About the CRL

Getting Started

• Career Resources By Major or Field
• Graduate School Planning
• Resumes and Cover Letters
• Job Hunting Online
• Get Help from a Librarian
• Workshops and Instruction

• Resources for:
  • New Graduates
  • Undergraduates
  • Graduate Students
  • Alumnae/i
  • Faculty and Staff
  • International Students
  • Jobseekers with Disabilities
  • ALANA (African, Latina, Asian, Native American) Jobseekers
  • LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Jobseekers
  • Women and Careers

Career Resource
e-Library

Choose your resource Career Exploration Career Search dbase Company/Ind. Research Fellowships and Grants Gap Year Grad School Planning Internships Internships USA dbase International Study International Work Interviewing Job Search Tools Networking Job Hunting Online Get Help from a Librarian Relocation Resources for Alumnae/i . . . for Career Changers . . . for Faculty & Staff . . . for Graduate Students . . . for Undergraduates . . . for International Students . . . for Jobseekers with Disabilities . . . for ALANA Jobseekers . . . for LGBT Jobseekers . . . for Women and Careers Resources by Major/Field Resumes & Cover Letters Salary Information Self-Assessment Transitions (new grads) Vault for students/staff Vault for alumni Workshops and Instruction

Library Catalog

• Search here for Career Books and more*
  *For a list of all books in the Career Resources Library, search by Non-LC call number and enter "CRL."
• Suggest an item for CRL

Related Resources

• Career Education Center -- Simmons career counseling
• CareerLink-- Simmons online recruiting
• CA$H -- Simmons work study and on-campus jobline
• Alumnet Professional Connections
• School of Management Library -- additional career and business resources at Simmons
• Study Abroad Office

Transitions: Classroom to Career

Funded by a Centennial Grant from the Alumnae Association
of Simmons College

Paying the Bills

Can you give me an overview of some of the real-world financial situations I will be facing once I leave college and am on my own?
What are some of the first financial situations that I may be facing?
I have some basic questions about credit cards, such as, how do I establish a good credit history? should I avoid credit cards altogether? and what happens if I fall behind on payments?
Me? Make out a budget? Why bother?
I'm looking toward the long-term. For someone just starting out, how can I lay the groundwork for future success?
Can you point me to one good reference source that covers the entire spectrum of personal finances?
I know I need to watch my spending. Do you have any advice on how to do this?
I'd like to hear about some real-life experiences.
Is there any information other than what's on the Web?

Can you give me an overview of some of the real-world financial situations I will be facing once I leave college and am on my own?

Sure. In short, there will be bills, taxes, car and health insurances, credit, student loans, and, yes, saving for retirement. See Top 10 shocks for college grads.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/
Moneyinyour20s/P85589.asp

What are some of the first financial situations that I may be facing?

NPR commentator and Washington Post writer Michelle Singletary addresses some of these issues in Graduates Face First Financial Decisions
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/
Moneyinyour20s/P85589.asp

I have some basic questions about credit cards, such as, how do I establish a good credit history? should I avoid credit cards altogether? and what happens if I fall behind on payments?

See the FAQ on Students and Credit Cards from Bankrate.com. The FAQ is geared toward college students who are new to credit cards, but it does contain helpful information for people of all ages.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20020815b.asp

Me? Make out a budget? Why bother?

This extensive About.com site, One-Stop Budget Guide: Budgeting 101, gives you 12 good reasons to budget, plus information on getting motivated, starting out and sticking to the budget, and using budgeting tools.
http://financialplan.about.com/cs/budgeting/a/Budgeting101.htm

I'm looking toward the long-term. For someone just starting out, how can I lay the groundwork for future success?

First, former students often make the mistake of not taking the time to learn about personal finance. A national, non-profit foundation recommends this and several other areas that you should attend to, in Top 10 Post-Grad Money Mistakes.
http://www.nefe.org/news/news061705.html

Can you point me to one good reference source that covers the entire spectrum of personal finances?

Take a look at Money 101. It offers 23, count 'em, 23 lessons on setting priorities; making a budget; taxes; insurance; the basics of banking, savings, and investing, and other topics.
http://money.cnn.com/pf/101/

I know I need to watch my spending. Do you have any advice on how to do this?

Yes. For practical suggestions, check out the tips on saving money Web page from the University of Arizona. This page also presents "5 Obstacles that hinder your economic growth."
http://cals.arizona.edu/fcs/clubs/cwc/resources/creditwisetips.htm

I'd like to hear about some real-life experiences.

Please see Things I Wish I’d Been Told, a popular lecture given by a Stanford College professor on taxes, living expenses, benefits, credit cards, stocks, and managing your career.
http://www.ir.bbn.com/~craig/things-i-wish.html

Is there any information other than what's on the Web?

Yes. See the following books in the Career Resource Library:

-- "Understanding your Paycheck" and "Taxes and Insurance" in Graduate! Everything You Need to Succeed after College (2002) in the Career Planning section of the library.

-- "Money Matters" in A Car, Some Cash, and a Place to Crash: The Only Post-College Survival Guide You'll Ever Need (2003) in the Career Planning section of the library.

 

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Page updated: March 16, 2007