SoFi Blog

When your child chooses a major that taps into his or her passions and aligns with interests and strengths, that’s wonderful for them. But, because college educations are increasingly more expensive, it’s natural to hope that the choice of major will also be practical, one worth the investment.

Higher education is a financial investment, with average college tuition and associated fees for the 2018-2019 academic year standing at:

•  $35,676 for private colleges

•  $10,230 for state residents at public colleges

•  $26,290 for out-of-state students at state schools

This doesn’t count housing expenses, transportation costs, and books and supplies. So it just makes sense to want your child to end up with a college degree that’s practical.

College can be a blast—dinners in the dining hall, late-night gab sessions with the roommates, and weekend parties with the crew. It is an exciting time for self-exploration and learning.

As a college student, you might have more freedom than you’ve ever had before. No parents checking in to make sure your homework is finished or telling you to go to bed and get a good night’s rest. It’s really all up to you. While this transition can be challenging, college can also be a chance for you to grow in your independence.

Oftentimes, the skills you learn in college will be invaluable as you enter the real world—and isn’t that why you’re going to college in the first place? The work you put in during your college career could even lay the foundation for your future success.

So, what do college students need to be successful? There’s no one single guide for how to be successful in college, but these tips could help you make the most of your college years.

Side hustles: it can seem like everyone has one. From that fashion influencer account you follow on Instagram who works full time, to your rideshare driver who’s also got a day job, to your friend who has his own YouTube channel, you’ve probably come across side hustles across both digital and IRL platforms.

With 59% of employees claiming money matters as their main cause of stress, this year’s trends in employee benefits seem to be focused around one particular concept—financial wellness.

According to the CFPB, industry surveys define financial wellness programs as “those that assess and support an employee’s ‘complete financial picture’ or the ‘overall financial health of an individual.’” To shed some light on this topic, we talked to SoFi’s own senior benefits manager, Debbie Westover.

Some of Debbie’s responsibilities include developing, designing, and administering employee benefit programs—making her a great resource on ways employers can satisfy the benefit desires of employees while still balancing their own financial and strategic priorities.

Here’s just some of what she had to say about helping employees reach their financial goals.

It’s a very modern conundrum: How do you constantly achieve more, while often making do with less?

At work, do you find yourself needing to sell more widgets, create more content, get more users—but do it all with a smaller budget, less human power, less time?

In your personal life, you’re trying to see more friends, have more fun, buy the latest gadget, save more money—attempting to do it all with less free time, less savings once you’ve paid your bills, and less energy after worrying about how to juggle all the things.

So how the heck can you make it all work… and maybe even have some fun while doing it? How can you get more productive without completely burning out?