Who Said Nothing in Life is Free?

For students, a huge part of the college experience is learning to manage their money correctly. If you’re soon to be heading off to college, then opening the right checking account will help you when it comes to managing your money wisely in the future. As a college student, you may need to learn to budget with only a small amount of funds, so it’s good to have a checking account that you can access easily, along with the option to earn rewards such as money off when shopping or cashback opportunities. Here are some of the main things to look for when opening your student checking account.

#1. Easy Access:

Today’s students don’t want to have to wait until they’re able to go to the bank and check on the balance of their account. As a student, you’ll want to be able to keep on top of your money on the go and be able to keep an eye on your balance from wherever you are. So, it’s a good idea to open an online bank account that allows you to access your account using a user-friendly online platform, one example of this is BB&T. BB&T enable you to manage your account via mobile app for even easier and more convenient access options.

#2. No Fees:

When you are already struggling to a tight budget, the last thing that you want is to lose money every month through a banking monthly maintenance fee. However, the good news is that for students, many banks will waive this fee and allow you to bank with them free of charge. So, don’t settle for paying a monthly fee for your bank account.

It’s a good idea to do your research on other fees before you open an online bank account, too. Bear in mind that no monthly maintenance fee doesn’t mean that there won’t be fees for direct deposits, withdrawals, or unplanned overdrafts, for example. Weigh up the fees beforehand and choose one that you feel comfortable with.

#3. Perks and Rewards:

When looking for the perfect student checking account, another factor that you may want to consider is whether any perks or rewards are offered simply for holding a bank account with the bank that you have chosen. For example, some banks will offer the option to earn cashback on purchases that you make using your card, or the opportunity to earn discounts in various stores, shops, and restaurants.

#4. Overdraft Facility:

If like most students, you are considering borrowing some money to help you afford the cost of college, then a bank account with an overdraft facility can be a great way of getting the funds that you need. Before opening a student checking account, find out which overdraft options are available to you and learn as much as possible about them. Don’t forget to inquire about paying them back – most of the time, students don’t need to worry about repayments until after graduation, however, it’s best to be sure.

As a student, opening the checking account that you’ll use through college can be a daunting experience! Hopefully, these tips help you find the right one for you.

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Young people who choose to embark on a gap year before college are increasingly dedicating that year to lend hands to community development and charitable projects around the world. A popular destination for these trips is beautiful India – an incredible, vast, vibrant country that is still awash with poverty and inequality.

If, like thousands of others, you’re considering joining a community project on your gap year, India is a definitely a place you should think about giving your services to. There are hundreds of humanitarian projects across the country that are desperate for volunteers and workers to help achieve their goals. Many of these trips have included accommodation, food and all the support you need to live in India for extended periods; some require a small fee to cover the living expenses of workers that is mostly fundraised by the volunteer themselves.

To help you decide on a cause to contribute to, we’ve put together a list of the top projects in India run by reputable charitable organizations. View our round-up of schemes currently in need of volunteers below: you may find your perfect gap year opportunity.

1. Women’s Empowerment

Based in Kerala, community development organization GVI are running women͛s empowerment projects that need volunteers to carry out their good work. They aim to fight discrimination, harassment, unequal pay and gender inequality suffered by women and girls in India. The project focuses on providing women with education, healthcare, and income opportunities to help them become financially independent. Find out more on GVI’s website.

2. Nature Conservation

Also run by GVI, their nature conservation project centers around protecting a tiger reserve that has suffered trouble throughout the years due to depletion of natural resources and conflict. As a volunteer, you͛ll be staying on the reserve͛s border, surrounded by wildlife and quaint villages. Your work will include educating people about environmental issues, developing tours, devising tourism schemes and installing water facilities in the area. Visit the GVI website to find full details of the project.

3. Ladli

This small organization provides education for orphaned, abused children. Based in diverse and bustling Jaipur, volunteers conduct childcare work, lead activities and teach English. Volunteers don͛t have to pay to join the project but are expected to pay for their own accommodation and living expenses. To do this, setting up an Indian bank account is essential. This can be done quickly and easily at any one of India͛s hundreds of banks. What͛s more is that it͛s never been easier to send and receive instant money transfers anywhere around the world: thanks to Pangea, a money transfer app, this is quick and simple; so you can be sent money from home to sustain you through your volunteer trip. Click the link to find out more about Pangea, and visit Ladli’s website for details on how to join the scheme.

