Going to college involves more than attending classes, taking exams and receiving a diploma. Students do a lot of learning and growing outside of the classroom. They begin taking on adult responsibilities and exercising their personal freedom in a degree that for many is new. Making decisions to spend their time and their money are part of the academic experience; a part that can bring many satisfactions but also many lifelong negative consequences if not approached responsibly.


Social networking

Students socialize in many ways; in clubs and bars, at meals, in classes, in extra-curricular activities, and a variety of other places. Yet, not all socialization is done face to face any more. Students are building social networks with people from their dorm, but also with online friends from all over the world. Social networking pages, such as the very popular www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com, offer individuals the opportunity to connect with people through the Internet that they might never have met otherwise. Facebook.com is made up of many networks, each based around a company, region, high school, or college. Myspace.com lets you share photos, journals, and interests with your growing network of mutual friends.

Social networking pages, such as myspace and facebook, offer individuals the opportunity to connect with people through the internet that they might never have met otherwise.

Nancy Radcliffe, the program coordinator for the Rape Education and Prevention Program, said, “What I hear is that myspace is just one of the ways that students stay in touch. This is a generation that’s used to going to the Internet for information and to minimize distances. When friends go home or go to other schools, or travel, something like myspace or facebook helps keep people connected. This way to stay connected at times feels so informal that people may decide to post or leave up things that they later regret.”

Anne Stephenson, an Ohio State University police officer, has spent the last several years looking at this world of social networking and trying to help educate the Ohio State community about potential problems that can come from social networking pages. She commented, “People put cell phone numbers, home addresses, local address, everything. They then open themselves up to being an identity theft victim. College students are the largest population to have identity theft. It is a $9 trillion business. When you put out your full name, address and phone number, you are giving people information to fill out any application.”

In addition, Stephenson has seen other things put on pages that leave people vulnerable, including class schedules. She asked, “When you leave for classes, do you put a sign in your front yard or on your door that says, ‘Went to class, won’t be back for five hours?’ It leaves you at risk. Predators can figure out where you are at, and can steal your identity or burglarize your house and dorm.”

Websites where people have freedom to put up whatever pictures they want to in a very open way can bring unanticipated consequences, such as legal problems or cyber-stalking. Stephenson said, “We have arrested students who have displayed stolen property on facebook and myspace pages. They have been criminally charged. Generally, another student got aggravated and called the police and told them to look at facebook.”

These avenues for communication aren’t bad in themselves, as they do give everyone an opportunity to build connections that were impossible in the past. Stephenson stated two very important ways to protect you from potential problems:

• Manage what you put out there. Most people do not need to know where you live or how to get a hold of you.
• Use the privacy setting. Facebook, for example, has a great privacy setting. You can limit who sees your pictures and who sees your profile.

Stephenson framed the social networking pages in this context — “Facebook is selling yourself — to friends, possible relationships and potential employers. Employers are using this as a way to look at potential applicants. They are asking themselves, ‘Do I want this person to represent my company?” Finally, Stephenson stated, “I would not put anything out there that I would personally not want my grandmother to know.”


Managing finances

A typical family of a college student goes through a lot of stress getting their child through college. One of the most stressful aspects of college is figuring out ways to pay for tuition, which often involves students and families borrowing money. Many of these families already have financial burdens such as a house mortgage and living expenses.

Most students have heard a lot about finances, but have never been in the role of personally managing debt. For them, it’s important to keep in mind that the financial decisions made now can have long term consequences.

In a society where credit is widely accessible to college students in the forms of credit cards, cash advances, and loans, it is dangerously easy to quickly build a large debt and live way beyond their means, complicating their financial future.

While many students responsibly manage their debt, Kate Seguin, director of financial wellness, said, “I often see five-figure credit card balances that can lead to incredible stress levels, taking time and energy away from academics. Students in this situation are not in dire straits, but they need a plan — QUICKLY! Often we can set-up a budget to get the student on a realistic debt repayment plan, which allows the student to continue their studies while beginning to chip away at their consumer debt. Another potential outcome of high levels of debts is that students begin to look for additional work, and end up sacrificing study time and therefore grades. If grades drop, students can lose financial aid.”

Seguin said, “Credit cards should NOT be used to bridge the gap between a student’s level of living and their desired lifestyle! Students who carry a balance should take the time to plan out a repayment schedule for themselves. In addition, the impact of missing a payment or paying only the minimum balance can have long term consequences. One bill turned over for collections can remain on a student’s credit report for up to seven years. This can prevent an individual from taking such actions as buying a car or a house in the future.”

Seguin reported that financial wellness is closely associated with overall wellness. So being financially healthy might help you be physically and mentally healthy! Here are a few key pointers to having a healthy financial life:

• Actively manage your money.
• Credit cards are valuable to build credit — pay off entire balance monthly and on time.
• Develop a realistic budget — seek help to create a budget that works for you.

Financial planners are available in the Student Wellness Center, located in the Recreation and Physical Activities Center (RPAC). The Student Wellness Center offers free financial planning to all OSU students Monday-Thursday, by appointment, and Tuesdays from 1-7p.m., all walk-ins. For more information, see http://swc.osu.edu/.