College living may mean cutting a few corners
By Chase Davis

Ramen Noodles: A $1 or less dish best served hot, dusted with a fine powder seasoning, and cooked at high temperature for one minute. Stir evenly and serve. It isn't a dish that is easily botched – fine gourmet dining at a reasonable price.

The only problem is that if you're pouring the seasoning in before you cook the noodles, you're making a terrible mistake.

By Susan Johnston

Sleigh bells ring, but meanwhile your wallet is close to empty. Sure, you'd like to give your true love five golden rings, four calling birds, and so on, but is it really worth the post-holiday debt? Wouldn't you rather see red lettering on a Christmas card instead of your bank statement? Just as I thought.

So, in the true spirit of the holidays, here are some foolproof gift ideas to deck the halls without devastating your finances:

By Zachary Rickard, Spring Hill College

Michael McMyne is the kind of guy who keeps his promises. Especially a promise like the one he made on a hospital bed five years ago where he lay battling a life threatening lung disease.

Michael, a public relations major at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., had struggled with serious health problems for several years before traveling from Louisiana to see a specialist in Colorado. The treatment he received at that hospital not only saved his life but also changed it forever.

By Tony Ku, Arizona State University

New or used? Color? Make and model? These are just some questions that Arizona State broadcasting junior Autumn Pappas faced when she purchased her first vehicle.

"Something of the things I looked at was checking the mileage and seeing if there was any major damage to the car," she said.

Either way – new or used – research is a must, says Sherman Weekes, new car sales manager of Tempe Toyota in Arizona.

How one college student channeled his passion into a business opportunity
By Erica Martin

The summer after his freshman year at Goshen College, Nate Gautsche purchased his first house. Buying a house is obviously not something most college students think about doing, but growing up, Nate had worked on rental properties with his dad, developing skills that were not only useful, but that he enjoyed. With encouragement and financial help from his family, Nate decided to turn his talent into something he could work for, and that in turn, would work for him.