Skills that Every Good College Student Develops

I've heard of elementary school recess periods likened unto survival camps-brutal, full of fear and "games" that all deal with conquering and defeating your "enemies." Although recess monitors are hired by the schools to govern over the madness and negotiate for peace, unspoken rules dictate that no child who still wishes to have any "friends" should ever cry out for help to one of these adults; instead, they must brave the treacheries of playground life by themselves, always being careful never to become the loathed "tattle tale."

If such is true, then it must be reasoned that many of our current skills in relating with other people were developed during these dangerous recess periods. The way in which we choose our friends, avoid our enemies, and view those in authority over us is all in someway related to our elementary educations. It can also be argued that our social interactions throughout all of middle school and high school shape our social expectancies today. However, as a full time college student, I must declare that the period of life where mankind can learn the most beneficial life lessons is during his time at a university. The survival skills and knowledge that we college students are apt to develop are similar to those we learned in the first grade, only this time we are striving to stay on top of our chemistry class curves instead of the tallest tire on the playground. Here is a review of some of these important lifetime skills commonly developed while residing in university dormitories.

First of all, the efficient college student knows how get the most wear out of his clothing before doing laundry. I have one friend who manages to only do laundry when he goes home on breaks; this is not necessarily recommended due to hygiene and odor concerns, but I suppose it can be considered environmentally praiseworthy. Personally, I try to only do laundry every two weeks or so; this works perfectly because it allows me to only have to wash one load of laundry at a time. While I would never suggest re-wearing undergarments such as socks or underwear, any college student knows that air fresheners such as Febreze (or fabric fresheners) are their once-worn clothing's best friends. To benefit from the fresh fragrances of similar products and tactics, realize that your own clothing may not have to washed after every wearing; same money (and water, detergent, and time) by lightly spraying your own gently worn clothing after wearing them once. In order to avoid smelling of "mountain breeze," I would suggest doing this about 30 minutes before you actually wear your clothing.

Secondly, a good college student knows how to measure liquids without the use of a measuring cup. This seemingly simple skill comes in handy later on in life when cooking, but in a college dorm it is essential for decently tasting cuisine; the taste of ramen and Easy Mac noodles depends on properly estimated portions of water. An often underrated skill, instinctively knowing how much two cups of water is equal to is not to be looked down upon.

Finally, college students are experts on functioning on a minimal amount of sleep. Late nights spent studying push us into becoming addicts of caffeinated beverages, but they also teach us how to prioritize our mental energies. For example, we all know how to stay awake in the classes that actually matter to us, while effectively zoning out during those which are of minimal beneficial value. We are capable of utilizing our energy only on issues that really matter, leaving the lesser priorities to take care of themselves.