If you’re looking for the best hobby for you as a college student, you’ve come to the right place. Nerdify reviews team wants to help turn your free time into an exciting and useful activity!

Which will be your pick? Will you choose to explore the world or let your creativity blossom? This blog post reveals the pros and cons of the most popular hobbies for college students and will help you make the right choice.

1. Geocaching

If you aren’t familiar with geocaching, it’s basically an outdoor hide-and-seek game using GPS. It’ll make you go to the places you’ve never been before, feel that treasure hunt rush, and have fresh air.

Pros

• Costs nothing, except maybe bus or train fare
• Will make you go outside
• You’ll feel like a treasure hunter
• Cool activity to do with friends and family
• Explore nature
• You’ll see your usual environment from a new perspective

Cons

• Easy to get sucked in, if that can be considered a con

Geocaching is fun and exciting, costs nearly nothing, and promotes physical activity – what’s not to love?

2. Blogging

If you have ideas to write about, thoughts you’d like to save forever, or just practice writing, start your own blog. Plus, your blog can become a part of your professional portfolio.

Pros

• Free
• No limitations – you do you
• Will help you improve your writing skills tremendously
• You’ll learn a lot along the way
• Can potentially help you build a career
• You can make a difference in any field
• You can make money from it
• Connect with new people

Cons

• Requires regular updates
• You can get into writer’s block
• Trolling can get in your way

If you start a blog, your writing will live on, that’s for sure. If you’re willing to invest time and effort in it, you’ll surely get the benefits described above.

3. Crafting and Artistry

This is an awesome talent that you should absolutely embrace in your free time. It absolutely doesn’t matter what you can do – knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, carving, drawing, painting, or DYI-ing things – all of it goes.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• You can let your imagination run wild
• You can create original, one-of-a-kind things
• You’ll always have awesome gifts to give to friends and family
• You can sell stuff and earn money from your awesome hobby (try Etsy)
• Whoever you tell about your hobby, will be in awe

Cons

• Requires patience
• Some materials can be up there in price

Make sure to take a moment to consider this great option!

4. Thrifting

There’s nothing more exciting than finding a cool item in a thrift store at a bargain price. Remember that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

Pros

• Value is usually way higher than the price
• You can find unique and valuable things
• Great way to find collectibles
• By thrifting, you are giving a second life to things, which is good for the environment

Cons

• Requires a lot of time
• Sometimes you’ll fail to find what you want, but don’t get discouraged.

Thrifting is a great idea however you look at it, so happy hunting!

5. Exercise

If you’re already exercising on the regular basis, hats off to you. If you don’t – consider making it your hobby because it’s right for pretty much anyone.  

Pros

• Increase energy
• Look younger and feel better
• Overcome the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle
• Maintain healthy weight
• Improve body strength and posture

Cons

• Depending on what you do, there’s risk of injury, so make sure you know what you’re doing
• If you choose to go to the gym, it can be expensive

You don’t need gym membership to go for a run every morning, so invest your time in yourself!

6. Playing an instrument

This is a hobby that always makes people go, “Wow!”  when you tell about it. If you already can play an instrument, use your free time to perfect your skill. If not, you can spend your time learning how to play an instrument.

Pros

• It’s awesome and cool
• Makes you stand out
• Trains your brain
• Can become a source of income one day

Cons

• Instruments are expensive, but you’ll rarely have to buy a new instrument

If you play for your own enjoyment or want to finally learn to play an instrument, it’s the perfect time to start!

7. Photography

Being good at taking pictures is a great skill you’ll be able to use your whole life and you don’t need an expensive camera to be an awesome photographer.

Pros

• Experience pleasure in photography
• People will ask you to take pictures
• Keeping precious moments forever
• Requires no investment (who said you can’t use your smartphone camera?)
• Can become a career

Cons

• If you decide to invest in a camera and gear, be prepared to spend a lot

Photography is a beautiful hobby and requires only one thing – your passion.

8. Cooking

Cooking is an essential skill to have in life. We live in the world of processed foods that aren’t that great for us, so why not learn how to cook yourself?

Pros

• You’ll eat tasty foods
• People will praise your cooking skills
• You’ll learn how to save money on food
• You won’t want to return to McDonald’s ever again after making your own chicken nuggets

Cons

• Ingredients might be expensive depending on the recipe

Cooking is a great hobby to treat yourself, literally.

9. Urban exploration

You probably think you know the area you live in pretty well, but often there’s a lot more to discover. Exploring your environment is an exciting hobby that will become a source of never-ending topics to discuss with friends!

