Living Green at University

Whether it be eating well, working out, or simply keeping your room tidy, starting college can often put a wrench in your do-good plans. This is exceptionally true for those wishing to transfer their environmentally healthy lifestyle to their campus lives. Often convenience wins out. But for those of you who'd like to stick to your goals, here's a few ways you can be environmentally friendly, even if your university is not.

Trade in your bottled water for a reusable water bottle. Instead of buying a new bottle of water every time thirst strikes, invest in a couple of reusable water bottles. You can refill them at your bathroom's sink or at one of the many water fountains in your dorm. Keep one at hand, and keep the other in your mini fridge so that you always have a source of cold water nearby. Not only will this be environmentally friendly, it'll save you money! Remember, you can also just refill your bottled water instead of throwing it out.

Reusable water bottles can be found for $1.99 or $5.64 at Target, or a set of five for just $16 at Walmart. For those who don't like the taste of tap water, you can try Bobble or Watergeeks reusable filtered water bottles, selling for between $12.99 and $9.99 at Target.

Go paperless. A lot of professors in a lot of colleges have already gone paperless. Essays and other assignments are being submitted via e-mail rather than printed on paper and handed in. Not only does this save paper, it usually makes it a lot easier for professors to check for plagiarism. So before you use up twenty pages for your latest report, ask your professor if it would be okay to submit your paper through e-mail instead. And if your professors do want hard-copies of work, ask if it's okay to print your essays double-sided (on each side of the page, rather than just one). This will reduce your paper usage by at least half.

Conserve energy. Just because your parents no longer have to foot the bill, don't fall out of good energy saving habits. Turn off the lights, television, and other electronic products when you leave your room or when they're not in use. During the day, try keeping the lights off and opening up your curtains for a bit of natural light. If you have a laptop, don't keep your adapter plugged into the wall unless your computer needs charging – as long as it's plugged into an outlet, it WILL sap up energy, even if it's not plugged into your computer. When going away for breaks and vacations, remember to unplug all of your appliances. If your dorm requires more lighting, remember to buy energy saving lamps and lightbulbs – they shine just as brightly but they last longer and use up less energy.

Some dorms limit the number of televisions, mini-fridges, and other big appliances allowed in each room. If yours doesn't, consider sharing a mini-fridge and microwave with your roommates – more often than not, two fridges are never necessary and there's NEVER a reason to have more than one microwave in a dorm room. Micro-fridges (a combination mini-refrigerator and mini-microwave) are often your best bet when it comes to saving energy and space, but they can be pricey (about $400). If your university or a nearby business rents them per semester, gather your roommates and look into splitting the yearly cost.

Carpool. Though many students spend most of their time on campus, many students bring their cars with them to their university. If you're one of those students, try carpooling for any of your off-campus ventures. Whether you're going to a party, shopping, or taking a trip home for the holidays, try to gather friends and other students to drive with you. Not only does carpooling provide driving company and helps to reduce your carbon-footprint, it'll also help you save on gas expenses.

Buy used. At the end of the semester, many students (especially graduating seniors) are left with a lot of supplies they no longer need. Most of the stuff gets thrown away – piled high in the dorms' waste rooms. Instead of throwing away working items that you no longer have use (or space) for, put them up for sale or give them away to other students. This can include anything from dorm lamps to furniture to old clothes. If it still works or can be fixed, offer it up to someone who'll be able to get some more use out of it.

This also applies to textbooks. No one needs new textbooks. Though you may be tempted by its pristine condition and shiny plastic wrappers, try not to buy new textbooks unless you absolutely have to. Remember that used textbooks are often sold at at least half-price.

If possible, ask professors if you can use an older version of the required texts, instead of the newest editions (often the differences in the text are minute, while the differences in price are huge). Take a look at the newest and older versions, comparing the two, before deciding if it's worth the extra bucks to buy the latest editions.

Also, try selling your old textbooks – either in buyback programs or to individuals. Even if your university's buyback program is no longer accepting your edition of a textbook, try selling it online or to other students who will be taking the same classes the following semester.

While some things are completely out of your control, there are many simple changes and habits that every co-ed can adopt to help make their lives on campus more eco-friendly. Every bit helps, no matter how small. Though you may not be on a “green” campus, you can certainly keep living the eco-friendly lifestyle.

This article can also be found on the Mibba Magazine's September issue.