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Hang out with middle class people and learn how to be middle class. It's not about material goods, it's more about tastes, manner of speaking, values, etc. Dress well--not tee shirts and baseball caps--but a polo shirt and clean pants, quality shoes. Mostly, be neat and well groomed.
As others have said, brush up on your language skills so that you can write and spell properly. Add some culture to your life by visiting museums, reading good books, and strive to become a well rounded person. This makes you more employable and more interesting to others. Don't just narrow yourself down to chasing the almighty dollar.
Then, some editions of the "What Color Is Your Parachute" book contain excellent tools for refining your goals and working towards them. Read at least one of the new editions AND one from at least ten years back - and do the exercises.
To polish your image, prior to the next step, search out a book like "dress for success" and enroll in a Dale Carnegie course if you can find one.
Only after all of the above, search for a mentor. You want to find someone engaged in the same profession and style of work that you hope to achieve, make yourself non-threatening and a help to them and PICK THEIR BRAINS and note their contacts.
Then, some editions of the "What Color Is Your Parachute" book contain excellent tools for refining your goals and working towards them. Read at least one of the new editions AND one from at least ten years back - and do the exercises.
To polish your image, prior to the next step, search out a book like "dress for success" and enroll in a Dale Carnegie course if you can find one.
Only after all of the above, search for a mentor. You want to find someone engaged in the same profession and style of work that you hope to achieve, make yourself non-threatening and a help to them and PICK THEIR BRAINS and note their contacts.
I got ENTJ personality. Read what it was...I like it. Dont know how it compares to the other personalities though.
Currently, I'm INTJ, IIRC. Mine changes over time, except for the introversion - but then I'm a lot older and have had more of a chance for things to impact me. The results page on that test gives some further information and possibilities on how to use the results.
I agree with the previous posters about reading the millionaire next door, good read, but I have to disagree with taking a job right now and working up to 20 hours per week.
OP- This is the time of your life. Focus on your studies, take extra classes to ensure you finish your degree in a timely manner, get involved at school, date more girls, make more friends, focus on getting into the best graduate school you can, and do an internship in your Senior year at a Big 4 firm. Do something at school to make a difference and leave the university a better place.
You might consider an accounting related job in your Junior or Senior year after you have a proven record of academic success, when your GPA can take a hit if work becomes too demanding and your grades suffer. Besides, you probably haven't even taken principles of accounting yet, so I'm not sure if a bookkeeping position is even possible. After you've finished your major courses in accounting (e.g. intermediate 1 & 2) you will probably have the skills for one of those positions.
You're making a wise decision to invest in your education. Studies have shown that education still pays off in the long-run. The middle class lifestyle you desire will certainly follow, but remember SAVE, SAVE, and SAVE and live BELOW your means. I think you already have many of the traits of the millionaire next door, so I'm confident that you'll be a success!!! Enjoy your time in school, it's likely to be the best of times in your life! Good luck!
If you want to learn more about finances, look up some finance blogs:
The Simple dollar
Free Money finance
Get Rich Slowly
Motley Fool for investments..
Boggleheads too.
As an Accounting major myself, I would take the internships or Co-Op opportunities! They were great experiences, even if I did nothing but make $10 an hour (about 2 times min wage at the time)
Brush up on the speaking and writing skills, EVERY employer wants the person representing them to be able to communicate effectively and clearly!!
Don't take up smoking. Don't ever drive drunk or even slightly drunk. A DUI can cause you problems for many years.
Have a "Plan B" for your career if accounting doesn't work out. Consider a minor in your "Plan B" career path. Maybe you find out Plan B pays much better or has many more open positions versus your Plan A career path(accounting.).
You can move up the ladder by working at Fortune 500 companies or otherwise large companies or even the Federal Government. This is because they have so many job openings..and you can apply from within to higher level jobs and get promoted, time after time.
Don't ever go without health insurance even if for 1 month. You can get in a sudden accident or need your appendix removed suddenly even if you are young and in perfect health. An Appendix operation can set you back $40k if you don't have health insurance and it cannot wait until you sign up for insurance. Get a high deductible insurance plan if the monthly premium is an issue. But never go withouthealth insurance.
In time you will find out that a new car is not necessary a luxury when you are middle class. It is quite a luxury if you are working class. Not a new car every year, but getting one sometimes and keeping it awhile.
If you like to mess around with girls, make sure you are protected. Having a child when very young can possibly set you back financially and career wise if you have a child when you are too young and unprepared. (child support, having to pay for child care when making a low wage, not taking job that travels due to child, not being able to tranfer for better opportunity because need to live near child's other parent, posssibly having to quit college, etc.).
I am impressed by your thoughtful post and desire to better yourself. Read a book entitied The Millionaire Next Door and you will have a very good idea of what you need to do with your money. Plus it sounds like you are already implementing some of its ideas. A college degree or two is usually very helpful when trying to move into the middle class. Yes, get a part time job if you can work and keep your grades up. If you can't work and keep your grades up, then work during the summer and/or your school breaks. Any work experience is good. Do not get anyone pregnant. This will derail your future faster than you can imagine. Best wishes.
Books like Millionaire Next Door - personal finance books generally - are based on the premise that you HAVE money to begin with, and need only manage it (and your career) better.
As far as I can tell there are no millionaire burger flippers, and all the frugality in the world won't make them so.
live below your means then save and invest with the rest.
your working income (from whatever source and at whatever level) has little to do with wealth.
Like a burger flipper is going to invest his way to a million?
A minimum wage income has little to do with lack of wealth?
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