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Top 5 Student Finance Hacks

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College is expensive. Pretty much everything about college costs a lot of money, so instead of getting nickeled and dimed, you’re probably getting ten’d and twenty’d. A lot of young adults are overwhelmed financially when they depart for college, but that doesn’t have to be you. If you’re concerned about student debt, paying for groceries or credit cards, there are some hacks that you should know about. Here are five tips to help you financially for the next two, four or however many years you’ll be spending in school.

5. Small Balances Come First

When you’re a student, the likelihood of you having to take out a massive six figure loan over the course of four years almost seems inevitable these days. It won’t all be in one lump sum, though, so it’s important to look at all of your loans (which also includes credit cards). The smaller a balance is, the quicker you’ll want to pay it off before you start looking at the big ones. Interest rates vary so consolidation isn’t always the answer, and hitting one loan at a time to a $0 balance will work wonders.

4. Pay More Than Minimum

A lot of us want to pay the bare minimum that’s due while we work toward a future where we’re getting paid enough to just zero out a student loan or credit card balance. Instead, you should be paying as much as you can now to make things easier for you in the future. If you’re able to pay toward your principal balance right from the get go, you won’t have to worry about high interest payments. Start early and start often. If you have extra cash that you’re not using, put it toward your balances.

3. Pick Your Books Wisely

Let’s just get it out there, college textbooks for the most part are a scam. Every semester a new copy of what’s practically the same book comes out and costs students an arm and a leg. Instead, do your best with an older secondhand copy that you can get from a local bookstore and save yourself hundreds of dollars in the process. The newest version might be required, but the internet is here to help you get around that peskiness.

2. Don’t Go With Name Brands

Of course you have to eat when you’re a student. It’s not like your appetite suddenly vanishes. With that said, be mindful when you’re at the grocery store. You don’t need the name brand of everything, and don’t be too proud to shop at a dollar store for snacks and other small items like utensils. Grocery stores like Aldi are a lifesaver when you’re a college student (or anyone with a budget, really).

1. Use Those Student Discounts

When you think of discounts, you probably tend to think about those that are in the military or senior citizens. College students, however, have a slew of discounts that they can pick from. Always browse online to see if there’s a student discount available for you as even the biggest companies provide them. Amazon, State Farm, Best Buy, you name it. Even if you’re a sports fan you can get discounts as the NFL television package is much cheaper and doesn’t require a satellite television subscription.

The Surprising Benefits Of Quiet

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More than ever, us humans are dealing with noise on a near 24 hour basis. From cars that are zooming past your house to our televisions, computers and phones going off constantly, you’re bombarded with noise almost non-stop. Every now and then, it’s important to unplug from everything and find yourself some quiet time. Not only is it good for your ears, but it can help in many other ways. Here are some of the health benefits that you can get from enjoying more quiet time throughout the day.

5. Creativity Boost

If you’re someone that wants to tap into their creative side, you don’t want to do it while surrounded by a lot of noise. That’s because you are much more creative when you’re sitting in silence. You’re able to tap into your own thoughts much better this way, and science proves this. Whether you’re writing a book, trying to play a musical instrument or painting a picture, it’s best to do it without all of the distractions that can cause you to lose focus and slip up.

4. Memory Enhancer

Do you ever find yourself forgetting things throughout the day? It might not be because you’re losing your memory, but because you’re not spending enough time in silence. A Duke University study found that those who enjoy two hours of silence per day improves the function of your brain’s memory. This is because new cells generate while you’re resting in silence, and this boosts the hippocampus’s development. You’ll never forget a birthday or anniversary again if you get a little quiet time.

3. Better Decisions

When we find ourselves in silence after going through the stress of loud noises, our brains start to create positive hormones such as serotonin and endorphins. When you’re more relaxed mentally, you’re more likely to make decisions that are well thought out and beneficial compared to when you’re stressed and make snap decisions without first thinking about the long term results. You’re brain is more clear in silence, so don’t take it for granted.

