DESPITE ALL OUR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES, the eight-page list of dorm room goodies you packed and the 72 badges you earned for wilderness survival, you can’t be prepared for everything. Roommates smell, living space is limited and sometimes you just want nachos at midnight.
Here are a handful of hacks to help you master your first year on campus without maxing out your first credit card on gadgets, gizmos and food delivery.
• Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s them. Whatever the cause of that funky smell that’s getting on your olfactory nerve, help mask it on the cheap. Just tape some scented dryer sheets over your AC unit or fan before turning it on.
• If you’ve got a growling stomach to tame but no microwave, just look to your moonlighting coffeemaker. Fill the carafe with water and break out the hot dogs or noodles, or skip the water and just heat up some soup, canned ravioli or a jar of queso.
• Tired of constantly needing to open your laptop to find out what your next class is? Right after you get your schedule, set it up as your phone lock screen. It’ll always be handy and right near the time!
• Laptop overheating? Put it on a cardboard drink carrier or egg cartons to help the air circulate underneath it.
• Use a clothes hanger (the kind that opens to hang pants) as a paper towel holder.
• Fold your T-shirts and then stack them vertically in a drawer. This will not only save space, but it will allow you to see them all at once.
• Leftover pizza is a dorm-room staple, but nobody likes it hard as a rock. Put a quarter cup of water in a glass in the microwave with the pizza. It will keep the crust from getting chewy and the toppings moist.
When it comes to dorm life, necessity is the mother of invention. When funds are tight, time is short and sanity is on the line, a quick online search will likely give you a solution. On the other hand, you’re in college now. Put that big brain of yours to good use and come to your own rescue!
