We all love shopping online, which is only natural as it takes away the burden of standing in front of the shop windows and gazing through the neon lights of the cold-starred mannequins. Seriously though, college students belong to the most popular target audience of online shoppers. According to Nerdify reviews, one of the reasons why online shopping is so popular among college learners is their strict schedule and endless run for discounts and special campaigns. Online shopping is awesome, yet it will get even better if you follow these 7 online shopping tips as you plan your next purchase:

1. Set Your Budget In Advance

We all know how challenging it may be to limit your spendings when you see that fancy dress online or would like to buy a new pair of headphones that just came out. It’s only natural to feel this way, yet it is vital to set your budget and even limit your daily or monthly spendings by logging in to your online banking system. This way you will always think twice and ask yourself whether you really need this something! According to our experts at Nerdify reviews, having a budget keeps you away from impulse purchases that you may regret at a later stage!

2. Make An Online Shopping Plan

It might sound like a minor trick but it always works wonders when you plan your online shopping time just the same way as you would plan a physical shopping day. When we do some shopping online, we try to come up with a list of good retailers and unusual shops that we have found to determine where we must go first and what alternatives are out there for those rare items that are not so popular. As a way to save your money, study the prices of the shops that you know well because it’s always safer to start with familiar sources.

3. Use Only Trustworthy Websites

Even though it has been repeated over and over again, always check the legit side of every website that you visit and make sure that they list guarantees and have retail registry information, refunds, and contact numbers that can be reached. Read online reviews and check for testimonials that go beyond the website itself. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s most likely so! It is better to be safe than sorry even if you have an awesome proposal right on the screen.

4. Read Online Shop Reviews

One of the best things you can do to stay safe as you shop online as a student is taking your time to read the reviews that may be available at places like TrustPilot or Sitejabber among others. Just add the word “review” to the shop’s name and see whether they provide accurate information. Do not just make a purchase until you collect enough information about the online store. See how accurate they are regarding returns, packaging, and many other factors like secure payment methods and retail licenses. Even if you shop on Amazon or eBay, read the seller testimonials first!

5. Seek Only Safe Payment Methods

Our team at Nerdify reviews has encountered it way too often when an online company would list all the popular payment methods in pictures but would not accept the major cards and require cash upon receipt or other odd requirements that went against common sense. The safest method would be using PayPal with their safe shopping option. If you’re in doubt, always check twice with your bank manager and do not run any financial transactions alone as it is unsafe to shop online without at least 256-bit SSL encryption and website certification.

6. Take Screenshots Before Checkout

Another little trick that our friendly team at Nerdify reviews uses is taking screenshots before the checkout to ensure that one doesn’t forget what they wanted to buy or what will require card payment in a bit. This way you can have proof that can be presented later if a computer crash occurs or the shop’s webpage malfunctions for some reason. It’s also a good way to keep your own history of the shopping activities that go beyond the browser history.

7. Seek Discounts For College Students

Even if you are sick of all the budget shops that offer discounts for students, you can also enter the brand’s name by adding “student” to your search inquiry and see what unique results you may get. At the same time, do not ignore social media and special campaigns that are not really advertised but still aimed at young people. Have some fun, participate, show your skills, and it will always pay off as you will get generous discounts or presents in most cases just because you have taken the time to join the campaign!

And here we go again with most cheesy college topics! Today our favorite rubric Nerdify Reviews will bring some light on co-living issues.

Living with a roommate at college or university can be a lot of fun and an experience that you will miss the most when you graduate, yet things will not always go smoothly and you may encounter several roommate problems. In order to help you survive through the college, we have collected the most common troubles and the ways how to solve them! 

1. Your roommate is way too messy (or way too clean)!

Without a doubt, we all have our personal considerations regarding being clean and messy, which makes it highly likely that your roommate’s opinion may differ from yours. The best way, however, is to make little compromises and discuss the most challenging moments as they come up. When someone acts sloppy and does not seem to care for keeping the place clean, try to see if you can approach the problem on your own and share some tips about keeping the room clean in a light-hearted and fun manner. If this does not work for you and the roommate continues being messy, try to discuss the problem openly and share the responsibilities, so you both share certain tasks that simply have to be done.

