Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/807312
Itwasanhonortobein- vited to spend a few days on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University to speak to the students on money mat- ters, specif- ically, the loans many of them will take away as part of their college expe- rience. Remember the days when to get a loan you had to qualify and prove you had the capacity to re- pay the debt? Well, for col- lege students, those days are history. They do not need to have a job or a co- signer to get huge amounts of money in federal stu- dent loans. From what I discovered on my visit, stu- dents (and in many cases, their parents) are more than willing to accept as much as they can get in federal student loans be- cause these days that's just the normal way to pay for college. But here's the good news: These young adults are willing to listen to ad- vice from someone who's been around the block with debt. Seizing the mo- ment, here is what I told them: Accept the least amount of help possible, not the most available help. Just because you can borrow enough money each se- mester to pay for tuition, room and board and books doesn't mean you should. You'll never believe how difficult it is to pay back. Check yourself out of gov- ernmental outpatient care. Get a job. And get two or three in the summer. Fin- ish your degree as soon as possible instead of tak- ing it slow and easy. Make your own way as soon as possible and you'll reap the benefits for the rest of your life. Understand what entry- level means. There's a per- vasive attitude among col- lege students that really great jobs await those with degrees. Yes, your lifetime earnings will surpass what your peers without degrees can expect to earn but not in the beginning. You must plan to start at the bottom. This is called the entry level. There are no really great-paying jobs at the entry level. Teachers, at- torneys, doctors, stockbro- kers — all professions re- quire entry at the bottom. That means the lowest pay. If you think you had to scrape and scrimp in col- lege, consider that a re- hearsal for the real world. Do not fantasize about making the big bucks from the get-go. 'Tis easier to borrow than to repay. For every dollar you borrow to pay for college, the typical re- payment plan will require that you pay back at least two dollars. You can reject that plan if you work twice as hard in your first three years out of school — even harder than you worked in college. Double up on your payments. Work as many jobs as possible. De- lay starting a family if pos- sible. Don't buy a new car or dive headlong into a big house payment. Concen- trate on wiping out your student debts as quickly as possible. That's a gift you can give yourself that you will never regret. Enjoy these years in col- lege. Even with all the pressure of paying for your education while keeping up your good grades, make sure you learn all you can, do all you can and pay all you can now. That's the way to make these the best years of your life. Wouldyouliketosenda tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@everyday- cheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Ashortmessageforcollegestudents and those who will be soon CONTRIBUTED RedBluffHighSchoolseniorspreparesilverwareinbetweenwaitingtablesfor the 2017 Sober Grad Committee's pancake fundraiser held Saturday at Applebee's. Fundraising efforts for the June 1 event are in full swing and the group is asking for donations from local businesses and the community. The next fundraiser will be a bunco night planned for April 10 at the Elks Lodge. Anyone wishing to partici- pate is asked to arrive by 5:45 p.m. Entry is $10 per person. Both individuals and groups are welcome. RED BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL SOBER GRAD COMMITTEE PLANS BUNCO EVENT Starting this August, Cal- ifornians will make their state parks camping and tour reservations through a new, faster, easier to use reservation system that fea- tures more open access to data. ReserveCalifornia will go live for all parks on Aug. 1. A variety of features will be phased in between then and March 1, 2018. Below is a breakdown of the features: The new reservation sys- tem will provide more user- friendly and intuitive web services, including addi- tional self-service options, more campsites available for online reservation and interactive campsite maps with more detailed views of campsites. As additional features of the new service are phased in through March 2018, visitors and staff will enjoy the ability to view the real- time reservation inventory, expanded tender and pay- ment options and website trip planning. The new reservation sys- tem includes state-of-the- art, computerized point- of-sale and fee collection equipment that will allow debit and credit card pay- ments at more locations. This equipment will be in- stalled in phases across the state, beginning with Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (Hearst Castle) and Año Nuevo State Park on Aug. 1 and continuing at other state parks through March 2018. Day-use locations at Bolsa Chica and Hunting- ton state beaches will launch new point-of-sale equipment in fall 2017, with installation at South Carls- bad and San Elijo camping facilities shortly thereafter. The California Depart- ment of Parks and