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Top 5 College Life Hacks: The Most Helpful Habits

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Learn more about some of the ways you can make college easier, and make sure you are as productive and as efficient as possible during your college years.

If you are a college student looking for a way to make college easier, there are a few hacks that you need to know. A lot of people know that college is viewed as a rite of passage, and there are a lot of challenges that people will face along the way. At the same time, college is also a time of tremendous personal growth, and there are ways for students to get the most out of their personal experiences.

Learn more about some of the ways you can make college easier, and make sure you are as productive and as efficient as possible during your college years. The easier it is for you to get everything completed on your to-do list, the more time you will have for your family members and friends.

Prioritize your nightly sleep

There is no way around it: Many college students simply do not get enough sleep at night. Although it can be a bit of an adjustment to move into a dorm room, you can maximize the amount of sleep you get if you prioritize it.

The average person requires between seven and eight hours of sleep every night, and young adults require even more. If you are a college student adjusting to dorm life, you might have heard that many college kids view all-nighters as simply a part of the job.

On the other hand, there are ways you can increase the amount of sleep you get at night. A few examples include:

  • Take a look at apps you can use to set a sleep schedule. That way, you will know how much sleep you are getting and how good that sleep is.
  • Browse Amazon for items you can use to improve the quality of your sleep. You might even be able to take advantage of a student discount, especially if you have a student ID with a .edu email address.
  • Although your bed might not be as big as it was in high school, you can make your college dorm bed a bit more comfortable. For example, if you received gift cards from family members and friends at your graduation party, you can use some of them to purchase comfortable sheets, pillows and mattress toppers.
  • Take a look at back-to-school sales. If you have credit cards that you got in high school or before college, you might use them to purchase sleep items.
  • While you might be tempted to have a coffee maker, remember that caffeine in the afternoon might still be in your system when you try to go to bed at night. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.
  • An air freshener can go a long way toward making your college dorm room more comfortable and easier to fall asleep in. You might benefit from a portable air conditioner as well.
  • Stay on top of your laundry to avoid foul odors that can keep you up at night. Dryer sheets can make a major difference in the freshness of your clothes.
  • Avoid screens right before bed, particularly during your freshman year. Lots of first-year and second-year students like to unwind with a TV show or movie before bed, but those screens can stimulate your brain and make it harder for you to fall asleep at night.

If you follow these DIY tips, you will have an easier time getting enough sleep at night. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, and you will give your brain the energy that it needs to focus and be productive the next day.

Space out your studying

Next, make sure that you space out your studying. At the beginning of the year, take a look at your due dates and mark them in a calendar or in your binder. Then, take your binder and use a binder clip to hold everything together to keep it organized. You might even benefit from some color coding, perhaps using washi tape, that can help keep your documents organized.

As you try to avoid late-night studying and frantic Post-It notes, a few study tips you can follow include:

  • Maximize your space. You can save money and save space if you have a loft bed located off the ground. Use this to create a sheltered, dedicated study space for your work.
  • If you have trouble being productive in your room because of distractions, find a nice area in the library to study. Find a spot close to the printer, and ensure an ink cartridge refill is never far away.
  • Think about printing out your notes instead of studying on the computer. A device can be distracting because of its ability to connect you to the internet (Wi-Fi), which can quickly become a distraction.
  • Start studying early. Try to master your lectures the day they are presented. In college, lectures build on each other. If you don’t understand today’s lecture, you won’t grasp tomorrow’s.
  • Find out if there are recorded lectures you can watch later if you need to refresh while enjoying a fresh cup of ramen.
  • Use a highlighter, colored markers or a red pen to mark down important details or topics that are causing challenges for you.
  • Put your phone away during your study sessions. Doom-scrolling on social media can make it hard for you to stay focused on your work.

If you keep these tips in mind, you will have an easier time staying on top of your studies. You need to take the time to focus on your wellness as well if you want to maximize your study habits. During your college years, you will figure out what works best for you and how best to learn the material presented to you. That way, you can keep your GPA high.

Read truly useful books—and dip back into them often

As you take a look at your dorm room (including hanger set up), and your study habits (which includes your Microsoft or Mac computer), you need to find books that you can read, as well. There are lots of books you can use to help learn how to manage money, make new friends and live on your own.

Visualize what you want to achieve, and make a vision board

In college, you need to visualize what you want to achieve. Regardless of whether this is landing a dream job, securing a perfect GPA or finding a trusted group of friends, a vision board can be helpful. Visualize what you want to achieve using this vision board, put it in a place where you can see it every day and begin making it your reality!

Get active before or during studying

If you are active before studying, you can increase the flow of neurotransmitters in your body and get the blood flowing. This can help you be more productive while studying. You can even study and exercise at the same time with Speechify. This resource is compatible with all major listening platforms. You can use Speechify to listen to audio files while you work out.

Speechify might be the best college hack

Clearly, there are a lot of college hacks available. Speechify might be the best. Use Speechify to listen to your notes, study guides, research and expedite your study habits through multitasking. You can even customize the voices on Speechify to meet your needs by controlling the speech, tone and volume. Take a look at Speechify today, and get ready to crush college!

FAQ

Some of the most common questions that people ask about college hacks include:

How can I make college easier?

You can make college easier by managing your time appropriately. You can use Speechify to multitask by listening to your books while handling other tasks.

How do you get through a college day?

You get through a college day by getting enough sleep, eating healthily, exercising regularly and managing your time. That is why Speechify, and its customizable voices, are an integral part of college life.

What are some hacks for college life?

Hacks for college life involve saving money, saving space and studying smarter. You can save money by managing your meal points, and you can save space by lofting your bed. Then, master your study habits with productivity tools from Speechify.

How do I survive college?

Surviving college means taking care of your studies and striking a solid work-life balance with your friends and family members. This means managing your time. You can do so with Speechify, which can convert just about any text file, including your books, into audio files that you can listen to from anywhere.

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Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.