College can be hectic and expensive. Textbook costs are outrageous, food is costly and often unhealthy and roommates can drive you nuts. To get through college with your sanity intact, look for deals, tricks and shortcuts, like the ones listed below. This article will give you four life hacks to make getting through college easier.

Buy Your Books on Amazon

College textbooks are outrageously expensive. In a recent news article from CBS News' “Money Watch” segment, it was reported that on average, students spend over $1200 per year on textbooks and class material. While some books will require you to spend a seemingly unfair amount of money on them due to access codes, many of them are available on Amazon at a much lower price than you'd find in the college bookstore, sometimes costing up to five times less.

Take Advantage of Tech to Make College Life Easier

We live in a tech world and there is literally something for everything. For example, a FitBit 2 can help you keep off the dreaded freshman fifteen. A portable charger can make sure your devices have power even if there aren't outlets around. A cooling pad for your laptop and a portable fan for you can keep you and your computer cool when working for long hours or in hot environments or just forgo your laptop for an iPad or tablet. Knowing certain computer or typing shortcuts will help you to be more effective and speedy in all your writing assignments. Take advantage of this amazing technological age to make college life simple.

Look for Ways to Save With Student Discounts

College life is expensive, but there are plenty of places that offer student discounts. Do some research to find out places around campus and online that give you discounts. Also, take advantage of freebies to save money. For example, If you don't have PowerPoint, use Prezi. Can't afford Microsoft Word? Get Open Office, a free open-source word-processing program that performs much like Microsoft Word. Being frugal can keep you from going broke, and depending on your college, you can get discounts on everything from food to rental cars. Remember to get involved during during the semester, and reach out to your campus community, as they might have some advice and hacks to help save money locally that you might not have even thought about.

Use Every Resource Available to Do Well in Your Classes.

Bad grades can land you on academic probation, and too many semesters of this will get you expelled. A recent study done by the University of Oregon showed that students on academic probation are more likely to drop out. Do everything you can to prevent reaching this point. Take advantage of campus tutoring, see your professor during office hours, join study groups with your classmates and do whatever else you feel will help you to succeed. Doing all of this may decrease the amount of time you have for leisure, but it will help you keep your sanity in the long run.

Getting used to college can require a lot of adjustment (as well as getting into college!). Using simple hacks like the four listed above can help you sail through your college career with clear skies. Within a few semesters, you'll be navigating life like a pro.

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