留學省錢小招 Tips for Living on a College Student Budget

One of my earliest memories of America is my first trip to a Walmart. Not just any Walmart, but a suburban behemoth that seemed to go on endlessly. The varieties of candy inside seemed even more infinite; stacks upon stacks of giddily colored boxes describing the sugary goodness they held. But - and here's the point of this story - I could only ever pick one.

我對美國的早期記憶之一，就是第一次逛沃爾瑪(Walmart)的經歷。那可不是隨便的一家沃爾瑪超市，而是一個位於市郊的龐然大物。它似乎無邊無際，裏面糖果的品種也彷彿不計其數；一堆堆彩色的盒子讓人眼花繚亂，告訴人們裏面裝着味道甜美的好東西。但是，正如這篇文章的核心觀點所言，我總是隻能選擇一樣。

During my years at N.Y.U., I've realized that in a city like New York, there is never an excuse to be bored. From the traditional (restaurants and movies), to the moderately new (Shakespeare in the Park and outdoor performances), to the really wild (mixology and trapeze classes), there is no limit to the options available.

在紐約大學(N.Y.U.)唸書期間，我認識到，在紐約這樣一座城市，永遠都沒有感覺無聊的理由。從傳統的（餐廳和影院）到比較新潮的（公園裏的莎士比亞戲劇演出和戶外表演），再到十分瘋狂的（調酒課和空中吊杆課），選擇是無窮無盡的。

There is, however, a limit to your budget. Especially as a student, especially recently.

然而，你的預算卻是有限的。尤其是作爲一個學生，而且最近。

With heady independence comes the need to manage money responsibly. Americans like to live large (ask for a "small" Coke at a movie theater, and you'll see what I mean), and money will slip through your hands with the greatest of ease. Here are a few ways to ensure that that doesn't happen.

獲得獨立雖然讓人興奮，但隨之而來的是，我們要負責管理自己的財務。美國人喜歡大手大腳地生活（去電影院的時候要一杯“小”可樂，你就會明白我的意思），錢不知不覺地就從你的指縫中溜了出去。以下的幾條建議，能保證類似情況不會發生。

Budget

做好預算。

Most students, like me, usually have only a very general sense of how they spend their money. It's easy to remember that one big expense, but students sometimes don't realize that the smaller daily expenditures can really add up. Recording your major daily expenses (food, travel, entertainment, etc.) takes only a few minutes and will help you keep track of your money.

像我一樣的大多數學生，對自己所花的錢只有一個大致概念。記住一項大宗支出比較容易，但有時候，同學們並沒有意識到，小額的日常支出也能積少成多。把你主要的日常支出記錄下來（食物、交通、娛樂等），只需要花費幾分鐘，卻會幫你瞭解自己的財務狀況。

EducationUSA runs a series of webinars that cover the Five Steps to U.S. Study, one of which specifically discusses the planning of a student budget.

“留學美國”(EducationUSA)組織了一系列網絡研討會，討論了“留學美國的五個步驟”(Five Steps to U.S. Study)，其中一項特別討論了學生的預算規劃。

Prioritize

重要的事務優先安排。

As mentioned above, America can be filled with things that tempt you to part with your money. Make a list (mental or otherwise) of the things you really want to do and say no to the rest. Your college experience will be no less fulfilling if you don't go to all 10 shows or try every restaurant in town.

正如上面所講的，美國有很多誘使你花錢的東西。列一個你確實想做的事情的清單（虛擬的、現實的皆可），然後對清單以外的東西說不。就算你不去觀看全部的10場演出，或光顧過市區裏的每一家餐廳，你的大學生活也絕不會因此而失色。

Take advantage of discounts and freebies

利用折扣和免費贈品。

As a student, you will have access to dozens of free (or heavily discounted) shows, dining options and other entertainment. If you really wanted to, you could try to go weeks without paying for food in college. All you would have to do is scour your school's events calendar and attend the open meetings. Bonus: You might find a club or organization you really like, in which case, you might be eating free pizza all the time.

作爲一名學生，你會有很多免費（或者以很低的折扣）獲得觀看演出、就餐，以及參加其他娛樂活動的機會。如果你真的願意，還能在大學裏面，連續幾周免費吃東西。你所需要做的，就是反覆刷新學校的日程安排表，參加公開聚會。驚喜就是：你可能會找到一個自己真心喜歡的俱樂部或者組織，在這種情況下，你就有可能一直享用免費的披薩。

Consider getting a part-time job

考慮兼職。

This is a tough one and might not be possible for many international students. Paid jobs seem ridiculously competitive and difficult to get.

這個建議有些困難，也許對很多留學生來說不太現實。帶薪工作的競爭性似乎非常之強，不易獲得。

However, if you are one of the lucky ones, it is important to have realistic expectations about your part-time income, said Martin Bennett, the EducationUSA outreach coordinator at the Institute of International Education.

不過，“留學美國”在國際教育協會(Institute of International Education)的外展協調員馬丁· 本內特(Martin Bennett)說，如果你是幸運兒之一，對兼職收入有個現實的期待值也很重要。

"The general consensus is that having a part-time job on campus can help pay for some personal expenses," Mr. Bennett wrote in an e-mail. "That being said, the expectation should not be that a part-time job will cover much more than $2,000 to $3,000/academic year if a student were to work 16 to 20 hours per week." He added, "20 hours per week on campus while school is in session is the maximum allowed under U.S. immigration regulations."

“大家一致認爲，在大學裏擁有一份兼職，能幫學生們支付一些個人花銷，”本內特在一封電子郵件裏面寫道。“話雖這麼說，學生也不應當期望，假如自己每週工作16到20個小時，這份兼職工作就能每學年提供遠超2000美元到3000美元的收入 。”他補充說，“而且根據美國移民法，在學期過程中，每週兼職20小時已經是政府允許的最大限度。”

"I advise," he continued, "that unless absolutely necessary, a student take the first semester on campus to get used to the way of life and of the classroom culture and faculty expectations before plunging into a job on-campus."

“我建議，”他繼續說，“除非絕對必要，學生應該在投身兼職工作之前，利用第一個學期來適應當地的生活方式和課堂的文化氛圍，以及老師們的期望。”