Campus calling youth connects on online board

Not all the writing is on the wall, some of it is also on the notice board. Summer jobs wanted, tuitions available, second-hand laptop for sale, brand new mobile phone lost and found — the college noticeboard is quite the silent chronicler of the life of the student community. But at a time when hundreds of youngsters cross over to the virtual world every day, the notice board is at best a blink-and-you-miss item. And cashing in on this virtual defection is online notice board searchmycampus. Brainchild of Peyush Bansal, 23, the site was launched last December and has found earnest following among students who are using it to exchange information on everything from accommodation, to car pools, to buying and selling books, bikes, notes, furniture, mobiles.. The genesis of searchmycampus lies in Bansal's experiences at a Canadian university where, he says, he virtually lived on streets, with no clue about accommodation. “I went to McGill University in Montreal at 18, against my parents' wishes. I faced a lot hassles in settling down in the campus. So, when I retuned to India I decided to create this online campus board that would provide students a platform. I believe that only students can solve the problems of other students.” By way of homework, after returning to India in October 2007, Bansal spent a lot of time traveling, meeting college students all over the country to understand their problems. Co-founder of the site and student of Indraprastha University, Delhi, Parit Gupta, 21, also helped him. Chetna, a student of Sri Ram College of Commerce, points out that besides not having time enough to look up the college notice board there is also the problem of “torn notices.” She has recently put an ad on searchmycampus with a request that someone lend her a copy of Eric Seghal's Love Story. Kanika Saraff, a first year Economics student of Hindu college, also posted an ad seeking a summer job and was pleasantly surprised when she got a good response. She says, “Most outstation students like me do not know whom to approach for various things such as a good accommodation or summer jobs. This campus board will fill this gap.” Besides facilitating intra-college communication, the website also promises to create better inter-college communication channels. Take the case of aspiring musician Romi of Delhi University, who wants to form a band. ‘I am a lead singer looking forward to establish a band, but not able to find good guitarists and drummers. Anyone interested may contact me', says Romi's post. Ankit Khirwal is one of many DU students who are actively promoting the online campus notice board. He says, “I spend a lot of time tracking down all important notices on campus boards in various colleges and post them here. I believe there is so much that students can do for each other through this website.” A part from Delhi, the site is getting popular in campuses in other cities such as Bangalore, where students are also offering lots of gadgets such as, iPods, Laptops, Handsfree, DVDs with pictures of the stuff they are seeking to sell, their price and a note of on their condition. “The student-oriented online campus is quite innovative. Students from all over the country can post their queries on the site; it has the potential to replace the college notice board in the future,” says Tosha Koshi , who is doing her masters from Christ College, Bangalore. Bansal says he wishes to bring together the community of 11 million college going students in the country under the umbrella of SearchMyCampus. He says, “This may not be as cool as various social networking sites, but it will surely be highly useful. Now I want to create a category where students can share their emotional problems too, campus life is all about sharing and caring for each other.”

5 Ways to pay for college

One of the most stressful things about attending college is figuring out how to afford it. Paying for college doesn’t have to be impossible and students don’t have to be wealthy in order to get a quality education. There are a number of ways that almost anyone can afford to pursue the career of their dreams with the education they deserve. Many traditional colleges and universities offer a convenient payment plan, which can be divided up into 10-12 months. After determining the entire yearly cost, that figure would be divided by the number of monthly payments and paid at the college’s billing office. Payments are usually determined from one year to the next and students must finish paying for one year of college before entering into a payment arrangement for the next. An example would be a college that would cost $12,000.00 per year in courses, meals and living on campus. In this scenario, many students can pay $1,000.00 per months for one year. For many families, a payment plan is much easier than trying to come up with a lump sum payment upfront. Every year, many students qualify for federal student loans. Applications and information can be obtained at a high school guidance counselor’s office and/or the college of interest’s billing office. Applications for student loans are accepted each year and are generally required to be submitted at, or near, each new year. In order to be considered, student’s must be willing and able to provide documented income for themselves and their family so that their loan application can be properly assessed. Local businesses, organizations and even colleges often provide scholarships to students who they believe will excel at college studies. These scholarships are usually available to high school seniors and are based on a number of factors, including grades, participation in school activities, employment and a personal interview. In order to be considered for a scholarship, students must apply by obtaining an application at their high school guidance counselor’s office or from the organization granting the scholarship. For students who are not eligible for the above options, but still want to attend college, there is an alternate option that will gradually help them to work toward their degree. College courses are offered at a certain cost, which is calculated on a credit hour basis. Many colleges allow students to enroll in several classes without becoming a full-time student and being required to pay the full tuition. These students can often pay as they go, which means they only pay for the course(s) they are taking at the time and this will be a much more affordable way to pay for college. It will take longer to obtain a degree, but anything worth having is worth waiting for. Anyone who wants extra cash to pay for college may find that a part-time job will help, along with selling items at online auction sites, such as eBay and Yahoo. Many students have financed their college tuition through these auction sites without taking too much time away from their studies.