not let anybody you know buy HDMI cables at Bestbuy or even Walmart. You can get one here for only $2.85.

7 Lessons I’ve Learned Post Bankruptcy shows how bankruptcy has affected one individual. Obviously, it’s best to never get in a situation where bankruptcy is necessary, but this post does show that even bleak financial pictures can improve.

The Elegance Of Failure reminds us that our failures don’t define who we are as individuals.

Who Killed BlockBuster – Netflix or RedBox? reminds me that I literally have not stepped foot into a BlockBuster store in years. To be fair, I’ve never used Netflix or RedBox, but I would most likely turn to those services before Blockbuster. In my opinion, pay-per-view played a large role in the demise of Blockbuster. Why would I drive to a store to pick up a movie when I can just order it for the same price right from my satellite (or cable) box?

Welcome to The Financial Student

Welcome to The Financial Student!

In this blog, I’ll discuss the financial matters that affect teens and young adults the most. From saving for college to understanding how to file taxes for the first time, The Financial Student is here to guide and explain everything.

I hope you’ll stick around to see what I have to offer.

Check back tomorrow for the launch!