Haley BArnard
As a student, often times one’s financial status can play a large rule into where one might attend, or what they might do while at college. There is no doubt that a student may end up with student debt that can follow them for years after graduation. As of 2016, the average student owes $37,172 in student loans; this is not counting any other credit card or other bills one may owe. Many times this debt can be stressful or overwhelming, which is expected. Fortunately, there are various amounts of tips to avoiding student loan debt that can be beneficial for future students.
One of the easiest and smartest solutions, is to start saving money as early as possible. Hosting a garage sale or having a part time job is a way to start earning money, and on top of it, put the money earned into a savings account where you can one day use this money to pay off debt. Another possibility is to apply for scholarships -- and win. Every dollar one does not have to pay counts, so it’s suggested to apply for as many as one can.
When it comes to choosing a college, one must choose one that is not only right for them, but is also affordable and works with one’s income. As it may not be the desired choice, attending a community college for two years is a great way to save money on prerequisite classes. Another option is taking your time through the college process. Although everyone wants to graduate in 4 years, it is okay to slow it down and work half time and take less classes if it means less student debt.
While at college, there are many things that can help save a few extra dollars as well. Firstly, buy used textbooks. Doing this can cut the price of books in half, which eventually could save you hundreds of dollars. Secondly, get a job while in college or work as in intern. Although many internships do not pay, some do, and when doing this, one is getting paid and getting experience which is saving time and money for the future. Being able to make some profit in college will also help pay for food or other necessities in college.
College itself is expensive, and that does not include all other expenses that must be paid for. Money impacts our entire lives and being able to change the amount one may potentially owe, is life changing. These small changes can save on thousands of dollars, and in the long run, change one’s whole college experience.
One of the easiest and smartest solutions, is to start saving money as early as possible. Hosting a garage sale or having a part time job is a way to start earning money, and on top of it, put the money earned into a savings account where you can one day use this money to pay off debt. Another possibility is to apply for scholarships -- and win. Every dollar one does not have to pay counts, so it’s suggested to apply for as many as one can.
When it comes to choosing a college, one must choose one that is not only right for them, but is also affordable and works with one’s income. As it may not be the desired choice, attending a community college for two years is a great way to save money on prerequisite classes. Another option is taking your time through the college process. Although everyone wants to graduate in 4 years, it is okay to slow it down and work half time and take less classes if it means less student debt.
While at college, there are many things that can help save a few extra dollars as well. Firstly, buy used textbooks. Doing this can cut the price of books in half, which eventually could save you hundreds of dollars. Secondly, get a job while in college or work as in intern. Although many internships do not pay, some do, and when doing this, one is getting paid and getting experience which is saving time and money for the future. Being able to make some profit in college will also help pay for food or other necessities in college.
College itself is expensive, and that does not include all other expenses that must be paid for. Money impacts our entire lives and being able to change the amount one may potentially owe, is life changing. These small changes can save on thousands of dollars, and in the long run, change one’s whole college experience.
Isabelle Passaglia
Soda intake has become an increasingly popular topic in the past few years. Americans have always enjoyed the sweet, bubbly taste of soda and fast food companies have learned to take advantage of this. They tempt consumers by offering portion sizes well exceeding a healthy intake. In fact, several fast food restaurants now offer customers a precarious option of sixty four ounces--the size of four plastic water bottles combined. These portion sizes are currently unregulated by the U.S government. This allows companies to create massive soft drink sizes for minimal cost, in hopes of misleading their customers into believing that they have scored a deal. If left unregulated, excess soda intake could lead to serious health issues down the line. Our government should limit the size of sugary drinks in order to prevent health issues and stop the further increase of portion sizes.
A safe sugar limit according to the the American Heart Association is nine teaspoons a day for men and six for women. Sodas exceed this restriction by two hundred percent if consumed in any size over a small. This makes one small soda equivalent to a whole days worth of sugar intake. Devouring these disproportionately sized drinks regularly opens up the door to much more than just obesity. According to a study done by natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, excessive amounts of sugar is known to cause health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, metabolic dysfunction, and perhaps cancer. Sodas are slurped down unrestrictedly at restaurants, theaters, athletic games, and every other food serving facility. As much as we would like to believe that these businesses are looking out for our health and working to keep portion sizes safe, that is not the case.
The food industry is well aware that they have hooked consumers on their sugary beverages. In order to gain more profit, they have created ways to give their consumers what they desire: more for less. They try to entice customers with jumbo sizes for only cents more than a small. This reaches into psychological instincts, making people feel like it would be a waste not to upgrade sizes if it only costs them a minimal amount more. Companies continue to create larger sizes and better advertising techniques in hopes of gaining the most profit possible. And, unless something is done to stop further inflation, the sizes of these drinks will continue to rise and bring profit to businesses while the well-being of the consumer is left forgotten.
Sugary beverages are great as an occasional social drink, but when advertising makes consumers feel like they are getting a bargain for a sixty four ounce cup of sugar, it is clear the U.S has a major issue. Our government should limit the size of sugary drinks in order to prevent further health concerns and the rapid increase in proportions. The government is here to protect us, and that includes the overall health of its citizens. With corporations tricking buyers into these excessive and disproportionate sizes, someone needs to step in.
