20 Life "Hacks" to Succeed in College

By Hsing Tseng on August 22, 2012

I’m sure you’ve heard it all before: “Don’t be afraid to try new things,” “Do/don’t keep in touch with your high school friends,” “It’s okay to change your major 1-infinity times.” What about the little nuggets of knowledge, so called “life hacks” that no one really thinks about on a day to day basis, but end up being extremely useful when the time comes? Here are some “hacks” to make life easier while you’re in college.

Photo from Flickr.com by Alan Cleaver

  1. Always, always go to class. You never know whether the professor will do a pop quiz, give extra credit opportunities, mention something in lecture that isn’t on their Powerpoints, or drop a major hint that something may or may not be on the final.
  2. Back up your files. Either invest in a portable hard drive or a USB stick for your most important files, because believe me, you will be out of luck if your laptop blows a circuit during finals week.
  3. Check your email every day, at least twice a day.  Keep your inbox clear of old or unnecessary emails to make your life easier.
  4. Manage your own finances. Keep an eye on your bank account balance, and while it may be good to build up a little bit of credit, make sure you always have enough money to pay your bills at the end of the month.
  5. Wear flip-flops in the bathroom. You don’t want to know what’s been on the shower floor.
  6. Use a calendar or planner to manage your time, because there will be precious little of it.
  7. Create a resume and have copies of it ready to grab and go if necessary.
  8. Never put your alarm clock/phone anywhere within grabbing range.
  9. Have a consistent note-taking system. Nothing hurts more than not being able to read your own notes.
  10. Become a leader. Whether you want to be the Captain of your intramural broomball team or the President of the Undergraduate Student Government, working with all types of people builds your communication skills and confidence.
  11. Take advantage of free stuff. Student organizations will give away free “swag” for publicity. The University of Denver, and many other schools, provide free newspapers, free condoms, fast and free internet, free counseling, free clubs, free fitness center access and classes, free public transportation passes, free snacks during finals, free stuff from your RA, free movies, free lectures, and most importantly,free food at many events on campus.
  12. Make sure you always have enough quarters to do at least one load of laundry. If I had a quarter for every time the Flex machine didn’t read my ID card or was broken, I would have enough quarters to do laundry for a month.
  13. Don’t be the one who holds up a lecture just to prove to the professor and everyone else how smart they are. No one will thank you for wasting their time unless you have a really, really good point.
  14. Always do the extra credit. Even if it’s something obscure, like finding poems about dirt or putting on a potentially embarassing puppet show about soil erosion (both of which I have done), the extra points to cushion your grade make it all worth it.
  15.  Talk to your professors so you go from #87******* to your actual name. They’re just as human and real as we are, and more than happy to make a connection with y0u.
  16. Silence your phone during class. Save yourself the excruciating embarrassment of fumbling through every pocket and compartment in your backpack trying to stop that ringtone you never intended your whole class to hear, or the awkward bzzzzzz of a vibrating phone.
  17. Always keep your money, valuables, driver’s license, passport, Social Security card, etc. in a safe, accessible place.
  18. Don’t bring a car unless you absolutely want to. There are plenty of ways to get around/about campus without driving and dealing with parking fees. Also, if you do bring a car, be aware that all your friends will ask you for rides.
  19. Live in a residence hall for as long as you can. You can make new friends and stick with old ones, get to class easier, be more involved and active, get challenged by new ideas, and overall, enjoy more of what your college has to offer. Also, see all of #11.
  20. Take your clothes out of the wash as soon as they’re done, or else someone else will take them out for you and stick them on top of the washer. Yeah, ew.

Do you have any tips you think every college student should do? What crazy things do you do to get ahead in college? Good luck on all your college adventures this year and beyond!

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