I’ve always been rather fiercely independent.  I don’t like to ask for help.  But sometimes it is necessary.  I’ve learned a whole lot about that over the last few days.  On Friday I was limping around the office as my left knee had been hurting a bit all week. But as I was going up the stairs to heat my lunch Friday afternoon, my knee decided it had had quite enough and gave a big pop.  And suddenly I was no longer able to put any weight on my left leg.  I’m enormously grateful to the students who helped me get back down the stairs and to my office.  I won’t know until after some more physical therapy how long this is going to take to heal.  But I do know that I’m going to have to ask for help more often than normal over the next several weeks.  And asking for help is ok.  Everyone has to do it at one time or another.

Most people struggle with money issues from time to time throughout their lives.  And it’s ok to ask for help with this, too.  We aren’t born knowing everything there is to know about money.  It’s a complicated topic!  But there are a lot of resources available to help you decipher all of this.  You can find a basic list here.  For current Penn State students, you can find self-study units on a variety of financial topics at https://financialliteracy.psu.edu/self-study-modules/.  If you want to find more information or schedule an appointment with a financial coach, you can do that at Penn State’s Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center.  Current and former law students at Penn State Law also have an additional resource available through the Financial Education tools offered by AccessLex Institute.  Through this website you can access an online financial literacy curriculum, links to available webinars, and you can even schedule a call with an Accredited Financial Counselor.

I remember a time not so long ago that all of these resources didn’t exist.  I used to spend my time combing the internet for resources students could use to access financial assistance.  And I’m sure that is how my passion for financial literacy education began.  But things are much easier now.  Financial education resources abound.  And if you can’t find guidance on the topic you need assistance with, just let me know.  It’s ok to ask for help! Everyone needs to from time to time.