2. Better Sleep

It seems that these days, many of us need to have some sort of noise to help us fall asleep. For many, it’s a fan or the television at a low volume, or at least some white noise. However, these forms of noise are best for masking other noises such as traffic. Instead, the best way to get healthy sleep is through complete silence. This may mean that you have to wear noise canceling headphones, and that takes some adjustment, but it will be better for you in the long run.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

Have you ever been surrounded by a bunch of noise all happening at once? Between sitting in traffic, sitting in a massive office building or people constantly talking at home, life is loud. These noises all thrown at you at once can increase your stress levels and, in turn, your blood pressure. Sitting in silence instantly reduces your blood pressure in the short term while also having a long term benefit for your heart health. You don’t have to tell people to zip their lips all the time, but getting away from too much chatter is good for you.

5 Timeless Fundamentals of Tattoo Selection

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Tattoos aren’t just a trend that has been getting more popular in recent years as they’ve been around for centuries. These days, though, tattooing has become more extensive with the technology that we have and the detail is amazing. Because of this, people that didn’t think they’d ever get a tattoo are starting to consider it and join the 30 percent of Americans that have received a tattoo in the past 10 years. Before you face the needle for the first time, though, there are some things that you need to know. Here are the fundamentals of tattoo selection.

5. Don’t Rush It

The worst thing that you can do when getting a tattoo is getting one on the spot. It’s basically an old trope at this point. You go to a place like Las Vegas, have a bit too much to drink and when you get home you discover a new tattoo that you immediately hate. Never be under the influence when getting a tattoo, although you can decide on one when you have. If the sober version of you still likes the tattoo idea you came up with, it might be a good pick for you.

4. Start Small

If you’ve never had a tattoo before, you might be doing yourself a huge disservice if you dive into a full arm sleeve for your first project. Instead, you should pick out something small. This can set the base for your larger project, but there’s something even more important for starting small. This will be a good base for your pain tolerance when the needle starts doing its work. If it felt like almost nothing, then you’re ready to take the next step to a larger tattoo.

3. Don’t Follow Trends

Because of social media, a lot of us tend to hop on a lot of trends. Whether it be from TikTok, Instagram or one of the countless others, tattoos are no stranger to being part of a trend. It’s best to ignore what’s hot at the moment because when you look at the tattoo a few years down the road you might end up cringing. Just because someone like Ariana Grande got a particular tattoo doesn’t mean you have to get the same one.

2. Word of Mouth

Getting a tattoo from an artist that you’ve never met before can be a bit scary. But word of mouth goes a long way in the tattoo game. If you see an artist that has darn near perfect ratings on online reviews or know someone that has personal experience, then that’s an artist that’s likely to be trusted. If they have a wide catalog of work, too, you’ll know you found the right artist.

1. The Personal Connection

Think back to when you were a child and you said that you like dinosaurs once so every birthday or Christmas present you received was some sort of dinosaur item. You probably don’t like dinosaurs as much these days, do you? The same growth continues into adulthood, so you probably won’t want a tattoo of a dinosaur when you’re 80. Instead, pick something that has personal meaning to you, such as a departed family member or the place where you grew up. Heck, maybe you do love dinosaurs that much that it will last the rest of your life.

5 Simple Psychological Principles for Healthy Parenting

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There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, and those that already have children will be the first ones to admit that. Everyday you learn something new about yourself, your child and how to improve on how you’re raising them. If you’re planning on starting a family, there are some key factors that you need to consider. Tap into your brain and learn these psychological principles to set yourself and your child up for long term success.

5. Environment

Many people that end up having a child may not be ready, and there’s a long list of factors that come into play. One of those factors is environment, which includes the physical aspect. You want to make sure that your child has everything tangible that they need to be successful in life. It doesn’t have to be the highest end children’s toys and whatnot, but they should have at least the minimum to develop intellectually and creatively during their younger years. 

