College is a time that is all about finding the multifunctional nature of everything and improvising in myriad ways. Whether you’re operating on a shoestring budget, or you’re simply working with a small amount of space in your dorm, you’re going to want to know a few tricks of the academic trade in order to make life easier. Here are eight college life hacks you should know.
- Record and Dictate Your Lectures
If you’re not good at taking thorough notes and still hearing the lecture, then you should record lectures on your phone and get a dictation app that will transcribe the whole recording. This way you can just absorb the information while you’re in lecture and relax a bit while you learn.
- Put Your Schedule on Your Lock Screen
The first week or two of school is always the most stressful because you are still getting used to your schedule and trying to figure out where everything is. If you take a picture of your schedule with your phone and set that image as your lock screen, you can very easily reference your next class throughout the day.
- Use a Plastic Cup as a Speaker Amplifier
If you don’t have nice speakers you can use to watch videos on your tablet, then you can cut a small hole in the lower portion of a plastic cup. Turn the cup on its side and stick the speaker end of your tablet through the hole. Voila, you have amplified sound.
- Use Dryer Sheets as an Air Freshener
Most air freshener sprays are ineffective because the liquid is heavy and falls straight to the floor. However, if you stick a few dryer sheets on the back of a running fan, you can get the fresh scent of clean clothes pumping through your dorm in a matter of seconds.
- Cook Pasta in a Coffee Maker
If you don’t have a stove, then you can get creative with your coffee maker. You can fill the pot with water and boil pasta or just about anything you want in there. It’s also great for heating up dips or sauces.
- Save Take Out Containers and Use Them as Dishes
If you don’t have a lot of dishes, or space for dishes, then you can always use plastic take out containers and water or juice bottles. If you start to collect more than you can store, then you can always recycle the old ones.
- Wear Flip Flops in the Shower
The last thing you want to worry about is a disgusting fungal infection in your feet from the shower. You may think this is an urban myth, but it’s not. Get yourself some flip flops and make sure you always use them so long as you live in the dorms.
- Take Online Classes when Necessary
Say you’re going to George Washington University and you want to graduate early, or you have a class you need to retake, or you just want to cut down your semester tuition a bit. You can enroll in classes at GWU Online and take your classes at a much lower price. Plus, you can work on your own schedule.
