Do you ever feel your math classes aren’t going to be useful after graduation? Sometimes I wish that everything I learned in algebra and calculus could have helped me come up with a formula where nobody had to worry about paying for college.

And students are facing more financial stress these days. Maybe a parent lost a job this year, which can deflate tuition savings, as 80 percent of college students are financially dependent on parents. Or a part-time job isn’t panning out because the company doesn’t have the money or the business to keep you on staff.

All this, plus the stock market woes, has caused 95 percent of college students to say the nation’s economic crisis impacted their family’s finances last year, and 93 percent have seen an effect on their own bank account, according to a new survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education. As you might already know, financial stress could have an impact on your relationships, health, and overall well-being.

If you’re feeling less than financially confident, talk to your parents about what you’re feeling, what their bank account or college savings plans are looking like right now, and ways you can work harder to pursue scholarships and financial aid.

Here are three other things you can do:

1. Put yourself on a budget: The study discovered a 3 percent increase in budgeting by students who felt the greatest impact from the crisis. But it also found a 60 percent increase in credit card debt and a 26 percent increase in students using one credit card to pay off another. Splurging on outfits for frat parties or those late-night pizza orders can add up.

2. Resist the urge to drop out: The study found a 169 percent increase in the students dropping classes and an 106 percent increase in students taking a leave of absence from school. It may just be harder to return once you’ve been away for a while.

3. Educate yourself: Even learning the definitions of financial terms could be a huge help as they become a regular part of your college vocabulary.

–Lori Johnston