The New College Try

I can’t pinpoint the source or place & time I first heard the adage “give it the old college try” but what matters is that it stuck. I’ve long associated “the old college try” with Norman Rockwell’s illustration of leaving for college in his 1954 painting “Breaking Home Ties”. The painting depicts a first-generation college student waiting with his working-class father for a train to arrive and deliver him to “State U”. Thus the “old college try” not only represented approaching challenges with zeal but leaving home behind for the promising unknown.

But the image of college has changed as decades have passed. Today, illuminated apples on MacBooks watch a professor’s lecture instead of eyes. My grandfather’s Rockwellian college experience is very different than the campus and classrooms I’ve known the last four years. If our Norman Rockwell image is antiquated, than what constructs the “new college try”?

Carpe Diem

In “Dead Poets Society”, Robin Williams urges his students, “Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - Carpe - hear it? – Carpe, Carpe Diem, seize the day…” The same advice resonated in the 1950s but I would argue it’s more crucial today. A smaller portion of the population had graduated from college then which made holding a college degree a trump card. Today, it’s all about distinguishing yourself from the pack—and everyone’s trying to do it. Modern college experiences often involve double or triple majors; minors and concentrations; Greek life; and infinite programs, clubs and associations, and study abroad opportunities. Acceptance into grad school or the extension of an entry level job offer rely on seizing the opportunities you have as an undergraduate.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

Technology is your friend, except when it isn’t. I’m so thankful I’m in college now when resources are digitized, collaboration is made easier by Google Docs and Dropbox, and studying is aided by professors’ PowerPoints and eBooks. However, anyone who has spent at least five minutes in a college lecture the last few years knows the distraction potential a laptop, tablet, and smart phone possess. Genuine engagement in a discussion or lesson is much more valuable than most people realize. You may not immediately reap the rewards of your focus, but it’s easier to seek help in office hours or get a letter of recommendation from a professor when you’re one of the few making eye contact and asking questions during lectures.

Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

One of the beauties of college is that every semester is different. One of the misfortunes of college is that every semester is different. You can have a perfect schedule one semester—waking up at 10:30 am, loving all of your classes, and have a thriving social life—and then you’re in 8:00 am’s, overextended, and always stressing about assignments the next one. Adaptation is often the biggest source of personal growth while you’re an undergrad. College can be an exciting, adult-making factory—you’re hit with juggling marginally more responsibility semester after semester, and by the time you’re out, you resemble a self-responsible taxpayer. Don’t fight adaptation, embrace it.

by: Paige Witthar

Eliminating Student Debt: A Penny Saved is a Nickel Earned

I'm sure you've heard the wisdom "A penny saved is a penny earned". But with student loans, a penny saved is much more than a penny earned. A graduate with $25,000 in federal student loans who is enrolled in the standard 10-year repayment plan will pay nearly $35,000. I recently began my last semester of college and decided to write down a few "tricks of the trade" I've come across. Here are five ways to reduce your college IOU:

1) Start a SuccessFund.

SuccessFunding champions higher education, supports college students, and fights student debt through crowdfunding. The site allows students to crowdfund money for college tuition, freeing students from the burden of student loans. It's safe for both the student (called the SuccessFundee) and the supporter (SuccessFunder) because the funds are put in a 529 college savings plan. Visit SuccessFunding's website to create a profile and start raising money.

2) Become a Scholarship Bloodhound.

Did you get carpal tunnel writing scholarship essays your senior year of high school? Once you’ve become a vibrant college student often the last thing you want to do is revisit that process. However, spending a little time applying for scholarships can save you a lot of time repaying loans after you graduate. Are there scholarships offered by the department that houses your major? Do civic organizations in your hometown have scholarships open to current college students? Uncovering the answers to questions like these can lead to finding otherwise missed scholarship opportunities.


3) Get to Know Your Financial Aid Counselor and Know Them Well.