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Praise

There are some parents out there that no matter what their child does, they tend to not praise the kids. This can set a child up for a lifetime of feeling like their accomplishments aren’t worthwhile. When your child does something noteworthy, make sure to tell them that you’re proud of what they’ve done. That type of validation helps their development tremendously. It’s not a short term thing, either, as their professional and personal accomplishments as adults will boost their self esteem.

3. Conversation

Did you ever feel awkward telling your parents something while you were growing up? It’s likely because they weren’t proactive in conversation. When you start a discussion with your children and get the dialogue rolling, you’re going to learn a lot about them in every way. From what makes them tick, to their likes and dislikes and how you can be there for them in times of need. Talk, listen, and enjoy a deeper connection with your child.

2. Respect

They say that respect is earned, not given. That is all well and good when it comes to the office or professional sports. When it comes to raising a child, though, you have to show them respect from a very early age. You should respect your child in all aspects. Physically, emotionally, mentally, etc. When you show your child respect, that means that they’ll show respect to others and make healthy lifelong connections. When they become adults, they’ll have earned respect from their peers because they know how.

1. Assertiveness

The absolute biggest problem that all parents face is trying to find that balance between being too aggressive when raising a child and too passive. Aggressiveness makes your child not want to open up to you and can cause a multitude of mental issues down the road, while being too passive makes your child think they can just take whatever they want. That’s also going to be a hard lesson for them to learn down the road. It’s important to be assertive, engage in conversation with your child and make sure that they understand consequences on a deeper level, and don’t allow them to walk all over you.

5 Pretty Gross Insect Facts

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We all love bugs, don’t we? Actually, don’t answer that. It’s safe to say that a significant portion of people in the United States either can’t stand bugs or at least dislike them greatly. There’s plenty of reason for that, and it’s not just the aesthetic. Bugs are known to do some nasty things, even if it’s just to survive. If you’re looking for a few reasons why bugs are considered gross, here are some of the biggest ones.

5. House Flies Poop EVERYWHERE

We all have to deal with house flies, especially in the summer months. It seems that if you leave your door open for just a nanosecond, one or two of these little buggers sneak in and all of a sudden you don’t go fly-less in your house until winter comes. Every time you see a fly land, you might want to start retching, too. That’s because every time they land, house flies defecate. Not only that, but flies eat their own vomit as part of their liquid diet. Needless to say, these disease ridden pests are gross.

4. Cockroaches Have Milk

No matter how clean your house is, you might have a cockroach infestation, and it’s extremely annoying. Now, when we think of cockroaches,we think of scurrying and the gross little antennas. We don’t think about milk as that type of talk is reserved for cows or even goats. Cockroaches do produce milk, though, which is packed with calories and protein. In case you wanted to be even more grossed out, cockroach milk has been considered by some to be a superfood thanks to a recent study that showed the nutritional breakdown.

3. Caterpillars are Jacked

You might think you’re pretty strong, and there’s a good reason for that. After all, the human body consists of 629 muscles that help you to move around and lift heavy objects. What if I told you that a caterpillar makes you look like a weakling in terms of scale, though? It’s true, though, as caterpillars have 248 muscles, and that’s just in their heads. Overall, caterpillars have more than six time the amount of muscle as humans, totalling in at about 4,000.

2. Slugs are Super Stretchy 

Slugs are one of those gross looking little creatures that you don’t run away from, but you tend to not want to touch. Nobody can really blame you, as there are some weird things that slugs do. Not only do they leave behind a trail when they move (in their weird little way), but they are also incredibly stretchy. Slugs can squeeze through just about anything because they can stretch to 20 times their normal length. Oh, and by the way, they have about 27,000 teeth.

1. Praying Mantises Eat at a Weird Time

The mating ritual for a Praying Mantis is a pretty weird and morbid one. To attract a mate, a male mantis will literally fight a female. If the male wins, then they get to mate. The stakes for losing are incredibly high, though. That’s because the female will eat the male if he can’t show his prowess in battle. Why do the females do this? Well, for the nutrition while they’re pregnant, of course.

