Seven of the Best Back to School Hacks

For those of us returning to the life of a student here in a few days, life is about to get a little more difficult. Classes, studying, team projects, and the like are just a few of the things that can make college life stressful. However, there are a lot of simple tips and tricks out there that you’re probably not yet familiar with or haven’t tried yet that could potentially cut down on some of that unnecessary stress. Here’s a list of some easy back to school hacks that are sure to make the student life a little easier:

Oversleep No More

Prone to missing your alarm? We understand. Your professors, however, may not be so understanding. Help yourself wake up by putting your phone into a glass cup on your nightstand. It’ll make your phone sound louder, add to the noise that comes from the vibration, and make it a little harder to shut off the alarm.

The Old “Meal-in-a-Mug” Trick

Breakfast can be a tough meal to fit in when you have early morning classes. Hack your morning hunger by cracking an egg or two into a ceramic mug, mixing them up, and throwing the mug into the microwave for a minute or two. The result will be an easy, time-effective scrambled eggs breakfast. You can also liven things up by throwing in some cheese, meat, or spices. There’s actually a ton of things you can make with a few simple ingredients, a mug, and a microwave.

Find the Free Food

For most of us, a student-sized budget is at the core of the college life. Fortunately, there are tons of opportunities for free food around, especially at the beginning of a new semester. Opening club socials, informational meetings, orientations, etc. Even after the new semester rush there are tons of clubs and societies that offer food at their meetings. Take advantage of these when you can, and you’ll end up saving a healthy amount of money on groceries. Plus, you may just learn a thing or two along the way.

Get that 4.0 Early On

Classes are generally easier towards the beginning of the semester and then gradually become more difficult. If you want to end the class with a great grade, it’ll be important to start off strong while assignments and material are less demanding and difficult. You’ll create a bit of a buffer for yourself to fall back on when things get tougher.

Find a “Focus Spot”

Distractions are everywhere, and as such, uninterrupted study time can be hard to come by. Your phone, your friends, your roommates… there’s a ton out there to pull your attention away from academics. To help fight the distractions, pick a spot – one spot – that is your designated no-distraction study spot. It should be somewhere away from noise, media, and hustle and bustle. Don’t do anything else in that spot. No Netflix, Facebook, or friends. When you’re done studying, leave the spot before you pull out your phone or turn on your favorite show. If you do this, your mind will begin to understand that when you’re in that specific spot, it’s study time.

Get Organized

Staying organized will help you avoid forgetfulness. It will help you be more productive with your time. Most importantly, it’ll allow you more time away from your books and homework to actually have fun! Use a planner or large calendar to organize your time. Organize your workspace. Also, organize your room and apartment. Doing these things have been proven to seriously improve productivity, and productivity = less time studying.

Schedule Lock Screen

This is one of my favorites of the bunch. A new semester brings a whole new set of classes, classrooms, and professors. Rather than constantly logging into your online portal or having to carry a note card with your schedule on it around with you, take a screenshot of your schedule. To make things easier still, set that screen shot as your lock screen. That way, all you’ll have to do to remind yourself of where you’re supposed to be and when is turn on your phone screen.   These hacks, coupled with good decision-making in general, are sure to help make the transition back to school easier and college life more bearable. Good luck to all of you students out there!