Life Hacks for College Students

When you head off to college, it can be a new and exciting experience, but, it can also be overwhelming. For students who have never lived alone before, heading off to college, and finding themselves in a more independent lifestyle than ever before, can be an adjustment. Check out these tips and life hacks for college students that can make your life easier than you ever thought possible.   Learn How to Do Laundry Before You Go to College Believe it or not, there’s an art to laundry, and if you don’t master it, you might wind up needing a whole new wardrobe. Most college students can’t afford that! Doing laundry means remembering a few rules, and understanding how to take care of your clothes means you will save both time and money. What kind of rules? Wash like fabrics with like fabrics (don’t mix towels and silk), like colors with like colors (white clothes and red clothes do not get along well!), and not everything goes in the dryer. You don’t want a shrunken sweater, pants covered in towel fuzz or pink socks and shirts, so learn how to properly wash and dry your clothes before you go off to college (or invest in a laundry service).   Fake a Clean Outfit, Even if Laundry Day Has Passed You know its going to happen ... youre going to put off laundry day and your clothes arent going to get the washing they need all the time. Theres help though. Put dryer sheets in your drawers (or bags or piles of clothes) to keep them smelling fresh, even if they are on day 2 or 3 or 5 of being worn. Febreeze also helps if youre pushing it, and its less assaulting to the nose than bathing in cologne and perfume. Bonus tip: keep dryer sheets handy because they can also eliminate static cling. Hamper Backpack and Laundry Detergent Pods A good hamper backpack can make lugging your clothes to the laundry room easier than carrying a laundry basket while juggling detergent and fabric softener. As a bonus, many of these backpacks even have places to carry your detergent and fabric softener. Have a long way to walk? Avoid lugging large and heavy bottles of detergent by buying detergent pods in bulk instead. Then, you just need to carry a few pods at a time with your laundry. Use dryer sheets instead of liquid, and once again, youve lessened your load.   Always Stock Up on Plastic Baggies From storing leftover food to carrying those laundry detergent pods, plastic baggies are a must-have to keep stocked in your dorm room. They are a great way to store receipts you need, wrangle that mess of pens and pencils you have, and store band-aids and other meds. In a pinch, they can even double as a bowl or cup, and they are a great way to seal up leftover food that youre tossing so it doesnt stink up the room. We all know that taking out the trash isnt always a top priority.   Save Money by Eating in the Dining Hall Most colleges offer awesome dining hall plans, and taking advantage of these plans can save you money over always ordering out. You may not like everything that’s served, but if there’s a salad bar, sandwich bar, pasta bar, or pizza station, you can often find something. Many dining service plans offer unlimited food when you eat there, but they may limit what you can carry out. Fear not! Most dining halls will allow drinks to be taken out, and so hiding your foraged food can be a cinch. Always carry a giant empty water bottle or two to store that forbidden extra food in, so that you can stealthily carry it out of the dining hall. A clear water bottle won’t work, as you’d be able to see through the bottle to know you’re breaking the rules. Be smart, don’t go crazy carrying like 10 water bottles - that’s a bit suspect - and always wash your water bottles thoroughly in between food foraging sessions. Juice Up Your Technology Stock up on extra external chargers and cords to get through the day. It’s too easy to run out of battery mid-lecture and miss important notes or not have your calendar at the ready, or worse, not be able to find out about the latest party, catch an Uber or order pizza at night. Keeping extra cords and chargers in your backpack can be a life saver. Some of the most popular cords are retractable cords that don’t take up a lot of room in your bag and that have multiple connection ports, so you can charge your chargers, iPhone, camera and whatever other electronic goodies you may have, right from the same cord. Buy two or three cords just in case you lose one or want to charge two things at once because you know you will. And remember to have the plug for the outlet or a charging port that charges multiple devices at once. Keep one by your bed at night and one in your bag for emergencies.   