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Sure, everyone’s happy to remind you that college should be the best time of your life. But what they don’t seem to remember as fondly is the more or less constant financial restriction and stress that comes with it. College students are, let’s face it, a broke bunch.

There are plenty of ways to make money amidst the pressures of a busy schedule while continuing to prioritize academics at the same time. Here are some of our favorites.

"This is the best time of your life."

It’s a comment tossed off by well-meaning older folks, and one that’s usually accompanied by a sigh of nostalgia. Most people look back fondly on their college days, and want to impart that sense of freedom and possibility to the students they know and love. But it isn’t really that simple, is it? Being young and being in college doesn’t automatically generate a carefree sense of wonderment about the world – it’s just that after a few decades, most people tend to forget the tough stuff that went along with all those “best times.”

Joining the military can be an exciting idea. The commercials boast honorable missions, and adventures around the world. But the military is actually much, much more than just excitement, adventure and defending your country. The truth is that a committing to a stint in the armed services can be a way to advance a civilian career and fund a college education. Know all the angles and use your time in the service wisely, and you could come out with some opportunity that you simply won’t find elsewhere. Here’s how it breaks down:

Well, it’s been a crazy couple of months. The wildest election season in recent history and now, the thing that weighs on the minds of all Americans, and particularly those with major financial commitments to look forward to: what’s next?

For most college grads, student debt is a fact of life. It’s a monthly expense to be worked into your budget and you’ll quickly adapt, as everyone does, to the payment schedule. But hold on a second – just paying the bill isn’t all there is to paying down your student debt. You need to make sure you’re taking a smart, measured approach to your debt – one that will give you the best odds for paying it down quickly, without negatively impacting your finances in other ways. Here’s what you need to know.

Take a deep breath. Repaying your student loans is as time honored a tradition as college itself. Each part of the education financing machine is well-oiled and inspected, and you’re in for a pleasant surprise here – there are options to help you succeed in your repayment, alternative routes to help you manage your debt responsibly, and genuine benefits lurking around in the corners. Let’s shine a light on some of them, and talk about best practices for managing this new responsibility.