Spring semester has begun here at California State University, Monterey Bay. With the new release of “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix, people have become overwhelmed with the crap hiding in their rooms. I have fallen victim to buying useless items that, in the moment, I thought I needed – their only purpose was to collect dust on my closet shelf. Through my “extensive” research of Pinterest and Youtube, as well as my 22 years (and counting) on this planet, I have found these helpful tips in becoming a green student to help our planet rather than hurt it.
Transition to being a paperless student
I love the feeling of pen on paper, but I also know how wasteful it can be. I tend to mess up a lot, using pages and pages of notes because I write rather big. I recently got an iPad and love all of the apps that you can use to create handwritten notes. I am not saying to drop everything and go buy yourself an iPad – most students nowadays have a computer to do their school work on. However, I suggest that you give going paperless a try! I love typing because it makes me feel really productive and I can endlessly organize my notes.
Use online note cards
Index cards can be fun to create – it’s 2019 and students have created vast archives of notes and terms for other students to benefit from. Websites such as StudyBlue, Quizlet and Boundless offer online study tools and quizzes to help you master the topics. Plus you don’t have to have a fat stack of notecards sitting on your desk that you know you will never touch again.
Cut down on snack waste
One of my biggest pet peeves is how much plastic companies use to package their items – snack foods especially. For one cookie, you can get a substantial amounts of unnecessary plastic. Look for snacks with little to no packaging, such as bulk items. All you need to do is bring your own containers to the store and weigh them at checkout.
Host clothing swaps with your friends
Have a little get together at your place and trade clothes with friends. The best part of this is it is FREE – every college student’s favorite word. Fast fashion is becoming a major issue and is hurting our planet. We are harvesting resources faster than they can replenish. By hosting clothing swaps, no money is being exchanged and you can totally revamp your whole wardrobe.