Before starting college, I mainly worked jobs to save money for tuition and books since I knew that college itself would be a financial burden on my family. Luckily, I was able to work closely with my school’s financial aid office to come up with a package that I could pay off for my first year of college. But once I got to college, the other expenses made reality hit fast—and it hit my wallet the hardest.
The hidden expenses (not really…just the ones I didn’t think about before college):
1. Going Out to Eat
I remember the first month of campus vividly – I was embracing my independence and socializing with every person that I came across. However, being a social butterfly comes with outstanding costs, as almost every weekend was spent exploring restaurants on the Delmar Loop (a street near my school where we could walk to… most campuses usually have a street of restaurants that students love going to!), or “taste-testing” them as we would call it. Since I was “taste-testing” places every weekend, it added up quicker than you think in a month. An alternative to eating out every weekend would be taking more advantage of the meal plan that covers 2-3 meals a day for first-years at my college.
2. Textbooks and Class Fees
Another cost that I wasn’t expecting was class fees and textbooks based on the courses enrolled. These costs were not included in the tuition bill and came later in the semester. Since I’d been in the public school system my whole life until college, there were no out-of-pocket costs. I had no idea that there were these separate costs, but they added up to several hundred within a semester. Again, it depends on the classes you take, such as labs that may cost more than a lecture-based class that only requires a textbook.
3. Transportation
In my personal experience, transportation wasn’t much of an issue since almost everything I needed was on campus. My school also provides shuttles and a free Metro pass that I can take if I need to go to the medical campus for a meeting or research. However, if you regularly take Ubers, they will definitely add up.
Additionally, if you live farther from your college, you will also have to pay for plane tickets, trains, etc., to travel home. These expenses would not be covered in tuition.
How can you budget for these costs?
During my first year on campus, I participated in paid research and took on various campus jobs to cover some of these costs. Having worked and saved money throughout high school, I learned that being a student comes first in college. Therefore, campus jobs are a great option because they’re flexible and understanding of academic demands, allowing time for both work and studying.