Pros

• Learn to find your bearings on the ground
• Find fun and interesting places to spend time
• Find what to share with friends and family
• Find great places to study (cafés, libraries, etc)
• Take lots of great pictures if you want to

Cons

• Might require some research
• Time-consuming

Become a tourist in your own city for one day – it might just be the coolest hobby you can find as a college student!

10. Origami

Most people who have tried origami, have probably tossed it after failing to fold a crane. If you’re a tough cookie, you’ll nail even the hardest tasks! P.S. We have a very passionate origami-fan in our Nerdify reviews team too!
Pros

• Unique
• Easy to find tutorials
• Helps focus
• Entertaining
• Very low cost

Cons

• Might be frustrating when it gets too challenging

For a college student, origami is a cool hobby that is cheap and fun, so give it a try!

11. Learn about art

If some of the best places you’ve been to is the art museum, you might consider making learning about art your hobby. You can watch retro movies, learn about the history of fashion, or focus on specific periods in art history.

Pros

• Broadens your horizons
• Free
• Can make for a long-term hobby

Cons

• Isn’t a too relaxing hobby for a busy student

Make learning about what you love about your hobby!

12. Learn a new skill that pays

It’s always great to do what you love for money. You can learn how to do manicure, cut and style hair, do makeup, or carve wood. All these hobbies can help you earn money as a college student.

Pros

• You get to improve your skills
• You can earn from a hobby

Cons

• Requires having good skills, to begin with

Hobbies that pay are among the most popular hobbies for college students!

Whichever hobby you pick, remember that the best one will be the one that you are passionate about. Nerdify reviews team agrees on one thing: pick whatever puts a smile on your face and you’re golden!

As annoying as they can be to write, cover letters are a common part of many application processes. Whether it’s for a job, college, or academic program, knowing how to write a clean, quick, professional cover letter can make a big difference in the application process.

1. Perform research

No matter the reason for the cover letter, researching who will actually read it is an important first step. Knowing what the company, college, or program is about and their beliefs will help add more detailed touches to a cover letter. These will help the letter stand out from more generic entries.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a person will be directly addressed in a cover letter. However, finding actual people to reference or mention in the letter demonstrates not only research but accurately performed research. Such a vital asset in an academic will not go unnoticed by the reader of the letter.

2. Remember Keywords

That said, as annoying as it is, a lot of cover letters are reviewed by algorithm-based AI. This is less likely when applying to an academic program, but the people reviewing such letters receive thousands upon thousands of them. They likely lack the time to review every single one carefully.

That’s why keywords can help make a difference. Whether these words are reviewed by a computer or a person skimming the letter, they can make a big difference. Sites like Reddit are especially helpful for finding the best keywords to optimize a cover letter.

At the simplest, making use of important words and wordings in the application can make for a great start. Jobs that point out what an “ideal candidate” can provide or has experience in or an academic candidate that has proven “extensive knowledge in the following” and the like are just the most common examples seen in applications.

3. Be direct and confident

Now that it’s time to actually write the cover letter, make sure to be direct and to the point. Fancy words and long-winded sentences may look impressive, but they are not ideal for someone trying sell themselves on the merits of their abilities, a lot of meaningless words are just that; cheap talk to hype up the candidate regardless of their actual abilities and talent.

4. Stay professional

Unless the requirements for the cover letter say otherwise, a concise, professional tone and wording will go a long way to showcasing that this is the cover letter that leads the reader to the ideal candidate. A cover letter is basically a hype man, even if the wording and styling are written in a more formal manner.

At the Nerdify Reviews blog, you can find useful information on how to write in a more formal style, but the general gist is to avoid contractions and keep a respectful distance from the reader.

5. Seek advice

No matter how often someone reviews something, they are going to miss content fresh eyes will easily see. Ideally, having someone to review the cover letter will help a lot to fine-tune the wording and content.

In an academic setting, that means consulting a department counselor or even a student who previously attended or is attending. For jobs, someone in the field can provide vital insight. Going to sites like Reddit can help connect with such experienced individuals.

6. Use firm information

Algorithms and academics love numbers. Making use of them in the cover letter to showcase results and experience demonstrate concrete support of the claims made within the cover letter.

That said, throwing numbers around without purpose and just for the sake of including them reveals lack of actual evidence and more bravado and empty words. Numbers need to be backed up with results and, as with any cover letter, must be direct and to the point.

