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Well, my summer internship at Wells Fargo has come to an end, and I'm headed back to college. With graduation just a year away, I am putting on my entrepreneur cap and creating a plan B just in case my bachelor's degree isn't enough to get me where I want to be given the current economic environment.

Last semester, I took a class in urban land economics.  To my surprise, I developed an interest in Real Estate. Even though the housing market isn't doing so well right now, I am looking ahead to its future recovery and preparing for it by studying for my salesperson license.  I mean, things have to get better eventually!

Meanwhile, my friend who just recently graduated is preparing for her CFA exam  to be a Chartered Financial Analyst.  Although this sounds strenuous on a summer afternoon, it really isn't so terrible when we motivate each other and meet at cafes for short study sessions.

Plus, summer is really the best time to try new things!

Another one of my friends is working hard creating a marketing plan for his company, 1-800-TAXI-USA , which he founded a few years back. Now he's getting partnership offers across the nation!Or, if you have an interest in medicine, you could consider getting certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).  My friend got certified in just two weeks and is now taking full advantage of working at concerts. Getting to watch your favorite artists perform live (for free) while also being at the ready to save a life? Amazing!

These are all great ways to get ahead. I figured that even if I never end up using my Real Estate license, it's still practical knowledge to have — especially when I'm ready to buy a house!

In the meantime, let us know what sorts of things you envision when you put on your own entrepreneur cap. And remember: With some motivation and entrepreneurial spirit, you might just find a new and rewarding career!

Editor's note: Delenie has departed for her senior year at UC Berkeley. We thank her for the many conversations she has generated over the past three months, and we'll be stepping in to answer any questions for her going forward. Good luck, Delenie!

Delenie

School's starting too soon! In just a matter of days, I will be going to class and living at my sorority house  again.

Unlike most of my friends who are apartment hunting, I luckily have things figured out: As one of sixty girls living in the house, I receive my living expenses as a package, much like you do in the dorms.

The deal with sororities  is that you have to pay a semester membership fee, along with rent and utility expenses that do not vary over the course of the semester, which makes life way easier. It might seem like a lot of money to shell out at once. But don't let that be the only reason that holds you back from deciding whether or not to rush and join one. 

What are some of the perks of Greek life?

• Since sorority houses generally have "house moms" that cook gourmet meals everyday, you will not have to worry about starving. J In some cases, having meals provided for you can save you time and money (if you're like me and eat out all the time because there just isn't enough time to cook).
• A sorority could enhance your social life since you are always mingling with other groups and invited to Greek events. This could be helpful if you are a freshman — it might seem less intimidating to live with a group of girls and develop a solid foundation when you're on your own for the first time.
• Being part of a sorority could provide job connections and networking opportunities in the future, just like Elle Woods found  with Congresswoman Libby Hauser. (Yes, I know this is fictional!)

Some of my friends think living in a sorority is a big expense when you can live in an apartment for much cheaper, but I think sometimes the experience outweighs the expense.

How do you feel about Greek life? Share your thoughts with us!

Delenie

A few weeks ago, Caroline asked, "Will you work during college?"

I wanted to share some of my thoughts on this topic with you soon-to-be college freshmen.  Since you're new to the college scene and may be looking for a job to fund your expenses, my suggestion is to find a low-key, on-campus job so that you still have time to explore, transition smoothly, and have fun!

During my freshman year, I worked for UC Berkeley's Call Center , where I fundraised for departments and programs on campus. I know it sounds very telemarketing-ish, but you'd be surprised! The alumni were generally easy to talk to and were even fun to network with. Over the course of the job, I was able to make some valuable contacts while getting commission. Plus, having this experience on your resume shows potential employers that you are a good communicator.

With school about to start, campus job postings should be plentiful. Good places to look for part-time jobs  are your school's web site and career center. On my campus, library jobs seem to be in great demand. I hear they're flexible and come with plenty of perks, like downtime to get reading done. How amazing does that sound? Getting paid for doing your own homework!

If you have a passion for journalism, you can write for your school's newspaper (like Barbara did), or if you're into tutoring and mentoring, there are usually plenty of those jobs to choose from (Staci was a tutor in her college's writing center).

