You, yes you. Have you ever thought about sustainability? Of course you have! You think about the environment in the way you eat, in the way you buy products, and even by the length of showers you take on a daily (or otherwise) basis. Of course, it's a no-brainer to take into consideration that you are a sustainable person and try to do your best, but is that enough? Then again, you may be then saying that you really don't have time to think about all that stuff anyways, since college is all about just getting work done and not having any worries about small stuff like individual sustainable practices. Don't worry, making sustainability is an easy practice, and even though there aren't a lot of things that go on that you may notice, they can make a big impact. Here are five tips that can help you be sustainable, even when you aren't thinking about it.

1. Use a towel/rag when drying things instead of paper towels.

You might think this is something that doesn't do much, but when compared to all the other cleaning things that one has to do on a day to day basis, having a couple of rags or towels to take care of dirty or wet items really does come in handy. Whether it's drying your hands or cleaning a wet plate, using these instead of some paper towels can save money and trees. A bonus method one can also do is to use hands-free dryers, or if your college doesn't have one, ask for one from your residential hall.

2. Buy a smart strip for your appliances.

This is another one that isn't as intuitive, but a small investment can go a long way. Smart strips can help you regulate the power usage for your devices, and can turn them off when you aren't using them or when they don't need a lot of power to be kept on. These can save a lot on electricity and when used right, can maximize your efficiency and make your dorm greener.

3. Unplug devices when you aren't using them, especially smartphones.

There is a double benefit when doing this. If the smart strip thing doesn't work out, buy a regular power strip and whenever you aren't using your appliances, turn off the power strip and all your devices will be cut from power. Not only will you be saving your electricity, your smartphones will avoid early battery death from overcharging, and you can avoid a lot of things that can happen when you're charging your phone.

4. Work outside, or use natural light.

I cannot emphasize this enough. Natural light helps so much with concentration and allows you to free your mind, unlike artificial light that somewhat inhibits certain parts of the brain from thinking. This is also something that may be a little hard to get to, but there are always good spots on campus or even next to a couple of windows that make that atrocious reading a little more pleasant.

5. Recycle! Or use alternatives.

This has to be something that is readily available. and can provide a lot of benefit for a lot of people. When there aren't any recycling bins around, just get another bin and throw all your recyclables into that one. It isn't that hard, and many seem to miss the point that there are a lot of benefits that recycling can bring. A lot of people miss the point that so many things are recyclable while others aren't. With a little bit of research, helping the planet can be easy.