Incentivize Studying (with Snacks and activities) We’ve all been there. The night is quickly coming to an end and you’ve got a paper due tomorrow or a test to study for, and you just aren’t motivated. That pizza your roommate ordered is calling your name or that party everyone is going to is so tempting. You dont have to recreate the scene from Legally Blonde where Elle forgoes Greek Week completely ... just show a little self-discipline by creating a rewards system for yourself to keep going. You know you’ve got 30 minutes before the party starts? Instead of pre-party festivities, focus on that science lab you need to write up and get it done. Making it in that 30-minute time slot means you get a reward - pizza or a party. If you don’t make it? You have to stay back. This means you need to have some self-discipline, but challenging yourself to reach goals and rewarding yourself afterward can be a great strategy to get things done, especially if you plan in advance. Add another level of incentives by giving yourself bigger rewards for exceeding expectations. Ace that exam? Treat yourself to a night out or order wings and pizza. Whatever it is that will motivate you to work, use it.   Turn Your Wall Into a Schedule Here’s that plan in advance advice that I just mentioned. Get a white board calendar, idea paint (if your dorm allows it) or larger paper desk calendar and attach it to your wall in a place that you will see it well from any spot in your room. Use it to write down class times, block off study times and important meetings, and even outline sports, activities, and parties you plan on attending. Use a different color for each class or activity (check out the next bullet for more color-coding ideas) and on day one of your classes, invest some time in filling this calendar out with class dates and deadlines in one color. Take the syllabus from every class and fill in the calendar with all the dates and deadlines that are posted. Take a picture of it on your iPhone so it’s always with you, too. If you use an online calendar, take the time to match it to the whiteboard - yes, do both! The more ways that you can remind yourself of what you need to do, the more successful - and on time - you will be. Color Code Your Classes If organization  isn’t your strong suit and you’re a paper-based study type, color code your classes by getting notebooks, folders and book covers (throwback time - remember your middle school days of wrapping textbooks in paper bags?) in a color that matches the marker on your whiteboard that we just mentioned. Chances are, a typical pack of markers has everything you need. Then, as you’re glancing quickly at what’s coming up, you can easily grab the colored materials that you need. Record Lectures While You Take Notes Assuming youre a note taker, you should still take manual  notes, but also get your iPhone recording the lecture (don’t forget that extra external charger!). That way, if you don’t understand something in your notes, you can go back to the recording for clarification. Know you’re going to need to review a certain part of the lecture? Make a star in your notes and write down the time stamp of when that material was covered so you can easily find the right moment without having to listen to everything. There are plenty of apps out there to help with note taking if you need one.   If youre not already, consider a cloud-based service for digital notes so they are always accessible. Find a good note-taking app like Evernote or even just use Google Docs and make folders for every semester and every class. This allows you to store recordings and all your notes online, making them super easy to search. Dictation apps and programs like Dragon and even just your iPhone allow you to dictate your notes and essays without having to type. For many students, this saves a lot of time and energy. Just be sure to proofread and edit carefully. We all know that autocorrect can make mistakes. Start Slow and Ramp Up Your Studies in Years Two and Three Many students hit the ground running at full speed during year one, and don’t get properly acclimated to school. Use your first year to take the typical number of classes - don’t overload - and start with the basic pre-requisites and maybe just a fun class (if you can get in). Take the time to enjoy college for the first year, and then in your next two years, start testing yourself academically with harder classes and heavier schedule loads. Get a Pinterest Account Really? This is a life hack? Yes. When it comes to college, living on a budget in a tiny room, Pinterest will become your best friend. From food ideas to storage and space saving tips, Pinterest is a plethora of great ideas. Recipes in Mug? You’d be surprised how many things you can make using a mug and a microwave, and Pinterest is the best place to find endless recipes and ideas for creating a gourmet meal in the dorm. Cant find a home for everything? Its not surprising. Dorm rooms aren’t known for being super spacey and luxurious, but Pinterest has a plethora of awesome ideas on how to save space, stay organized and even pimp out your dorm room so that you’re one of the hottest stops on the floor. Alarm Yourself Alarms are great for getting up, but they also can help throughout the day. Set alarms for every class, study group, and meeting so you’re never late. Give yourself 15-20 minutes before class to get there. If you’re someone who is often late, set multiple alarms for each class so you don’t risk snoozing them.

