This is a guest post from the Studenomist of Studenomics. If you want to learn more about earning an income in college then search no further. If you enjoy what you read then please consider subscribing to my feed.

There’s no point to try to graduate from college debt free because it is simply impossible, correct? Well not really. One of the biggest issues facing most college graduates these days is trying to pay off the massive amounts of student debt. Today I want to discuss how this whole issue could be avoided by working hard to graduate from college debt free.

Envision a debt free life after graduating from college. – You can travel the world, you can move out from home by putting a down payment down on a home, and best of all you won’t have to accept the first job that comes your way. The problem that I see plaguing many new college graduates is that they are so stressed about their debt that they are willing to accept the first job that comes their way just to pay the bills. Nothing wrong with trying to pay the bills. However, the sad part is that a certain level of comfort is usually established and you may end up being 30 years old and hating your job.

Okay I will stop the envisioning stuff right here and move forward with some more tactical tips

Ignore all possible distractions – It doesn’t matter how wild you think Frank’s party is going to be, if you don’t have the money or the money is needed for student loan payments, then don’t go. I know it’s interesting to see who Jackie is dating this week but Facebook is simply another distraction. You will see a must have pair of jeans every time you go to the mall, so try avoiding the mall altogether.

Granted we as college students are only human beings so of course we will feel the urge to go out and party at times or buy a new t shirt. Go ahead, but make sure that you plan ahead and you have the money in cash, not credit card.

Work whenever you can. – The trick is to reduce the time you spend reading about the latest Brangelina gossip and increase the time you spend improving your situation. For most college students earning an income is the best way to improve the current situation. Whether you find a job at your college or work as a server at a restaurant all that matters is that you make some money to pay down your debt.

Now I know that college is a really stressful time and it may even seem as if there are just not enough hours in a day, but it is important that you learn how to prioritize. There needs to be a specific time period where all you will do is study. There also needs to be a day or two during the week where you squeeze in a shift at work.

Become the king of research. – We spend so much time in front of our computers that it’s quite amazing how unproductive we can be at times. The internet is the greatest tool for a variety of reasons. You can look for internships, apply for scholarships, find cheaper textbooks, network with other college students/college graduates, and best of all this can all be done while blasting the new Eminem cd.

Don’t be afraid to reward yourself – Once the wheels are in motion and you are successfully working towards your goal of graduating from college debt free then try to reward yourself once in a while. If you want to drink 10 beers and not remember what happens, then go ahead. I personally love to reward myself by traveling down south to an all inclusive resort. Please don’t be jealous because I usually spend my
weekends in the winter working hard while everyone else is out skiing or enjoying themselves.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 08:53 and is filed under Credit Cards FAQ. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.