With literally everyone going to college, even those who don't really wanna go, you'll run into a slew of characters on campus, that are good, bad, and somewhere in between. I'd say the best way to avoid the insanity of a college campus is simply not to go. But, as it stands, let's say that isn't an option for you. You gotta work for a living, etc etc. Well here's a few tips I think are often overlooked.

Simply put, find a place that you can hide at. A safety blanket that you can look forward to chilling at when you get outta class. Somewhere that you can do your homework, classwork, or take a nap. Every college has several little alcoves and hole-in-the-walls to catch a breather. They could be in the library, the university center, the gym, or it could even be in one of the random buildings. Maybe there's a couch you like with an outlet conveniently nearby in the engineering building or a study room that's almost always empty in the English building. Who knows. The key is to be aware and vigilant in finding a place to call your "own" on campus.

Another often overlooked tip is to take plenty of walks. Go into buildings you never have a reason to, stop at bulletin boards and read what's on them. Find ways to get involved. There's often so much going on at a college campus that people aren't aware of because they simply aren't advertised clearly, or people don't take the time to look. I think if you ever have an hour between classes, where it's too little time to go home and too much time to make your way there yet, you should explore. When it's a nice day, walk outside, just keep your mind out of whatever is bugging you for a while. If you've been steady working on something for a few hours in the library, call it quits, reward yourself with a walk to clear your mind and refocus on the day itself.

That leads really nicely into my final underrated tip, which may not be so underrated but it takes some willpower to actual do: go to the gym. When you get accepted to a university, you are entitled to use all of their facilities, including their gym. This is invaluable to those who want to develop a good habit. Waking up at five or six then going to the gym for a few hours at seven, even just to stretch and walk to wake yourself up, it's worth it. For starters, you'll start your day with doing something positive for yourself which can really pick up your day before it's even started. It also keeps you from skipping class. Say you've got one at 8 am, and you get to the gym at 6 am. Well, you workout for an hour, you're alert, hydrated (hopefully), and you don't have to worry about parking. No one shows up to campus before they have to, so you'll have prime pickings for parking. Plus, you'll feel like you've utilized every part of your day.

While I think all these tips are useful, they really show their worth when you do them all on a consistent basis. It sets a routine for your day, things you can mark off your list, while still being fresh. You can walk different routes, pick different hangout spots, do different exercises. The key to maintaining your sanity has more to do with establishing healthy routines and having something to look forward to.