Wellcultured - Well Cultured is a men’s online magazine with advice and reviews on fashion, dating, finances, health, music, movies and many other topics, as well as a robust message board and the Well Cultured Guide, a freely editable community wiki.

Let’s face it, a lot of us are poor. Well, not eat-off-the-floor poor, but the vast majority of us aren’t rolling in cash, and many of us find ourselves in a position where we have to find money- and manage that money well lest we starve. And, as our forums show, many of us are college students with one big issue: Money.

So, in the interest of answering some questions and collecting some ideas, here’s a quick list of habits that will help you survive college life without major debt. Unfortunately, no answer will make your tuition debts completely go away, but… we can imagine.

Basic College Life

• Stay in a school that has what you want: remember, it’s not much different than hiring a service. Don’t get caught up in the concept of sticking at a school because of arbitrary means (such as “I like the name” or something like that). Remember: You are (probably) paying an exorbitant amount of money to attend- work hard for what you want, and if it’s not what you want, go somewhere else.
• Be wary of clubs and organizations. Don’t hide from them by any means, but some groups and organizations on campus (ESPECIALLY Fraternities and Sororities) expect dues to the tune of $1,000 USD or more. Either prepare for it or stay far away.
• Avoid going out to bars. Trust me, even if you like that scene, plenty of parties will have free beer in one form or another, and you don’t need the alcohol THAT badly. Modern bartenders take your credit card hostage and charge like there’s no tomorrow- they do so for their own safety, which is fine, but it also keeps you from realizing how much expensive crap you’ve guzzled down.
• Get good grades and keep out of trouble. You will be eligible for school-sponsored scholarships if you do- stuff that can knock the price off significantly.
• Become a “Scholarship Whore”. Apply to everything you hear about. While it’s taxing, you can do it in your free time. Who knows, you might get something.
• Take the PLSAT/PGMAT/Whatever as much as possible. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out your scores, and it’s a good way to figure out where you stand for both graduate school and some of your college strengths. Expect it to be rough- the PLSAT is roughly the equivelant of mental molestation, and the PGMAT even more so- but you need to take it. Most colleges let you take it for free.
• Stay off of JuicyCampus and other gossip rags. Some colleges have been known to severely punish students for doing such things.
• Avoid excessive spending. You do not need a 50″ plasma screen in a 10′x10′ room. Similarly, you do not need to walk around in the latest fashions driving a Porsche. Most people in college are too busy to care.
• Take advantage of free stuff on campus. Often, colleges will hold various free seminars and functions for students. This can range from being able to hear a famous speaker to getting a 100% free Flu shot. Keep your eyes peeled.
• Network like crazy. Your first job may come from someone you met in college- so don’t dismiss the idea of talking to everyone you can and networking with as many professionals as you can handle. Even taking business cards is a good start.

Class Tricks

• Figure out your Library policy and abuse it. Taking an English class with 20 books and you have no money? The Library will probably have copies- and some older texts can be found online. Similarly, services like JSTOR and LexisNexis are usually free on student networks- abuse them if you can.
• Mass Print in “Fast Draft” mode. If you have it, use this mode for any/all required readings you have to print out. Your printer will thank you when it doesn’t have to chug out 300DPI scans of some stupid report (I know this, I killed a new printer in under 6 months doing this).
• Even if you feel academically confident, still use free tutoring services. If you have the free time, why not? It’s free lessons. Double up the time someone’s instructing you on a subject you are poor at and you have a hell of a lot better chance of passing. On many campuses, it’s free.
• Re-use notebooks or use loose leaf, if you can. Don’t waste the money to buy a huge notebook just to constantly scrabble “This Professor Is An Idiot” all over the first three pages to never use the notebook again.

Food/Drink Tips

• Hungry? Find a party or a gathering and feign interest. The moral nature of doing such a thing is questionable, but crazy political interest nutcases can make a good burger.
• Cut back on the Soda, Red Bull, and Vitamin Water. It’ll make you fat- even Vitamin Water (check the label if you don’t believe me). The worst thing is, that kinda stuff tends to make you jumpy and retarded. From personal experience, studying and drinking nothing but Red Bull (and eating Gummi Worms) for two days straight gives you Kafka-esque hallucinations.
• You can go cheaper than the cafeteria. Most upperclassmen learn this quick: get the minimum meal plan and buy stuff on your own. Cafeteria food gets old, and it obviously is kinda pricy for what you get. Cans of soup, sandwiches, and similar items are equally as tasty and are much cheaper. Hell, if you live off campus, brown-bag it.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol if you can avoid it. Yes, it sounds prudish, but that stuff is insanely expensive.

