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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 20, 2002)
New Student Conference Page 2 • Thursday, June 20, 2002 The Yapper Financial aid helps students By Madalyn Rizzo THE YAPPER Do I have enough money to afford college and go on a great trip too? One of the students at Texas A&M said that a loan is quick, easy money so you achieve what you want in and out of school. Some places have better inter est rates than others. For example, some loan officers start charging interest right after you receive the money, while others may wait to start charging interest till some time has past. Financial aid is how some stu dents are going to pay for college and trips. Scholarships and loans are examples of financial aid. The people in financial aid have been trying to help people get the money they have been wanting. Though financial aid is very help ful, you can lose privileges if you do not pay your fees when they are due. The University has the right to block any student from using campus services until pay ments are paid completely. If you fail to make payments, you will have to pay a twenty-five dollar fee. The numbers keep get ting bigger the later you pay your registration fees. “Financial aid has its good points and its bad points,” said an A&M student. Most people say that financial aid has changed their life for the better. Some peo ple even say that they love finan cial aid and they cannot live with out it. It allows them to go to school more and work less. Have join'. Memon Knt pr dozens new rm tipns gi a numt cfunpus The Jraditio Each ch ■or exa k ATY \ I m 11/ • THEYAPfS Robert Mask lectures on financial matteii ranging from Aggie Bucks to late registratior fees at the New Student Conferences. SARAH MORELAND • THE YAPPER A student uses her Aggie Card to purchase soda in the Harrington Education Center. The Aggie Card is one of many serv ices the Department of Financial Services offers students. Aggie Bucks are convenient By Shireen Jahedkar THE YAPPER Does money really make the world go round? Apparently if you are an Aggie it does. On Tuesday, June 18, 2002 there was a confer ence in Rudder Auditorium giving finan cial information to new students in the incoming class of 2006. Robert Mask spoke to the new students about different types of loans and fees, cost of tuition, and other financial requirements. He also explained that Aggie Bucks are plastic money for Aggies. The card is a debit card. It works on campus and in some locations off cam- pus. Aggie Cards work just like credit cards except that you don’t have to apply for them at the beginning of the year, you can apply any time. “You’re able to do all your banking needs locally. You can’t lose Aggie Bucks, they’re safe. The Aggie Card links you to the universi ty,” said Jeff Wolman. Wolman is a representa tive for Aggieland Credit Union at the Howdy Lunch and Resource Table. Kellie Goen, a representative for Wells Fargo Bank said, “I like it better than money.” Aggie Bucks are very convenient. You can use them almost everywhere on campus and at many places off campus as well. Jessica Pack, a new student said, “I think I’ll like [Aggie Bucks], as long as my parents put money in it.” A few places you can use your Aggie Bucks are on-campus vending machines, Freebirds, Kyle Field, Reed Arena, University Bookstore, and many other restau rants and stores. Aggie Bucks began in the mid 1980s to provide Texas A&M students an easier way to pay for meals and other supplies. REBECCA MILNES • THEWW i Visitor Center employee Dana Sue Cain answers questions regarding on-campus housing during the New Student Conferences. On-campus freshman frights By Wil Erwin THE YAPPER What is life like for freshmen moving in to Texas A&M University? Most freshmen find themselves torn between two emotions: joy and fear. They are happy about being accepted to this prestigious univer sity after finishing high school. Their fears are expressed in ques tions. “What will my dorm room look like? Will I make any friends. Can I do my own laundry.” These emotions will clash through the remainder of the year. Some stu dents will even worry whether or not their roommate will accept them. “It’s hard to make alterations with your roommate,” Ashley Farrar said. There are so many things to deal with,between impressing the room mate and taking care of your chores, it can feel as if you don’t have enough time to be a student. “It’s very intimidating,” said Namita Kamath. With all the chores and work to do, moving on campus forces a stu dent to be an adult. There is always chore upon chore upon chore, such as getting up in the morning and ready for class, doing laundry, and coping with roommates. Sophomore Karen Luk described her first year as “crazy but fun.” For some freshmen it is their first time away from home and their first time close with someone other than family. Either way you must put yourself out there and make com promises with your roommate or New stu I else you'll have a very rough years for the both of you, Namita Kamath said. Some freshmen tin that a hard thing to do because you don’t know that person. * 0 ' 1 must make an effort to get to know that person or you're going to maK college hard for the both of she continued. . f Another problem that arises young students in college is you don’t have your parents tne to help you, whether you want tne to or not. Unlike high school wne _ ^ you take care of the work and you Sand> parents take care of the home, y must do both in college. When all these things combine Ov< Studei activit is in ! many Om he sti makes for a treacherous Ireshmei' ^ther year of college. So whethei y thought your freshmen year w crazy or fun you could agree it w very intimidating Off-campus living provides students freedom way their ind a ronmt activi All U semej uide tion. come< wants By Brittany Payne THE YAPPER When Cathy Vo, Class of 2003, wakes up in the morning she does not have to worry about being the first one to the bathroom. Why does she not have to fight for the bathroom? Cathy lives in her own apartment where she does not have to share everything with other people. According to Vo, who will graduate this December, living in an apartment feels more like home than a dorm. She also said likes that she has more privacy off campus than in the dorms and the fact that she has the freedom to do whatever she wants. She also likes having more person al space and cooking her own meals. Along with the benefits of living off campus, there are also a few concerns that students should watch out for. One of the things you should do when looking for an apartment is find a place close to campus. Since living in an apartment means you are farther away from your classes, you might consider getting a bicycle or taking the bus. If you have a pet you would want an apartment com plex that allows you to keep them. If you do not like to cook, try to find a place where you can easily walk to get food you like to eat. Vo is one of the many students who has decided to live off campus. Unlike Vo, some people join sorori ties and fraternities and live with many other people. Texas A&M has 11 sororities and one house per soror ity. According to Brian Tenclinger, assistant director of student life, there are about 60 bedrooms in each soror ity house as well as maids and cooks. There are fewer fraternity houses than sorority houses. Jason Finehout, the President of Delta Sigma Phi, said that fraterni ties and sororities are like living in the dorms but everyone living with you is your best friend. Finehout also said that living in a fraternity or sorority house helps because sisters and brothers will make sure you stay on task. There are many options if you want to live off campus. There are sororities, fraternities, apartments and houses. If you need more infor mation you should read “The 2002 Off Campus Survival Guide,” attend housing fairs, or go on the web at www.tamu.edu. Cathy Vo, a senior psychology major, talks about her experiences living off campus. KRISTAL ALTON finishin; ^ Neunue TH E YAP pi:the Re C mties th