My final bit of advice: Don't become a workaholic and forget to live your college life! There's plenty of time to build your resume and work with amazing people. In the meantime, focus on surviving your first year of college. 

Delenie

Like many college students, I fall under the category of being an uncontrollable spender when it comes to wardrobe enhancements and fine dining. For me, even though it's important to look trendy and live an eventful life, it's just as important to spend wisely and save so my summer income can fund my full-time student living expenses during the school year.

That's why I'm making an effort to be more careful about tracking my own expenses. Recently, I took my friend's advice and opened an account at Mint.com  that directly links to my checking account. This tool helps me create a realistic budget, while comparing some of my spending habits  to the average American. Eye-opening!

With this budget in mind, I'm thinking about how to cut back on certain expenses and limiting my spending to the items I truly need. Here are some of my ideas:

• Making more meals at home  instead of eating out three times a day
• Revamping my wardrobe by accessorizing  instead of shopping
• Going vintage
• Going online for discounts  prior to making any big purchases
• Signing up for Netflix  instead of going to the movies
• Watching TV shows online instead of paying for cable
• Adjusting my text messaging plan
• Hiking or going jogging  with friends instead of paying for a monthly gym membership
• Giving up a videogame addiction and finding a private tutoring job
• Getting ink cartridges refilled instead of buying brand new ones
• Scanning classifieds for used furniture or using Craigslist  instead of going to fancy stores like Crate & Barrel  and Pottery Barn 
• Using generic products unless brand names are an absolute must

So far, I've managed the accessorizing.

Have any smart spending/saving tips that you'd like to share? Let us know!

Delenie

I'm a college student, and I think it's never too early to start establishing your credit. In fact, it is key to build a good credit history in preparation for the future when you are looking to take out a loan to finance a car or a home. Employers may check your credit rating to get a sense of what kind of person they are hiring, so a good rating could project a positive image and take you a long way.

As for college students who are constantly looking for an apartment to rent, landlords may favor you because it shows that you will be more likely to pay your rent on time.

Recently, we received a comment from reader Jeff on guest blogger Chelsea's post about debit cards:

Our son is off to college this fall, and he's never had a credit card. Would you suggest that we help him apply for a credit card in his name and a small ($500) credit limit, or should we give him our credit card to use?

This was a particularly timely question, as I've just taken off my own credit card training wheels. 

See, for the last six months, I've had a joint credit card account with my mom to build my credit history. To avoid overspending and to prove to my mom that I was an accountable adult, we agreed that I would only use the credit card on big-ticket items since I already had a debit card for everyday purchases.

Another ground rule we set was that I would pay off the balance in full each month. This reassured her and gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the billing cycle and payment process.

Plus, I've learned a lot about credit and financial literacy while interning here at Wells Fargo this summer. That, combined with my mom's guidance, gave me the confidence to take off my training wheels and fly solo. I did some research on which credit card was right for me, applied, and qualified on my own! Now I just need to make sure I continue applying what I've learned over the last six months to build my credit responsibly.

What do you think of this training wheels approach to getting your first credit card? Would it work for you?

Delenie

As the recession continues to push our economy in a challenging direction, students across the nation are holding on tight to their degrees, hoping their education will earn them a salary  that's at least enough to pay off their bills. Given these tough conditions, is it time for students like us to shift our focus and study in a more progressive field?

As President Obama  begins to steer our nation in the "green" direction, the renewable energy industry will be facing tremendous growth in the coming years, with an abundance of opportunities  waiting for college students graduating in 2010-2013. Now might not be such a bad time to start taking a few courses on energy efficiency! Or if you have the skills and interest, you might consider a technical job in engineering , information technology , or construction management. 

