College Hacks (5 page)

There is a free website called
www.EssayTyper.com
that lets you type a topic and will write the paper for you in minutes. Always use this website with caution.

Get a study partner with blue eyes. Studies show that blue-eyed individuals study more effectively and tend to perform better on exams.

The Pomodoro method for maximum-efficiency studying: 25 minutes of hard work, 5-minute break, and every third break should be 20 minutes long.

Want to read faster? Chew gum. This can double or even triple your reading speed because it distracts the brain signals from your eyes, ears, and mouth by giving them something to focus on.

Need some good music to do homework to? Try video game or movie soundtracks. They’re designed specifically to provide background sounds that won’t mess with your concentration.

You can get most answers to math assignments online by typing in the name of the textbook and then “answers.”

When writing essays, always remember to make sure you mention the opposing point of view.

Need to improve your geography quickly? Buy a world map shower curtain. You’ll become an expert in no time!

When studying for finals, put your phone on the other side of the room, or better yet in another room completely. This way your laziness will (one hopes) outweigh your boredom.

One of the best ways to study is to pretend that you’re going to have to teach the material.

• Textbooks
  
• Laptop or computer
  
• Desk or reading lamp
  
• Notebook
  
• Pen and pencil
  
• Water
  
• Coffee maker, filters, and ground coffee
  
• Red Bull
  
• Ipod or Spotify
  
• Headphones (noise-canceling ones, if possible)
  
• Alarm clock (in case of a quick power nap)
  
• Snacks
  
• Gum
  

Starbucks offers an even smaller size than tall called a short. It’s cheaper and a much healthier size.

By peeing in the shower, you can save about 1,157 gallons of water a year.

Buying something from Apple? Add it to your shopping cart but don’t buy it yet. In 7–10 days they’ll give you a 15–20% discount on that item.

When grocery shopping, the cheapest items will be on the top and bottom shelves, not at eye level.

Mark July 11th down on your calendar. This is free Slurpee day at 7/11!

American quarters with the year 1965 and older on them are now worth $4.20 and their value will only go up!

Put a binder clip at the end of your toothpaste tube to get every last bit.

By using the promo code “9ANY,” you can get any pizza you want at Pizza Hut for $9 when you order online.

Need some extra cash this semester? You can buy and sell your study notes on
www.Flashnotes.com
.

Never go to the grocery store hungry. You’ll end up buying several things you don’t actually need.

Thinking about getting a new laptop, phone, or other electronic device for school? Try holding off on buying it until October. You can usually get up to 40% off most electronics during this month.

Grabbing a quick snack from the vending machine but it got stuck? Don’t buy the same bag again to unjam it, buy the item above it.

If a Duracell battery leaks and destroys one of your devices, the company will replace the device if it’s sent to them with the defective batteries still in place.

Worried about student loans?
www.SponsorChange.org
is an organization that will help you pay off your student loans in exchange for volunteer work!

If you have a
.edu
e-mail address, you can get a free Amazon Prime account. This lets you watch many TV shows and movies via Amazon.

On September 19th you can get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut for talking like a pirate, and get a free dozen if you dress like one too!

Don’t buy new ink cartridges for your printer. Take the old ones to Costco and get them filled for only $10.

Too old to trick or treat on Halloween but still want some free stuff? Head over to IHOP and get some free pancakes. You can also get 50-cent corn dogs at Sonic.

When buying something from Craigslist, use a fake e-mail address to lowball the seller by a lot. Then, using your regular e-mail address, offer a reasonable but still lower price. People will usually go for the second offer.

Get free pizza for life: On the back of a Sbarro’s pizza receipt there is a survey that, when completed, gets you a code for a free slice of pizza. When you get that pizza you also get another receipt with the same offer. Eat and repeat!

Don’t pay to learn a new language! You can learn Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese for free on
www.Duolingo.com
.

Buying a gym membership for the semester? Most times, your health insurance company will completely reimburse the cost for you.

• Subway: 10% off
  
• Chipotle: Free drink
  
• Burger King: 10% off
  
• Waffle House: 10% off
  
• Chick-Fil-A: Free drink
  
• McDonald’s: 10% off
  
• Pizza Hut: 10–20% off
  
• IHOP: 10% off
  
• Dairy Queen: 10% off
  
• Papa John’s: 10–20% off
  

• J. Crew: 15% off
  
• Madewell: 15% off
  
• Urban Outfitters: 10% off
  
• Banana Republic: 15% off
  
• Goodwill: Most locations will give you 10% off
  
• Topshop: 10% off
  
• Ralph Lauren: 10% off
  
• Levi’s: 15% off online orders to students studying in the United States only
  

• Amazon: The student program is free to join and includes six months of free two-day shipping as well as e-mail alerts.
  
• Apple: Apple offers a different back-to-school student discount each year on computers, iPads, and iPhones.
  
• Sony: The Sony Education Store allows students to save up to 10% at checkout.
  
• Adobe: Save as much as 60% off the retail price of all of their popular programs.
  