A safe sugar limit according to the the American Heart Association is nine teaspoons a day for men and six for women. Sodas exceed this restriction by two hundred percent if consumed in any size over a small. This makes one small soda equivalent to a whole days worth of sugar intake. Devouring these disproportionately sized drinks regularly opens up the door to much more than just obesity. According to a study done by natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, excessive amounts of sugar is known to cause health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, metabolic dysfunction, and perhaps cancer. Sodas are slurped down unrestrictedly at restaurants, theaters, athletic games, and every other food serving facility. As much as we would like to believe that these businesses are looking out for our health and working to keep portion sizes safe, that is not the case.
The food industry is well aware that they have hooked consumers on their sugary beverages. In order to gain more profit, they have created ways to give their consumers what they desire: more for less. They try to entice customers with jumbo sizes for only cents more than a small. This reaches into psychological instincts, making people feel like it would be a waste not to upgrade sizes if it only costs them a minimal amount more. Companies continue to create larger sizes and better advertising techniques in hopes of gaining the most profit possible. And, unless something is done to stop further inflation, the sizes of these drinks will continue to rise and bring profit to businesses while the well-being of the consumer is left forgotten.
Sugary beverages are great as an occasional social drink, but when advertising makes consumers feel like they are getting a bargain for a sixty four ounce cup of sugar, it is clear the U.S has a major issue. Our government should limit the size of sugary drinks in order to prevent further health concerns and the rapid increase in proportions. The government is here to protect us, and that includes the overall health of its citizens. With corporations tricking buyers into these excessive and disproportionate sizes, someone needs to step in.
HAiley knakal
Over the past ten years technology has continually evolved and helped us connect with others more than ever before. Since social media was developed, it has left a strong impact of loneliness on the population today. This feeling comes from our obsession with documenting each moment, the formation of superficial relationships, and our skewed vision of loneliness.
A shocking 1.8 billion photos are shared through social media sites everyday. This includes apps and websites such as Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat. This leads to the assumption that the society we live in today is infatuated with the idea of capturing each moment. Though it is important to take hold of our meaningful memories, we are often at fault for getting lost in our cell phone world instead of the one right in front of us. We often feel that if the moment isn't documented and posted for everyone to see, it didn't happen and we are left feeling incomplete. We have conformed to a society today where documenting the moment is as important as the moment itself.
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and countless other social networking sites are platforms for friendship in our culture today. These sites promote relationships, with messaging and adding people as “friends”. We must ask ourselves if these connections are real? Research has found that of the 150 Facebook friends the average user has, only fifteen could be counted as actual friends, and five as close friends. Superficial is defined as existing or occurring at, or on the surface and this is exactly how our online “relationships” are today. Our connection revolves around a website, and what we present as real and true depends on us. We often only see the person in the screen, not behind, and that has shaped “true” relationships.
In our generation today, we confuse loneliness with solitude, two words that have significantly different meanings. We don't understand that there is a healthy state of loneliness, thus titled solitude. Solitude is a state or situation in which you are alone usually because you want to be. While experiencing solitude, it allows us to reflect on ourselves and make good decisions crucial to our mental health. In a study, it was proven that, some individuals spend no more than 10 minutes alone per day. This is an issue in our society due to our easy and dependable technology. We rely on social media and our phones to fill this void and don't realize how healthy and positive the state of solitude actually is. This solitude is essential, but only reachable when distractions and high speed internet are no interruption.
Twitter’s famous “what's happening?” and emoticons, are not changing this emptiness users around the world are experiencing. Essentially this loneliness is rooted from documenting rather than living, fake friends online, and our inability to differentiate solitude and loneliness. No amount of Instagram followers can fulfill us when we have had a rough day. No emoji can be used as a hug, and sometimes there just are not words to articulate exactly how we are feeling. Connecting with others, reflecting on ourselves, and being present requires us to pull away from the loneliness technology is creating, and focus on relationships and the importance of our lives.
A shocking 1.8 billion photos are shared through social media sites everyday. This includes apps and websites such as Twitter, Tumblr, and Snapchat. This leads to the assumption that the society we live in today is infatuated with the idea of capturing each moment. Though it is important to take hold of our meaningful memories, we are often at fault for getting lost in our cell phone world instead of the one right in front of us. We often feel that if the moment isn't documented and posted for everyone to see, it didn't happen and we are left feeling incomplete. We have conformed to a society today where documenting the moment is as important as the moment itself.
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and countless other social networking sites are platforms for friendship in our culture today. These sites promote relationships, with messaging and adding people as “friends”. We must ask ourselves if these connections are real? Research has found that of the 150 Facebook friends the average user has, only fifteen could be counted as actual friends, and five as close friends. Superficial is defined as existing or occurring at, or on the surface and this is exactly how our online “relationships” are today. Our connection revolves around a website, and what we present as real and true depends on us. We often only see the person in the screen, not behind, and that has shaped “true” relationships.
