11 midnights until Midnights x

my year-end favs [2021] → favorite songs: All Too Well (10 Minute Version), Taylor Swift

mirrorball

Taylor thanking Joe after winning “Album of the Year” at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards

• Looking for a job? If you’re not already looking for a position directly related to your major, check out a job with the school dining services or catering unit. I might be biased, but a lot of times you get free meals + your pay (and sometimes tips!) and if you’re living in an apartment, it’s a phenomenal way to cut back on your grocery bill and save money while making money. Plus, catering is a surprisingly good way to network. You learn about programs you didn’t even know about by catering their events and you meet some pretty cool people (I’ve met scientists from NASA and Youtube’s Jenna Marbles through catering. Like seriously.)
• Check out library sharing programs. At least for my college in Illinois, we have have a program called I-Share, where you can look up books by IBN, author, title, keyword, etc and it searches libraries of participating colleges all over the state and the books can be rented out and shipped directly to your dorm or university library. Most of the time you can renew that rental for nearly a whole year. I’ve saved at least $100 renting out simple books I needed for class. Check with your school and see if you have something similar!
• Text book masterposts. Use them. Textbooks are evil and pathetically expensive and this semester I saved literally $400 dollars because I found my Chem and Bio textbooks online. It might take a while to weed through sources, but it’s worth it. Also, just talk to your professors. Ask them if you can get a previous version and still understand the material. Most of them will understand the need to save money.
• Drink water and get a refillable bottle. A LOT of campuses have really nice water refill stations or at least water fountains. Refillable bottles are great for the environment (Env. Sci major says please recycle!) and for saving money. And if you’re iffy about water quality, filtered water bottles cost less than $10 and a couple dollars for the filters every few months, as compared to buying big cases of bottled water (which are hard to find/transport into dorms anyways).
• If possible, loft your bed and give yourself a happy space. I’m aware this isn’t possible for all students due to disabilities or fears of heights or even furniture types. But if it’s a possibility, I suggest you take it. Dorms aren’t very big and going up when you can’t go out allows you to save some space. I put a comfy chair under my bed, hung a blanket off the side to shade it, and put up some tiny lantern/christmas lights on the underside and sit under there sometimes when I’m studying. It’s a very calming, relaxing environment. Recreate your own if possible and give yourself a safe space for studying or unwinding. Putting a blanket up as a curtain is also a good way to give yourself that extra bit of privacy from your roommate.
• Look into On-Campus counseling. It’s different than your high school counselor and a lot of campuses have mental health centers for students to use for a variety of things. If you’ve never sought help from a mental health professional because of cost, most of the time these centers are already covered by your obligatory student fees, so use them. For just de-stressing or for more serious issues. And as always, the National Suicide Prevention Line is: 1 (800) 273-8255. 
• LGBTQIA+ Kids– look into campus resource centers. Unless you’re going to a very conservative college, chances are you’ll have one. Chances are, the people there will be more than willing to help you. Befriend them, let them help you, help them– whatever. Give yourself a safe space. People there should be accepting and welcoming and ready to help you with whatever. Once, I was stuck needing to adjust my binder but none of the unisex bathrooms nearby were open for some reason and so I ran there and asked a staff member for help. They gave me their private office, no further questions asked. They can be really amazing, welcoming spaces.
• Use calendars– I mean it. It seems obvious, but I’m serious. Just use them– may they be planners or your phone or whatever. Use them. Write down test dates and homework dates and club meetings and work schedules. COLOR CODE. Set alarms. Set reminders. Stay organized. It will help you so much.
• Do not study in bed. Study at your desk. It seems tempting, especially after a really long day (trust me). But do not study in bed. You get sleepy and comfy and unmotivated. Sit in a chair and study so you’re sitting upright with proper blood flow and can concentrate better.
• Walk to your classes (when/if possible). For larger campuses with bus systems, just walk when you have the time and are able to. It might take you an extra few minutes to get there, but it is a good way to get your body moving if you’re otherwise sedimentary throughout the day and you’ll probably feel a bit better if you get to stretch your legs and take some time thinking to yourself.
• Write your notes by hand. For anyone that it’s possible for, seriously consider this advice. I understand certain disabilities may make this difficult, but writing out your notes has been shown to improve conceptual memory vs typing them. It will help you. Please do it whenever possible. Retype them later for organization and further review, if you’d like, but initially, write them.
• Organize your notes and backup your files. Make folders for things, copy those folders onto an external hard drive on a weekly basis. Seriously, things happen, computers get broken or crash– you’re going to want those all later and having them on a USB or a hard drive is going to help you tremendously. 
• Give yourself a day to sleep in! Even if that means TR classes start at 10:00 instead of 9:00 like your MWF classes. Even that extra hour will help and those will be nicer days for you. If possible, start later. You’ll like sleeping in, especially if you have to stay up late studying.
• Go to class in your sweatpants if you want. Literally no one cares. Literally no one is judging you. Unless you’re some sort of law student or it’s a lab class where proper attire is required, everyone is too tired to give a fuck. And anyone who does is on such a high horse they’ll fall and break an arm soon anyways.