College Hacks (2 page)

If you lost an Android phone in your dorm room and it’s on vibrate, you can find it by logging in to Android Device Manager online and clicking “ring.”

Don’t want your personal data all over the Internet? On
www.AccountKiller.com
you can remove it from a whole bunch of old and unwanted sites at once.

You can swipe left or right on the iPhone calculator to delete the last digit, so you don’t have to start all over.

Keep your charger cord from bending or breaking by sliding it into a spring from an old pen.

• Computer or laptop
  
• Keyboard (if you have a computer)
  
• Mouse
  
• Ethernet cable
  
• Headphones
  
• External speakers
  
• Printer
  
• Printer ink and extra printer ink
  
• Printer paper
  
• USB flash drive
  
• HDMI cord
  
• Power bars
  
• TV
  
• Phone charger
  

Have a separate user account on your laptop for presentations. This way, embarrassing personal things won’t show up on the screen when you turn it on in class.

Writing down your worries before taking an exam has been proven to actually boost your test scores.

Have a class or field trip somewhere outside? Take vitamin B complex beforehand. Insects don’t like the way it makes you smell to them, so it wards off mosquitoes and biting flies.

Sick of giving all your gum away to your classmates? Keep two packs on you. One pack full of gum and an empty pack to show people you don’t have any.

How to use your cell phone in class: Wear a long-sleeve hoodie to class and leave an empty sleeve on your desk. Snake your free arm underneath your hoodie and use that hand to text underneath your desk.

Stumped on a project or presentation? Try ditching the computer and start writing by hand. The experience has been proven to help creativity.

Get a paper cut in class? You can immediately stop the pain by rubbing ChapStick on the wounded area.

In the first few weeks of school, avoid people who want to be best friends right away. They’re usually the overdramatic ones.

The best way to learn how to study for an exam is to ask your professors how they would study for their own exams.

If you accidentally get ink on your clothes, spray hairspray on the stain and it’ll come right off.

1. Take a few deep breaths. It seems obvious, but a few simple breaths can play a big part in nourishing your body—just ask anyone who does yoga.
   
2. Smile. Smiling, even when you’re not happy, releases endorphins, the body’s natural happy drug.
   
3. Stop staring at your computer screen. Uninterrupted computer use has been associated with stress. Try the rule of 20: Every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
   
4. Smell some lavender. Whether it’s the plant or a scented candle, the scent of lavender has been known to calm, energize, and revitalize us.
   
5. Go to your happy place. Just like in
   Happy Gilmore
   , closing your eyes and visualizing yourself in a calm happy place can de-stress you within seconds.
   
6. Eat something. Stress is a brain and immune system mediated phenomenon, and your gut is the largest organ in your immune system, so eating will send a signal to your brain to calm down.
   
7. Try the Naam Yoga Hand Trick. Apply pressure to the space between your second and third knuckle (the joints at the base of your pointer and middle fingers). This can help create a sense of instant calmness.
   
8. Go to
   DoNothingFor2Minutes.com
   . This site encourages you to listen to relaxing ocean sounds without touching your mouse or keyboard.
   
9. Stretch. Stand up and do some arm, neck, and chest stretches to get your blood flowing. Good blood circulation is key to making your body feel good. Why do you think cats and dogs are always doing it?
   
10. Watch a funny video. By laughing at a funny video, your body increases its intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. Who knew Keyboard Cat could do all that?
    

You can make your handwriting neater by using a lighter grip on your pen or pencil.

If you’re giving a big presentation, have a friend ask you a set question. This way, you can come up with a great answer beforehand and it will look like you really know your stuff.

No ruler around? Improvise with a dollar bill. It’s roughly 6 inches long.

You are more likely to remember something that you’ve written in blue ink than something you’ve written in black ink.

Did you step on some gum on the way to class? Drop by the janitor closet and spray it with WD-40. It will come right off!

If you drink enough fluids in the morning, you’ll feel happier, sharper, and more energetic throughout the entirety of the school day.

If you need to get stuff done and don’t want anyone to bother you, wear headphones even if you’re not listening to music.

Late for class and need to tell your professor a believable lie? Include an embarrassing detail about yourself. Nobody will doubt a story that makes you look dumb.

Get the sudden urge to pee in the middle of an exam? Thinking about sex will temporarily relieve the urge to pee and give you some extra time to finish your exam.

When proofreading something, read the document out loud to yourself. Your mouth will catch errors your mind might glance over.

Don’t ask the teacher a question with 30 seconds left in class. People want to leave. Simply wait and approach him or her with the question after class is dismissed.

