So let’s get to the good stuff first, you salivating rascals. Here’s the current list of fabulous prizes.

Prizes

• 4GB iPod Nano
• $50 cash
• $20 cash
• Copy of The 4-Hour Workweek
• $10 eBay gift certificate
• One-year magazine subscriptions:

1. Young Money
2. Kiplinger’s
3. SmartMoney Magazine
4. Money Magazine

You can enter the College Money Network’s Back To School Giveaway multiple ways and increase your chances of winning by completing a few (or all) of the methods mentioned below. You may enter each way once, and some of these are really worth doing considering how simple they are.

If you are a current college student: Share your financial goal for the upcoming semester, quarter, or school year and how you will achieve it. Make the goal specific and explain the actions you will take to achieve it. Here’s an example of what we’re looking for:

My financial goal is to save $1,000 by the end of the school year. I will do this by getting a part-time job and putting $100/month in a high yield savings account.

• Leave a comment on this post with your response. (1 entry)
• Or write a post on your own blog about your “Back To School Financial Goal” and email me to let me know about it. (3 entries)

If you are not a college student: Share some tips and ideas for managing your finances as a student. If you’ve already been there and done that, what is the most important financial advice you would give to college students? And if you’re still in high school, share some of your current money tips.

• Leave a comment on this post with your response. (1 entry)
• Or write a post on your own blog with your “Financial Advice for College Students” or “High School Money Tips” and email me to let me know about it. (3 entries)

Simple Ways Everyone Can Enter!

• Subscribe to my Broke-Ass feed via RSS or email, then send me the super secret phrase that appears at the end of each post. (2 entries)
• Leave me a comment on what topics you’d be interested in reading more about on Broke-Ass Student, or any suggestions for the site. (1 entry)
• Subscribe to the College Money Network group feed. (2 entries)
• Mention the CM Network and include a link to this post on one of your favorite sites (e.g. comment on a blog, post in a forum, etc.). Just be sure to mail me with a link to where you mentioned it so I can record the entry. (3 entries)

You can also visit individual College Money Network member sites – the links are listed in my right sidebar – for opportunities to earn additional entries. (Up to 6 extra)

All valid entries will be assigned a unique number and we will use a random number generator to select the winning numbers. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

** Please note, all entries must be received by August 31, 2008 at 11:59 PM PST **

Winners will be notified the following week and after all the prizes have been dished out, an official announcement will be released with the fabulous winners and their respective goodies. Further rules and restrictions can be found on the CMN giveaway page (it’s nothing too scary, I promise!)

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This Writer’s Wallet shares her view on why job hunting and dating both stink, a premise I can certainly sympathize with!

Stephanie at Poorer Than You proudly shows off her new frugal baby, an adorable little basil plant.

Broke Grad Student continues an interesting debate on whether or not we’re ready for a cashless society? His original article was featured on MSN Smart Spending and provoked a frenzy of comments.

As the economy wavers, Green Tree Panda shares some great techniques on how she uses budgeting and savings to cope.

MFA or Bust questions some of her ethics when she unwittingly finds herself on the receiving end of a great bargain, in the ethical cheapskate.

Spilling Buckets share their decision over confliction on whether to give up job security to pursue other fulfilling endeavors - the abandonment of work-life balance : true job security.

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Will the National Australian Bank’s decision this weekend to write off 90% of it’s U.S. conduit loans shock Wall Street and have dramatic repercussions around the world?

FDIC seizes two more failed national banks on Friday; First National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank NA of California. Will the eastern coast be roasting next?

[Here is a complete FDIC listing of bank failures.]

I’m off to hike in the lovely weather for the remainder of the evening. Enjoy!

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Global Warming Dire

A bleak future for our planet is being direly warned. Global warming is much more serious than previously predicted – research now shows that tragic devastation that once was predicted as ‘likely’ to occur is now ‘almost certain’ to occur this century, The Guardian reports.

A new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will be released to the general public on February 2. The report, according to CNN, is written by over 600 scientists, reviewed by another 600 experts and edited by bureaucrats from 154 countries, and will release its first phase in Paris next week.

A draft copy of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, obtained by The Observer, shows the frequency of devastating storms – like the ones that battered Britain last week – will increase dramatically. Sea levels will rise over the century by around half a metre; snow will disappear from all but the highest mountains; deserts will spread; oceans become acidic, leading to the destruction of coral reefs and atolls; and deadly heatwaves will become more prevalent.

