How much spending money does a freshman need?

SmithieandProud
Sat, 16 Jun 2007 02:59:19 +0000

New York is way too far to go every weekend. You won’t have the time, the desire, or probably the cash to go there more than once or twice a semester tops. Boston is closer, but even then, you’ll be very busy at school and with your campus social life so you probably won’t go that often. Also, if you go to New York a lot, you will probably be a very lonely student because you’ll miss out on all the building of friendships that happens over the weekend. My roommate went to her home (which was much closer than New York) every weekend during the fall to see her boyfriend, and then ended up transfering because she didn’t feel like she fit in at Smith because she didn’t have many friends. Largely this was because she was gone so much people didn’t get a chance to get to know her. Also, weekends are study time (at least during the day) and you will need every minute of it.

You can use a phone card for long distance calls if you don’t want to purchase a cell phone or use the school’s over priced long distance plan. Phone cards are easy to purchase and pretty inexpensive considering what you get out of them. There are usually a few to choose from, though I think most are pretty comparable.

I would recommend that you just plan on buying a computer and then see if you can buy a cheap printer off of another student. Sites like the Daily Jolt (I know MHC has one) or Facebook have marketplaces where you can buy printers students no longer want for very cheap (i got a printer/copier/scanner that works excellently for $30). You can usually get by using the library printers temporarily until you find your own.

If you want pricing options, your best bet is to call the computer store directly. They are open during the summer and can give you the best info. Or you could email them.

You should get a fan, it will be hot until November, but microwaves usually aren’t allowed in student rooms (at least they aren’t at Smith, we use the ones in our house’s kitchenettes).

At Smith, there are usually vaacuums and brooms available for student use, but if you want stuff like Windex you have ot buy it yourself. You are responsible for keeping your own room as clean as you want it to be. Laundry expenses are all out of pocket, including detergent. The Smith laundry cost is $2.70 for a full cycle (wash and dry one load of clothes).

It will initially cost probably quite a bit to get you set up in your room and your life, but know that the cost you pay at the beginning of your first year ill be the highest because you’ll need things like soap, shampoo, pens and pencils, notebooks, a lamp, etc that are small but add up fast. My recommendation is to keep an account with your bank at home that your parents can add money to online so you’ll be able to finance the start up. Or else consider getting a credit card that you can put your neccessary charges on that your folks can have access to to arrange payments.

I say this becuase it’s hard to estimate what you will need (especially since MHC is different from Smith so your needs may be different) and rather than have your parents send you with a set amount of money, one of the above options may be more flexible.