Did you know that the average tuition and fees for a 4-year public college in-state are approximately $10,000 and out-of-state costs about $26,000 (Valuepenguin, 2020)? Of that huge fee, a lot of the money is attributed not only to classes, but also to resources available on campus. A lot of people believe that tuition is only attributed to courses you’re taking, but don’t realize that you are also paying for other valuable resources that can be useful. For example, one of the greatest resources available on campus is the career service center. A lot of 4-year public and private colleges have a career service center that helps you find a job. Not only do they help you find a job, but they also offer resume critique and interview preparation. These resources are not available after graduation and are included in your fees so make sure to make use of them! The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business boasts a 99% placement rate for students that visit the career center prior to graduation. (Gies College of Business, 2019)
Another great on-campus resource is the writing center. According to Jennifer Finstrom, the writing center coordinator from DePaul University, “The writing center has over 80 students from different majors to help with writing.” A business student might need help with writing a memo while a science student might need help with lab reports. With a wide variety of student helpers in the writing center, it makes it accessible for any student. Jennifer also shared that the writing center is available to alumni, meaning that as a DePaul student they have lifetime access to the writing center, which is very useful. Abby Vakulskas, a student who works part-time at the DePaul writing center, stated “The writing center has helped her with graduate school tuition as well as providing her a stipend for spending.” A lot of students oftentimes can apply to work for the writing center and help them with their finances for school.
Finally, there are lots of resources that you can obtain from your university. Make sure to check it out! You can start today by going to the career center to elevate your resume or work on your interviewing skills. If not, you can go to the writing center to get help with your first paper!