Heyylloo Blogger World! So June is almost over and as it did pass lazily but quite fast for me, I found myself pondering on the college advices I had heard over the years. That led to the idea of this post! Weird life hacks, that you've probably never heard of.....to make college easier. Growing up as a young child, we are always shown this glorious vision of college. Though it does turn out different from our expectations, it is always a period of growth. As a young girl, I watched one of my uncles become a doctor. And when my mom went to run errands, he babysat me. And since he was a medical student at the time....i remember a few of those tips and tricks he used to do. So accounting for that and other hacks I've learned from other people through the years, here is a compiled list of weird college life hacks and tips, that should make that time of your life easier.
Microwave:
Now if you choose to dorm, a microwave and a hot plate are must commodities. Since pathetic dorms do not provide ovens, even if there are ovens....its usually shared by many rooms. A microwave and hot plate easily plug into a socket and you can cook. Of course you will have to learn microwave recipies to survive. But key tip in a dorm is to always save space. When you are done cooking with the microwave, use it as your table. Weird. I know. But since a dorm has a few feet of space, your microwave will most likely be stationed on the ground. When your food is done, use the surface of your microwave as a small floor table. Sit. Relax. And eat. No need for tables or chairs, or getting your lap burnt by the steaming plate.
Now if you choose to dorm, a microwave and a hot plate are must commodities. Since pathetic dorms do not provide ovens, even if there are ovens....its usually shared by many rooms. A microwave and hot plate easily plug into a socket and you can cook. Of course you will have to learn microwave recipies to survive. But key tip in a dorm is to always save space. When you are done cooking with the microwave, use it as your table. Weird. I know. But since a dorm has a few feet of space, your microwave will most likely be stationed on the ground. When your food is done, use the surface of your microwave as a small floor table. Sit. Relax. And eat. No need for tables or chairs, or getting your lap burnt by the steaming plate.
Print Everything:
Now colleges always have issues dealing with financial aid and enrollment. They will always require documents and very frequently. So before your head off to college, compile a huge folder of all your necessary papers and print out every email or notification that applies to you, sent by your college. This way you will always have tabs on them and have proof of anything they have ever emailed you or requested of you. It helps alot! I've been doing this. For example, lets say you get emailed that you are exempt from a class because of an AP course you took or other form of credit, print that email out. That is your token of proof, in case your class schedule gets messed up or the faculty questions you....that email is proof of you skipping that class and moving on to a higher one. College offices are always disorganized and disastrous, take all your necessary legal information with you to avoid any typos or mistakes on your college record.
Now colleges always have issues dealing with financial aid and enrollment. They will always require documents and very frequently. So before your head off to college, compile a huge folder of all your necessary papers and print out every email or notification that applies to you, sent by your college. This way you will always have tabs on them and have proof of anything they have ever emailed you or requested of you. It helps alot! I've been doing this. For example, lets say you get emailed that you are exempt from a class because of an AP course you took or other form of credit, print that email out. That is your token of proof, in case your class schedule gets messed up or the faculty questions you....that email is proof of you skipping that class and moving on to a higher one. College offices are always disorganized and disastrous, take all your necessary legal information with you to avoid any typos or mistakes on your college record.
Ditch the Ramen:
Now college students are infamous for binging on cup noodles or ramen. Those high sodium noodles are equivalent to eating junk food. Their fast and filling, but sooo detrimental to your health. Instead of Ramen, buy a box of Cous Cous. This is a French type of pasta, that is made from wheat. It looks like little balls. They boil fast and you can add any toppings, meats, vegetables, and personalize it to your taste. College students in France, use this pasta alot! It is easy and as long as you change all the other ingredients, it will be a different dish everytime. On top of that CousCous is low fat, low sugar, low calorie, and high in protein. It is alot better than that fattening, salty, and chemically induced ramen cup noodle.
Now college students are infamous for binging on cup noodles or ramen. Those high sodium noodles are equivalent to eating junk food. Their fast and filling, but sooo detrimental to your health. Instead of Ramen, buy a box of Cous Cous. This is a French type of pasta, that is made from wheat. It looks like little balls. They boil fast and you can add any toppings, meats, vegetables, and personalize it to your taste. College students in France, use this pasta alot! It is easy and as long as you change all the other ingredients, it will be a different dish everytime. On top of that CousCous is low fat, low sugar, low calorie, and high in protein. It is alot better than that fattening, salty, and chemically induced ramen cup noodle.
