Going to college is a heavy financial strain on any student, but it’s often the parents who bear the brunt of the weight of that burden. Under the caring wing of their parents, school children rarely have to worry about the value of money, but once they’re let out into the world on their own, everything changes and all of a sudden they have to fend for themselves.

With this freedom comes responsibility and it usually takes a little while for students to learn how to take care of their money. A lot of students end up in debt while at university and calls home for money can be frequent occurrences. Right off the bat there are a few ways that college undergrads can watch after their money and let parents sleep easy.

Don’t miss class

Tuition fees are expensive and are usually paid in advance. Being at college isn’t like being at school. Most children wouldn’t dream of missing a class in school, but at college, nobody is going to write a letter home and say that Johnny has been skipping lectures. At this stage in a student’s life, if education isn’t being taken seriously then that’s the student’s choice. Lecturers will carry on teaching those students who do care and the ones who don’t will pay for it in the long run. The temptation to sleep in is always there, often fuelled by a hangover, but as soon as a student starts skipping classes, he is throwing money away.

Don’t fail class

In a similar vein to not showing up, failing is just as bad, if not worse. Some students let their college years drift away by failing and retaking classes, sometimes graduating several years after their original classmates. It costs money to retake modules and courses and it costs money to spend more time at college than you’re supposed to. Students can’t rely on retaking exams to pass their courses because they’ll end up severely out of pocket in the long run.

Make the most of the perks

A large chunk of the tuition fees paid to colleges and universities goes towards other resources that students often fail to take advantage of. These include everything from healthcare to assembly fees. If the service is there, use it. If you get sick, go and visit the university health service and make the most of your money. You’re paying for it either way.

Take everything you can get

A lot of students go through their college years unaware of the large number of scholarships and grants available to them. No matter what year of study a student is in, there is usually money out there earmarked for them; it’s just a matter of applying for that money. Colleges, universities and other organizations have schemes in place aimed squarely at financially assisting students during their study. To not take advantage of these resource or, worse, to not even be aware that they exist is wasting a great opportunity. It’s crazy to think that most students just don’t bother to cash in on all the free money that’s out there.

Don’t make a meal of your money

Many colleges and universities have some kind of meal plan on offer to students. Students living in halls on campus might have all their meals provided, while others may have to choose meal plans. Some students end up wasting money on uneaten meals. If a meal is provided and paid for, it makes sense to eat it. Especially in halls of residence, many students end up taking their meals off campus and dining out regularly, despite having meals provided for them. If a student is going to dine out, then it would make more sense not to spend money on any kind of meal plan.

Buy the right books

It’s impossible to shy away from the financial burden of having to buy course books, but students often end up frittering away their cash on text books. It’s not unheard of to shop around for books. Buying books online is a great way to save money, as is checking faculty notice boards to hunt out older students selling off books they’re done with. There’s also no reason why every text book that a student uses can’t be sold on to new students, thus saving a pile of cash at the end of each semester.

Don’t be a dropout

For some students, the newfound freedom that goes with attending college can go to their heads. They party too much, study too little, miss too many classes and wake up on time too few mornings. It’s a surefire way to waste money and to end up on the chopping block after every semester. Sure, going to college is a lot of fun, but there is still work to be done and if a student isn’t up to par when it comes to exam time, they may face the choice of retaking classes or else dropping out altogether. Then there are those students who haven’t really thought through what they are doing at university. Picking a course on a whim or just applying for subjects friends have applied for is another recipe for dropping out.

Keep the grades up

Students often forget that many loans and scholarships are awarded on the basis of certain grades and credits being met. If a student’s grades slip too far, it may be that that student will have to pay back his or her loan sooner, which can be an enormous financial worry. Likewise if a student’s GPA drops below a certain level, scholarships may be withdrawn.

Money matters

With student loans comes temptation. As a student, it’s easy to feel rich at the beginning of each college year and this can lead to some erratic spending, from new videogame consoles to wild nights out. If student loans were to cover shopping sprees then classes would be held in malls. It can be a hard lesson to learn for many, but the financial blunders students make today will often make them cringe with embarrassment in the future.

By MC for Education Living

Tags: Money matters by Angel
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I always go on about Phuket, so here’s something about somewhere different for a change.

Confusion over time zones meant that I had set my watch an hour too far ahead and so we woke up, my girlfriend and I, ridiculously early in the morning and left our hotel in Legian, Bali, just as the sun was rising. There were no touts out to sell us coconuts or henna tattoos or taxi rides; it was just us and the early-morning workers going about their daily business.