Sometimes you may appear to be a little bit messy or your roommate is crazy about keeping the room clean. Well, while it is a good thing to keep everything tidy, it should not go overboard. If you are trapped in such situation, do your best to take some time to throw the dirty laundry into a bin, keep your side of the room tidy, and make little pleasant surprises for your tidy roommate to show that you really care!

2. Your roommate uses your belongings without permission!

Now this problem can be really stressful as it is a privacy intrusion and a trouble that has to be dealt with! Remember that even if the intentions of your college roommate are not always bad and mean, it is still an issue that has to be discussed to make sure that you understand privacy and a list of personal belongings the same way! Living with a roommate is like living with a sibling, so things often get borrowed without a second thought. Still, you have to discuss the boundaries and do your best to build a good relationship. You do not have to lock things up and worry about expensive clothes or your laptop. The key to success is discussing your position and making sure that there are no words left unspoken. Just talk it out and say what is alright to do from time to time and what things will not be tolerated. In case nothing helps and your roommate ignores your requests, ask the college counselor for help.

3. A “Third roommate” college problem!

While bringing in a boyfriend to the college room can be a lot of fun, there are still some rules and restrictions that you have to remember! As you share a relatively small space with your roommate, you can have a guest and it is alright, but it should not be a fun place to hang out all the time. If you have to deal with a roommate who thinks that it is okay to let his or her friends be there all the time, it can easily become a problem!

As always, communication is the key to addressing the problem right and avoiding the conflict. No, you do not really have to tell your friend to kick a friend out immediately, but it is perfectly fine to remind that your room is a shared space where you have to study and have some private space and quiet. If nothing works, try to come to an agreement and make a schedule to agree on the times when both of you are fine with having friends over or when one of you would go home or stay over at friends for the weekend. If you have to get ready for an exam and you just cannot concentrate, make sure to let your roommate know. Try to become the best friends and care for each other as you have fun, but remember that you are the hosts in a little college world, so the guest is a guest and not a new roommate after all!

4. Your roommate has different sleeping habits!

And yes, this is one of the crucial things in co-living, that’s why Nerdify reviews it as well. We all know the feeling when you are up early in the morning and your roommate likes to have some sleep and prefers to stay up late at night to study, listen to music, and basically feel good! As a caring roommate, you do not want to disturb and take the best care of a situation, yet you do not know how to find the right balance between your needs.

Speaking from our experience, the solution is going to the public library or to a student’s cafe if you want to study in peace. If you want to hear some music or talk to a friend, you can easily go to the public area where it is alright to make some noise. Likewise, if you want to get some precious sleep and your roommate has other plans, make sure to speak clearly and explain that there are special study rooms and the common areas a college student can visit to relax and have fun. As you seek a compromise, share your study schedules and see what solutions you may find to let both of you have a good sleep and fun at the end of the day!

5. Your roommate is acting mean!

Even if you have all the schedules and sleep patterns in agreement and take care of each other’s belongings, there are still odd troubles that may come up! Sometimes your problem with a roommate may become an issue for no obvious reason. In most cases, it is enough to talk about the problem and let things cool off without a conflict. Yet, if your relationship with a mean roommate starts to affect you physically and mentally, the best thing to do is turn to a mediator by talking to the college counseling officer. If there is a problem and you cannot get by on your own, seek for professional help! It is perfectly normal to have an unbiased third party individual to help both of you to see where the problem lies without a damage to your life and an academic success!

6. Your roommate is never there!

While there may be several reasons for your roommate’s absence, the fact may become a problem for you. Either you may feel lonely or find yourself in a situation when you need some support, your roommate’s presence in the room is an important point. It may be that your roommate is missing home and tries to be away from the college, yet in the other cases, your roommate may be dealing with a peer pressure or a way too controlling boyfriend that affects her college life. Finally, your roommate may be in trouble, so it is very good to talk to a college counselor if you think that there is a problem that should be reported.

In any case, try to be as careful as you can and make sure that your decision is ethical. Remember that your roommate may just feel embarrassed to talk and not know how to share the same space with a college mate. Be the one to make the first step and trust your heart!

