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How I live sustainably as a student
During the school year, I live in an apartment just off campus.
Travel
- I bike 10 minutes to campus on days where snow isn't on the ground
- I walk when I can't bike--I don't own a car (and I can't drive). I just bought Yaktrax, which are spikes you can strap to your shoes, so that I can avoid slipping on icy sidewalks.
- I typically take a charter bus to and from where my family lives in NYC.
Food
I eat mostly vegetarian out of convenience, because preparing meat is time-consuming and means a lot of cleaning. It's hard for me to get to a grocery store sometimes, because I don't have a car. There is a small sustainable (!) student co-op grocery on campus that I can get bulk goods, in-season vegetables, and other staples from--but nothing specialty.
- I eat a lot of dry lentils and beans since they're good sources of protein. Eggs too.
- I use a variety of different combinations of spices and sauces in my cooking so that I don't get bored if I have to eat the same base ingredients a couple times in a row.
- I try to consolidate grocery trips with other people if they're already going, so that I save the extra trip of carbon.
- I drink lots of loose-leaf tea!
- I forage sometimes! What you can forage in your area depends on the season--I picked wild blackberries for jam in August, and hunted hen-of-the-woods (maitake) mushroom in September-October. Make sure that you are sure of what you're picking before you eat anything you forage. I recommend borrowing/buying foraging guides.
- I keep a bin for compost in my freezer. When it's full, I take it out to the compost of my former dorm.
Studying supplies
I have a phone, a laptop, and a tablet with a pen for note-taking and studying, but I also use pencil and paper for a lot of my work.
- My current planner notebook is a composition book my little brother used for second-grade English years and years ago. I turned it upside down and started from the back!
- I haven't bought a pen in years--they're so easy to find just lying around lecture halls when people lose them.
- I replaced my phone battery when it felt like it was draining really fast. It was super easy with the help of a Youtube video.
Clothing and Hair
My appearance is a big part of how I express myself. I'm lucky enough that my college town has a great selection of thrift stores to shop from, so I have a lot of inspiration and options.
- Lately, I've been trying to cut down on buying clothes entirely and wearing what I already have.
- I swap a lot of clothes with my friends and at my old dorm there happens to be a standing clothing swap, so sometimes I don't even have to buy clothes.
- I keep my hair short, so I have to cut it often. I recently learned how to cut my own hair, so I usually borrow clippers from a friend to cut my hair. If I make a mistake, I can always shave it all off.
- I plan outfits to wear for the week so I don't feel like I don't have clothes.
- Whenever I really want a specific article of clothing, I go to Ebay! Ebay has so much at low prices.
- I repair my clothing when it tears (which is often!). Sewing is super easy to learn and can greatly prolong the life of your garments.
Recreation
- I listen to a lot of audiobooks which I borrow from my library on the Overdrive app.
- I love to hike, and I'm lucky enough that my college town has a LOT of hiking trails. It's really calming and beautiful.
