College can be the best time for your life, but paying for it in the years after may prove to be some of your worst. Here are seven tips that will hopefully help you manage your finances in such a way that you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your future labor, rather than giving it up into the hands of a collecting agency. Here they are in no particular order, except for number one.

1. Apply for scholarships

   This is possibly the single most important thing you can do to reduce your college debt. Scholarships are everywhere. Companies are dying to give their money away. Why?
   A) Its tax deductible.
   B) It looks good.
   C) Its often offered only to family of employees so it creates company loyalty.

   There are however, many scholarships that are open to everyone. You have a much lower chance of getting these. Look for scholarships specific to your back ground. For example, if you’re a third year Hispanic engineering major who has played the violin for 17 years and those just happen to be the requirements for a scholarship, my guess is you won’t have much competition.

2. Get a campus job

   Try to get a cushy job on campus answering phones or checking IDs. Colleges know students need jobs and have reserved these specifically for work-study students like you.

3. Participate in studies

   Graduate students, especially those in communications and psychology, often need to do original research to get their Ph.D. If you fit their description, they will usually pay a good amount to have you participate in their study. Many times, you can get paid $10 just for doing a quick 10 minutes survey.

4. Learn to cook

   By far, the single largest expense, after tuition and rent, is food. For most college students, meals will involve a trip to McDonald’s or Wendy’s. This can add up after a while, both in terms of dollars and pounds. Do yourself a favor and learn to cook. Bring lunches rather than buy them.

5. Get an online job

   Surfing the net at your cushy campus job because you have nothing else to do? You could be doubling your salary if you had a job online. Many businesses will offer freelance work over the internet such as writing articles or even taking surveys. These jobs will not be able to sustain you by themselves, but they do generate a nice flow of supplemental income.

6. Get a roommate

   You may be use to having a room to yourself back at home, but things are different now. You have bills to pay. If you live in a one bedroom apartment, you could half your rent if you would just share your room with someone else. Even if you don’t like sharing, see if anyone is willing to rent out your couch for a small fee, say ¼ of the rent. As rent is probably your second largest expense, any compromises you can make to your comfort will help.

7. Leave the dog at home

   Pets may cost you more than you think. You have to buy food for them, take time out to walk/play with them, and take them to the vet when they get sick. Having someone you have to take care of is often times a big responsibility. If you’re the type that gets easily lonely, I suggest something low maintenance such as goldfish or mice.