What impact will this mean for us and our children, and what are the effects?

The impact will be catastrophic, forcing hundreds of millions of people to flee their devastated homelands, particularly in tropical, low-lying areas, while creating waves of immigrants whose movements will strain the economies of even the most affluent countries.

The really chilling thing about the IPCC report is that it is the work of several thousand climate experts who have widely differing views about how greenhouse gases will have their effect. Some think they will have a major impact, others a lesser role. Each paragraph of this report was therefore argued over and scrutinised intensely. Only points that were considered indisputable survived this process. This is a very conservative document – that’s what makes it so scary,’ said one senior UK climate expert. (As a sidenote here, I wonder why they chose not to address his name?)

There is some comfort, however. The panel believes the Gulf Stream will go on bathing Britain with its warm waters for the next 100 years. Some researchers have said it could be disrupted by cold waters pouring off Greenland’s melting ice sheets, plunging western Europe into a mini Ice Age, as depicted in the disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.

How serious is the current damage, and is there still hope to rectify our mistakes?

‘However, there is still hope’, said Peter Cox of Exeter University. ‘We are like alcoholics who have got as far as admitting there is a problem. It is a start. Now we have got to start drying out – which means reducing our carbon output.’”

It will be interesting to see what data the final report will actually contain. I do feel in general that it’s imperative to build awareness on environmental issues in order to further preserve the planet and support delicate ecosystems from becoming extinct. Societies need to start becoming educated and taking drastic steps to recover these crucial ecological chains today, while we still have opportunity to reverse some of the inflicted damage.

Like the fascinating and complex make-up of our human bodies, nature is incredibly self-healing if given an opportunity to regenerate. And no amount of money in the world will matter if beautiful Mother Earth crumples around us as a direct result of greed and ignorance. I also believe strongly in our duty to provide for our future children – not to fail them and rob them of so much.

Due to the critical essence of this topic in general, one of my objectives is to pro-actively search for viable solutions and provide that knowledge for my readers. Therefore, you’ll most likely see more tidbits on environmental issues and conservation cropping up on this blog. Every contribution we choose to make may literally produce a world of difference for our generation and the next.

Get active. Become educated. And be the change.

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

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Sources: Guardian Unlimited – Global Warming: the Final Verdict, CNN – Smoking Gun Report to Say Global Warming Is Here

Millionaire Student Produces New Idea

Clever and wiley Englishman Alex Tew is at it again.

Famed for his brilliantly simple Million Dollar Homepage experiment, which made him a bonafide millionaire at 21 while struggling with the cost of college, Alex is now brainstorming new schemes to generate wealth. He has recently introduced Pixelotto and this time, it’s one lucky reader who will have an opportunity to win big bucks by clicking on ads.

Here is further press coverage on the Million Dollar Homepage, which raged through the internet sphere like wildfire. Clueless what all this craziness is about? Mosey on over to the FAQ and browse through Alex Tew’s blog for the latest. There is also a FAQ available for his newest endeavor, Pixelotto.

Bugger and blast, what a blimey stonker idea. Shush your mush if you can’t be fagged. Chivvy along, you could be a jammy and win.

Right then.

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University students reveal their plans for work, travel, graduate study and marriage

It’s currently a period of high stress as the fall semester rattles to an end and finals loom ominously closer. So what are seniors planning on doing after graduation? I set out to interview sixteen university students across the nation to pose questions regarding future plans for work, travel, graduate study and marriage. Here are some tidbits of what they had to share.

The majority of undergraduates interviewed are setting marriage and travel plans aside to pursue higher education past their baccalaureates. Students feel that obtaining a master’s degree will make them more marketable and competitive for job criteria, and will help broaden the horizons of their future career prospects.

“In my field, it is virtually impossible to find employment unless one has a graduate degree. It’s basically a requirement,” says Jackie*, an Art history major who has a deep love for academia and plans to eventually pursue her Ph.D. “My field offers so many learning and research opportunities that I simply can’t pass up. I’m considering sticking with academia for the rest of my life, and if I do decide to become a cranky old professor, a Ph.D. is kind of…a must?”

