Being a college student means getting creative once in a while. You don’t have money to throw around, your dorm room is the size of a walk-in closet, and your mom isn’t downstairs to ask what to do in any situation. Luckily, these life hacks will save you tons of stress on busy days where you are thisclose to losing your cool.
1. Instant Cold
With such little space in your mini-fridge, you might need a Red Bull and realize you forgot to restock. No worries – just run cold water over a paper towel, wrap it around the can, and stick in the fridge (wherever you can find a spot) for a few minutes. It’ll be the perfect drinking temperature in no time.
2. Alternative Uses For Dryer Sheets
When you’re not doing laundry, dryer sheets can come in handy for plenty of things. Since you can’t use candles in dorm building, try taping a dryer sheet to your air conditioner, heater, or fan. The fresh scent will totally cover up the smell of your hamper. There’s more – ever have a day where your hair was unbelievably static? Just run one of those bad boys over your hair to calm it down.
3. Amplify Your Phone Speakers
Throwing a pre-game but realize you don’t have speakers? Just grab a bowl or a red solo cups and put your phone right inside. You’ll notice the sound intensifies right away. This also works for heavy sleepers – place your phone in a cup and never snooze through your alarm again.
4. Put Empty Water Bottles To Good Use
Besides using them to smuggle vodka across campus to your friend’s room, you can use empty water bottles for other liquids. If you’re running low on funds, use the empty water bottles to get some water or milk from the cafeteria. They’re also space savers – when a huge container of orange juice is almost empty, put the remaining OJ in a water bottle to make room in your mini-fridge for more beer.
5. Clear Nail Polish Isn’t Just For Base Coats
You might not be a seamstress, but you can repair snags on your clothes using the beauty essential. Just close the little hole under the arm of your shirt, put some polish on it, and blow dry it. The polish will keep the hole from continuing to get larger, and you’ll get a few more wears out of your favorite outfit.
6. Quickest Way To Ramen
Coming back from a party, you can’t wait long to eat. Instead of boiling water in the microwave, take your coffee pot or Keurig and run water through without the actual coffee or Keurig cup. In just a few minutes, you’ll get a piping hot cup of water.
7. Finally A Use For Those Soda Can Tabs
While some people use the tabs to keep a straw in place, they can actually serve a purpose in your closet. Just string on hole of the tab over a wire hanger and place another hanger in the other hole. You’ll layer your clothes so you can make more room in your closet which is totally needed in college.
8. No More Lap Burn
If your laptop overheats and makes the device sitting on your lap unbearable, just place the computer on an upside-down cup holder you get from any fast food place. Your legs will thank you.
9. Never Miss A Class
Don’t want to look like a lost puppy during the first week of class? Just take a picture of your schedule on your phone and set it as your background. You’ll appear to be checking a text (because you’re so ~popular~) and you can keep it there until you’re accustomed to your new classes.
10. Save Money On Cleaning Supplies
When you can’t find your dust pan but feel the urge to clean up, just use an old pizza box (you know you have one lying around). Take one of the side flaps off so you can easily dust all the stuff on the floor onto the box. Then, just throw it all away.
