15 College Hacks That Are So Genius, You’ll Wonder How You Ever Lived Without Them

A netizen recently asked the forum, “College students, What are some of the must-know tricks you want to share with other students? What money-saving, grade-boosting, life-altering tips do you have to offer to your fellow college students?”

Have a look at the list of top 15 must-know tricks people suggested below. 

Learn How To Study Effectively

“Learn how to study effectively. Most college students go through high school very easily and never need to study intensely. Find some way that works for you and use it.

My personal favorite is to make study guides for whatever I’m studying. Merely writing stuff down helps me to study, and when I’m done I have a concise sheet of things I need to know.

Also, go out on the weekends. It’s a nice thing to look forward to after a week of hard work.” 

Block Your Time In Advance 

“It sounds simple, but ration the time you need to spend on homework/essays (ESPECIALLY essays) a few days before the due date.

It will keep the stress off, plus give you some wiggle room if something comes up or you need to fix something. So, many of my friends stress out pulling all-nighters right before something is due, but life is MUCH easier if things are done in advance. ”

Make Notes Beforehand 

“Most of my professors would put their notes online, so whenever I had time I would copy them down BEFORE the class (pen and paper).

Then I knew what the prof was talking about during class, which made it easier to ask questions if I had any and it forced me to go over the information twice. Never spent hours cramming in the library.” 

Combine Your Learning Material 

“Find a way to combine the material you’re learning in different classes to save on study time. For example, you’re taking a history class and an English class. Study history, and write your English essays on the topic of history you’re studying.” 

Be As Social As Possible For The Freshman Year 

“Make your friends freshman year and be as social as possible for the first year.  Sophomore year onwards it’s a lot harder.  Everyone’s trying to make friends as a freshman.” 

Follow Grad Students For Good Food

“If you see a homeless person under 40 walking, follow them. They are a grad student on their way to food. If you get there in time, you will get pizza.”

Use An Iron Or A Crock Pot For Cooking

“You can cook grilled cheese on an iron.”, said one user. 

“Best tip I ever got concerning food was to invest in a crock pot. Seriously, throw everything in a pot, turn it on and come back at the end of the day to deliciousness.”, another user added. 

Talk To Your Professor 

“If you’re having trouble in a class, even if it’s because you were slacking off the entire semester, talk to your damn professor. 

They’re human too, and they’re understanding so long as you actually care enough to ask them for help.” 

Don’t Start Your Essays With Your Introduction 

“For writing essays: don’t start with your introduction. Take the evidence arguments you have, lay them on a page and connect them in a logical order.

After that, build your thesis around your evidence, rather than building your evidence around your thesis. Major essay time saver.”

Get Involved In Co-curricular

“Get involved in SOMETHING co-curricular. A club, your student union, Greek life, whatever you want as long as you enjoy it.

It will help you become a better-rounded person, enjoy your time more, and also increase your odds of getting a job post-graduation. Personally, I’m really bad at time management when I have too much free time, so getting involved forced me to manage my time effectively.”

Don’t Forget The Triple Pat Down

“The Triple Pat Down. Every time you leave your room to go out partying or to even roam the campus, pat your pants to make sure you have these three key items:

1. Wallet
2. Phone
3. Keys” 

Don’t Bunk Your Classes 

“Go to your damn class. You’re paying for it, and you’re *really* shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t attend them. It’s an easy way to make it much, much harder on yourself…” 

Don’t Do The Research Yourself When Writing A Paper

“When writing a paper, there’s no need to do the research yourself. Find a good secondary source and look through its works cited/bibliography. As a bonus, the secondary source will likely tell you what salient information you can find in each other source so you won’t be flying blind.” 

Fill Out A FAFSA 

“As a student worker who was employed at the Financial Aid Office, I have to say, fill out a FAFSA. Most students write it off as a “Waste of time, I’ll never get anything anyways.” but would actually be pleasantly surprised.

It’s free so you really have no excuse, and at worst, it’s nice to have the loans set up in case of an emergency.”

Don’t Take Your Freedom For Granted 

“Don’t take your newfound freedom as an opportunity to go crazy. Partying isn’t an absolute must, nor is it something to avoid entirely. Do things in moderation and don’t do anything stupid or horrible illegal.” 

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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.