Jackie is not alone. Stacy is an Astronautical engineering undergraduate, but has no intention of stopping there. Although she agrees she could get a job with her B.S., she feels the possibilities will not be as interesting unless she completes a doctorate in the same field. She prefers to have the option of becoming a professor to teach what she enjoys.

“I plan to finish my thesis by the end of next term. Marriage is not really a concern. It’s not really something I’m thinking about right now.”

Criteria for selecting a college degree

Students entered their majors based on interest and practical reasoning. Ted enrolled in Pharmaceuticals because he enjoys the health profession without the extreme stress and long hours most doctors face, and he finds high salary right out of school appealing. Sandra chose Speech pathology because she wishes to help children, but is reluctant to accumulate the debt of medical school.

Shawn took the opposite approach. After graduating with a Sociology major, he headed directly to medical school. "I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was three years old. It’s been the one constant throughout my life. I’m a social person who enjoys meeting new people and talking to them. At the same time I enjoy science, but not to the level where I’d be happy doing only that. Medicine provides a nice balance between the two."

Although many feel confident in discovering a job in their field after graduation, unforeseen circumstances can steer them elsewhere.

Tom initially entered an educational major as a non-traditional student who was putting himself through college. But he was forced to switch his program when strict regulations disallowed him to work during his senior block. He obtained a Political science degree and received his M.P.A. at the Police Academy.

"Now I’m a Sergeant and oversee our hiring process and research grants. I guess you could say I actually use my grad degree on the job in a true sense, but all of the organizational and writing skills that I developed as an undergrad help me on a daily basis. I’m also an adjunct instructor at a junior college. So, I use my master’s there."

The impact of studying on student traveling

Although many enjoy the possibility of studying abroad, they are unwilling to sacrifice time off from studying for leisurely travel.

Jessica feels visiting Europe would be beneficial for her specialization in Renaissance history, however, her travel ambitions are put on hold while completing her degree has become more critical.

“I definitely plan on going to graduate school. There is no question in my mind,” says Danielle, a Communication science and disorders major who wishes to specialize in working with the deaf population. “I was also considering going for a dual major with music therapy. I lack musical talent to be a performing virtuoso, but I’ve seen what music can do to help people. Music is something I love and I feel it has incredible healing power. I’m also planning to pursue a Ph.D.

As for the traveling bit, I would really like the opportunity to study abroad, probably in Australia, England, or somewhere else in Europe. I know that quite a few universities in Australia offer speech pathology, so I think I could easily do a study abroad there. There are about a thousand other places I want to travel to that have nothing to do with school. So I do want to get my fair share of traveling in there. But, my education comes first.”

Becky is a Communication studies major who plans to hit it big in the realm of advertising. “I plan to get a master’s after a few years," she says. "I’ll travel when I’m rich.”

Marriage plans becoming lower priority

Marriage is also increasingly becoming a lower priority. The students interviewed were generally content with postponing marriage six to eight years longer. Those currently engaged were dedicated foremost to finishing their education.

“I selected to continue Geology studies in graduate level work not only because I love to learn and research, but I plan to teach at post-secondary level someday. Graduate school is involved in my career goal,” says Jeff, who has been engaged for a year now. “Graduate school has definitely had an impact on my ability to get married when I want to. I really don’t have the time or resources available to me to get the planning done in a reasonable time.”

"Marriage does not interest me," says Helen, a French major. "I’m not currently dating anyone, but I don’t want to get married until I’m, like, 30."

Shawn is unsure of his marriage plans while in medical school. "I need a girlfriend first, but it would not alter my education. I do know people who asked for deferments from med school because they were getting married, so it does happen."

Danielle, however, has considered the prospect of marriage while pursuing her degree and embraces the possibility. But even that comes with its own conditions. "I do plan on getting married eventually, be it when I’m in grad school or not, but it will not interfere with my education. Whoever I marry will have to understand that my education is important to me, and I’m very dedicated to it."

Students with high scholarly ambitions are prevalently facing the challenge of finding ways to delicately balance their academia with flourishing in other significant areas.

As it becomes increasingly standard for students to continue their education well into their 20’s, are bachelor degrees quickly becoming obsolete?  And how could this trend ultimately affect our generation of debt-laden graduates in a competitive job market?

* Some names have been altered

~†~ Baby Steps are Key ~†~

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