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin Essay - 748 Words

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin Eli Whitney : Eli Whitney was the inventor of the cotton gin and a pioneer in the mass production of cotton. Whitney was born in Westboro , Massachusetts., on Dec. 8, 1765, and died on Jan. 8, 1825. He graduated from Yale College in 1792. By April 1793, Whitney had designed and constructed the cotton gin, a machine that automated the separation of cottonseed from the short-staple cotton fiber. Eli Whitneys machine could produce up to 23 kg (50 lb) of cleaned cotton daily, making southern cotton a profitable crop for the first time, but Whitney failed to profit from his invention, imitations of his machine appeared, and his 1794 invention was not upheld until 1807. Eli Whitney and his business†¦show more content†¦Ironically, it was as a manufacturer of muskets that Whitney finally became rich. Background on the Cotton Gin The cotton gin is a device for removing the seeds from cotton fiber. Simple devices for that purpose have been around for centuries, an East Indian machine called a charka was used to separate the seeds from the lint when the fiber was pulled through a set of rollers. The charka was designed to work with long-staple cotton, but American cotton is short-staple cotton. The cottonseed in Colonial America was removed by hand, usually the work of slaves. Eli Whitneys machine was the first to clean short-staple cotton. His cotton engine consisted of spiked teeth mounted on a boxed revolving cylinder which, when turned by a crank, pulled the cotton fiber through small slotted openings so as to separate the seeds from the lint -- a rotating brush, operated via a belt and pulleys, removed the fibrous lint from the projecting spikes. The gins later became horse-drawn and water-powered gins and cotton production increased, along with lowered costs. Cotton soon became the number one selling textile. After the invention of the cotton gin, the yield of raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800. Demand was fueled by other inventions of the Industrial Revolution, such as the machines to spin and weave it and the steamboat to transport it. By mid-century America was growing three-quarters of the worlds supply of cotton, mostShow MoreRelatedEli Whitney : The Inventor Of The Cotton Gin1639 Words   |  7 PagesEli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, was born in 1765, and from an early age he was interested in mechanics. He developed a knack for making nails and became one of the best nail makers (Piercy, 94). Whitney attended Yale College to further his education, with the goal of becoming a lawyer; he graduated in 1792 (Piercy, 94). After graduating, he planned to go to the South to tutor kids, but found that the position had been taken once he arrived there (Piercy, 95). A woman named Mrs. GreeneRead MoreThe Slavery Of The Cotton Gin By Eli Whitney1586 Words   |  7 Pages In the 1790’s the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney sparked an increase in cotton production in the South. The cotton gin decreased the labor time it took to pick seeds from the cotton. Slave owners moved or sold their slaves to deep Southern states where cotton was becoming increasingly profitable. The United States doubled in size due to President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. Within this territory the Cotton Kingdom led in cotton production. Slaves were chained togetherRead MoreThe Invention Of The Cotton Gin By Eli Whitney1169 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the colonial era, African slaves faced a life of struggle and fear. In 1793, the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney revolutionized economy as well as American slavery. This new machinery enabled the separation of the seeds from the cotton, making the cotton production increase extremely. However, with the increase of the white gold ( as it was called), there was a consequent increase on the request of slave labor. Therefore, slaves worked long hours on the fields, while many womenRead More The Cause Of The Civil War: Eli Whitneys Cotton Gin Essay1776 Words   |  8 Pageswhich changed the course of history. In 1792, Eli Whitney visited the plantation of Catherine Greene, the wife of Revolutionary War general, Nathaniel Greene, near Savannah Georgia. He watched cotton being cleaned; a very long and time consuming process to do by hand. Watching the cotton being cleaned an idea came to Whitney. He decided he would build a machine that would clean cotton faster than it could be done by hand. Thus, he created the cotton gin. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This inventionRead MoreEffects of the Cotton Gin1077 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Cotton Gin ! ! ! Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin around 1763. At the time he invented the engine Whitney lived with Catherine Greene, a widowed plantation owner. While staying with Greene, Whitney learned a lot about the production of cotton. He learned it was a tedious, time consuming and labor intensive job. Whitney was a graduate of Yale and was talented in the ï ¬ eld of mechanics and inventive engineering. Eli’s solution was simple, an engine that separated the cotton afterRead MoreEli Whitney : An American Originator And Constructer1363 Words   |  6 Pagesanyone to survive: sustenance, housing, and clothing. Eli Whitney, an American originator and constructer, is a major supplier to the last of these requirements. Whitney, a gentleman of great grit and a victim of ill-fated circumstances, is best recalled as the creator of the cotton gin. His creation, coupled with the advance of the textile industry by Samuel Slater, led to a cotton revolution. (Benson) Born on December 8, 1765, Eli Whitney spent his primary years on his family’s farm in WestboroughRead MoreThe Cotton Gin’s Impact on American Industry and Slavery Essay731 Words   |  3 Pagesto make cotton profitable. He promptly began working on a solution to the problem of separating the seeds from the cotton. On March 14, 1794, Eli Whitney was granted a patent for the cotton gin.1 The cotton gin impacted American industry and slavery changing the course of American history. The cotton gin was the answer to the 19th Century farmer’s woes. Before the invention of the cotton gin, not only was raising of cotton very labor intensive, but separating the fiber from the cotton seed itselfRead MoreThe Cotton Gin And The Assembly Line1494 Words   |  6 PagesThe cotton gin and the assembly line may seem at first glance like they are not that important but their lasting effects explain why things like manufacturing operate the way they do today. The cotton gin is a simple box. It has gears and a screen that with a crank on it that, when turned, is used to separate the cotton seeds from the cotton. The assembly line involves a pathway where a car or other item moves from station to station. A specially trained worker at each station will work on one specificRead MoreThe Cause of the Civil War: Eli Whitneys Cotton Gin Essay1790 Words   |  8 Pageswhich changed the course of history. In 1792, Eli Whitney visited the plantation of Catherine Greene, the wife of Revolutionary War general, Nathaniel Greene, near Savannah Georgia. He watched cotton being cleaned; a very long and time consuming process to do by hand. Watching the cotton being cleaned an idea came to Whitney. He decided he would build a machine that would clean cotton faster than it could be done by hand. Thus, he created the cotton gin. This invention changed the way the SouthRead MoreWhy Whitney Never Made It For All Things Mechanical1443 Words   |  6 PagesAs a young boy growing up in Westboro, Massachusetts it became clear that young Eli Whitney had a passion for all things mechanical. Born in 1765, Whitney spent his childhood on the family farm, however he was fascinated with machine work and technology. By age 12 it was more than apparent where Whitney’s passion was centered, he had already been tinkering with his father’s watch, taking it completely apart and re-assembling it as well as building his own violin. He even started his own business

Daisy Gonzalez Essay Example For Students

Daisy Gonzalez Essay 1st pd September 28, 2004Environmental A-PPopulation OverloadPopulation Overload is about how each time our population in theUnited States doubles. Whether because of the World War II, uncheckedimmigration, or just over-crowded cities, population increases and dangerincreases as well. It also says how we as humans and citizens of thiscountry should do something about the population overload in the UnitesStates. Losing millions of acres of farmland, over use of water supply, airquality not improving, schools over crowding as well as over crowdinghealth care systems, are troubles that the United States face due to theincrease of population. This over crowding problem is not just a hassle,but we are at risk of one day reaching a point no one can do anything aboutit. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, are avoidingdebate on these issues because they are the most difficult ones forpoliticians to conform.Imagine, if the government doesnt act to improve our nation, who will?This article applies to the issue of Human Population Explosion dueto that each year, the population increases in the United States as well asother countries, by more that thousands. It explains how we are over usingthe resources we have which sooner or later we will no longer have. Probably the biggest problem is healthcare. Budgets go down due tooverpopulation and many times, emergency rooms have to close down due totheir low budget. What will happen if this keeps on?This issue impacts us locally due to the fact that we live in theUnited States and we should take care of the little resources we have. Andits true, weve seen in the news how we have a shortage of water, the airis polluted and how we are running out of medications, and all this is dueto the population increase. More people more resources needed. I definitely think this is an enormous problem not just because oneday we wont in this world, but we are not thinking of the consequences. As individuals and as a nation, were defined by the choices we make. And too often, by the tough decisions we avoid. Most of us haveavoided even thinking about how our rapidly growing population isaffecting our quality of life and shaping our society.The only way to avoid this problem is to take care of each other and besmarter of how to use what Earth gives us. We also need to teach ourchildren, of how we can prevent the problems of over population. We must prepare to make very tough choices on all these issues thatweve too long ignored.