4. Project Trust

This project is for school-leavers aged 17-19 who want to contribute to providing education throughout India. Volunteers can choose to teach in primary schools, secondary schools or work as social care volunteers in children͛s homes and hospitals. These projects are a year long, so are a big commitment that should be carefully considered. However, participants who have completed their gap years with Project Trust report a life-affirming, fulfilling and unforgettable experience in their testimonials, and many say the experience has led them to decide on their future career path.

5. Rural Organization for Social Elevation (ROSE)

ROSE operate community development schemes in Kanda, a village in Uttarakhand in northern India near the Himalayas. It’s great for those who want to experience life in the rural regions of India, and contribute to teaching local children, building facilities and farm-work. Quite like an exchange program, volunteers stay with a local family and immerse themselves in the culture while enjoying all the area has to offer. ROSE pride themselves on never eroding the traditional local values of the towns they operate in; but provide immersive experiences for travelers and help for the local community.

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during their “Swago: Spring Edition” promotion, which runs from now through Monday, March 12th at 9am PT! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you’re filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you’re thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips:

Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!

Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.

You have until 12pm PT/3pm ET on Monday, March 12th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.

Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value. Once you’ve achieved a pattern, the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.

Each activity you successfully complete on your Swago Board will give you anywhere from 1-20 spins on the Spin & Win Wheel. PLUS, when you submit your board for a bonus you’ll get additional spins. The number of spins will depend on the pattern you complete. The wheel has all sorts of great prizes that you can win, and each spin is a winner!

The Spin & Win Wheel will be available all throughout Swago and you have until 11:59pm PT on Monday, March 12th to use all your spins.

Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points – if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 500 SB bonus, which is enough for a $5 gift card from the retailer of your choice.

Click here right now and click “Join” to get started! If you don’t already have a Swagbucks account, you’ll be able to quickly sign up; PLUS, if you earn 300 SB before the first of April, you’ll get a bonus 300 SB!

You may already own a cheap vape pen, but you could be getting so much more out of the vaping experience by investing in a better-quality vaporizer. There are hundreds of options available now, from pocket-sized box mods to table-top setups, perfect for an evening in with friends.

We’ve discovered the top 3 reasons to chuck out your trusty vape pen and start experimenting with all that vaping culture has to offer, whether you ͛ re interested in quitting smoking or building a custom kit to show off your personality.

1. Customization and Modification

The main reason that people spend big on vaping kits is the cool customizations you can add to your setup. Common mods to vaporizers include box mods that hold entire bottles of e-liquid (so that you don ͛ t have to change and clean it so often), boxes that have digital screens and temperature controls, and custom sets built specifically to help you blow huge plumes of smoke.

Stunt vaping has become increasingly popular, including  ‘cloud chasers’, whose aim is to blow the biggest smoke clouds and manipulate the steam into rings and other shapes. The ability to control the temperature in your vaporizer helps with this, as does special e-liquids.

Certain kits are recommended to help achieve stunts and smoke tricks – check out this vaping guide to help you find the best vaporizer for you. It gives a handy ratings list of the best kits available this year for size, cost, and different features.

Stop by your local vape shop, get ideas online, or ask a friend for recommendations on the latest mods for your needs.

2. Quitting Smoking

Obviously, using a vaporizer is infinitely better for your health than smoking tobacco. It contains none of the carcinogenic toxins of tobacco; only nicotine (which isn’t very harmful on its own, and you can wean yourself off this addictive ingredient in time).

Medical experts don’t quite know what the long-term implications on the body that vaping could cause, but all agree that if using a vaporizer in any form helps you to quit smoking, then that’s a good thing. The majority of what you inhale using a vaporizer is simply water vapor, which is vastly better for your lungs than breathing in tar and other toxins.

Other than just imitating your previous smoking habit, there are multiple ways in which investing in a good-quality vaporizing kit can help you kick smoking for good.

