By Jess Brannen, Web Editor
While many life hacks seem completely unnecessary and others downright ridiculous (like using an old shopping cart to create a makeshift grill), we’ve put together some tips that are sure to be helpful this school year.
- Buy yourself a planner – one you’ll actually use. Fill it in as soon as you get the syllabus in each class and highlight important due dates (papers, quizzes, tests, finals). This way, even if you forget to continually update it, you’ll already have the big assignments penciled in.
- Attend as many university sponsored events as possible. The benefits of this are threefold: You’ll make new friends, find new hobbies and get free stuff. Armstrong’s clubs and organizations frequently boast perks like free pizza, Tshirts, frisbees, stickers – the list goes on and on.
- Put your cell phone in an (empty!) glass to amplify the speakers’ sound. This works for impromptu dance parties and, more importantly, morning alarms.
- You don’t have to cite sources manually. Don’t get me wrong – if you’ve got every MLA, APA, and AMA format down pat, go for it. But for those of us who aren’t savants, there are resources like EasyBib.com and Microsoft Word’s built in bibliography function to help knock out Works Cited pages.
- Add an egg, carrots, beans, or spinach to your Ramen. You’re welcome.
- Study a little bit every night right before you go to sleep. Several studies have shown that memorization improves when followed by a night of restful sleep. Think of it as your brain’s nightcap.
- Use Washi tape to hang art, photos and calendars on dorm walls. This decorative Japanese masking tape is available in many colors and patterns at Target and Michael’s, and won’t damage walls when removed.
- Add The Inkwell on Facebook and Twitter, and pick up copies on campus or online. We’re your go-to source on all things important and entertaining at Armstrong. Besides, you don’t want to be the only one missing out on the campus scoop, do you?