Keep pen thieves away: Put a blue ink cartridge in a red pen. No one steals red pens.

If you’re struggling to remember a word, clench your fist. This increases brain activity and improves memory, making it easier for you to remember.

Need to cross out a word and don’t want it to be legible? Don’t scribble over it; instead write random letters and words over the original.

Taking a quick nap after learning something new can solidify that memory in your brain. Just make sure your professor doesn’t catch you!

If your stomach is rumbling in class, do not clench your muscles; instead push your stomach out like a beer belly and the noise will stop.

Challenge yourself to find some fun in learning something new. This will make class interesting no matter how boring or stressful the day is.

When trying to figure out percentages (for example, 40% of 300) drop the last digit of the number and multiply by the 10s digit of the percent, so in this case, 4 × 30 = 120.

Want to remember your notes more easily? Use a weird font style. Studies have shown the uniqueness of a font will make you more likely to remember what’s written.

If a website is blocked on your school’s Internet, you can use Google Translate as a proxy. Just copy and paste the URL into it.

Get a bad case of anxiety in class? Try this acupressure technique for instant anxiety relief. Just place three fingers right below your palm to measure out where your thumb should go and gently press down in the middle of where you place your third finger.

Study your notes within one day of taking them. Retention rates are 60% higher then.

Quickly convert kgs to lbs: First, take the kgs and multiply them by 2. Then take that number and divide it by 10. Last, add the two numbers up. For example: 100 kgs = 200 + 20 = 220 lbs.

If your calculator runs out of batteries in the middle of an exam, rub their ends together. This can give you up to an extra 15 minutes of battery life.

SelfControl is a program that blocks sites like Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail for a specified period of time. Using it will help you minimize distractions while in the classroom.

When doing a presentation in PowerPoint, always save it as a “PowerPoint Show” (.ppsx). This will open it directly to the slideshow.

Prevent your Apple earbuds from tangling when you’re not using them by magnetically attaching them to the edges of your MacBook screen.

Feeling nervous about a presentation or exam? Start chewing gum. This tricks your brain into thinking that you’re not in danger, because if you were, you would not be eating.

If you forget a classmate’s name simply say, “Sorry, what was your name again?” They may look annoyed, but once they tell you their first name say, “No, I meant your last name.”

It’s actually better to take exams on an empty stomach. Hunger makes you focus better.

Stop using
Google.com
to search information for school essays. Use
scholar.google.com
instead. You’ll find more relevant information right away.

Writing your notes down with red ink on yellow paper will help you remember them.

Got a headache in class? Biting down on your pencil can get rid of it.

1. Always arrive to class on time.
   
2. Stay for the entire class. Teachers will take notice of those who sneak out early.
   
3. Turn your phone off or at the very least, put it on silent mode.
   
4. Never text or answer your phone in class.
   
5. Ask your teacher in advance if you’re planning on recording their lectures. Some do not allow it.
   
6. Do not try to save time by eating meals in class. In fact, most professors don’t tolerate any food or drink apart from water.
   
7. Contribute to class discussions when appropriate.
   
8. Stay away from conversation with other students when your teacher is addressing the class.
   
9. Make sure to address your professor properly. Some teachers have a doctoral degree and therefore have “Dr.” before their names. Some teachers take offense when addressed inappropriately. If you’re unsure just say “Professor” before their last name.
   
10. Never pack up early. Give your teacher your 100% undivided attention until the class is over.
    

• Calculator
  
• Pen and pencil
  
• An extra pen and pencil
  
• Whiteout and eraser
  
• Post-it flags
  
• Index cards
  
• Notebook
  
• Kleenex
  
• Textbooks
  
• Tylenol or Advil
  
• Highlighters
  
• Fully charged laptop
  
• Power adapter for laptop
  
• Water
  
• Backpack to keep it all in
  

Moving into your dorm room and need boxes to pack? Go to a local liquor store. They will have tons of boxes that can hold good weight.

The easiest way to make friends quickly in college is to always leave your dorm room door open when you’re in the room.

Put old newspapers at the bottom of your trash bin. They will absorb any food juices and make for a cleaner disposal.

Is your shower head not working like it used to? Pour some white vinegar into a plastic bag and secure it to the head with a rubber band. Run the shower for a bit and it’ll be good as new.

Put things back where you first looked for them, not where you found them.

Found some ants in your dorm? Forget using all those gross chemicals to kill them. Instead, get a spray bottle, fill it three-quarters full with water and the remaining quarter with salt. Shake well and spray the colony.