Look into reducing your nicotine intake gradually by buying e-liquids that contain lesser amounts of nicotine each time you replace your vape juice. Eventually, you can move onto nicotine-free liquids, and just stick with the cool flavors that vape juices come in instead.

3.  The Social Element

Table-top vaporizers have revolutionized the social aspect of vaping –  no longer do you have to stand outside in the smoking area on nights out to enjoy vaping with friends. There are many varieties of table-top vaporizers, including ones that look like shisha pipes, to unique wooden structures, and futuristic digital setups.

These are larger, heavier and require plugging into a power source; so are unlikely to ever leave your house, but are perfect for a night in to share a vape with as many friends as you like.

These can also be modified, just like handheld kits. Have fun experimenting with customizing your vape systems, and comparing them with friends.

Social vaping has expanded beyond just a replacement for smoking. There are now huge vaping conventions held in large venues, that are attended by hundreds of people including vaping ‘celebs’, brand representatives, and much more. These were set up to show off the latest in vaping technology, get support for smaller vaping brands, and so that members of the public can mingle and get tips from vaping experts.

There’s also the many websites and forums now available for vapers; where you can meet likeminded people, share recommendations on kits and mods, and get ideas on the next kit you should buy.

As with any construction project, the decision to build using a steel frame structure will largely be influenced by cost. Fortunately, this is one of the things that help make this specific material such an attractive option compared to other modern building methods.

When people think about pre-engineered steel structures, there will typically be two main cost savings that come to mind. Firstly, faster construction times mean that your building will be completed quicker. Secondly, this type of building project will require less on-site manpower, which will easily reduce labour costs associated with this project.

We already know that steel buildings are strong, extremely durable and an environmentally-friendly option, but did you know that this type of building is also great for your wallet? Surprisingly, choosing a steel building structure can potentially save you a lot of money in the long-run when compared with other materials like concrete, wood and brick. Choosing a steel framed structure will enable you to save money before, during and after the construction process is complete.

Lower Labour Costs

If you choose to build a steel building, you’ll find that your overall labour costs will be lower when compared to other building materials. Different steel structures are relatively fast to erect compared to buildings mad with other traditional building materials. According to the steel building company Armstrong Steel, steel buildings often come with “Anchor bolt patterns, detailed assembly drawings, and a step by step erection guide,” meaning that even for less experienced people the building isn’t that difficult.

If you choose to use brick or stone to construct your new building, expensive and highly trained labourers are required whereas, with steel, the vast majority of pieces can be pre-engineered. This means that the different parts of the building can be assembled quickly when they arrive on-site.

Lower Insurance Premiums

Steel is extremely durable and has a high life expectancy. This usually means that insurance companies will offer you lower insurance premiums.

Fast Construction Times

As well as providing lower labour costs, faster construction times means that other professionals can get to work sooner, which will help shorten the overall construction time of your building project. Plus, if your steel structure is for a new business venture, you’ll be able to start making a return on your initial investment sooner rather than later.

Building Structures Last Longer

If you opt for a steel structure, this will typically last much longer than buildings made from other materials like wood. This means that your structure will remain standing for far longer. Also, if you pick a long span metal building, these are easy and inexpensive to adapt to your changing needs.

No Costly Repairs and Maintenance

As steel offers high levels of durability, you won’t have to worry about your building rotting, shrinking or warping over time. Steel is an inorganic material, so it remains free form any anomalies or defects. This material is also highly resistant to damage, which makes it a great option for countries where natural disasters can occur.

As you can see, steel buildings are an ideal option for anyone looking to keep initial costs to a minimum. They’re also a great material to consider if you want your building to last for a long time.

On Monday, February 26th, Swagbucks is putting up over $10,000 that you can win playing fun trivia games! SwagIQ (available for iPhone and. Android) is a live, multiplayer trivia game show you play from your phone!

Each weekday, Swag IQ broadcasts a live game. Simply tune-in at the appointed time by launching the SwagIQ app and log-in with your Swagbucks account credentials. If you don’t have a Swagbucks account, you can sign up for one here and then download the app!

