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HACK YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE
Written by Victoire Cointy // Photos by Waiyan Min When entering life as a somewhat independent adult, many new college students begin viewing things they once took for granted as a complex — but exhilarating — juggling routine. Listed below are a collection of college-appropriate life hacks that can help add stability to that routine.
Dorm Room Hacks Closet Curtains
For many of us, the closet is very rarely a beacon of color-coded, neatly folded organization. To preserve your wardrobe’s dignity, put a pair of curtains in front of your closet; they can be closed whenever you have guests over.
Washi Tape Frames
Here’s the low-down: washi tape is a Japanese masking tape that usually comes in various colors and patterns. What’s even cooler about this tape is that is leaves absolutely no residue on walls or other surfaces you might want to put it on. That’s right, you get to make your room look like something straight out of a catalogue while still upholding the “don’t damage your room” contract.
Budget Hacks Museum of Fine Arts
As a Northeastern student, you’re reminded daily about how important and useful your student ID is around campus. However, you aren’t told about the other cool things it does, like functioning as a fan in the summer and, more importantly, giving you free access to the Museum of Fine Arts. Cue the sigh of relief from all the artsy Instagrammers who need a cool new backdrop. Photos taken at the Museum of Fine Arts
Amazon Student
The wonderful thing about online shopping is that whenever your package arrives, it feels a lot like Christmas, or a birthday — except you actually know what you’re getting and don’t have to prepare a happy or a surprised face in advance. To get access to online deals and receive free two-day shipping on all orders, sign up for Amazon Student, a version of Amazon Prime. You’ll get a free six-month trial and, when that expires, a 50% discount on membership.
Food Hacks Microwave Mug Brownie
Even the biggest bakers will admit that sometimes, it’s just too tiring to make a full batch of brownies. Plus, it involves washing way too many dishes. Microwave mug brownies offer less washing up, less cooking time, less ingredients and just as much flavor. Before you ask, this definitely isn’t an infomercial. Find a recipe on SimpleRecipes.com.
Iron Quesadilla
For someone without a kitchen, this is easily the mother of all food hacks — if, that is, you know how to make a quesadilla and own an iron. If you’re unafraid of getting worried looks from your roommate, here’s how this works: prepare a quesadilla, wrap it in tin foil and iron it as you would a shirt. Warning note: make sure not to overcook your snack or to leave your iron on. Believe it or not, fire alarms and sprinklers are never actually that much fun.
Study Hacks Soundrown
It’s hard to stay motivated to study or write a lab report without some sort of background noise. While listening to that supposedly studyinspired Spotify playlist seems like a great idea, research actually shows that white noise makes people more productive. That’s where Soundrown comes in. What makes it different from other white noise websites is the variety of sounds it offers — you can quite literally build your own white noise sandwich!
Pocket Points
Whether it’s to text your roommate to buy more milk or to check how the Patriots are doing, most of us can say we’re guilty of using our phones during class at least once. Let’s be honest, very little could dissuade us of continuing with our behavior, right? Wrong. An app called Pocket Points gives cellphone users points for every minute they don’t use their phones in class. These points can then be used to get discounts at various restaurants and stores. See the complete list of hacks at www.woof-mag.com
STRONG WOMEN, STRONG GIRLS Written by Bakari Olivetti // Photos by Yashi Gudka & SWSG Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG) was started as a student group at Harvard in 2000 by Lindsay Hyde. Since 2004, it has been a nonprofit organization at universities in Boston and Pittsburgh. At Northeastern’s chapter, undergraduate mentors travel weekly to a school or community center in Boston to work with elementary-age girls. The mentors lead lessons with activities such as reading a biography of a strong woman. In addition to being a mentor, each undergraduate works with SWSG gets their own mentor. Professional women who are connected to SWSG serve as role models for the student volunteers. “It’s cycles of mutual empowerment,” explained Jessica Iocca, a fifth year student and codirector of SWSG. “Anyone really can benefit from having another positive person in their life. And that’s what a mentor is to me,” said Iocca. To her, the mission of the club is “making sure that every girl that we work with knows that she is supported and that people believe in her.” The club aims to empower its girls, and Iocca emphasized that girls are just as able as boys to achieve what they want. Iocca joined SWSG as a freshman. “I wanted to join Strong Women, Strong Girls because I didn’t have a relationship with my mom growing up,” she explained. “I think that particular person in someone’s life is someone they really look up to.” Iocca was also drawn to the fact that the mentees were around her sister’s age — she was nine at the time. Roxanne Anderson, a third year returning mentor, also joined as a freshman. “I definitely wanted a strong group of women that I could be in touch with on campus,” she said. “I did a lot of volunteering in high school with [girls] around this age. I always felt a very strong connection with the girls that I worked with.” Anderson said that the girls are the most inspiring part of her week. “I think everyone tends to take for granted how intelligent young people can be and how aware they are of their surroundings,” she stated. She
added that the girls she works with understand the unfairness of their treatment compared to that of their male peers. Jenie Michael, a second year student, is a new mentor. She loves going to Girl Scout-sponsored summer camp and was drawn to the club because of its similar mentality. “I love the whole [idea of] female empowerment and girls having women to look up to,” she said. “I think it’s super important.”
“I love the whole [idea of] female empowerment and girls having women to look up to,” she said. “I think it’s super important.” Michael is looking forward to “mission-moments,” which she described as “moments when you realize you’re actually having an impact on a girl’s life.” In these moments, Michael said, “[A girl] is changed because of Strong Women, Strong Girls.” Iocca experienced a “mission-moment” when she once returned to a site after summer break. “One of the girls I worked with saw me and she ran into my arms and looked up and said, ‘Jess, I’m so happy to see you,’” Iocca recalled. According to Iocca, mentors begin to genuinely understand their mission in SWSG during these moments. “I feel like no one really knows what they’re getting themselves into when they first join,” said Iocca. “I got everything out of it...my best friends, I’ve gotten to know the Boston community so much better…I can believe in myself a little bit more because of Strong Women, Strong Girls.”
For more information on SWSG, contact swsg.nu@gmail.com. fall 2015 • WOOF MAGAZINE