Life hacks are great, but COLLEGE life hacks are even better. College for our parents has changed significantly, one of those being that we now have the ability to get a degree by attending college online. Whether it's time, money, or raising a family, going to school online has amazing benefits. For me, I was forced to rearrange my life after getting diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that, for the most part, leaves me housebound.
I knew I wanted to write, edit, or publish books, and there's no better time than now to start a career in this because it's mostly done online. That means I can work from home. First, you need a college degree, though. Finding out that online schools were a legitimate option was a lifesaver for me. I graduate in early 2019 and have enjoyed every second I've spent on my online schooling. Whether you're just starting out, or have been at it for a few courses, here are some hacks for online college:
1. I LOVE having an Amazon Prime account! The yearly payment is 50% off, and so worth it. In addition to the music, tv, and movie discount, the shipping discount is even better. No more waiting 3-5 business days for those elephant socks you don't need, but must have - they'll be here tomorrow because next day shipping is free!
2. There is no other panic quite like losing 7-8 pages worth of bullshit that you spent the last 4 hours turning into an acceptable paper that you need to turn in yesterday
3. These. Are. A. MUST. Save, memorize, screenshot, whatever you need to always have this accessible!
4. The one tip for me included in this list that was hard at first was not being afraid to ask questions. Whether you are going straight to college after high school, or had a slight hiatus, taking courses through an online college can be tricky. Communication is the key to everything when it comes to your online education! DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS.
5. Seriously. How many times have you let out a string of colorful words because it's nearly impossible to find a dang blessed "primary source"? Well, I present to you Google Scholar. You're welcome.
6. I use Evernote, Quizlet, EasyBib, and Google Drive. All are lifesavers.
7. These are great tips, and definitely, something to keep close so you can keep looking at it to remind yourself that these are great tips you should be following every time you write a paper. (If you have ever struggled to write an intro paragraph, you'll appreciate what I just did there.)
8. I haven't used any of these, but this has more to do with my moderate problem with procrastination than anything else.
9. I have been using this method of studying since my 8th-grade science class, where our teacher would play classical music while we took our tests
10. At some point in your college career, you'll find yourself in a situation where you need to talk to your professor about changing a grade. Use this article to help you stay professional, as well as a guideline on how to communicate with your professor.
11. If your laptop is overheating, and you don't have a fancy-schmancy cooling system, flip one of these bad boys over and set your laptop on it.
12. Borderline genius
13. This is sort of like a college student's version of "measure twice, cut once." I think?
14. I often mix this up and break for 30-50 minutes, and study for 10...
15. Eat all the chocolates!!