In our generation today, we confuse loneliness with solitude, two words that have significantly different meanings. We don't understand that there is a healthy state of loneliness, thus titled solitude. Solitude is a state or situation in which you are alone usually because you want to be. While experiencing solitude, it allows us to reflect on ourselves and make good decisions crucial to our mental health. In a study, it was proven that, some individuals spend no more than 10 minutes alone per day. This is an issue in our society due to our easy and dependable technology. We rely on social media and our phones to fill this void and don't realize how healthy and positive the state of solitude actually is. This solitude is essential, but only reachable when distractions and high speed internet are no interruption.
Twitter’s famous “what's happening?” and emoticons, are not changing this emptiness users around the world are experiencing. Essentially this loneliness is rooted from documenting rather than living, fake friends online, and our inability to differentiate solitude and loneliness. No amount of Instagram followers can fulfill us when we have had a rough day. No emoji can be used as a hug, and sometimes there just are not words to articulate exactly how we are feeling. Connecting with others, reflecting on ourselves, and being present requires us to pull away from the loneliness technology is creating, and focus on relationships and the importance of our lives.
cece thomas
It seems again our nation is struck with tragedy after a horrific and heartbreaking event, caused by a person with the wrong possession of an assault weapon. The rising questions concerning our legislature and rights as citizens is once again a topic of discussion in classrooms, online media posts, and rallies across the nation; where do we draw the line?
First, it's important to know that the core of the majority of these issues do not come from individuals with mental health problems. In fact, a study in 2015 estimated that only 4 percent of American gun deaths are attributed to mentally ill patients, yet the United States still pours billions of dollars, a little over $21 billion to be exact, into a mental health care program which is still not big enough to support everyone who needs it. The majority of this money is spent on prescription drugs for patients who have the money to pay for the expenses of the treatment. The laws made to prevent mentally ill people from possessing these weapons only eliminates a small portion of the problem. And although imagining a mental health system with all the tools necessary to be able to stop instances like Columbine, Newtown or Parkland is ideal, we have to realize that is nearly impossible when you consider the amount of disturbed people in towns across the nation with violent urges may never get such treatment. However this is not to say we should stop pushing towards a program that does so, or enforce education that teaches us about these issues. However, looking past this, it still is not mental health that is the core of the issue. The heart of the matter still lies in the hands of the evil, literally.
The United States has some of the weakest controls over guns: who may buy one, what sorts of guns may be owned, and how many guns may be purchased or owned at a time. In some states, at the age of 18, citizens have the right to purchase assault style weapons without any sort of permit or license, and can do so, fully legally. (Keep in mind, that a person who is allowed possession of a weapon with the power to kill hundreds in minutes is not able to walk into a bar and purchase a glass of beer). The matter does not lie fully within the disturbed who cause the issue, but the fact that massacres in large numbers like we have seen would not be possible without the power of these harmful weapons we are letting into the hands of people in our communities. It is impossible to become a mass shooter without a mass shooting gun. By restricting the sale of these horrific machines, we can create an environment in which children don't have to fear walking into their own school.
This doesn't mean our nation has to be ‘anti-gun’, but simply more cautious of whose hands we are placing the responsibility of the right to own these weapons. The issue isn't about taking some guns away from all people, but taking all guns away from some people.
First, it's important to know that the core of the majority of these issues do not come from individuals with mental health problems. In fact, a study in 2015 estimated that only 4 percent of American gun deaths are attributed to mentally ill patients, yet the United States still pours billions of dollars, a little over $21 billion to be exact, into a mental health care program which is still not big enough to support everyone who needs it. The majority of this money is spent on prescription drugs for patients who have the money to pay for the expenses of the treatment. The laws made to prevent mentally ill people from possessing these weapons only eliminates a small portion of the problem. And although imagining a mental health system with all the tools necessary to be able to stop instances like Columbine, Newtown or Parkland is ideal, we have to realize that is nearly impossible when you consider the amount of disturbed people in towns across the nation with violent urges may never get such treatment. However this is not to say we should stop pushing towards a program that does so, or enforce education that teaches us about these issues. However, looking past this, it still is not mental health that is the core of the issue. The heart of the matter still lies in the hands of the evil, literally.
The United States has some of the weakest controls over guns: who may buy one, what sorts of guns may be owned, and how many guns may be purchased or owned at a time. In some states, at the age of 18, citizens have the right to purchase assault style weapons without any sort of permit or license, and can do so, fully legally. (Keep in mind, that a person who is allowed possession of a weapon with the power to kill hundreds in minutes is not able to walk into a bar and purchase a glass of beer). The matter does not lie fully within the disturbed who cause the issue, but the fact that massacres in large numbers like we have seen would not be possible without the power of these harmful weapons we are letting into the hands of people in our communities. It is impossible to become a mass shooter without a mass shooting gun. By restricting the sale of these horrific machines, we can create an environment in which children don't have to fear walking into their own school.
This doesn't mean our nation has to be ‘anti-gun’, but simply more cautious of whose hands we are placing the responsibility of the right to own these weapons. The issue isn't about taking some guns away from all people, but taking all guns away from some people.