5 Most Insanely Run Football Clubs In The World

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By far the most popular sport in the world, football tends to attract a lot of billionaires to the pitch. Because of the television rights bringing in massive revenue, the wealthy want to line their pockets by getting into athletic ownership, and football is more lucrative than ever. While some clubs are run like a well oiled machine, there are others that suffer from ownership interference (or a complete laissez faire approach) that hurts them, and here are five of the most specific examples of just that.

5. Arsenal F.C.

In many cases of a billionaire buying a professional sports team, it’s because they’re truly passionate fans of the squad. Then there’s the legend of billionaire Stan Kroenke, who is strictly into sports in terms of business. Take his United States ventures for example. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Colorado Avalanche won titles in 2022, both of which are owned by Kroenke. Meanwhile, his football team in England is toiling since it’s a bit of an afterthought. After winning the Super Bowl with the Rams, one fan tweeted “Kroenke lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy may well be the closest Arsenal get to winning a major honour this season.” Ouch.

4. Ujpest F.C.

The Premier League is the main attention getter for club football, but then there are random leagues that we have to pay attention to for some fun headlines. For this one,w e turn to Hungary and NB I for the strange offerings of Ujpest FC. Back in 2011, Roderick Duchatelet purchased the team and despite promises of returning to glory, have not won any domestic or international honours since 1998, far before his ownership. In 2022, Duchatelet wanted to sell the team, but the Russia-Ukraine War caused the new owners to back out of the deal, leaving Duchatelet with a team he doesn’t even want.

3. San Jose Earthquakes

Back in 1996, the United States had their biggest entry into the professional club football world with the introduction of Major League Soccer. One of the original teams was the San Jose Clash, which is now known as the San Jose Earthquakes. SInce their inception, they have won two MLS Cup titles, but it’s been nearly 20 years since that happened. In an anonymous poll amongst those in the MLS, it was San Jose that was picked as the ownership that’s holding the team back the most thanks to their stinginess, but have been able to hold onto a team simply because of being a charter member of the league.

2. Barry Town F.C.

Heading to Wales, we find a fascinating story of a semi-professional team that was once on top of the world during the 1990s when they won multiple Welsh Cups. That was, until, businessman Stuart Lovering came along to buy the team in 2003. Lovering backed out on a lot of promises financially, causing the team to plummet in stature until there was essentially a mutiny. Things haven’t been smooth ever since, with Barry recently finishing toward the bottom of the standings.

1. Milton Keynes Dons F.C.

We finish where we started, in jolly old England, to find the MK Dons from Buckinghamshire. Owned by a music promoter, Pete Winkelman, it hasn’t gone well since his purchase. The club had a split (separating Wimbledon and MK) and the team was almost immediately relegated due to poor performance. Their highest finish since their formation is a runner-up claim in 2014-15…; Football League One.

5 Hobbies That Make It Easy To Meet People

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Meeting people isn’t as easy as one might think. This is especially true if you’re looking to meet people outside of school or work. You’d think that with technological advances that we’d be more social, but it has actually had the opposite effect. Technology can still be used to meet people, though, as you can find local social clubs that meet up and do various activities. Whether or not you’re browsing online for them, these hobbies are the best ones to meet new people.

5. Book Clubs

One of the oldest social clubs that you can find is the book club. People will have a designated book that they all read and will discuss the meanings behind the book and the author who penned it. Book clubs are still going strong these days, and it’s much easier to find one closeby. From Shakespeare to autobiographies about reality television personalities, the sky’s the limit for your book club.

4. Dog Park Visiting

If you have a dog, that’s one surefire way to at least start a conversation with a new person. When you take your dog to a designated dog park, though, you’re opening yourself up to a large amount of people that you can chat with. If your dog makes a new friend, you might make a new friend with its owner, too. After all, people can talk about their dogs for hours on end!

3. Hiking

Getting out into nature is one of the best ways to meet people without spending money and not feeling a lot of pressure. While some advanced hikers prefer to go solo, it’s much safer to hike with others. To add on to this, you can also go birdwatching as a similar hobby. You’ll be able to learn new things and understand the lay of the land. You don’t have to be super chatty, either, as most hikers are there to take in the sights and sounds of nature itself.

