Hey, guys! As you all know, I live with my parents and commute to college. This saves me a lot of money, but I end up spending a lot of time on campus. I don’t have a dorm room to get back to in my free time, so I’ve gotten really good at using my time in between classes wisely, whether it’s to relax or to be productive. I thought I’d share a few ideas with you.
1.//Do Homework
Let’s start with the most obvious thing. If you have 30 minutes in between classes, get some work done. The more you get done during the school day, the less you’ll have to do when you get home. I don’t have to do any homework or studying at home because I make sure to finish everything while I’m on campus.
2.//Eat A Snack
It’s a nice way to keep your energy up. I always keep snacks in my backpack because I’m sure to get hungry and I don’t want to waste a lot of money on buying snacks on campus (which are way more expensive by the way).
3.//Watch Netflix Or YouTube
I do this a lot. Usually, while I’m eating lunch or snacking. It’s a nice way to turn my brain off and relax in the middle of the day. It also beats boredom so long as I don’t start binge-watching and miss a class, but I have a rule not to start any knew shows during the school year. (Only on breaks)
4.//Study
Another great way to use your time. You probably have an exam coming up soon, so use your time in between classes to study for it.
Related – 10 Best Study Tips For College Students
5.//Take A Nap
I have mixed feelings about naps because I can’t take them. I end up sleeping for a really long time. I’m not opposed to taking a rest though. Lying down and reading always help recharge me. And in college, no one will judge you for lying on the library floor or putting two couches together to lay on. We’ve all seen people do it.
6.//Journal
There are amazing self-care benefits to journaling. Writing always helps me get out of my head, which I think is important. Journaling can clear your mind in so many ways, so it’s a good way to spend free time in between classes. Even if it’s only for five minutes.
(Check Out Simply Fiercely’s Post: 5 Ways To Use Your Journal For Self-Care)
7.//Get Ahead On An Essay Or Project
This way you won’t have to worry about it later. I hate the feeling of procrastinating till the last minute. I still do that sometimes, but I try to get as much work done for class ahead of time so that I don’t have to worry later.
Related – How To Write An A+ College Essay
8.//Go To The Movies
My school has a free movie theatre for students and I definitely took advantage of that last year (I skipped class once to watch Moana). If I had a long break in between my classes, I’d head over to the theatre to watch a movie. The snacks there are cheap too. It’s only $1 for a bag of popcorn or a soda. A lot of schools have movie theatres for students, so you should check it out when you have time.
9.//Read A Book
I always read books on the train ride to school, but I carry a book around everywhere for when I get bored. I sometimes also carry around my Kindle Fire to read or listen to audiobooks while I wait for my next class. It’s a fun way to spend my free time.
Related – Awesome Books I Read Last Semester
10.//Go To The Gym
I am a strong believer that going to the gym every day makes you more productive, not less, so the excuse of not having time is total b.s. You can make time. Not using your campus gym is also a colossal waste of money because your tuition is paying for it anyway. Enjoy it while you can. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. I go before class now, but I always went in between classes in my freshman year.
Related – My College Workout Routine Freshman Year
11.//Eat Your Lunch
Don’t skip meals. It doesn’t help anyone. Plan a time to eat your lunch the day before and stick to it. If you can’t plan a time, just eat in the fifteen minutes between your classes to keep your energy up and not be lethargic for the rest of the day. There are some busy days where I’m eating a sandwich while walking from the gym to my next class because I went to the gym instead of eating lunch for an hour watching Netflix. Instead of skipping lunch, I found a way to fit it into my schedule.
(In reality, I would skip the gym over skipping lunch because eating takes priority)
12.//Meet With Your Advisor
I am guilty of putting this off until the very last minute. It’s sort of ridiculous. Don’t be like me and only meet with your advisor when you need to. Extra time in between classes is a good excuse to make an appointment.
13.//Participate In A Campus Event
There is probably one going on. I swear, I see something going on every day. Don’t make excuses and go to one. (Preferably one with a bouncy house.)
14.//Sit Outside
The weather is so nice right now. I’m enjoying it before Georgia’s bipolar weather kicks in for the fall. There’s something about sitting outside that re-energizes me. Even being near a window helps. Enjoy 15 minutes outside before class. I guarantee it’ll help you wake up. Especially if it’s a windy fall day.
15.//Do Something Fun In Your City
Odds are, your college is in the center of a city with tons to do. Even if it’s a small city without many attractions, there are probably a hundred restaurants you can try. I go to college in Atlanta, so there are a lot of fun things to do. I am walking distance from a lot of tourist spots, so that’s a fun way to spend my time. I usually don’t go the Aquarium or World-Of-Coca-Cola regularly, but tourist spots are a fun area to walk around and people watch because a lot of effort is made into making tourist areas aesthetically pleasing.
16.//Go To Office Hours
It’s a good way to get your professor to learn your name and it can be a great help. Just make sure you do your work or study guide beforehand so that you have questions to ask because you’ll get more out of it if you do so. It’s better to do it early and ask questions during the office hours than it is to do the study guide the night before an exam without time to ask your professor questions.
17.//Join A Club
College clubs have such a narrow niche. You’d be surprised how many types of clubs there are. You’re bound to find at least one thing you’re interested in. The times may not work in between your classes, but you can do things for your club in that time.
18.//Organize Your Email
I did this at the beginning of the year, but my inbox has slowly begun to pile up again. I recently reached 1,000 emails in my inbox again after finally clearing it last spring. It’s definitely time to do it again.
19.//Get An On-Campus Job
I don’t have a job on campus, but this is a really productive way to spend your time in between classes. If you work someplace like the library or the computer lab, you can do homework while making money on the side just by sitting at a desk.
20.//Get A Chore Done (Laundry, Meal Plan, Etc.)
College is the gateway into adulthood for most people, so there is usually a chore or two that needs to get done. Pay one of your bills, do your laundry, vacuum your room… just do something so that you don’t have to worry about it later.
21.//Start A Blog
This is a fun thing to do with your extra time. I know that having a blog always gives me something to do in between classes and makes me some money on the side. Whether it’s writing a post, creating a graphic, or adding affiliate links to old posts, there’s always a task at hand. (And something to procrastinate with…)
22.//Meet Up With A Friend
The introverted part of me prefers to spend time alone but the extroverted part feels so energized when I have a deep conversation with someone I care about. I don’t do small talk. It’s one of the reasons I hate running into acquaintances from high school (which will happen a lot more times than you’ll expect when you’re in college.)
23.//Visit The Free Museum Your School Probably Has
All schools have a free museum. All of them. It’s probably at the top floor of your library or in the Anthropology Building. You just haven’t found it yet. So get on that. It’s free and available to you.
24.//Organize Your Planner
Do it in between classes so that you don’t waste half an hour “preparing” to study once you get home. Write your to-do list and plan what you’re doing that week so that you’re not overly stressed or miss assignments.
Related – How I Use My Simplified Planner In College
25.//Write Out A Bucket List
This is a really fun thing to do when you’re bored. You can even just add stuff to it in your head. It’s very entertaining and fun to think about the things you aspire to do with your life. I’ve written a number of bucket lists on this blog. You should go check them out.
Well, that’s that. I hope this has motivated you to do more with your extra time. Now that school has started, I’ll only update twice a week instead of three times a week. My new schedule is Mondays and Thursdays at 6 AM EST, so expect a post at those times. (Or don’t, considering my inability to be consistent.) Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with that. I’ve already scheduled most of this month’s blog posts.
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What do you do in between classes?