• Inkjet Willy: Save 10% on printer ink and toner with the coupon code WILLY10.
  
• HP: Save on weekly featured PCs and tablets with savings of 10–20% off, plus free shipping.
  

• AMC Theatres: Discounted movie tickets on Thursday nights.
  
• Cinemark Theatres: Discounted movie tickets with valid student ID.
  
• New York Mets: $10 tickets with a valid student ID.
  
• Carnegie Hall: Tickets for $10 at the box office only. Eligible performances are announced up to two weeks in advance.
  
• CorePower Yoga: Up to 25% off passes and drop-in classes.
  

• Sam’s Club: Discounted membership, plus a $15 gift card.
  
• FedEx: 20–30% off shipping.
  
• The
  New York Times
  : 50% off subscriptions and 75% off the
  Wall Street Journal
  .
  
• Greyhound: Up to 50% off on selected routes.
  
• Geico: Full-time students under 25 can get up to $200 off insurance when they maintain a B average or better.
  
• Chevrolet: Preferred pricing to students and recent grads on most of their vehicles.
  

Want to learn more while you’re at school? On
www.Coursera.org
you can take hundreds of free online courses on any topic from legit schools all around the world.

Need some extra cash? On
www.Rover.com
you can sign up to be a dog sitter. Simply look after someone’s dog from your college campus area and get paid for it!

When buying school supplies online, search for promo codes on Google before making a purchase. You can usually find a variety of discounts from free shipping to 25% off.

Android users: After purchasing an app from Google Play, you can try it out for 2 hours and return it for a refund if you’re not satisfied with it.

1. Tie a string around the beer bottle, right below its neck.
   
2. Slip off the string and soak it in lighter fluid.
   
3. Place the string back around the bottle and light the string with a lighter. Blow out the flame once it’s gone all the way around the bottle.
   
4. Rinse the bottle with cold water. The neck and body of the bottle should separate.
   
5. Carefully sand the top of your new glass with sandpaper.
   
6. Drink the night away with your new glass!
   

Always order Papa John’s Pizza online. The code 25OFF works every time for 25% off your order!

Want to save money on your food bills? Drink more water. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, which makes them feel hungry when they really aren’t.

Want to find cheap eBay auctions? On
FatFingers.com
you can search what you’re looking for and it will send you to similar auctions with incorrect spellings, like “digital canera” or “elecric guitar.” Since no one searches for these incorrect spellings, there should be few to no bids for them.

Use ketchup packets as ice packs. They’re the perfect size for small bumps and bruises and they stay soft enough to form around any body part.

On the bottom of every Krispy Kreme receipt is a plea to fill out a survey. You get a free doughnut for doing the survey. When you get your doughnut, you get another receipt, with another survey. Free doughnuts for life!

Want to save money on your utility bill? Put a brick in your top toilet tank. You’ll save a brick’s worth of water every time you flush the toilet.

Get your first Redbox movie rental for free! Just type in “dvdonme” when it asks for a promo code.

Finding it hard to balance your schoolwork and your workout schedule? Download the app Pact for some extra motivation, and cash! The app has a community of users that will literally pay you to stick to your workout schedule.

Grocery stores stack their products by sell-by date, which means the oldest food is in the front. Make sure to always grab food from the back.

For frequent Starbucks customers: Buy and use a membership card. It only takes five transactions to get to the green level, and then coffee and tea refills are free.

Want a cheap Xbox/PS4 for your dorm room? Check out Craigslist around the time report cards get sent home.

When buying from a vending machine, insert your lowest-value coin first. If the machine isn’t working, you won’t lose that much money.

1. BookBoon.com
   
2. eBookee.org
   
3. ManyBooks.net
   
4. FeedUrBrain.com
   
5. FlatWorldKnowledge.com
   
6. 2020ok.com
   
7. FreeTextBooks.com
   
8. Gutenberg.org
   
9. wikibooks.org
   
10. En.Bookfi.org
    

Get one last bowl of cereal from your box by sifting the remnants through a kitchen strainer.

Hate paying ridiculous prices for college textbooks? The Swappet app allows you to buy used textbooks at a fraction of the price, along with selling your old ones.

Are you close with your off-campus neighbors? Share your Wi-Fi and split the bill.

Download the Apple free app of the week even if you don’t need it. You can delete it and re-download it whenever you want for free!

• Ramen noodles
  
• Generic condiments
  
• Gmail account (for making free long-distance calls)
  
• A piggy bank
  
• Natural Ice and/or Rubinoff
  
• A weekly/monthly/yearly budget
  
• Credit card
  
• Microwavable meals
  
• PB&J sandwiches
  
• Travel-size toiletries
  
• Tissues to wipe away your broke tears
  

Buy your alcohol at Costco or Sam’s Club. You don’t need a membership and it’s usually 25–35% off. It’s great for when you’re hosting a party, but keep in mind that you may have to do a little persuading with the card-checker employees if they’re unaware of this policy.