The Current 2020

Oreintation 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 20 Advice Take It From A Senior: Enjoy The Journey Kathleen Crapson is a graduating senior part of NSU’s class of 2020. She earned her bachelor’s of art and design, with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in arts administration. For two years, she has been the Chief of Visual Design for The Current, NSU’s student-run newspaper while also moonlighting as the Head of Design for Campus Cursive NSU. My perspective is a bit unique: after high school, I was part-time at Broward College for my associates degree before coming to NSU as a commuter student. My hope for this letter is to provide some insight for my fellow transfer and commuter students, and hopefully, for first-year residentials, too. With three years under my belt at NSU, the best thing I can tell you is get out of your comfort zone. I spent my first year here as a commuter student with paralyzing social anxiety, so my experience was coming to classes and participating in minimal extracurriculars with PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM K.CRAPSON By: Kathleen Crapson Contributing Writer little effort. But it wasn’t until I realized I could get paid for writing articles and designing the newspaper that I got out of my shell. The Current hired me, and because I started work during the summer, I had some time to cultivate f r i e n d s h i p s with staff in SUTV’s television program. Once my second year started, I found that I knew a few friendly faces on this small campus. J o b s on campus are a great way to get out of your c o m f o r t zone and p o s s i b l y meet other s t u d e n t s with your p a s s i o n s a n d interests. Go onto y o u r Sharklink a c c o u n t and find the “JobX” icon to search for available on-campus jobs. Remember that social anxiety I mentioned earlier? Well, turns out what I thought was an anchovy of a problem was a huge angler fish with a flashing “light” headed in my direction (I apologize to all the marine bio majors out there, my experience with fish is limited to “Finding Nemo”). Since I had a support system and some great advice from my boss and coworkers around me, I mustered up the courage to go to Henderson Student Counseling Services on campus and get some help. I’ll forever be grateful to the friend who came with me to start his own journey towards better mental health. Freshmen and incoming transfer students, take that first step. If you feel lost right now, don’t worry. I was there, too. Especially after graduating high school or if you’re just lost in this season and rhythm of life, muster up your faith and courage to go to that first club meeting, apply for that on-campus job or talk to that person who seems to be in every single one of your classes. Your journey is more than just going to classes, it’s also your life. It’s time to think about your credit and how to establish good credit If you’re like me, you probably didn’t have your own personal credit card or banking account that wasn’t connected to your parents prior to college. It’s a major financial commitment, and if you do not understand exactly what it is used for or how it can affect your future, you can put yourself in a position of financial hardship. A 2019 report by EVERGI and AIG retirement services found that, of the 30,000 college students surveyed, only 51% of students plan to pay off their credit card bills in full. So, what does this mean for you? How can you make sure that you are part of the 51% that can pay off their credit card debt with confidence? Well, it starts with understanding what credit cards and credit really do. There is this common misconception that credit cards are essentially free money. However, this is far from the truth. To put it simply, the way our economy works and the personal financial hardships Americans face, there is a need to rely on credit cards to make purchases on items that you need while also guaranteeing that you will pay it back at a later date. This line of credit that you create with your bank or other financier -- other than helping you pay for purchases that you are unable to make on your own -- also helps you build credit. By building your personal credit, loan providers, insurance companies, lease holders, homeowner associations and others have the ability to know if they are going to get paid, if you are a trustworthy person to rent out or give a loan to. If you have good credit or you frequently make payments to your credit card, you are likely to get a break on interest rates, get accepted at homeowner associations and make the purchases that help shape the life you want to make for yourself. Whether you like it or not, this is how a lot of business is done and can give you a little bit of a financial cushion when you are in need. In cases of emergencies or unexpected expenses, having good credit can be a great helping hand. One of the positive things in building credit, especially during your college years, is the lack of immediate financial obligations and increase of financial independence. Essentially, right now, most college students either live at home with their parents or in the student dorms and are on meal plans. This is a great time to start making small purchases with a credit card, such as on gas or grocery items, without the financial stress of keeping a roof over your head or other immediate necessities. As long as you don’t overdo it, by building credit in college by making purchases on a credit card and keeping up with payments, you can get a step ahead in your financial future. So how do you keep up with payments and ensure that you don’t overdo it? My suggestion is, if you are about to get gas, buy groceries or make another purchase with your debit card and you have that amount in your bank account, get in the habit of putting those payments on your credit card and pay it back later. Even if you literally pay the credit card balance when you get home, this is a simple way to start building your credit safely with the ability to recover. Even if you are especially careful with your money, there will be situations that you will find yourself in debt -- even if it is as little as $10. So, what do you do in that situation? Keep up with your minimum payments, set a reminder on your phone or rely on some of your savings to keep up with payments and replace it later. This may seem confusing and maybe even a little overwhelming, but it is an important skill that takes some time to adjust to and manage. Everyone has their own way of managing their money and financial independence, but sometimes, you need some guidance when you fall behind or when you are not sure what to do -- and that’s okay too. Feel free to reach out to your bank or look for online resources for support in helping you navigate your financial goals and building your credit score. If you really feel at a loss, ask a trusted family member, parent or friend how they manage. It can only help. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM C. MCLAUGHLIN By: Christina McLaughlin Co-Editor-in-Chief