2. Trivia

One hobby that has been exploding in popularity over the past decade is bar trivia. Because of the prizes that are given out and the potential to compete on a state or national level, a lot of people want to prove their trivia knowledge. Because of this, you can hop onto online forums to find yourself a local team, or you can even play by yourself at first. After showing your skills and meeting some of those that are playing, you could find a group where you belong, even if you don’t partake in the drinking aspect of bar trivia.

1. Team Sports

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to get out and meet people. Most cities, no matter the size, have some form of athletics leagues that are open to the public. One of the more popular options is slow pitch softball. Both men and women can be on the same team, and signing up yourself as a free agent is a great way to meet people. Though it might take some time to break in and get to know your new teammates, those that have taken the plunge will make some lifelong friends.

5 Hobbies That Help You Fight Depression

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It seems that as time goes on, there are more and more people struggling with depression. While it’s estimated that about 5 percent of adults have depression, that’s only from those that have been diagnosed. Depression is much more common than we think, and some feel like they’re fighting an endless battle. If you find yourself in this situation, there are some hobbies that can help you get back on track, and here are five of the most effective ones.

5. Meditation

Depression can be brought on by a culmination of stress in your life, and one of the best ways to help battle back against stress is through meditation. Meditation helps to change the way you think, as well, with research showing that those who meditated for 30 minutes per day dramatically improved their depression symptoms over just two months. If you begin to feel symptoms, try this hobby to help block out the negative sensations that your brain may experience.

4. Gardening

It may seem like a simple task, but there’s something about gardening that can help alleviate depression greatly. Gardening tends to give you a higher sense of purpose since you’re helping to create a lifeform and also brings the chemicals needed to improve your mental health. You feel a certain hit of serotonin and dopamine when you’re working on your garden and this is especially true around harvest time. Overall, your self-esteem improves greatly while gardening, too.

3. Exercise

This seems like the obvious one, but for a lot of people, exercise is more of a hobby rather than a weight loss tool or a competition. Exercise is the most natural way for your body to produce endorphins, and it helps to get rid of some of the other key contributors to depression. Those who exercise on a regular basis are less likely to suffer from insomnia, and that improved sleep goes a long way in helping depression. Your self confidence also improves after each workout and that fresh air and vitamin D from exercising outdoors is an added bonus.

2. Cooking

For a lot of us that have dealt with depression, the absolute last thing that you want to do is cook for yourself or anybody else. However, studies have shown that getting yourself into the kitchen can actually reduce signs of depression significantly. Perhaps one of the more notable examples of people taking to cooking to fight depression was during the COVID-19 pandemic. With people stuck in their homes for a significant amount of time, depression rates climbed quickly. Those that learned new hobbies, especially cooking, were able to help combat depression while attaining a distracting skill that will last a lifetime.

1. Writing

The best way to improve your mental health is to not keep your thoughts bottled up. As a result, writing is a great way to help treat your depression. Whether it be writing in a journal, working on a story that you’ve always wanted to do or just making some quick haikus, writing is the ultimate form of expression. One study showed that those who ranked high (between 30-35) on the Beck Depression Inventory dropped to around 20 when journaling on a daily basis. 

5 Fundamentals of Parenting

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People tend to talk about how difficult their job is, but the hardest job that you can have is one that doesn’t pay you. Of course, we’re talking about parenting, which is a 24 hour a day job filled with constant learning and reminders that you don’t know everything. Just because being a parent can be difficult doesn’t mean that there aren’t some basics that you can’t easily learn. To be an effective parent, here are a few of the fundamentals that you must have to be successful. 

5. Be Proactive

Think about the best coaches, managers and other people in a position of power that you’ve had in your life. What did they all have in common that made them so effective? Chances are that they were all proactive instead of reactive. Children, just like anybody else, are less likely to take any advice if you’re simply reacting to something that happened. When the consequences have already happened, the lesson has been learned and you’re basically rubbing salt in the wound by being reactive. Instead, paint a picture for your child regarding their choices that they make.