Living

• Living off campus may be cheaper in the long run. Do some searching when such an option is available- as crazy as it sounds, it may be cheaper to share an apartment with some friends (or even go on your own) rather than staying in a dorm.
• Fight for a dorm room you want. Many colleges charge roughly the same for a triple, double, and single dorm room, so fight for the one you want. Raising hell, within reason, can result in nice extras.
• Mooch. If you have roommates, more than likely they will have various other things you may need- such as televisions, new video games, etc.- if you split up the costs in the long run, everyone will have the same enjoyment without the high costs.
• Use the Library for movies and games. Check your library- they may have more interesting things than you think. Many Professors seem to have a love of modern movies (mainly for “teaching”, in the loosest term), so many libraries stock up with the newest films. It’s a lot cheaper than renting.
• Keep the place clean. Damage bills can be ridiculous.
• Make friends with the IT guys, if you can. Please an IT guy sufficiently and you will magically find yourself with more bandwidth and more blind eyes to your browsing habits.
• Carpool. Don’t go off on solo trips if you can. If you live in a dorm, no doubt some friends will need food too- everyone can pitch in for gas and collectively save money.
• Be frugal about laundry. Many articles of clothing can admittedly be worn multiple days- and when you do laundry, avoid using tons of detergent.

General Finance

• Lock your credit cards away. If you play your cards right, there will be few times you will genuinely need a credit card, especially on campus.
• STAY AWAY FROM ON-CAMPUS LENDING GROUPS. If you do decide to utilize them, be CAREFUL. Many of these groups are rather predatory, meaning if you are too loose with your funds they will tear your credit history to shreds before you even graduate.
• Read the terms of the “Campus Cash” (or equivalent) deals. Many colleges allow you to place money on your ID card for miscellaneous purchases, such as for drinks and the like. Some do not allow this money to “roll over” to the next semester/year. If that is the case, either put as little as you can on there, or buy everything in sight right before the year ends.
• Shop around for financing options for your tuition loan. Various states offer different things- even the federal government gets involved on occasion. Shop around.

Getting Extra Cash

• Sign up to be a tech adviser/repairman on campus. Trust me, they don’t need A+ Certified pseudo-geniuses- most campuses hire general “Dorm Techs” to do the basic work (like plugging in Ethernet cables). You can be paid for this.
• Find a job in your major department. This is the ideal- not only do you get money, but you get offhand learning experience AND the opportunity to bond with your Professors.
• Find a job ANYWHERE on campus. Most colleges will hire you and then work around your class schedule, which is amazingly great.
• Do miscellaneous things for students on campus. One of the brightest ideas I’ve heard in a while is that the makeup group Mary Kay is hiring girls on campus to sell to girls on campus. That’s a money machine. While I doubt you can go around hawking makeup, there are many similar things you can do.

Recently, the Wellcultured team has been getting a slew of e-mails asking about how to handle proms. Proms, which generally translate into “overblown highschool parties”, are generally held this time of year- so it’s right about time we give you some ideas on how to handle prom well.

The Basics

First off, let’s define what a prom is. A prom is not, like many may believe, an opportunity to have sex. In fact, chances are, you will not be getting sex after prom. Pop culture has sent you one big whopping lie- taking that lie and running with it is foolish. A Prom is really a social dance, one that floats between semi-formal and formal wear, depending on the situation and the school. In most American schools, there are two main proms- the junior prom and the senior prom, each for the respective grade level. It is not some sort of mythical Disney-esque ball where girls become women, nor is it soemthing to the equivelant of a Debutante Ball, where girls are presented to some higher court. Nowadays, at least in America and most of Europe, proms are essentially an excuse to get all the highschoolers together to “dance”.

This sounds negative, but it’s important to understand that proms are typically taken way too damned seriously by most highschoolers (as most highschoolers take highschool way too damn seriously). Prom is not the end-all of the world, and if you “screw up” at prom, your life is not over. Still, that’s not saying you can’t put some effort into making it nice and memorable- so this guide is going to help you do that.

Step 1: Plan.

As a guy, your primary job is going to be making everything as effortless as possible, as it is on virtually any date. If you plan to go with a partner (which isn’t actually necessary, see below), your goal will be to make all the transitions fast, the cups full, and everything feel effortless. Most girls want to be treated like princesses (and unfortunately some want to be treated as queens), so you need to make them feel special.

So far as clothing goes, keep standard and classy. Figure out what your school expects- at the very least, plan to wear a suit. Keep relatively conservative if you can- your most classy and safest bet will be a black three-button business suit with a fairly regular cut- no wide lapels or anything of that nature. Everything else (your shirt and tie) should be based upon what your date wears- many girls will provide you with a samlple of the color of the cloth. Try to match your tie with the color of the dress- you can even match your shirt if it’s something standard (no pink). You may also opt for a pocket square using a hankerchief (generally the color of your tie in this case)- if you do, keep the square normal and go for a single fold or something similar. Trust me, you are a teenager, no-one will think your eloquently folded puff design will be intentional, they will think you messed up. While we’re on the topic, black leather shoes (or similar), and if you decide to wear french cuffs (which are the cuff style that require cufflinks), go easy on the cufflinks- no diamonds or platinum or anything.

