Looking for ways to recharge on a weekend or during a college break? Consider an outdoor adventure! BookScouter contributor Seth Craig shares his experience and insight on the benefits of outdoor adventure trips for college students! 

Whether you’re just starting out on your college journey or nearing the end of your degree, you should know that you don’t have to do it alone! There are loads of resources available to ensure your success. Here are just a few:

On-campus Resources to Help You Succeed in College 

1) If you have a paper or essay deadline approaching, check to see if your campus has a Writing Center. Student workers or staff at the Writing Center will usually read through your paper and offer constructive feedback. This is virtually guaranteed to help improve your grade. As an added bonus, making an appointment at the Writing Center might encourage you to get a jump on your paper early on rather than procrastinating until the last minute!

2) Are you feeling jitters over your upcoming class presentation? Your campus may have a Speech and Presentation Center that will help you brush up on your public speaking skills. Again, this will likely improve your grade. And the practice will almost certainly reduce your nervousness!

3) If you feel your grades start to slip, get help. Many campuses have a Tutoring Center staffed with student tutors who have excelled in the very classes you are  struggling with. The tutors typically go through training to learn exactly how to help students needing a little boost. 

4) When you find yourself struggling, talk to your academic advisor or the professor of your class. That’s what office hours are for! These people are experts and are well-equipped to help you.

Talking with your academic advisor or professors will help you be successful in college.

5) Make use of teaching assistants. Typically they are knowledgeable and eager to help!

6) Do you have a learning disability that presents additional challenges for you? Be sure to get in touch with your campus’s Disability Support Office as soon as possible. You may be eligible for accommodations like extra time on exams, a note taker in class, or recordings of class lectures. 

7) Get to the LIBRARY! Librarians are inexhaustible fonts of knowledge. They can help you find resources for your research paper, get ahold of difficult-to-find materials, connect you with study aids like practice tests and flashcards, and much more.

8) Seek out your college’s Career Center. Many students only think about the Career Center as they near graduation, but this resource can be helpful long before then! Career Center advisors may be able to connect you with internships during the semester or over the summer, or they may be able to recommend opportunities or training relevant to your chosen field. 

9) Participate in campus activities like movie nights and free concerts. Taking time away from your schoolwork is important for your wellbeing, and getting involved on campus will help you meet new people. If you dislike the campus activities that are currently offered, consider getting involved! Many schools have student activity committees who help to come up with the events!

Having a social life is an important aspect of college. Building your social network by participating in campus events can help you thrive in college.

10) Remember to take care of your mental health. You will be a more focused and successful student if you’re taking care of yourself. Many colleges offer reduced cost or even free counseling through counseling centers or student health facilities.

11) Your physical health is important too! Most college campuses have gym facilities that students can use for free. You might find that you focus on writing your English paper better after your run off some energy on the treadmill!

Making use of all of these resources will do wonders for your grades and your stress level! And if you find yourself in a position where you want to ask your professor for an extension or some extra credit, that request will probably be more warmly received if you can say something like, “I am giving this class my best effort. I visited the Tutoring Center before our exam and had my paper reviewed by the Writing Center before turning it in.” 

As an added bonus, check to see if any of these above resources might be hiring! Even if you’re having a hard time with math, you might make a great history tutor. You could earn a little extra money (what college student doesn’t need that?!) while honing your writing or tutoring skills AND beefing up your resume. Everyone wins! Some of these side gigs require only minimal time commitments. For example, I was once in a statistics class with a student who had a learning disability. The Disability Support Office hired me to share my notes with the student. It required almost no additional time commitment for me – just an email to the student after every class. In exchange, I was motivated to have good attendance and take clear notes, and I was compensated with $500 in bookstore vouchers – enough to cover my textbooks for the semester!

Resources help college students succeed in college.

Additional Resources that Help College Students Succeed 

Campus resources are great, but it’s also a good idea to look beyond campus for ways to support your college career.

1) If you find face-to-face tutoring intimidating, or if it’s challenging to fit a tutoring appointment into your busy schedule, you could try out online tutoring, which tends to be a little more flexible.

