Life Hacks for College Students!
I realized that a lot of my readers are still in school or just heading to college. I graduated from college 2 years ago and decided to do a post with some back to school advice. This is for college students especially freshman but can definitely be helpful to any student!
Featured Photo Credit to Clintweb.net
It's always stressful to get to know your school and adjust especially if you're a freshman but don't panic! Below are my Top 8 tips for getting through college as stress-free as possible.1. Do your research on your major even if you're undecided. Get your common college core done!
Most people decide or change their major when their sophomore year starts at a 4 year college or during their second semester at a community college. Ask your advisor or check your school's website for a list of courses that everyone has to take regardless of their major. This way you're not taking extra courses that you won't need later on.
This also means that when you settle on a major you can focus on the courses that really interest you because you completed the college core early.
2. Read the prerequisites for all of your classes.
You can make sure that you take the right courses at the right time and you're not overwhelming yourself when senior year comes around. You can also prepare yourself for any awesome electives you want to take.
Along with your common core, if you finish your prerequisites early you are setting yourself up for success!
3. Never buy your textbooks from your bookstore.
I always love to shop around for the best deals and textbooks were no exception. As a business major textbooks were over $300 and there was no way that I wanted to spend that much for a book I'll only need for a few months.
Half.com is one of my favorite websites because I can either buy or rent books at an affordable price without the hassle. You can choose the length of time for the rental and pick the quality of the book you'll receive. Just print out the return label and send it back or extend the time for a small fee.I've rented a book from Amazon before but the rental policy made me nervous. If you return it a condition that they don't approve of, you'll be charged for the price of the book. So let's say you spent $40 to rent it but it actually costs $300. They'll charge you $260 and the book will be yours to keep. As a college student I didn't like the risk because anything can happen and $260 was an amount I wasn't prepared to spend.Chegg.com is another source to get textbooks. I haven't used their service before with the exception of Chegg Study. (It was helpful for awhile but before the trial ended I was charged for the full service and I never used it again. -Thumbs down- for bad customer service).On rare occasions some textbooks are available online for free so don't hesitate to look up PDF files. You can also look for one edition down than what your professor recommends. Generally they have the same material but with different page numbers (and it's cheaper).
4. Collegeboard.org is your friend. Don't forget about it!
Remember this website? It helped you with your college search and even set the date for your SATs. But don't think that it's useless after that. The CLEP exams they offer can save you a lot of money. You study the material on your own and take a test for a fee and 3 credits will be yours.
If you're the kind of person that can study on their own or you need extra credits to graduate then this is perfect. Double check on their website to find out what exams are accepted at your college and the score that is considered passing. You can save on time and money by taking these tests. I highly recommend checking it out at least once!
5. Look everywhere for scholarship money.
Cappex.com is one of my favorite websites for scholarships. Definitely check them out if you come up a little short on tuition or you just need some spare cash for textbooks. Money will always be a factor when it comes to college so you definitely want to take advantage of websites that offer scholarship money for easy projects and essays.
(Also double check your college's website for scholarship applications.)
6. Get involved on your campus
I commuted to school all four years and it's very easy to go class, go to work, and go home afterwards. But what happens when you have a 3 hour break in between? That's when clubs/organizations come in. It's a great way to make friends and be surrounded by people that share similar interests.
I had so much fun being a general and executive board member. You learn a lot about yourself as a leader and just have fun instead of locking yourself up in the library to pass the time. I highly recommend branching out to clubs outside of your major and your comfort zone. You may surprise yourself. I had the pleasure of going on two mission trips and that's something I never thought I'd do and it was a great experience!
7. Take advantage of work study or an internship
Internships and work study jobs are easy resume boosters. We go to college to get an awesome career and having references is a huge part of that. Work study allows you to be on campus and work short hours for extra money. Internships are huge opportunities to get your foot in the door for your career. If neither of these work out other options are retail jobs because they're flexible and freelance work if you have a special talent.
8. Reach out to your professors and ask questions.
I was definitely the kind of student that didn't like to ask questions. I always thought that I could go home and figure things out myself, but halfway through my degree I found that to be wasting more time when I could have sent my professor an email. I learned to never hesitate to ask questions even greeting your professors helps. They can give you great references for grad school, a job, or just being a great person to talk to after class. Professors love students that take the initiative to learn.
That's all of my tips and tricks for college. If there are any tips you want to share definitely leave a comment down below! Remember to study hard and party later!