You will be expected to purchase a corsage. Do so at the advice of the girl or a parent on either side, and keep it close to her dress color if possible.

While it’s done occasionally, going overboard (such as renting limos) is simply ridiculous. While it’s fine if you plan to go with friends and just want to do something entertaining, doing it as some sort of attempt to entertain the girl is, at least in my opinion, poor taste. In the same sense that I would not recommend you buying her a diamond necklace for prom, I would not recommend paying for a limo just to transport her to prom.

Her parents, depending on their strictness on the date, may demand to chaperone or otherwise inflict rules on your date. This is fine- to a point. You need to have the guts to scare off a parent if they decide to literally follow you everywhere, or otherwise attempt to cause you problems (such as belittling you, as I’ve heard before). Don’t be a jackass, just don’t be a push-over- you want the date to be fun, not hell.

One important note- don’t feel like a jackass if you don’t get a date. Plenty of fun can be had just showing up. Most girls don’t JUST dance with their date (unless they have some sort of attachment, like most existing couples tend to have), so don’t feel like you got left out.

Step 2: Dancing and Eating

While most proms do not have complete sit-down dinner affairs, there will be some snacks/drinks, and there will obviously be dancing.

Eating-wise, I would actually recommend you eat a little bit before you go. The reason for this is simple- parties like this are not for stuffing your face, therefore, you may get to eat a little bit (or not at all). Eat a sandwich or a quick snack before you go that will last you a few hours and you should be set.

You may go to dinner with your date beforehand. I would still recommend eating a teensy bit beforehand just to not seem like a pig. Normal dinner date rules apply here- be polite, courteous, and try to loosen her up for the inevitable dancing later.

When you do eat, try a little bit of stuff, but don’t hang around the buffet table, and certainly do not eat when your date is not (and standing with you). It’s classy to offer to get her a drink or food, which you can do (but don’t over-do it).

While this rarely applies, the normal party open-container rule applies here: don’t drink out of them. Punch bowls can be spiked with alcohol or who knows what, so avoid them if you can. This is another plus of eating beforehand: you don’t have to deal with such crap.

Dancing wise, I can only think of the movie Hitch- your job is to sway back and forth. Unless your dance partner actually knows how to dance, throwing her around is not advised- and similarly, it’s not advised for you to try to fake it with girls who do know how to. Most modern “dance” parties nowadays are no different than glorified concerts anwyay, so don’t expect that you will be able to show off prowess, at least in that regard.

Generally, many highschools will attempt to be clever by playing some sort of then-popular song (some techno song, or more popularly, Soulja Boy) and expecting you to dance to it. If you know how, do so. Just don’t expect to keep dancing like you were before.

Step 3: Interacting with your Date

If you have a date (again, which is not necessary), expect that she will more than likely not be dancing just with you. Most highschool girls will completely trounce your ego by running off to their girlfriends and incessantly chatting, dancing with other guy friends, and generally ignoring you. Face it- most girls see this as an upper-tier social function, not a date. While I wouldn’t wish such crap on any guy, it happens- so you need to be prepared.

When you arrive, expect her to want to talk with her friends. If she’s a nice classy girl, she will introduce you (if you don’t already know them). Be nice, but obviously keep the girl to yourself when you can without being pushy- if the talk dies down, invite her to dance or ask if she wants food. NEVER get irate and sulk in the corner, she will entirely ditch you.

This part of the prom is not very hard- just keep with her, like some sort of arm ornament, and try to enjoy yourself. All you need to do is make sure you don’t go overboard- don’t get angry if she ignores you, don’t get too grabby or protective, and don’t expect a kiss. Leave the latter to be a surprise, if it ever comes.

If you get ditched (or if you just didn’t have a date in the first place), hang out with friends, talk to girls sitting back, and just generally shoot the breeze. Dance if you feel like inviting someone. It isn’t really hard once you muster up the balls to do it- and once you get rolling, it’s a lot easier.

Step 4: Knowing when to leave

You should leave when you feel things dying down. Granted, this is hard to notice, but a good indicator is when others are beginning to leave. With all the eating, dancing, and talking, most are guaranteed to get tired, so prepare to read the signs of exhaustion from your date (or from yourself) and be the one offering to drive her home.

When you do go home, take her home- none of this “let’s go to a motel” shit. Don’t try anything funny at the last minute- that will be the thing she remembers most. Feel free to act normally, but anything overboard can make the whole experience a collosal failure- so just be normal.

Overall, the message here is to be yourself and don’t do anything nuts. While you obviously want to potray the best version of yourself you can, you can ruin a prom quickly by trying to force things- such as renting a limo or something ridiculous like that. In the long run, prom means very little- but you can make it mean a whole lot by doing the right things.

Of course, we like to hear about epic victories, so post on the forums if anything good comes of it!