In celebration of Swagbucks’s 10th Birthday, they’re going to broadcast 4 shows throughout the day and give away at least $10,000! It will likely be more since the more people who sign-up via SwagIQ prior to each game, the bigger the grand prize!

1st Game Show: 1:00 PM Eastern Time/10:00 AM Pacific Time. Grand Prize: at least $1500.
2nd Game Show: 4:00 PM Eastern Time/1:00 PM Pacific Time. Grand Prize: at least $2000.
3rd Game Show: 7:00 PM Eastern Time/4:00 PM Pacific Time. Grand Prize: at least $2500
4th Game Show: 10:00 PM Eastern Time/7:00 PM Pacific Time. Grand Prize: at least $4000

To play SwagIQ, download the app to your iPhone and Android today.

Gaining an online following and getting paid to promote products has become the Generation Z equivalent of rock-stardom. Young adults who have found virtual fame – for fashion and beauty blogging, vlogging, or posting their music to social networks – now command a huge paycheck every time they endorse a product. Even those who want to be known for their music feel the pressures to make their online posts all about how they look.

British vlogging star Zoella reportedly earns nearly $70,000 a month after becoming internet famous for her beauty reviews and ͚outfit of the day͛ posts on photo sharing sites. She now makes her money through public appearances, sponsored posts, monetized YouTube videos and her own range of products.

So – how can we emulate this and make our living through posting selfies and sharing opinions on the latest makeup products? Here͛s how you can begin to gain a following fast on the world͛s most famous photo sharing network, Instagram, the most up-and-coming platform for teens seeking digital fame.

1. Media & Equipment

Posting unedited selfies straight from your iPhone 5 camera doesn͛t cut it in the cutthroat blogging community. Pro equipment has become standard to start taking quality photos at home on your own – before you can hire your own personal photographer.

Here͛s what you’ll need:

• First off, you need a good camera. Generally, phone cameras aren’t quite good enough yet, unless you go for the newest iPhone, latest Samsung, or the new Kodak Ektra that combines smartphone technology with professional photography quality.
• Good lighting is integral for good content. Get studio lighting for your bedroom when shooting videos, and a selfie light for taking pics. Ring lights are a cheap and amazing investment for taking pro-standard photos on your own. Clip onto your phone to instantly take your selfies to the next level.
• For mirror selfies, you’ll need a cute iPhone case. Casely do beautiful, affordable cases that will look stunning in your mirror pics.
• As well as this, a large clean mirror is essential!
• Becoming a pro with editing software will help exponentially. We͛re not saying Photoshop yourself unrecognizably – we mean touching up brightness and making  colors vibrant for striking, likeable content.

2. Choose Your Niche

Like in any business, you need a unique selling point to stand out from the crowd and gain  your own following. What will you bring to people’s feeds that others don’t provide? Beauty and fashion blogging is a very saturated market. Let your personal style shine through to compete with today’s tough Instagram algorithms.

3. Network, Tag, Share

Networking is an essential part of making it big as a blogger. Building good relationships with other bloggers in related fields means you can be seen by their followers. There are hundreds of blogger conferences and events held every year – get your name out there in real life as well as on the internet. Learn to use picture tags to your advantage and spread your links whenever possible.

4. The Cost of (Internet) Fame

It’s also vital that we understand the financial side of blogging. You might be thinking by now that all this sounds outside of your budget range – the studio photography equipment; an expensive phone; a Photoshop subscription; not to mention all the products and outfits you’ll need to buy to stay current in your outfit photos.

The truth is that breaking into blogging is an expensive business. Before you get sent piles of products and clothing for free, you need to amass a following by looking up-to-date; and this usually means staying ahead of what͛s in the shops – social media is a massively visual business.

The hefty price of consumerism perpetuated by the blogging community is sometimes too much of a strain to keep up with, which makes many of us feel like we͛re inadequate and have fallen short because we can͛t afford all these new things. It͛s important to separate ourselves from the constant need to buy; as this can negatively affect our mindsets. You can still show off your great eye for clothes and photography without getting yourself into debt – our belongings aren͛t the sum of who we are, despite what Instagram might be telling us.