Are you on a first-name basis with your financial aid counselor? In any situation in life, it pays to know the gatekeeper. In the case of funding your college, the gatekeeper is your financial aid counselor. Getting to know your financial aid counselor is beneficial in several respects. When scholarships and other opportunities arise, it pays for you to be the first person they think of. Forming a good relationship with your financial aid counselor can also lead to a better understanding of both your college finances and the responsibilities tied to your financial aid.


4) Join a Forum.

I created a profile on College Confidential before I entered my senior year of high school and was quickly engrossed. Joining forums on college related matters is a great way to get advice and discover hidden opportunities. Forums like those on College Confidential are full of students, alumni, parents, school representatives, etc. who may have been in a situation similar to yours or know of ways to help you. I’ve learned that people on forums are passionate and tremendously helpful. Once you understand the ways of the forum, create a thread asking about opportunities at your school, in your field of study, or specific to your situation.


5) Start Paying the Interest While You’re in School.

While you’re in school, the government pays the interest on Direct Subsidized Loans, however Unsubsidized Federal Loans still accrue interest during this time. Get to know all the information about your loan servicer(s) by logging into your Federal Student Aid account. Contact the loan servicer(s) about paying the interest on your Unsubsidized loans. Budget for partial or full payments on the interest monthly so you’ll only be paying the capital once your loan payments start coming due.


by: Paige Witthar

How SuccessFunding Has Changed Many Lives

Hesitant to start a SuccessFund? You're not alone. All our SuccessFundees had that same feeling before starting their SuccessFund. They didn't know if crowdfunding would work or if people would be willing lend their support to someone who they did not know. However, these SuccessFundees proved that it does work. Student Debt is a big problem in our country but its not bigger than all of us combined. Here is what a couple of them had to say about the SuccessFunding experience!

"The support from people sharing your story and telling you that they support you gives you that extra push."-Paige Witthar

"I did not think I would raise as much as I thought I would."- Sania Ahmad

"The SuccessFunding experience went beyond expectations!"- Shwetha Bhat

"The SuccessFunding process was very easy."-Sania Ahmad

"I would highly recommend SuccessFunding!"- Shwetha Bhat

"My friends believed in what I wanted to do and shared it with others and the next thing I knew, I had a whole network of supporters."-Sania Ahmad

"As long as you're passionate about something, you'll have people want to know your story."-Jannat Choudhury

Now that you've read what our SuccessFundees had to say, what's holding you back? Create a SuccessFund profile today and have an experience you have never had before.

Check out video testimonials at http://vimeo.com/successfunding

Life's Asterisk

by: Paige Witthar

We often tell children they can do anything they want in their lives. However, there is an asterisk we forget to include--* with an education.  Higher education refines the existing talents and gifts of students; it is the foundation for careers and gives wings to students' dreams. But college is just as much a learning experience about life as it is a learning experience in a lecture hall. It exposes students to people, situations, and ideas they wouldn’t otherwise encounter. I have matured in countless ways during my three years at SMU: I have friends with backgrounds very different than my own, and I’ve slowly been introduced to adult responsibilities like paying rent and living courteously with other people. Additionally, I’ve become a better collaborator and learned to become my own advocate. I see the world through a higher quality lens because of my undergraduate education. I believe in SuccessFunding because it places power in the hands of students. It frees students from the burden of excessive student debt and provides them with greater freedom to make their educational decisions. SuccessFunding empowers students to chase their dreams using the tools they gained in college. Student debt turns these tools into heavy weights. SuccessFunding also offers fans, or donors, freedom that traditional forms of giving do not. Fans can choose whom their money goes to and donations aren’t absorbed by administrative costs. The traditional depiction of a donor is someone who gives millions of dollars to have their name on a building or an endowment. A fan can see the difference encouragement and a $10, $20, or $50 donation have in the life of a student. Education nurtures Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Debt hinders these Rights. SuccessFunding assures that education will prevail. Paige Witthar is a senior marketing major with an entrepreneurship concentration at Southern Methodist University. She works as a marketing intern for SuccessFunding and is a member of our inaugural SMU beta group.