In Progress

6) Student Time, Money & Energy Management

Budgeting on student income

The US is very expensive. As an international student, you are usually limited to working 20 hours a week on campus. Use the Needs vs. Wants rule. Your rent, phone bill, and basic groceries are Needs. Eating out every day is a Want. Use your .edu email address for everything! It gets you cheaper Amazon Prime, Spotify, and even discounts on laptops.

In the US, a 4.0 GPA is nice, but it won't get you a job on its own. A 3.5 GPA with a great internship is much better than a 4.0 with no experience.

(The 70/30 Rule): Spend 70% of your energy on keeping your grades solid (above a 3.0 or 3.2 is usually the safety line for big companies). Spend the other 30% on Job Prep networking, fixing your resume, and practicing interviews.
Don't let your grades drop so low that you lose your scholarship or visa, but don't spend 20 hours studying for a 2-point increase on an exam when you could be at a networking event.

Record your progress

Mark this subsection complete to track your progress.