4. Set Good Examples

There will be no bigger role model in your child’s life than you. As a parent, your child will emulate almost everything that you do. This can be a double edged sword. If they see that you’re aggressive and fall into bad habits, then your children are more prone to copying that behavior. If you’re practicing healthy habits yourself and walking the talk, then your children are going to follow that example. This will be beneficial to yourself in the long run, too.

3. Listen

One of the biggest complaints that children will have is that they don’t feel like they’re being heard. As a kid, you can’t wait to grow up, and one of the key reasons is because they believe that they’ll finally be listened to and taken seriously once they reach adulthood. That’s not always going to be the case, but it’s better to make a child feel better when growing up by hearing what they have to say. It might be a story about a video game or they could be having serious issues at school. No matter what it is, always listen.

2. Show Respect

Listening to your child sort of goes hand in hand with showing them respect. When children don’t feel like they’re being respected, they’re more likely to shut down and not fill you in on how they’re feeling because it will fall upon deaf ears. This can set the tone for a rough upbringing that causes your child to feel isolated. Always ask for their input on decisions that are being made in the family so that they feel included and respected.

1. Be Involved

The other big complaint that children have when growing up is that their parents weren’t involved in their lives. You see it all of the time in reality shows where people talk about how they ended up in a bad situation (such as addiction) and it stems back to their parents not being around. So go to the parent/teacher meetings, attend the sporting events and get them to their school dances. You don’t have to be a helicopter parent but make sure to get involved.

5 Famous Writers On Running

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There seems to be a correlation between those who write for a living and run for their preferred choice of exercise. Perhaps it’s because both are forms of clearing the mind and take a strong psychological toughness to see all the way through. Because exercise and writing go hand in hand, there are plenty of authors that have dwelled upon their experience with running. Here are some of the most notable authors to open up about exercise.

5. Adam Hochschild

Throughout his career that has spanned more than 35 years, Adam Hoschschild has written books that include “King Leopold’s Ghost”, “Bury the Chains” and “Spain in Our Hearts”. In addition, Hochschild has also worked as a journalist and commentator that has a passion for running as much as he does with writing. For Hochschild, getting out and taking in nature while running or walking is a big part of his life. Don’t ask him to get on a treadmill, though, as Hochschild enjoys nature more than running in place and staring at a screen.

4. Malcolm Gladwell

Known best for his work with The New Yorker for more than a quarter century now, Malcolm Gladwell has found success through penning books such as “The Tipping Point”, “Blink” and “Outliers”. Gladwell, who also hosts a podcast called “Revisionist History” is also one of writing’s most avid runners. While at his peak in running during the college years, Gladwell was able to run a mile in under four minutes. Now in his late 50s, Gladwell is still running and can knock out a 5:15 mile. “I always run when I travel,” Gladwell said. “It’s the only way to stay sane.”

3. Nicholas Thompson

A graduate of Stanford University, Nicholas Thompson has had stints with publications such as The New Yorker and Wired, and is currently with The Atlantic. Thompson is almost known more for his running than he is writing and editing, though. He has written several pieces about running, including setting record times in races. Not only has Thompson participated in marathons, but in 2021 he set the United States record for the 45-49 year old group in the 50k, finishing in 3 hours 4 seconds.

2. Joyce Carol Oates

The author of novels such as “Black Water” and “The Wheel of Love”, Joyce Carol Oates gets some of her writing ideas while she’s in the middle of a run. “Running,” Oates said. “If there’s any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can’t think what it might be. In running the mind flies with the body; the mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and the swinging of our arms.”

1. Haruki Murakami

Japanese author Haruki Murakami has not only created works of science fiction, fantasy and beyond, but he’s also written about his favorite passion, running. Murakami is a marathon runner who wrote about his experience in writings such as “What I Talk About When I Talk ABout Running”. “Most runners run not because they want to live longer,” Murakami said. “But because they want to live life to the fullest.”