You’ve just completed maybe the most dreaded four years of your existence. You’re feeling ambitious, eager to try new things and venture out beyond the predisposed bubble that you’re parents birthed you in; college is just the place.

The talk about college is ubiquitous, whether it’s about how prospective athletes are doing in the current season all the way to what university had the most arrests during spring break. Although everyone has their horrible experiences during these premature stages of being independent, former students can’t begin to deny that college was the beginning  of some of the best times of their lives.

With all that being said, college is obviously a great time, but very few people take a second to think of the nitty-gritty things that are layered into the experience. The average student

debt in America sits at just over $30,000, but this total is skewed by students who go to community college or parents that have saved up enough money to pay tuition. This number can’t justify the amount of debt of students who take loans in full.

So success consists of smart financing techniques. Marketing and Accounting teacher, Mr. Sean Crevier, made it evident that getting by financially at college is a lot simpler than what people initially think.

The first thing you want to do when you get to school your first year is get a job. It couldn’t be said any differently. Get a job! Crevier recommended getting a job immediately when you begin to study at college. The benefits of having a job while you’re away are more than you’d expect them to be. Obviously working will make you money; something that every college student needs, yet something they seldom have. Money is valuable for a variety of reasons, but the main ones have to be the fact that you’ll have money in your wallet, will develop a work ethic, learn to time-manage, and have skin in the game. We all know the value of work ethic and it’s attributes in the workplace. Maintaining grades while working a part time job is a lot to handle and it’ll strengthen your ability to multitask which is beneficial.

Similarly, time management it something you’ll have to use in your future life. Having classes till three and work at four till ten teaches college kids the value of time and how organized your schedule has to be in order to maximize your productivity and balance your lifestyle. Having skin in the game might be the most important aspect that comes with having worked for money. It’s a lot easier to watch your parents spend loads of money on gas, tuition, food, clothes, furniture, and so much more while standing on the sidelines. If you start to chip in for college, even if it’s 20 percent of your $150 paycheck, you’ll start to understand the value of money and how important it is to save it and build up credibility and self dependence skills.

The list of jobs available to college students is extensive. You have the ability to work both on campus, and off. Crevier recommends getting a job as a server at a restaurant. Along with the money and the tips that you can rack up with a bit of charisma, you will learn morals and values that no other job without a degree will have to offer. Your patience will increase and so will your ability to empathize with restaurant expeditors,

busboys and servers. These serving jobs are all great options in college early on. When you get closer and closer to graduation, working near and around your industry is essential. Meaning that if you get an internship, it can benefit you in many ways and it looks good on a resume. Internships can also be a great reality check; it’ll be your first look into something you might do for the rest of your life and this might be the first opportunity of yours to consider if it’s worth it.

Finally, Crevier gave two tips for the class of 2017 for the fall.

“Don’t underestimate the value of delayed gratification,”said Crevier. It’s a lot easier to cater to the now rather than to the future and that has a dramatic delayed impact. In other words, don’t be a hedonist. Decisions that you make early on can make or break your success at school and may even impact your experience. Piggybacking off of experiences, Crevier spoke about how important it is to spend money on experiences. Sacrificing a few weeks of that amazing burger joint down the street could save you more money than you’d expect. So instead, study abroad or take a trip to your local airstrip and go skydiving. College is obviously a great time so spend your money on things you’ll remember, not on a seven dollar sandwich that’ll come in one end and out the other. One final thing that Crevier mentioned was the failure to recognize return on investment. When you spend six figures on school, the money you spent doesn’t guarantee a thing. The work you put in pays off.

Looking at the grand scheme of things, college is a once in a lifetime experience. Yet at the same time, it’s entirely crucial to learn how to manage and finance your own expenses because having that skill in life will only benefit you.