As well all know, college is NOT cheap. The price will vary depending on the school you go to, or whether it is a public or private institute. But wherever you go, you will have the opportunity of receiving student loans.
Student loans are loans that are distributed to students based on how well you may have done in high school, or how your parents income. There are many factors that could determine how much money you will receive.
The loans are mailed to you at the beginning of you academic school year in for of a check. It is your responsibility to decide what to do with this check. Obviously you will be using it towards paying tuition. But before doing this, there are many things you could do to help maximize the effectiveness of this loan.
You should start off by applying for each and every loan or scholarship available to you. The more money you receive, the less money that comes out of your own pocket. After you receive the money, you should sit down and meet with your financial advisor. He or she will help you decide where you should spend your money. There are many factors that could maximize your loans. Where you live, your type of meal plan, and your books are things that could affect this. Finding the cheapest apartment, eating at the cheapest food places, and the places you rent out your books will help you save money, and in the end you could find yourself using these loans to cover all of your tuition, or even having left over money in your pocket. Another thing that can reduce your cost of college is work-study jobs. This type of job is on campus and what it does is take a portion of your tuition and let you work for that money, so you are basically earning it back.
Student loans are underestimated by many people but if you play your cards right and do enough research to find out how to best maximize the loans, you could end up going to college for a low price, or even free.
As we all know, when your in College its hard to keep a steady job, therefore, money is hard to come by... and you need to get a bit crafty! When a college student does get money, it doesn't last very long. This article is about How a College Student can Stretch a Dollar for all its worth. ...Read more about Ten Ways a College Student can Stretch a Buck!
Flu Treatments are a Dime a Dozen! You can even go to the all new Google Flu Map, and find out if you are in the path of the upcoming Influenza pandemic this season! Listed below area great group of ways you can at least deal with the uncomfortable feelings a flu brings along! ...Read more about Top 10 Ways to Treat Cold and Flu
Understanding How to Use a Voting Machine can be a challenge, since there is truly no real standard for the equipment nationwide! The types of machines you encounter on Voting day, can even differ within your state, and what a family member uses in one town 5 miles away, can be different than you are using in your own town.
Before we get started on how to vote, it is very important to understand that Voting is a right we have all earned as Citizens of the USA, and aside from the Presidential Election every 4 years including 2008, there are many local issues you will find when you enter the voting booth as well.
At the bottom of this page, there are links to several resources you can visit, that will break down the issues in your own state and county. If nothing more, spend 5 minutes to see what lies in front of you on November 4th, 2008, Election Day!
What is a Voting Machine?
Simply put, and used in many different forms, a voting machine can be something as simple as a slip of paper you fill out, all the way to a complex computer system, designed to organize the choices on a Ballot. The equipment, whether paper, mechanical, or electronic, then records and tabulates the overall votes and they are stored to provide an audit trail.
Types of Voting Machines
As previously mentioned, there are numerous types of voting machines you may face this election year! Listed below are the most common.
Paper Ballot
Used mostly in smaller districts where the population does not require, or the district cannot afford the more expensive equipment, these are simple sheets of paper like you used to use for school tests (depending on your age I guess) where you color in the dots!
The paper ballots will be segmented into the different races you are casting a vote on, and they are easily completed in less than 5 minutes. After you complete the ballot, it is placed into a secured box, and counted after the polls close that night.
Punch Card Machines
If you were around for the election of 2000, you clearly recall the election debacle in the state of Florida, where we all learned the meaning of a Hanging Chad.
Punch card voting machines work by inserting a small punch card into inside the machine. From the voters view, all you see are the questions on the ballot, with small holes next to the areas you cast your vote. As you slide the stylus into the hole, it punches a hole in the corresponding spot on the card itself.
Once you have voted, the process varies from area to area, but in all cases, your voter ballot will be placed into a secure box, to be counted later that evening. The variances to this method will depend on whether your district allows YOU to carry the ballot to the table, or a representative volunteer of the district.
Mechanical Voting Machines
Along with the paper recorded systems mentioned above, you may run across one of the older, mechanical voting machines when you vote next week. These are slowly being worked out of the system and are currently used in very few areas, in light of the advances in electronic voting machines mentioned further down this page.
Even though these behemoth machines can look daunting, once you step inside and the curtain closes behind you, it becomes perfectly clear what you need to do! There is a list of ballot questions on the left side that you will be voting on. You cast your vote by selecting the persons name, or the yes/no answer next to your choice and depressing the small lever. When you have made all your voting choices, you slide the large lever on the bottom to the right, and your vote is counted!
Electronic Voting Systems
With technological advances in computing, there is no reason we should not be able to from anywhere! The big drawback of course, is the issue of fraud... and thus we have to stick with electronic Voting Machines for now.
In North Carolina, where I am at, we will be using the iVoltronic Voting System, and the state has provided a nice little tutorial on how to use this machine for us to review before we walk in.
Most common however, is the Diebold Electronic Ballot system you see pictured to the left, and if you have found your way to this page to read about How to Use a Voting Machine, you will have no trouble using the system!
Its actually very simple... the machine is reset and ready to accept your vote when directed by the volunteer working in your district. You walk up and read it just like any other computer screen, make your selections, and when you have finished,you simply touch the "Cast my Vote" button at the bottom of the screen.