Cheap Textbooks:
Do not be that kid that buys the brand new textbooks. Books in college cost in the hundreds. And that is per book. Your better off buying a used one and reselling it after the semester is over. Do not ever purchase the top brand new one, no one wants to spend $500 per book. Get a preowned or slightly used. Use sites like ebay, amazon, cheggbooks, slug books, and other retail sites. Just google it and you'll find a whole bunch. Also, big tip....ask your professor if you will actually USE the book. Some classes make you buy a book but you never actually use anything beyond the lecture notes. So make sure to ask, to see if you will even get any work out of the book. Otherwise save the bills.
Do not be that kid that buys the brand new textbooks. Books in college cost in the hundreds. And that is per book. Your better off buying a used one and reselling it after the semester is over. Do not ever purchase the top brand new one, no one wants to spend $500 per book. Get a preowned or slightly used. Use sites like ebay, amazon, cheggbooks, slug books, and other retail sites. Just google it and you'll find a whole bunch. Also, big tip....ask your professor if you will actually USE the book. Some classes make you buy a book but you never actually use anything beyond the lecture notes. So make sure to ask, to see if you will even get any work out of the book. Otherwise save the bills.
Double Sided Bedsheets:
When you buy bedsheets for the twin beds they have in college dorms, get the double sided ones. It will save you so much time. Double sided bedsheets have a print on both sides, so you can put side facing upwards, then later switch it to the bottom side facing upwards. This way you won't have to run to the laundromat as quickly. You use up one side, then flip over to the clean side. It's sleazy, but that's what dorming life is. Its not prestigious, its survival.
When you buy bedsheets for the twin beds they have in college dorms, get the double sided ones. It will save you so much time. Double sided bedsheets have a print on both sides, so you can put side facing upwards, then later switch it to the bottom side facing upwards. This way you won't have to run to the laundromat as quickly. You use up one side, then flip over to the clean side. It's sleazy, but that's what dorming life is. Its not prestigious, its survival.
Recorder:
Get a small tape recorder to record your lectures. This way when you go home and replay the recordings and listen to the tapes, you will know exactly every word your professor ever said. This is powerful stuff people. Imagine having a record of every word they have spoken and that way if the professor contradicts themselves...you have solid evidence. And you can listen to the tapes over and over until it sticks in your mind, a lot better than reading the textbook.
Get a small tape recorder to record your lectures. This way when you go home and replay the recordings and listen to the tapes, you will know exactly every word your professor ever said. This is powerful stuff people. Imagine having a record of every word they have spoken and that way if the professor contradicts themselves...you have solid evidence. And you can listen to the tapes over and over until it sticks in your mind, a lot better than reading the textbook.
Booklight:
Bring a booklight to your dorm, especially if you are rooming with someone else, you never know when your roommate may decide to call it a night and turn the lights off. A book light clips to your book and you simply flick on the small light. This way you can keep studying or revising without disrupting your roommate.
Bring a booklight to your dorm, especially if you are rooming with someone else, you never know when your roommate may decide to call it a night and turn the lights off. A book light clips to your book and you simply flick on the small light. This way you can keep studying or revising without disrupting your roommate.
Credit Cards:
Never carry credit cards when on campus. Always carry cash, if you only carry cash you limit yourself to how much money you can waste. If you bring the credit card out and about with you, you will most likely swipe that everywhere in impulsiveness and end up owing tons of money near the end. Don't be the broke college student. Be ingeniously frugal. We all know students spend the most on food. It is better to cash pay for food than swipe a card.
Never carry credit cards when on campus. Always carry cash, if you only carry cash you limit yourself to how much money you can waste. If you bring the credit card out and about with you, you will most likely swipe that everywhere in impulsiveness and end up owing tons of money near the end. Don't be the broke college student. Be ingeniously frugal. We all know students spend the most on food. It is better to cash pay for food than swipe a card.
Well that was it for now! Here are the few tips and tricks for this post. Hopefully you found them useful and plan on putting them into action. School will be back on in a few months, so lets make the most of the next academic year!
-ISBAH xoxo
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