2) Self-help books might sound hokey if you’ve never tried them, but they can be a great aid if you’re looking to improve a certain area of your life. Having trouble with time management? Read Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time! Grappling with imposter syndrome? Check out You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life! Struggling with your finances? Try Money Honey: A Simple 7-Step Guide For Getting Your Financial $hit Together! Other problems? Ask a librarian for a recommendation! 

3) Watch YouTube videos to review content before big exams. For example, the Crash Course channel has tons of videos on lots of different topics (psychology, biology, US history, etc.). The videos are well-done, entertaining, and accurate. They’re often used by professors in college courses. Reviewing the subject matter in a different, engaging format can be really helpful!

4) Want to impress your professor? Follow some podcasts relevant to the courses you’re taking. For example, you could tune in to Planet Money if you’re taking Economics, or Naked Astronomy if you’re enrolled in Astronomy, The Studentpreneur Show if you’re studying entrepreneurship or business, or The Psychology Podcast for a psych class. Good podcasts are typically well-made and entertaining, and they’re easy to listen to on the go. Chiming in with some fun facts you learned from a podcast will impress your professor, and it might even empower you to engage in class discussions when you haven’t quite gotten around to doing the assigned reading. In addition, podcasts are often made by industry professionals so they may give you some insights into whether you would actually enjoy working in that field.

5) Find support in online communities. College can be challenging, and it can help to know that others are going through the same things as you. The great thing about online communities (e.g. Twitter, Reddit, Facebook) is that you can find groups of people who are in the same circumstances that you’re in – e.g. single moms going to college, or college students applying to medical school, or first-generation college students. Find your people! 

6) Don’t forget to lean on your friends and family when you need support!

The support of your parents or parent figures can help you succeed in college.

College is a great time to find your niche and work on all the skills that will allow you to excel in your chosen career. Just remember that you have so many resources available to you, wherever your college journey takes you!

Written by BookScouter Contributor Crystal Koenig.

The end of summer can bring mixed emotions. From the excitement of starting a new semester and reuniting with friends to bittersweet feelings about the conclusion of a carefree summer, it’s that time of year where students have to pack up their possessions in the trunk of a car (don’t forget your shower shoes!) and set off for another year of college. To avoid the monotony of a long drive (and to prevent your parents from going over your dorm packing list yet again), here are the top audiobooks and podcasts to listen to while driving back to college! 

The Best Podcasts to Listen to while Driving Back to School

When listening to music becomes tiresome and your voice grows weary from trying to match Ariana’s range, a podcast is always there to keep you company in the car. We truly live in the renaissance of podcasts with a seemingly endless plethora of stories to listen to. The most popular and prevalent category is of course true crime, and therefore the top picks are divided below into two categories: “True Crime” and “Other Podcast Fun”. 

True Crime Podcasts for Road Trips

Dirty John

This widely acclaimed podcast was recently adapted into a TV show starring Connie Britton and tells the story of the titular Dirty John, whose shady past catches up with him after starting a new relationship. Captivating and stylish from the start, Dirty John sets itself a part by not revealing what the crime is until the final episode of the podcast, instead offering a slow burn with plenty of lead-up and foreshadowing. This six- episode series will have you awestruck at the actions of all parties involved and provides a very satisfying conclusion. 

Over My Dead Body

The first season of this thriller tells the insane story of a seemingly perfect marriage torn apart, ending in murder. Told through interviews and phone calls obtained by investigators over seven episodes, the series gives new meaning to the term “monster-in-law”. The only caveat is that this twisty case is still ongoing in court, meaning that it does not offer the finality many listeners desire. 

Up and Vanished

The longest time investment on the list and thus this podcast might be better if you’re going to school cross country rather than a quick in-state jaunt. The first season of Up and Vanished garnered publicity for the investigative efforts of its host, Payne Lindsey, who travelled to the town of Ocilla, Georgia to delve into the 2005 murder of Tara Grinstead. Up and Vanished places its host inside the true crime rather than on the periphery, and thus the listener feels as if they are right along for the investigation rather than listening to a summary after the fact. There are multiple developments in the case thanks to Lindsey’s investigation and this podcast provides a comprehensive glimpse into what it takes to crack a cold case. 

