20 Hacks To Make Your Life Easier At St. John’s University

Have you ever walked through campus wishing you could make your college life a bit easier? Fortunately, there are plenty of life hacks at SJU. From study hacks, to organizational hacks, keep reading for 20 life hacks at St. John’s University that’ll make your four years at SJU easier!

1. Don’t buy textbooks before the first day of class.

Chances are, your professor won’t even require it. Save yourself time and money by waiting until syllabus week for your professor to specify whether or not you need it.

2. Join SJU student groups on Facebook.

On that note, a group just for “buying and selling textbooks” exists on the SJU student Facebook community. You can purchase current and older editions of books that other students don’t need anymore for prices lower than Amazon would give you to rent them, and resell them at the end of the semester.

3. Get a planner.

You’ll never forget about an assignment until five minutes before it’s due, again.

4. Buy a locker.

Locker rentals in St. Albert Hall sell out relatively quickly. For $20 a year, they’re so worth it. Split the cost with a friend and you have more than enough storage space for your gym clothes, lab materials, textbooks, and whatever else you don’t want to lug around with you during class time.

5. Put your classes on your phone’s calendar.

This will make it easier for you to organize your time. You’ll be more conscious of when you have to be in class and when you get out, and you’ll be able to better manage any breaks you have in between them.

6. Look at the events calendar on the St. John’s official website.

You can see which activities and campus events you’re interested in attending, and now that your class schedule is readily available on your phone, you’ll know which ones you can attend.

7. Use rate my professor.

This is hands down the best online reference to use when it’s time to register for classes. Read reviews written by other students—take them with a grain of salt, but you’ll likely get a general perspective of what your professors are like and whether or not the classes work with your style.

8. Take advantage of student discounts around campus.

Many restaurants around the Queens campus have special offers and discounts for St. John’s students, so don’t be hesitant to whip out your StormCard when you go out to lunch with your friends.

9. Wear a watch.

This is one of those life hacks at SJU that is underrated. Unfortunately, many of the classrooms on campus don’t have clocks on their walls. Wearing a watch will keep you less distracted than checking your phone every five minutes in class would.

10. Know when to go to Starbucks.

Common hour is prime time, so don’t even think about it. If you’re around while everyone else is in class, it’s time to get on the line. You don’t want to wait there all day.

11. Know when to go to the gym.

Again, avoid common hour at all costs. Early mornings are typically best, but try a different time every day to see what works best with your schedule (and everyone else’s).

12. Use Google docs to take notes.

That way, your files are automatically backed up no matter what happens. Plus, you can easily share files with friends (or even collaborate on the same document to take notes at the same time). You won’t miss one word of the lecture, even if you do zone out for a bit.

13. Number your files to stay organized.

If your professor provides lecture slides or you take notes on separate documents, keep them in a folder specific to that class and number them in order on your computer. That way, you won’t lose your place and get frustrated, especially while you’re studying. Nobody wants that.

14. Avoid traffic during your commute.

Know when rush hour is. Try not to drive to campus within the 7-8 am window, and try not to leave around 5-6 pm. Any other time is better traffic-wise.

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15. Find parking while there is parking.

With the amount of commuter students at SJU, parking can be a pain. Throughout the week, pay attention to when the parking lot starts to fill up, and try to get there earlier than that the following week if you can. Hopefully you’ll get the perfect spot… or a spot at all.

16. Use MTA bus time if you plan to take public transportation anywhere.

The Q46/30/31 can definitely be tough to catch around campus, especially if you don’t know when it’ll come. MTA bus time is a free app that you can use to track where an available bus is at all times, so you’ll know when to start walking towards the bus stop.

17. Carry snacks in your bag.

Keeping snacks with you at all times can make long lectures less dreadful and even save you money whenever you’re having a craving for overpriced snacks on campus. Save yourself and your money.

18. Color-code your books.

Reaching for the wrong book can be an awful mistake, but you can avoid that by using markers to differentiate between them. Coordinate your books for each class by marking the textbook and notebook with the same color, so you can easily grab them both out of your locker and go.

19. Cut through buildings to get to class.

You’ll love this one, especially when it’s cold and raining. Walk through Marillac’s first floor and up to the second floor to get from DAC to the Great Lawn, and through St. Al’s first floor and down to the basement to get to Sullivan. This is one of my favorite life hacks at SJU.

20. Put Blackboard in your bookmarks bar.

Keeping the websites you frequently use for school in your bookmarks bar may seem like a given, but surprisingly, not every student does this! Make your life easier by making these websites more accessible to you. You’ll be more likely to submit your assignments, check your grades, and email your professors on time.

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