Recre- ation will continue to in- form and engage the public on www.ReserveCalifornia. com as implementation of the new reservations sys- tem approaches. Informa- tion also will be shared on the department's Facebook and Twitter accounts. STATE PARKS New reservation system Edgar Award-winning author Charlie Price will return to Writers Forum Saturday, April 8 to offer insights into how his use of the many elements of fiction resulted in his be- ing honored with the mys- tery genre's most presti- gious award. Price will share his ad- vice on creating setting and characters, plotting and pacing the story, re- alistic dialogue and effec- tive revision practices. Price is a long-stand- ing member of Writers Fo- rum, and the author of six highly successful Young Adult novels, including The Interrogation of Ga- briel James, for which he won the Edgar. His second book, Des- ert Angel, was optioned by a major TV and film com- pany. Charlie is published by Random House in the United Kingdom and Thi- erry Magnier in France. Price graduated from Stanford in the late '60s and has lived in Italy, New York City, Oakland and Mexico before settling in Northern California. To see more about Price, visit http://charliepriceauthor. com/. Saturday's meeting will be 10:30-12:30 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, Memorial Hall, 2150 Benton Drive, Redding. Writers Forum meets monthly on the sec- ond Saturday. The pub- lic is welcome to get ac- quainted with two free visits before joining. An- nual membership dues are $25. Visit the Writers Forum website at www.redding- writersforum.com for fur- ther details. WRITERS FORUM Edgar Award-winning author to present Saturday Mark your calendar and make your plans to attend this year's 74th Annual Stonyford Rodeo on May 6 and 7. Pre-rodeo festivities will begin on Friday evening, May 5, with barrel racing and continue on Saturday, May 6, with a parade at 10 a.m. and rodeo action at 1 p.m. The action will con- tinue on Sunday, May 7, with rodeo church at 10 a.m. and rodeo at noon. Some of your old favor- ites will perform. They in- clude Don Jesser as an- nouncer and The Growney Brothers as stock contrac- tors, with their champion pick-up men and bullfight- ers. Appearing for the first time in Stonyford will be Dusty Barrett as barrel- man and clown. He is a champion saddle bronc rider who quit compet- ing in 1998 to start clown- ing. He is the oldest grand- son of the long time ro- deo clown and entertainer Dick "Old Man" Barrett. Now with his animal acts — such as his Roman Rid- ing Ponies, Trick Riding Pony, and "Squirt Gun" the trick pony — he is one of the up and coming great specialty performers in ro- deo today. Tickets are available now at www.stonycreekhorse- men.org or you can get them at any of these area locations: Boot Barn, Chico and Anderson and Bucke's Feed & Grain, Orland. Pre-rodeo tickets pur- chased online or from any of the businesses listed above are $10 for adults and $6 for children 7-12 — children 6 and younger are free. Tickets purchased at the gate are $15 and $7. RODEO Mark your calendar for the Stonyford Rodeo Mary Hunt Accept the least amount of help possible, not the most available help. Just because you can borrow enough money each semester to pay for tuition, room and board and books doesn't mean you should. 1660MonroeSt. Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 727-9495 LAVACharterSchoolishappytoannounceOpenRegistrationforthe 2017-'18 School Year! Students in grades 5-8 have the opportunity to attend Red Bluff's newest middle school: LAVA, the Lassen Antelope Volcanic Academy. We are looking to expand in the next year, but space is already limited. This is a great opportunity for families to be a part of an innovative, new school that offers rigorous instruction, small class size, and real choice. Our core classes include: math, English, history, science, and Spanish. In the afternoon, we offer elective classes in American Sign Language, art, band, computer skills, dance, Genius Hour, guitar, tutorial, and yearbook. LAVA's partnership with Lassen Volcanic National Park gives our kids access to the park and hands-on experience in natural sciences! Registration will be open from March 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017. Returning students from 2016-'17 are guaranteed placement at LAVA next year. Siblings of current students will receive priority placement. Families who meet the registration deadline may be subject to a Lottery Drawing for enrollment, depending on available space. For more information, or if you would like to schedule a tour of our school, please email John Sheffield jsheffield@antelopeschools.org We will host an Informational meeting April 12 @ 5 pm at LAVA. 1660 Monroe St. Red Bluff, CA 1921 ~ 2017 96 TH (530)527-1000 visit us at: www.redbluffroundup.com Likeusonfacebook FRIDAY FAMILY 4 PACK $40 Plus$1.00 processing fee each ticket TICKETS ON SALE NOW! April 21, 22, 23, 2017 Greatest Show On Dirt 592AntelopeBlvd.RedBluff• (530) 528-0799 Ribeye Steak Dinners with Beer & Wine Friday&SaturdayNight 5pm-8pm 2 Bud's BBQ Buy local plants and flowers! We grow our own. At home. Quality flowers and vegetable plants GyleRdGerberCA Ph Hours:Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, April 4, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5