My Favorite Murder

This widely-acclaimed podcast is arguably the most well-known of the true crime genre. Its two hosts, Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff, have earned both cult and celebrity status. The podcast takes a “case-of-the-week” approach in contrast to the aforementioned podcasts. Each host brings a murder case to every episode that they unpack with a combination of brute honesty and irreverence that makes their storytelling so beloved. Some of the cases are infamously well known, while some are less recognized, but nevertheless compelling. This podcast offers a nice mix of needed levity with retellings of some of the world’s most shocking crimes. 

Casefile

Similar to the self-contained storylines of My Favorite Murder but minus the hosts’ personal commentary and opinions, Casefile also differs from its true crime brethren in that it takes on a variety of stories apart from solely homicidal ones. Plane crashes, robberies, and, of course, murders are detailed straightforwardly by an anonymous Australian narrator. Many of the crimes are cold cases, and thus updates are often provided in real time if a break is made in the case. Sleek, concise, and riveting, Casefile tells engaging stories without a big time commitment. 

Other Fun Podcasts for Car Rides

Life Kit

Okay, let’s admit it. Even though we’re pretty much adults by the time we get to college, there is still so much that we have no idea about. This NPR-produced podcast helps alleviate that ignorance by producing episodes with titles such as “Millennials and Money” and “How to Get the Best from your Doctor” that offer practical advice on everyday topics that we might need to learn more about instead of calling our parents for the answer every time. 

Stuff you Should Know

For those students with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, this podcast offers in depth lessons about topics you would never even think to research. From the concept of petrichor to sand dunes, this podcast is for information enthusiasts looking to learn while driving.

Celebrity Podcasts for a Long Drive

For some hilarious and easy-listening fare, check out celebrity interview podcasts such as Anna Faris is Unqualified, Fresh Batch with Michelle Collins, and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. These podcasts among others consist of funny celebrity anecdotes with the podcast setting making celebrity guests much more relaxed and unfiltered in their responses. 

The Studentpreneur Show

Don’t leave all the learning for the classroom. Get a head start on building your entrepreneurial dreams and ideas with The Studentpreneur Show, produced by BookScouter. This podcast interviews college students who started their own businesses and professors with tips on being successful in and outside of college. Who knows, you yourself may become a studentpreneur. 

Audiobooks for College Students on a Long Car Drive

For an even longer drive, audiobooks for college students are an entertaining way to pass time while immersing yourself in alluring stories. 

Psychological Thrillers

Just as we live in the renaissance of true crime podcasts, we are also in the midst of the reign of the psychological thriller: the current genre du jour that continues to captivate readers worldwide. Some are well known such as Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Big Little Lies, and The Woman in the Window. While others like The Woman in Cabin 10 and An Unwanted Guest are just as deliciously captivating. These books will hook you from the first page and have you wishing for another 100 miles in order to hear the twist-filled endings. 

Memoirs

Self-penned and narrated memoirs provide intimate portraits into lives of fascinating individuals. From Michelle Obama’s Becoming to Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, memoirs told by the voice they are about and were written by are truly intriguing. 

Classics Read by Celebrities

Maybe you need to brush up for an American literature course or maybe you just possess an enduring reverence for the classics, but either way Audible offers an array of celebrity-narrated classics. For example, Jake Gyllenhaal narrates The Great Gatsby and Anne Hathaway narrates The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in these fun, fresh renditions of timeless works of fiction. 

Whatever you do to pass the time on your road trip back to college, here’s to a safe and enjoyable trip and a semester filled with success and happiness! 

Written by BookScouter Contributor Parker Strubhar.

Parker Strubhar is a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma and currently resides and works in Washington D.C. He is also a freelance writer. Business inquiries can be directed to parkerstrubhar20@gmail.com.