Although many students may be inclined to major in energy-related fields because that is where the market is heading, you might not necessarily have to if you work hard. Salary increases come with experience and increase the most in the first ten years. Even if you're not making much with an entry-level position after graduating, you have the potential to catch up to your colleagues. Let's compare an English major with an Economics and Electrical Engineering major: 

• As an English major, entry-level jobs average about $31,976 while an Economics major averages $41,704 and an Electrical Engineering major averages $48,883.
• However, just after 5-9 years of experience, English majors will be earning $51,972 while Economics majors average $68,924 and Electrical Engineering majors average $71,824.
• Even though all salaries have increased, there has been the most growth for English and Economics majors with 62.53% and 65.27%, respectively. Meanwhile, salaries have only increased by 46.93% for Electrical Engineering majors.

I'm an Economics major, so this bodes well for me!

My fellow students, how are you guiding your academic careers? Are you basing them on your interest in the subject or on future salaries, or a combination? And what do you think your prospects are for finding a career in this economy?

Delenie

As the new school year rolls around, students are finalizing their financial aid packages for Fall 2009. Some students may have additional expenses not calculated into the Cost of Attendance (COA) that they're worried about paying. The COA is an estimate of the total cost of students' tuition, fees and living expenses on which the school bases financial aid awards. Many students are unaware that, at some schools, additional expenses during the academic year that exceed their financial aid package may qualify them to file a budget appeal  to increase their standard budget. Such expenses include:

• Books
• A computer purchase
• Uninsured medical, dental, or optical procedures
• Rent and utilities
• Transportation costs (car payments, insurance, repairs)
• Child care

If the recalculated COA is higher , students can increase the total amount they are able to borrow. A budget appeal may also allow students to qualify for additional work-study or more federal student loans prior to having to take out any private student loans.

Three years ago, I went through this pretty straightforward process by speaking with my financial aid advisor and getting it approved through the financial aid office. This allowed me to expand my standard budget by an additional $2,500 and purchase a computer of my choice.

This is highly beneficial to students who need to borrow because students may qualify for additional lower-cost options before turning to private student loans to cover additional costs.

Meanwhile, more fortunate students who have secured scholarships from high school may be facing an entirely different situation. Since students with financial need often receive financial aid packages full of grants from the university along with Federal Pell Grants , additional scholarships could jeopardize this nice package and supplement grants from their university. However, filing a budget appeal for qualifying expenses can help you reclaim some of your scholarship money and increase your Cost of Attendance. Since budget appeals are only offered in some schools in varying amounts, you should speak to your financial aid advisor as soon as possible.

Although you may file a budget appeal every year, there are limitations to how often you can purchase a computer. At UC Berkeley, computer purchases can happen every three years. Since three years have passed, I am able to repeat this process now as a senior. This time, I plan on purchasing the latest MacBook Pro , which comes with a free iPod Touch! Since the maximum amount that I can increase my standard budget by is $2,500, I can utilize the remaining amount to pay for medical and dental bills.

If you need to cover additional costs, check to see if budget appeals are offered at your school! For those who have gone through a similar process, what was it like?

Delenie

After another long year of hard work, I've finished my junior year at UC Berkeley!  Yay senior year!

Although it's exciting to reflect back on the last three years and see where they've taken me, it's also nerve-racking knowing that in just another year, I will be working full time, living in San Francisco  or in an unfamiliar city, and managing my own finances.

As a college student, I have been living a pretty hectic but well-balanced lifestyle, trying to "live it up" as they say. However, as that experience nears a bittersweet end, I am starting to realize just how much busier — and more expensive — my life will be in just a year.

This summer, I am transitioning into the corporate world as a marketing intern for Wells Fargo's Education Financial Services team, where I will get the opportunity to provide a student voice and feedback to improve its outreach relationship with both college and high school students. My goal is to understand which channels of communication work most effectively in reaching out to the right target audience, with one source of the online channel being the StudentLoanDown blog.

Although I haven't personally experienced the process of taking out student loans (Bill Gates  is paying my way through college...LUCKILY!), I do have numerous friends who say they often feel as though they didn't have enough information or the tools to feel comfortable about their student loan decisions.

That's why I'm interested in learning more about the student lending industry: As a student loan expert in training, I hope to allay students' fears and help them make wiser decisions!

Editor's note: Delenie (no relation to Cheryl) will be part of The StudentLoanDown team through the summer. It's the first time we've had a real, live undergraduate student as a blogger, so we're excited!