Sometimes, going to college can mean feeling like you live in a “college bubble.” You take classes on campus, hang out on campus, and probably eat and sleep on or near campus as well.
The constant hustle and bustle of college life can give you little incentive to question life outside in the “real world”, so you may come back home during break feeling a little behind the times. Wait, who won the Super Bowl, and oh my gosh, there’s an election this year??
If you get most of your world news via politically charged Facebook statuses from people you were kinda-sorta-not-really friends with in high school (we all follow those people, let’s be honest) then it’s probably time for you to burst the college bubble. My 5 easy tips will have you up-to-date on current news events, upcoming birthdays, and even the latest and greatest in music.
1. Sign up for theSkimm
TheSkimm is the perfect way to stay up-to-date on current events. The best part? It’s delivered fo’ free to your inbox every morning. Every morning, they skim the news of the day for you, then compact all the major events into a great email that’s sprinkled with a little bit of sass.
Plus, they even have a whole section on the 2016 election on their website, so you can get an overview of each of the candidates and have all your burning questions (like “When is it too late for a new candidate to get in the race?”) answered in no time.
2. Invest in the Times
The New York Times (online and on the NYTimes app) is another great resource for up-to-date news. The Times isn’t free, but as a student you can get a subscription for $4 a month. That’s like one Starbucks drink, people!
With your subscription, you can also sign up for the Times’ daily email, which comes once in the morning and once in the evening with the latest news. Plus, you can do a mini-crossword of the day, which is great if you’re like me and get really frustrated with full sized crosswords. This one takes me ~1 minute in the morning and makes me feel #accomplished for the rest of the day.
3. Sing with Spotify
If you came home from college, turned on the radio for the first time in months, and thought “Oh, is this what the kids are listening to these days?”, you may want to invest in a Spotify subscription. Again, a Spotify subscription isn’t free, but it is half off ($5/month) with your student email!
Spotify has great pre-made playlists like “Today’s Top Hits” and “Discover Weekly”, which helps you to stay up to date on the current music. Plus, you can make some fire playlists for studying, working out, and just hanging out with friends. Is Spotify not your thing? Check out Gabby’s reviews of all the great music-streaming services out there.
4. Get Out of The Bubble
Chances are, your college is situated in a pretty neat little town. Some aren’t as glamorous as others (lookin’ at you, South Bend), but every city has something great to offer. Get a group of friends together and check out cool events in your town, like a special art exhibition or local concert.
A lot of towns also host some kind of restaurant week where you can sample all the great local cuisine for a discounted price! You’re only going to live in your college town for 4 years, so why not make the most of it?
5. Write down important dates
There’s nothing quite like the panic of waking up in the morning, squinting at your Facebook notifications on the blinding screen, and realizing Oh shoot, I totally forgot it was my grandma/best friends/other important person’s birthday today! Oh gosh better send out a quick “Happy Birthday! Miss you lots!” text.
Keep all your birthdays and other important dates handy in these super cute notebooks from May Designs. They come in so many great colors, and you can even monogram them or write a special message on the front. With a notebook like this full of important dates, you’ll never find yourself scrambling to send a birthday card again!
How else do you connect to the outside world when you’re in the college bubble? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter (@theswirlblog)! We’d love to hear from you!
