15 Life Hacks Every College Student Should Know
College can be a nightmare if you’re not prepared or not used to the routine expected of you. The confusing schedules, difficult lectures, and usually large student populace can make college extremely stressful. There’s also the fact you may very well be living on your own for the first time. That likely means you’re responsible for cleaning your room, managing a budget, and potentially even cooking your own meals. For many, this can be extremely stressful. It might seem niyouce to finally live on your own at first, but it also means you’ll be the one taking care of cleaning, cooking, and the budget.
Well, it’s true that college can also be a time of great joy for many, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any negatives. The whole new environment can be hard for new college students to adjust to and sadly some students never fully adjust. It’s not that some people are doomed to struggle in college, but rather that these students usually have not developed any safe coping skills and found a good support group. So whether you’re a college student who is fresh on campus or a rising senior, college could be very stressful you.
This isn’t to say that college should be all fun and games. It’s important to have some challenges along the way, as this helps you develop both as a student and as a person. The problem is when the negatives began to outweigh the positives. If you constantly dread going to class, feel things are pointless and are heavily considering dropping out, than college may be becoming more of a stressor than a benefit for you. But that doesn’t mean you should quit college. You can easily make your college experience much more enjoyable by changing things up and developing some life hacks that make your college life a little easier.
You might think life hacks are only for changing the way you eat a candy bar or developing a slightly faster cleaning system, but that isn’t always true. Some life hacks are actually extremely useful and most certainly apply to college. Many life hacks can actually make the experience a whole lot easier for college students. Whether it’s finding easier ways to clean your dorm or developing useful study skills, you’ll find there are plenty of useful life hacks you can utilize as a college student. Here are 15 life hacks every college student should know.
1. Reuse Grocery Store Or Food Delivery Bags
After a long day grocery shopping, it seems that you should immediately throw away the bag after you take out your items, right? Actually, no! You can still use these grocery store bags for plenty of things, so don’t waste them. You can utilize them as a trash bag for a small trash can or use them to bag something like fruit. Need to clean up your room? Use the plastic bags to pick up stuff you don’t need anymore and throw them away afterward. There really is so much you can do with plastic bags. Plus, it will save you money and is slightly better for the environment.
2. Opt For Potatoes Over Ramen
Ramen is considered the staple college food by many. The cheap but delicious food is considered to be energizing and easy to make. But there’s a better alternative out there: potatoes. It might sound strange, but there is a lot you can do with potatoes. Plus, they are cheaper than ramen. You can make things like baked potatoes, or even just cut them and put them on a skillet. They are super filling and don’t require you to be an expert chef.
3. Buy Used Textbooks Online
One way to quickly lose money during college is by buying overpriced college textbooks. But you don’t have to spend all your money as a college student. You can easily buy used college textbooks which tend to be a lot cheaper. The important thing though is that you buy them online or at least not at your college bookstore. Why? Because most college bookstores don’t always offer the used textbooks for the class you need. You can buy used books online at sites like campusbooks.com or eCampus.com. It’s also important to check if the textbook material has changed significantly. If it has, you may be out of luck and have to buy the latest edition. However, if it hasn’t, you should buy the used version. Many books only change small details, so the only between a 6th edition and 8th edition might be the page numbers!
4. Use Gummy Bears Or A Similar Snack As A Reward When Studying
If you struggle to study or get your homework done, you should consider using a snack or two as a reward. For example, put down gummy bears by each number on your homework assignment. For each one you do, you can eat a gummy bear. It’s a great way to motivate yourself to finish your homework or studying!
5. Write Instead Of Typing When Taking Notes
Writing notes with a pen or pencil might seem a thing of the past these days, but it actually is still useful. It might seem easier to type notes on your computer, but you will actually retain the information better if you write it down physically. Plus, there are fewer distractions when you write on your phone.
6. Shop At Brandless
Just as the site name implies, everything sold at brandless.com has no brand name and thus is cheaper. But why shop here instead of just buying your local grocery store’s brand or better yet, going to the dollar store? Because everything here is always $3 and despite this is still of decent quality. It is absolutely a lifesaver for any college student. You can find anything from absolute necessities to extra stuff like makeup and snacks.
7. Color Code Your Schedule
It might sound cheesy but this life hack can really help you stay organized. You’ll find that color-coding makes things a lot easier in terms of remembering what classes you have.
8. Record Your Lectures
Always feel like you’re forgetting something after you just finished a lecture? Consider recording it with your phone or a voice recorder. Just make sure you ask the professor for permission first!
9. Use Post It Notes To Keep Dust Away From Your Laptop
Stick some post-it notes in your laptop keyboard and it will prevent dust from building up in your laptop.
10. Use Study Apps And Sites Like Quizlet
You can make your study time a little bit easier to manage by using sites like Quizlet. For example, Quizlet allows you to create flashcards and play little games with the terms you create to study.
11. Use Visual Learning
If you learn by looking at pictures or by seeing people do things, then you should try some visual learning techniques. Some of these include looking at different photos and watching videos that show you exactly how something works. You can also doodle or draw something step by step visually.
12. Study For 30 Minutes, Break For Five
One good way to study effectively is to study for 30 minutes then take a break for five minutes. This helps you not be overwhelmed by studying and makes it so you can always focus effectively.
13. Create Songs To Help You Memorize Things
If you’re an auditory learner, you might want to consider studying by creating a song to remember something. For example, if you are studying a new tense in a language, you could make a song about all the different conjugations.
14. Create A Chore Schedule And Swap It
One way to make sure that your room stays clean is to create a chore schedule. You and your roommates can swap responsibilities each week.
15. Watch Educational Videos
If you have extra time after class you should watch videos on youtube about the subject you’re learning. It can really help you memorize and understand stuff!
