Category Archives: money

Purchasing a laptop!

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When I came to Oswego I had a newly bought laptop it was not the most expensive but it had everything a college student needed. This was the wireless internet and the convenience of having it in my room. With the money I had saved up, I bought a Google Chrome laptop which only cost $300.

Once, I started classes as an engineering major then later becoming a graphic design major this laptop was not meeting expectations for either one. My courses had programs like Adobe Photoshop and computer science software which needed to run on a more advanced laptop. The issue with having a Chrome computer only being able to download certain programs offered in the Google store.

Within the next two years, I noticed, that most everyone had an Apple computer and even in computer labs. In the computer labs as a graphic design major, Apple computers were only used. It did not matter, the consumer culture whether your social class, age, gender, household, psychographics, values, or personality almost every student had an Apple laptop. That was when I decided I had to go to Apple to get a Macintosh because I wanted to do my homework in my dorm and not have to go to a computer lab to get it done to use those programs.

For the decision-making process, I had to do my research. When making the decision I had to factor school work and extensive projects that required certain computer applications. Then came my information search I asked my friends who had Apple laptops. “What was their reasoning for an Apple laptop?” some said it’s the best in the market, never gets viruses, its popular, and colleges recommended it. After I decided that I was going to the Apple store I had my mind made up that I was going to buy the MacBook Air because at the time it was $999 and it was lightweight. That surely changed when I entered the Apple store.

The consumer culture was like no other it stuck to Apple’s true identity of being simplistic but modern. The representative then persuaded my decision asking me what my major was and how the MacBook Pro was a better fit for me. The features of the MacBook Pro are as stated by Apple, “packs more performance into a thin design, yet still provides all-day battery life — up to 10 hours for both the 13-inch and 15-inch models.” There are plenty of more fascinating features which influenced my decision and consumer behavior which ultimately made me purchase this laptop.

Unfortunately, I was persuaded by the sales representative to buy a MacBook Pro luckily I had the ability to pay $1,600 but I was leaving with Dr.Dre Beats, the newest laptop, Apple Care, and an external drive which motivated me to purchase it.

If money is an issue like most college students start with a cheaper laptop. Then save or use campus computer labs that can be accessed 24/7. Some brands that I recommend that are cheaper but just as good as Apple.
– Dell (Highly recommend) $300-1000 price ranges
– Windows $350-1000 price ranges
– HP $250-800 price ranges

My Internship Experience

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This past spring I had the pleasure to intern for the financial aid office. For those twelve weeks, I have learned many helpful skills that will help my career as a Financial Advisor. This experience was something new to me and Kathy Flaherty made it possible. She gave me experience in parts of the office that I was not aware of.

The purpose of this internship was to create professional relationships to better understand emotions and attitudes. I also wanted to improve my interpersonal and communication skills. I felt like I accomplished this and actually created professional relationships with the staff. It has taught me information about paying off loans to getting a job. I was given the opportunity to attend meetings and learn how to speak to family members in uncomfortable situations. This helped me find out that I like the consulting portion of being a financial advisor.

A program that I learned throughout this experience is called Banner. The financial aid advisors use this to view students financial awards and to adjust any unmet needs. As well, I was giving many small projects like identifying those students who had unmet needs to attending open houses.

My favorite part of this internship was learning about the staff’s career journey. I enjoyed listening and expressing my own interest in becoming a financial advisor and getting their advice. My experience of being an intern was exceptional. Everything I learned was invaluable. I just can’t wait to get to the point where I am comfortable enough to do it on my own. I know my homework is to become more familiarized with the technical terms and being able to communicate it with my peers. I am very appreciative and cannot wait for what is to come.

Choosing a major

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Before coming to Oswego I knew I had to major in Science, Technolgy, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM). I received a scholarship stating that my tuition would be paid during my undergraduate career. Only if I majored in one of those categories and lived in New York State for five years after graduating.

At first, I was happy to do so because I thought engineering was something I wanted to do. When I started my fall semester as a freshman I declared my major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. My schedule seemed manageable but I had to take both chemistry and physics while taking four other courses. I soon realized that I did not like science and lacked the knowledge because I did not take any advanced courses during high school. Which made me consider changing majors because this was something I did not want to struggle with to then regret it. Sadly, I lost my scholarship but I was happy to say that I was going to come out of college with a degree that I wanted.

Soon after I learned that Oswego had an office that helped with discovering a career path. This office is called “The Compass” which soon became my second or third home. They have many resources such as resume building, career fairs, and interview preparation. I suggest any student whatever level in college to take advantage even after graduating they are there to help. I took a personality test and career test which said that I was most likely going to enjoy art and business. Which helped me decide from all the different majors on campus what path to go to. I first started as a Graphic Design and Cinema and Screen Studies double major but felt that it was too many hours seating and staring at a screen. I  felt that my creative skills were not as good as the others and did not want to struggle to find a job after graduating. Which is why I decide to major in Marketing with a double minor in Art and Arts Management. It was the best of both worlds because it is art and business like the test results showed. My only regret is that I did not keep two majors but I have a diverse knowledge because of my path.

If I were to do it again I would have double majored in Art and Marketing but things happen for a reason. At the end of my college career, I honestly did not want to double major because I did not want to stay longer in college because of more loans. I only wish I would have known what career path I wanted before coming to college because that can really save students thousands of dollars. Another important money saving tip would be taking AP courses and CLEP exams which advances your graduation date.