We made the effort to rise early with the intention of riding our rented Yamaha Mio motorbike all the way up to Ubud before the morning was through. On the map the journey was only about one inch and all indications were that it should have taken about an hour.

As we set off, the cool breezes of the morning were as refreshing as a splash of iced water. Bali’s infamous throngs of cars were yet to clog up the roads so we had a clear run into the distance. The rest of the island was still sleeping as we were beginning our journey to Ubud.

There was to be no plan; neither of us had much of a clue what we’d find in Ubud, but the journey’s purpose was to give us something to do, an adventure. The route from Legian to Denpasar was straightforward enough and signposts and hunches got us there. The signposts to Ubud were few and far between, so we got into the habit of asking every motorcycle rider we could find within earshot at junctions and traffic lights which way to go.

We drove back and forth, round and round, all over Denpasar until the early morning slipped from our grasp and was replaced by the morning rush. Mostly we just followed the traffic in the hope of coming across one prominent signpost that would lead us from our mazelike hell.

Frustration set in as the roads became unforgiving and our hopes of making it to Ubud seemed dashed. Just as we were wondering if it was even worth continuing with our journey, we took a left turn, dawdled for a moment too long and were stopped by a police officer.

All the police in Bali have moustaches and guns. We were pulled up on some ridiculous charge of having turned left when we should have turned right, but from his sharp rundown of us, the police officer found out that I had no driving license. He took the motorbike’s registration document and fiddled with a notepad and pen while a few kids gathered to watch.

We pleaded dumb and promised we would never be so reckless again, but the officer was keen to write a ticket. He got as far as writing down “Mett” before saying that we’d have to go to court or else pay an on-the-spot fine of 200,000 rupiah. We stood our ground and made up a story about having to leave the next day and that we were students, both very poor, and so had very little money.

Although he wanted to help us, the officer said he couldn’t, taking the registration document and walking back to his position directing traffic. We were left at the side of the road unsure what had just happened. The registration document belonged to a friend who had leant us the motorbike, so we couldn’t leave it there. As we were pondering what to do next, the officer strolled back and said that, just this once, he was going to let us off, but only if we paid 50,000 rupiah. “Of course!” we yelped. The officer awkwardly took our money, shook our hands and wished us well; before we knew it, we were back on the road.

From then on, the journey flowed together effortlessly. We found our way out of Denpasar and the signs pointing to Ubud became more and more frequent until all that was left was one long road, through rice paddies and tiny villages, to Ubud. The air was cool, even though the heat of the rising sun was beating down.

We were only in Bali for a week – a break from our manic lives in Thailand – but our time on the island made a lasting impression punctuated by this trip to Ubud. We were at a crossroads in many ways: after Bali I would be flying to Dili for a new start while my girlfriend was to return to Phuket. We wanted a trip to remember before we parted ways at Denpasar International Airport.

Ubud was the defining point of our vacation. As far as beaches go, Bali has some beautiful spots that make Phuket’s beaches look tame in comparison, but we wanted something more than sun, sea and sand.

We arrived in Ubud, ate lunch and cruised around until we came to the foot of a road leading up a hill that could have gone anywhere. Ever the ill-prepared, we set off on our motorbike to see where the road ended.

It didn’t end. The road carried on and on, snaking and winding and twisting and wrapping itself around shops selling all types of arts and crafts. Further up we reached a spot where there was a valley of rice paddies. The rich, dazzling greens of the paddies gave them a neon appearance with splashes of light as the rays from the sun bounced off the water and shattered into a million pieces.

We stopped to take in the sight of the rice paddies for about half an hour. We carried on up the hill and at some point decided to take a right turn. This part of the journey was the highlight of the trip to Bali. We passed through tiny, grassy villages lined with beautiful houses and temples, untouched by the modern world and reliant on the rice paddies to support themselves.

Every time we came across a group of children they screamed “Hello!” with delirious excitement. We saw no tourists or foreigners and came across no modern conveniences or gift shops or restaurants; we were among the farming community, where life breezes by. We stopped to buy some water and the people there were just amazed to see us.

I could have stayed forever and the sharp contrast between the peaceful village life and the backbreaking days I had spent in Thailand surrounded by clutter and chaos put a lot of things in perspective for me. I hope to return to Ubud some day in the future.

