Hi guys! The second post in my back-to-school series is here! Today, I’m sharing with you my favorite school related life hacks. Whether you’re an incoming freshman, a transfer student, or just headed into a new year and trying to get as prepared as possible, read on to make your school year a whole lot easier!

Hack #1: Set your schedule as your phone lock screen.

For the first week or two of the new school year, having your schedule as your phone lock screen is invaluable. I have been doing this since I was a freshman and it is a lifesaver. It gets so annoying to carry around a piece of paper all day, or constantly getting it out of your backpack. Most teenagers have their cell phones on them 24/7, so this is a super easy way to not get lost and accidentally end up in the wrong class! Even if that happens, shake it off, we’ve all done it at some point!

Hack #2: Put dryer sheets in your gym sneakers!

This is a simple way to avoid being the person with the smelly gym bag. Keep a few extra sheets in your gym locker (if you have one), just in case you happened to give 110% during that last lap of the mile run. Pro tip – if dryer sheets are nowhere to be found in your house, use tea bags (just don’t brew any tea with them after!).

Hack #3: Paperclip Zipper

If you’ve ever experienced your backpack zipper breaking like I have, you know just how annoying that struggle can be. Do you continue to wear it on your back with the pocket wide open and your stuff hanging out? Do you attempt to hold it closed as you trek up the stairs and quietly suffer while avoiding the awkward stares? Before you start to panic, just use a paperclip! It’s a perfect temporary alternative, and most teachers have them at their desks. It also works great for pencil cases and even jackets!

Hack #4: Establish a routine

Okay, okay, I know this technically isn’t a “hack”, but it is a good tip nonetheless. When you sit down in a classroom, it’s always good to get in the habit of writing down the homework and other important information in your planner. Planners are absolutely essential for school; I’m lucky enough that my school provides us with ones, but you can get them cheap at pretty much any office supply store.

Hack #5: Command “F”

My English teacher taught me this last year! If you ever need to search something on a webpage, hold down the “command” key and the “F” key at the same time, and a little search bar will pop up on the screen. Then, you can easily get the info you need without scrolling through pages of nonessential material!

Hack #6: Wake-up call

This hack is a blessing as much as it is a curse. Set your alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier than you need to get up. That way, when it goes off, you have that 10 to 15 minutes to chill, go on your phone, and basically wake yourself up so that when you actually have to get up, you won’t waste precious time lounging lazily in your bed (not that I’ve ever done that…hahaha).

Hack #7: Dance out the door!

This is my personal favorite from the list, because it involves music! By creating a playlist, you can set time limits to help yourself get ready. For example, you can say you have to take a shower within two songs, have to do your makeup in three, get dressed and do your hair in one, etc. etc. Here is my back-to-school playlist. It’s a work in progress, so if you have song suggestions, leave them in the comments below!

xo, Liv

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