7. Your roommate is always in the room!

Now, this is the opposite of a previous problem, so let us think what can be done! If your college roommate seems to be always there, try to get your friend involved and tell about all the existing college clubs and fun activities. Encourage him or her to do something special and tell of your own responsibilities. If you are a musician or an athlete, share your passion and invite your roommate along!

Of course, it may be that a college room is a special place where your roommate feels safe! Nevertheless, try to make your roommate feel good about college life. Tell about all the nice cafes and the libraries to study at, the parks, and the shops with lots of student deals, so your friend may become interested and leave you in the room on your own (or come along)!

No matter what your roommate problem is, remember that the best way is to talk it out and avoid keeping it all inside! All members of the awesome Nerdify reviews team agree that it always right just to talk to your roommate, be there, stay empathic, respectful, and caring because it will always let you remember college life as a precious experience and time!

Have a good one!

Making better decisions is not something that one can master in a week or a day because it is an art that a person learns as a result of constant mental struggles, analysis, evaluation, and an experience. When working with a complex homework assignment or preparing for an important speech, there are obvious doubts, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty that make it difficult to understand which decision is more efficient. After a heated debate, our team at the Nerdify reviews agreed to choose five crucial tips that will help at making much better decisions. Remember that if something does not work right away, it only means that you have to try again and master the concept.

Stay Creative. The most important part of making better decisions is being creative in any situation. Even if something represents a challenge, approach it with a sense of humor and see good sides in everything. If there is too much tension, stop and think over what factors make you feel uneasy or anxious. At times, even a little change can make a major difference. Analyze the situation and see whether there are innovative solutions. Take risks, explore new territories, and be yourself no matter what!

The Gut Feeling. When discussing the books or recommending software for educational purposes that is not so famous, the team at Nerdify reviews listens to the gut feeling and experience of actual users. The same relates to making better or more poignant decisions. If something is considered to be the best by a majority, it does not mean that this kind of decision is yours or something that fits your personal vision. Steve Jobs often went against what was thought to be the best by marketing specialists, yet he inspired creativity and innovation among the millions.

The Art of Planning. Keeping to a personal schedule is equal to maintaining strict discipline. When there is not much time left to weigh in the facts and see the benefits in a confusing situation, it is the art of planning that helps to keep one’s confidence and self-esteem high. No matter how difficult it may seem at first, start with a simple plan for the day and set the priorities to see how a strict schedule motivates you to work extra hard and keep time and resources under control. It may not be your best decision that you ever make, but having a plan will help you to act without procrastination and with lesser anxiety.

Team Work Benefits. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to make decisions without the involvement of at least one other person. Instead of battling and debating against the opposite opinions, Nerdify reviews specialists recommend learning to work in a team even if it is time-consuming and challenging. It is the art of listening to other people and letting them finish the sentence before you talk. If a person sees that you care to hear an opinion, they will appreciate your decision and finally see the point. Moreover, working in a team of people, you can see how your ideas look in the long run and learn to defend them in public. It is a great way to improve, build necessary confidence, and work on communication skills.

The Core Values. Making a good decision is not an easy task because it always involves personal philosophy, a set of past experiences, morals, core values, and responsibility. For example, our philosophy at the Nerdify reviews is to come up with a list of ideas where a team of people chooses among the best of them and leaves the other ideas for the next time instead of tossing them away. Taking such an approach, no one is offended or left out because all team members participate and care for each other. The same relates to decision-making rules – remember that there are no absolutely good or absolutely wrong decisions. It takes time and effort to understand what may or may not work in the end. Do not be afraid to make a decision and work hard at improving the way you deliver and process the information. Stay true to the gut feeling, your values, and the things you believe in because it is exactly what helps to make your decision true.

No matter what you are going to do or how others feel about it, never give up and trust your heart. Approach any situation with a passion and analysis, give it time to reveal all of its sides, and never ignore the lessons that life itself has in store. Making better decisions, show perseverance for the long-term goals as well and take one step at a time, building the little blocks on paper and visualizing them in your mind. A clever and successful decision is like a brushstroke that comes first before the final masterpiece is revealed!

Have a good one,

Nerdify Reviews Team