7. Make use of action words

Passive voice can be hard to avoid, as the previous sentence indicated. A strong cover letter, though, will try to avoid passive voice and make use of action and assertive wording to show not just confidence, but proven confidence.

Again, adding such words just to include them in the letter will make the candidate look weak and attempting to talk a big game with nothing to back up their claims, keep the action direct and relevant. Sources like Reddit reviews can help with finding the right words for just about any situation.

In Conclusion

Cover letters are not, generally, fun to write. They are often ignored or overlooked, and yet, they are still an important part of the application process. That means they need to be dealt with professionally and properly. Simply throwing some words together to appease an application requirement will not draw the reader to their ideal candidate.

Nerdify Reviews experts say that a strong cover letter is written with proven confidence, direct language, and content relevant to the application in question. Researching what to write about and who will be involved in the process can help a cover letter stand out, as can keywords to improve readability.

Cover letters do take time and effort to write, but, when completed, can make the difference between an ignored application and an accepted candidate.

 

 

We’ve had all the fun. We’ve been to concerts and movies. We’ve spent time with family. We’ve hung out with old friends and bonded with new acquaintances. For those who don’t do much socializing, we’ve had our me-time and enough rest. But like all good things, now it has come to an end. Spring break is over and now we must all go back to the busy school lives we lived before the break. It’s now time quit checking Reddit reviews and check out what Nerdify reviews team suggests to get that assignment done. Just how difficult can that be? For most people, it’s quite the task. You see, making the transition back to the life you were only glad to take a breather from just some weeks ago is daunting for several reasons. The biggest factor, however, is the fact that you have to mentally reinvigorate and recalibrate your mind and body to go back to old routines and ways of doing things, even though your body loves the fun and won’t readily cooperate with you immediately. Anyways, the school won’t wait for your body and mind to come around, will it? That leaves you with no option but to consciously whip your mind and body into shape. The next part of this blog post will give you 5 tips that can help motivate you and keep the anxieties away as you return to school.

1. Plan Ahead

One way to keep the anxieties away and prepare your mind for a return to college life is by putting plans in place beforehand. This will send subtle messages to your subconscious and begin to put you in the mood for a return back to school. But that’s not the only reason to plan your return to school. Clearing the hurdles and making your transition smooth is also important for other reasons. If you work while in school, for example, you might want to draw up a new schedule to meet up with both school and work obligations.

You could also talk to your advisor and ask for your syllabus to have an idea of how much work is involved in the coursework for the rest of the school year.

2. Re-establish Your Routine

Before spring break, you most likely had a schedule you were following. You had a routine that helped you plan your time between all the activities you’re involved with in college. Now that spring break has come to an end, you might want to pick up that routine again, or draw up a new one in tandem with your coursework, social and other activities for the rest of the year.

Try getting into this routine some days before school resumes. This will help put your body in shape for what’s to come.

3. Quit Procrastinating

According to stats, only about 56 percent of people who enroll for a degree will see it to the finish. Scary stats right? But have you ever asked yourself why this stat exists?

It takes discipline, focus, and diligence to start a degree and complete it. A lot of this will be hinged on knowing the right things to do and doing them at the right time. To whip your mind into shape, you must do everything possible to stay true to your plans and routines. Every time you postpone or procrastinate, you do not only put your own goals in danger, but you’re also sending the wrong signals to your brain.

4. Set Attainable Goals

It is not just enough to create a new routine or continue with the old one, it is also important to give yourself a believable “why?”. Why should you follow this routine? Why should you attend this 8 AM class? What will this coursework add to your life? Setting attainable goals will help you answer the “why?” questions. These goals will be the fuel in your jet for days when you won’t feel up to them. For days when you will wake up and feel like there’s no point in trying. These goals will keep you on your feet and motivated.

5. Be Mindful

It’s the post-spring break. The classes will begin to pour in thick and fast. You’ll have assignments pouring in from all angles. Thankfully for you, you have a “why”, you have a routine, you have set the right priorities, but now you need to be mindful as well. Mindfulness should be a key component if you want to have a fantastic continuation of your school year. It’ll take a certain level of calm and clarity to get your head back in the right place. Look for a quiet place and consciously reset your mind to align with the goals you have set for your return to school.

Now that you’ve read this article, I’m sure going back to school now doesn’t look so daunting anymore. Beyond that, putting all these in place shows how serious and determined you are to end the school year on a high. Sometimes in life, that could be the difference between success and failure— the right attitude towards the important things. Now you can go back to sifting through school assignments, Nerdify reviews, Reddit reviews, and other aspects of your life. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to have fun!