By MC for Education Living

Tags: Travel by Angel
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When it’s time to party on Thailand’s islands and beaches, most people instinctively head to the more well-known spots: Samui has QBar and enough nightspots to keep you up until the early hours; Pha-ngan boasts the full moon (and half moon, and black moon, etc.) parties; Samet has Silver Sands and its fairly repetitive musical policy; Koh Chang has beach parties galore and obligatory late night swimming; and Pattaya, well, in Pattaya they didn’t even stop partying during the coup on September 19 last year. But what if you want something a little more sophisticated? Who said a party by the sea has to be fuelled by reckless hedonism? Not the people on Koh Lanta, that’s for sure.

Lanta is a sleepy island. It’s blissfully peaceful, the beaches are pristine, and the waters glisten with the light from the blazing sun. It’s the perfect island for lazing and watching the days drift by, but come nighttime, what is there to do? One club that has been seeking to break the norm on the island is Ibark. Before the rains came and the island’s low season kicked in, Ibark was a hive of nocturnal activity, hosting some of the hippest parties outside of Bangkok.

A lot of island clubs rely on substandard DJs, chaotic dancefloors, and monotonous music, but Ibark is different. Now that it’s been spending some time establishing its status on the island, come November when it reopens for the high season, it will be a refreshing reason to choose Lanta over one of the nearby alternatives.

Ibark’s real strong point is its location: Nestled amongst thick forestry, just out of reach of the beach but with a stunning view of the ocean, the club’s high vantage point gives partygoers the impression they are on top of the world. A short flight of stairs elevates you to the club’s main area. The open air design of Ibark allows it to complement Lanta’s natural beauty, without battling with it.

With space for around 800 people, Ibark is large enough to generate a real clubbing atmosphere, as you might associate with a club like (the now defunct) Astra in Bangkok. The ground floor has a spacious lounge area, complete with tables and sofas, that leads into the dancefloor. In the far corner is the DJ booth, and next to that is the bar. The second story of Ibark is also open air, and has more room for loafing and enjoying the view.

When the night is young and people are feeling primarily like socializing and relaxing, the lounge area makes for a great place to anticipate the night ahead. The mood is calming and the ambience is inviting and comforting. Once the drinks begin to flow and the music picks up, the party really gets going and the fun begins.

The crowd is a mixture of foreigners and Thais who have all come together to enjoy the most lively party on the island. Being in such a serene location, the energy is sedated and refined thanks to the clean air, the stars twinkling in the sky, and the refreshing breeze emanating from the sea.

It’s a trendy club, and the clientele is certainly up for the occasion. The music has a varied focus, with everything from funky house and breaks to electro and tech-house getting some airtime. If you’re after the usual hip hop and pop songs that many clubs in Thailand play, you’ve come to the wrong place. Ibark prides itself on quality, clubbing music. The chillout lounge upstairs is where you’ll hear jazz, ambient, and bossa nova beats. The upstairs area is huge and is perfect if it all gets a bit too much downstairs. DJs who have graced the turntables at Ibark so far include Bangkok local favorites Joeki, K.I.T.T.I. and DJ Oui. A number of international DJs have also guested at the club, and there will be many more once the rains cease and Koh Lanta comes back to life.

A night out at Ibark isn’t a quiet night. These people know how to have fun. Wild dancing over both floors of the club, fire dancers spinning poi, and live musicians and percussionists make this place into what it is. Its preliminary opening months have seen it finding its feet, but after the success of the first parties it can only go from strength to strength, and already it’s being talked about as the new “in” place to be in the south of Thailand.

Ibark is just a short walk from the Sri Lanta Resort in Koh Lanta Yai (Klong Nin Beach); around half-an-hour’s drive into the island from the main town of Saladan. The party goes strong until 3 a.m. at which point people begin to disband, although the music can go on a lot later depending on what the crowd is like. The parties at Ibark will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with a 200 baht cover charge (although this is subject to change come November). Check www.ibarkkrabi.com for more info.

It’s great to see the best elements of an island party merged with the vibrancy of clubbing in the big city with a fantastic crowd of people and some top-notch tunes. Being outside, the party takes place under the stars and the moonlight, making it romantic and charming.

Ibark is one of the best places on Lanta to catch the sun setting, then kick back with a few drinks, and wait for the party to begin. Set on this idyllic Thai island, with inexpensive cocktails and a quality venue, Ibark is the perfect place to dance the night away.

Tags: Travel by Angel
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