Tag Archives: The National Society of Collegiate Scholars

The Pop Geek Playlist: Step OUT of the Club

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As I begin to prepare for the remainder of the Spring semester, I’ve realized one week’s vacation to “get away from it all,” is definitely not enough. With Spring Break dates stretching across the month of March, and even April, some may still be tasting the sweet flavors of freedom. However, many students are already back to the daily grind and have begun the countdown to Summertime – where the livin’ is easy. This week, it’s time to step out of the nightclub and step away from MTV for a revisit to the Woodstock years, with a little bit of a British Ska invasion sprinkled on top.

Tags: Bianca Williams, playlist, pop geek, spring break, summer, TalkNerdy2Me, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Categories: pop geek

How To Deal With Friends With Money

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Dear Christine,

“My core group of friends from college make a lot more money then I do. They all dove right into their careers right after college whereas I have been more of a floater trying to figure out what I really love. They do a lot of things I cannot afford which is hard on my ego so I overspend just to keep up. How can I stop feeling so inferior and jealous?”

- Falling Behind Financially, 27, New Jersey

Dear Falling Behind Financially,

Adjusting to friends with money is a tough transition as most of us were financial equals in college who split tabs and cut coupons for pizza deliveries. Differing levels of income between friends can create differences that weren’t there before. I understand that it’s discouraging to feel like you are the one at the table who reads the menu from right to left while your friends enjoy reading it from left to right; ordering what is appealing as opposed to what is the least expensive.

Tags: graduate, money, NSCS, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Categories: biz geek, chic geek

NSCS Alumni Making a Difference

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It is important to remember that February is Black History Month. With February wrapping up, TalkNerdy2Me didn’t want the month to pass without taking note! In homage of Black History Month, we wanted to recognize some of NSCS’ widely notable African American alumni.

Sydney Taylor, a 2008 graduate from Spelman College, traveled to Madrid, Spain to teach English as a second language through the Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program. Taylor talks about her experience on facinghistroy.org, and how she endured racial profiling while in Spain. Many of the Spaniards couldn’t believe that she was an American. Because of her skin tone, they automatically assumed that she was Brazilian or of Dominican decent. And similar to Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, Spanish law enforcement has been encouraged to question the residency of those who may look like illegal immigrants. Taylor was surprised to realize, “… how far we in the world have to go to really achieve true understanding of different culture and ethnicities.”

Categories: campus geek

Cutting the Financial Cord

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Dear Christine,

I have a job and my own place, but I’m still pretty financially dependent on my parents. My mother especially makes sure that I get to live this great lifestyle in the big city. Thing is, I’m not at all sure my parents can actually afford to keep supporting me the way they do. Every time I try to have a conversation with them they just say not to worry about it and then deposit money as usual. I really enjoy having the lifestyle I do, but I’m starting to feel really guilty about what kind of affect it’s really having on my parents. What do I do?

~Financially Loved but Guilty, New York, 25

Categories: biz geek

Master Planning: Mapping Out Your Future

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While many think back fondly upon college as a time of freedom and fun, the purpose of this time in an individual’s life isn’t to engage in four years of leisure, but instead to create a solid foundation upon which to build a stable future. Though college is certainly, for many, an enjoyable experience, it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of college is to prepare you for a career. By focusing on this fact as you approach college, remembering it while you are in college, and even returning to the process of pondering your career options once you are in the workforce, you can heighten your chances of making your adult years happy ones.