Ask Mads anything—answering your questions and giving advice with all the wisdom of a broke English major.

What You Should Be Wearing And How You Should Be Saving

Q: Dear Mads- Life is expensive. As a college student, how do I start saving up money—and keep saving? – George H.

A: Life is extremely expensive and I have a foolproof plan for saving money (well, it’s my mom’s plan, but it is genius). Are you ready? Okay, every paycheck gets split three ways: 50% goes to long term savings, 30% goes to short term savings, and 20% is for spending. Now, if you’re used to your entire paycheck being spending money… well, first of all that’s just stupid and second, it will absolutely take some adjusting. However, the bright side is if 50% of your paycheck (yes, a whole entire half of your earnings) is set aside then it adds up quickly. I pay for Cecil out of my long-term savings account every semester while making minimum wage. The 30% is for other adult-like things like phone bills, car troubles, and gas. If you are a student who also has to pay for housing, I can’t speak from personal experience, but this plan can always be revised and split up any way that works best for you– with an expense as large as housing your designated amount of spending money may have to decrease in order for other savings to increase but being broke is all apart of the college experience, am I right? And like I said, any way you slice it, it all starts to add up quick if you give it some time. This method is easiest if you have PNC Bank because my account has three separate accounts within it that I can easily transfer money to and from. And don’t forget you’re talking to the Queen of Procrastination, so “forgetting” to split up your check and treating yourself to the fancy half of Ulta won’t set you back too far.

Q: Dear Mads- This is my first year at Cecil and I can’t figure out the “dress code” around here. What would be your advice on what to wear to class? -Katie G.

A: I would say, like most colleges, the objective is comfort. Mostly I see sweatpants on guys and leggings on girls, and definitely lots of sweatshirts. But, I’ve also seen pretty much everything in between. A guy in my communications class last semester had fuzzy, silver sneakers with a stuffed bear head on top. It’s really about what you personally are comfortable with. Often times I’ll wear my highly uncomfortable, but oh-so-cool high-waisted jeans to class just because that’s what I feel most myself in. For some people it’s dresses, for some people it’s pajamas. Once you become more comfortable in the environment, it becomes easier to be yourself—whatever that may look like for you. There are, however, definitely things you should avoid. I am all for dresses, they’re comfortable and airy in the spring and you only have to put on one piece of clothing to be considered decent, but short dresses are a hard no from me. Trust me, I’ve done it before. It wasn’t a dress that I considered super short, but when I was trying to slide into my desk or bend over to pick up my book bag I was suddenly much more focused on making sure I wasn’t flashing anybody than whatever the professor was saying. So just for comfort’s sake, I would avoid that and stick with outfits that you know you are going to be 100% relaxed and focused in. My clothes and I have a very special relationship, so sometimes it’s hard for me to put on a sweatshirt, neglect all of my Goodwill finds, and call it a day. However, it is much easier to stop focusing on myself and focus on the education I’m paying for when I do.

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