How to Save Money in College

Report
To: Lehua Ledbetter
From: DeAngelo Berry, Jess Bixby, Erika Berglund
Date: 29 September, 2014
Re: How to Save Money In College Tutorial Report

Overview
As a group we were tasked with making a how to tutorial for incoming freshman to help them out with their
first year at URI. After brainstorming ideas, the topic of how to save money while in college seemed ideal since
college and money coexist. We broke down this tutorial into four different sections that are easy to read and
comprehend; food, transportation, recreation, and books. We constructed this information into a portable
pamphlet that can be given out and always accessible to students. This four-step tutorial explains the main
ways college students can use their money wisely along with pointers we as students picked up on as well our
freshman year.

Introduction
As students, it is inevitable that money will be tight yet in high demand. Although there are many expenses
throughout college, some expected, but others can be diminished or avoided completely. We chose our main
points specifically since we believe these are some areas where cost is expected but can definitely be
minimized. The four major points in the tutorial are how to save money on campus through:
1.Transportation
2. Activities
3. Books
4.Food

Process
We decided on creating a brochure because we thought it was a simple, but very effective way to inform
students. As incoming college students, freshman will receive a large amount of informational forms prior to
their arrival. The brochure we have made can easily be distributed to all of the students with the other paper
work that they will obtain. Our brochure, which pertains to methods of making college more affordable, will
be of great interest to students as money is an essential element of college life. The need for saving money is
the main reason we decided to make the focus of our tutorial on taking full advantage of the Universitys
resources.
The brochure will cover the main ideas and resources that will help students use their money wisely. First, we
considered the most common expenses that college students encounter while they are on campus. We cited
issues such as transportation and food as areas of great expense. In regards to transportation, the brochure
will cover cheaper methods for students to commute. For instance, we cover the RIPTA and the cab services
that students can use as an alternative to driving and paying for gas. In addition to that, our brochure will
show students how they can bring the food from the dining hall back to their rooms in order to make full
usage of their meal plan.
We have divided the work for our members into 3 sections. Two of us are responsible for the majority of the
content within the brochure. The final member was responsible for assembling the brochure itself, and the
organization of our information. The content is something that we all have a part in creating because we
consult our fellow members with any idea that we have. Before the final project is complete, we will all
collaborate on any proofreading necessary.
In class, we presented the rough draft of our brochure to our classmates for usability testing. Before the
testing began, a small survey was created in order to see how our brochure was received. The survey was five
yes or no questions meant to see if the user found the brochure to be easy to understand. From the results of
the survey, we found that all of our classmates who read our brochure agreed that it was informative. We did
receive informal feedback from our instructor however. It was suggested that we shorten a few of our
sections, make the fonts uniformed, and to better emphasize the way each topic will save students money.

Rationale
The reason behind addressing the audience as incoming freshman is to facilitate their freshman year
experience in any way possible. Many incoming freshman are not aware of the vast amount of ways to save
money while at school and how to even avoid certain costs all together. We chose our main topics to be
addressing Food, Transportation, Recreation, and Books, since we felt these are some primary areas where
money is most spent. Also, we found that within each topic are various ways to reduce some of the costs or
alternate choices that wont break the bank. We provided some pointers that we picked up on as freshman

and helped us maneuver our way around spending money when unnecessary. In addition, we chose a
brochure because we believe it is something that is readily available for use at most any time. It is a basic way
to receive a lot of information in an organized, simplified manner. It enables the reader to be informed on
ways to save money prior to spending it. Also, the blue chosen for the brochure is a reflection of the University
of Rhode Island giving it a personal touch. The contrast on the brochure highlights the imperative words to
direct the readers attention to the main topics. Also, the alignment of pictures and words are simple and
clear, making reading all the information is straightforward and not overwhelming. The pictures are placed in
positions meant to enhance the readers comprehension of the information given or to reflect that specific
main point.

Next Steps
The brochure that includes the tutorial can be made available at various areas on the Kingston Campus. This
brochures main purpose is to help incoming freshman learn ways to save money while at school. The
brochure is meant mainly for them because they do not have any prior college experience and will be less
likely to utilize all of the resources that make school more affordable. Like all freshman, they will attend an
orientation in the summer before their first semester as a college student. During this orientation, the
students are repeatedly lectured and are provided the essential information and items, such as their student
identification card, for the upcoming year. Keeping this in mind, our brochure would be most effective if the
incoming freshman received it at their orientation. Although they may not initially be interested, their parents
will likely read into the tutorial that we have outlined into the brochure. When this happens, they will share
the information with their children.
In addition to this, I also believe that it would be necessary to place the brochure on the main website of the
University. Students will naturally turn to our main website as a source of knowledge and instructions for
whatever need they have. Should any student lose this brochure, they can find the same document online.

Conclusion
In conclusion, we believe our brochure will be beneficial to incoming freshman because not only does it
provide helpful tips to save money, it also brings awareness to the fact that it is easy to loose track of
spending, especially freshman year. We used great efforts to provide a lot of information in a nonoverwhelming manner in hopes to facilitate money management. This, however, was quite challenging since
there was so much to discuss and we needed to be selective with our choices. Overall, we are proud of our
brochure and hope it is put to use!