Exercise your Right to Vote in 2008
Regardless of the type of voting system in place where you live, it is a given right to vote. Whether you are 18 years old or 80 years old, having the ability to cast your choices is the foundation of the Democracy we live in. On your way out of the building... make sure you get your "I Voted" sticker, and proudly display it all day long, reminding others to do the same thing!
Research the Voting Machines Used in your Area
As mentioned several times, the various machines used to tabulate the votes, varies from state to state, and even city to city. The links below will help you drill into your specific city, and see the exact type of voting machine you can expect to face on election day!
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Additional Resources:
Face it, Halloween Costumes are fun! We get the chance to show a hidden side of our personalities and get dressed up in something we would not normally wear in public! The bad part, is when the phone rings 2 days before Halloween or even on the day itself, and you get the invite to a party... with no idea what to wear!
Top 10 Do it Yourself Halloween Costumes!
The list below represents the quickest and easiest ways to get yourself ready for the big party, with little to short notice! Just about all of them work for a man or woman, so open your imagination and get started! If you prefer to buy a costume, click here and get free shipping today!
1 - Spam Man Costume!
This one is easy... but you have to be willing to bother the hell out of people all night long! Dress fairly nicely in a suit or khakis and a blazer, print off about 100 pieces of junk mail and tape them all over yourself! All night long, just keep on walking up to people and hand them one of the mail pieces and start talking about it!
2 - Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson has had so many looks, regardless of who you are... you can pull it off! Grease your hair down with Gel, or heck, load it up and curl it out! He's done both... Take some white makeup and make your face completely white. Top it off with just a little red lipstick and put on all black clothing! Make sure you have 1 white glove to complete the look and you have it made!
If you really want to get risky and get some great laughs, find a way to incorporate some kids gimmick into it, playing off his neverland ranch problems. Give away lollipops, candy etc.
3 - Rapper Costume
What can you say... get some baggy clothes, an oversize shirt, and grab the bling from all over your house! I did this myself 2-3 years ago... I took the knocker off the front door of the house and hung it around my neck with a dog chain! A little tin foil for a grill... and i was all set! Top it off with a ballcap turned to the side and you are out the door in 10 minutes!
4 - The Unknown Comic
Possibly the easiest of all Do it yourself costumes! Get yourself a brown paperbag, cut out a couple eyeholes and a small hole for you breath through, put on a suit or a blazer! You are done!
For those of you who don't know, the Unknown Comic was a feature of the Gong Show back in the late 70's and early 80's. His jokes were some of the stupidest out there, so gather up some dumb jokes and head out for the night!
5 - Roman Costume
Another one of those last minute costumes you can throw together in 5 minutes and be out the door! All you need is a white sheet to make into a toga and a small branch off a tree in your yard! Wrap the toga around you and make sure you wear some interesting boxers or panties underneath, people will be looking all night! Take the branch and form it into a circular crown for your head... Quick, easy and Done!
6 - Mammagram Machine
Probably one of the funnest Halloween costumes for a man or a risque woman! Get yourself a small cardboard box and cut the bottom so it rests perfectly onto your shoulders with your head on the inside!
Wrap the inside and out with tin foil to make it nice and shiny and look somewhat like a piece of medical equipment. Write FREE Mammograms in big bold letters on the top front and something like "No Insurance Required" on the bottom. Top it off with a pair of rubber gloves on your hands and get ready for a fun night!
7 - Homeless Person
Run over to your local best buy superstore or large hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot and grab one of the recently delivered washing machine or refrigerator boxes. Cut off enough so that you can still read the name on it and just write the word "Condo" behind it... "GE Condos" Layer as many old torn up clothes as you can handle and run out the door. Make sure you carry a change cup and ask people for change all night long!
8 - Paris Hilton Party Girl
Everyone likes a party girl right? Chances are good all of us has seen the party girl outfit at a Halloween party at least once in our lives! If you are a man and try this... you may get attention you didn't want, but women on the other hand... can pull this off with little effort! Wide variety of Sexy costumes at discounted prices - Shop Costume Discounter today!
Grab your shortest miniskirt, your tightest top and deck yourself out! Find the oldest stockings or hose you have and just tear a few holes in them to make it all the more tempting. Don't leave out your heels... If you have a dog collar, put it around your neck and attach a short leash to it... invite the cute guys to carry your chain all night long!
9 - A Dirty Male Flasher
This costume can be fun as hell, but make sure you only wear it at adult parties! Grab a long trenchcoat, a pair of old dress pants and 1 leg of an old pair of stockings! Cut the pant legs from the knee down and tape them to your legs so they look like a full pair of pants when you have the trenchcoat on. Stuff the leg of the stocking with old socks and shape it like... well, you know! Attach it to a pair of boxers and just let it hang down!
Every time you walk up on someone... swing that coat open for instant laughs!
10 - Sarah Palin Costume!
Since we are in the midst of an election year, why not dress up like Sarah Palin for Halloween! You can go in all different directions for this one... a Dirty Sarah Palin, with a twist on #8 above by wearing a short and tight business suit, or a Hunter Sarah Palin... where you don camouflage gear and a fake rifle!
All you really need to make this work are the Sarah Palin glasses and some bright red lipstick! You Will be the hit of the party!
Do you have some other DIY Halloween Costumes you want to add to the list? Leave a comment below...
Mark
