| Are you a student who is fascinated by the | | | | there are many programs that offer a free |
| electronic exchange of currency that happens every | | | | simulated, real time stock trading game where you |
| single minute? If so, I am sure you are also | | | | start out with a million dollars and can choose where |
| fascinated by the amount of money you could make, | | | | to invest that in. |
| and lose, by trading stock. As a recent graduate who | | | | 3. Blog about your picks. My best move (after forcing |
| has been unable to find a job, I have been surviving | | | | myself to give up $500) was to blog about my stock |
| because of my earlier interests in the stock market. | | | | picks. I would follow the market, the industry, and |
| In my college days, I dabbled enough with stocks to | | | | the companies that I though were good picks. But |
| learn two things: its potential profit, and its danger. As | | | | this helped to build my stock trading foundation |
| complex as the stock market may seem, the overall | | | | because it allowed me to write down what I learned |
| concept is the to maximize the profit and minimize | | | | and measure my progress through my mistakes and |
| the danger of loss (just like a business). The easiest | | | | successes. |
| way to learn about how to trade stock as a college | | | | 4. Research, research, research. I cannot say how |
| student is to jump feet first into it. That is what I did | | | | important this is. As a student, I was so focused on |
| Here are the steps I recommend to other college | | | | the importance of research that I would miss classes |
| students who would like to have some extra income | | | | to find stock picks and blog about them. Of course, |
| from stock trading: | | | | investing real money made the process a necessity if |
| 1. Invest with real money. This is one key step that I | | | | i wanted to ever see that $500 again! |
| think lead to my success. If you can afford it, do it. | | | | College students, high school students, at home |
| Of course, most people who are unfamiliar with | | | | parents, and whoever wants to learn how to beat |
| stocks are most likely going to fail, but think of it this | | | | the stock market: loosing $500 and an hour or two |
| way, the $500 (which is also the minimum needed to | | | | each day is worth the agony if it gives you the |
| open a Scottrade account) you invest with now | | | | power to make money later on. Opening my first |
| could lead to thousands of dollars later on. That was | | | | account, my first stock market blog post, and |
| my mindset, and now, what I have learned is helping | | | | actually doing the research turned water into wine. |
| me to survive. | | | | As someone who had no background with stocks, |
| 2. Invest with fake money. I also tried this and failed | | | | these simple steps helped me learn, and beat, the |
| just because it wasn't my own money. However, | | | | stock market. |