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Time spent travelling back and forth from college in metro is perhaps, the worst waste of time as a student. Here are a few suggestions to utilise that time better.

It is not new knowledge that students at the University of Delhi (DU) travel from far off places. We all have a friend (or are the friend) who comes from the peripheries of Noida, Gurgaon, Dwarka, and Ghaziabad in metros. Unfortunately, that also means that there’s almost a three-hour long travel waiting every day. The hours in the metro almost all go to waste. However, here are a few ways you can use your metro hours better-

Read books:

It is rightly said that books are everyone’s best companion. Reading is not only a form of entertainment but also, an exercise for the brain. There are books on everything under the sun, be it on romance, or on how to become the next billionaire. Small book shops can also be found near Metro Stations, such as the one in front of the Vishwavidhayala metro station, where books are usually available at a much cheaper price.

If carrying heavy books in your already heavy bag isn’t your thing, you can also invest in an E-Book reader, or download the various apps that are available to read on your phone. Not only are they convenient to use, but also usually provide books on heavy discounts.

Watch a TV show:

Through the various apps available for your phone, watching shows has never been easier. One of the easiest forms of entertainment, watching TV shows is a perfect way to pass your time and get into something new. Travel time provides the perfect opportunity for you to finally watch Sacred Games and shut up all the friends who’ve been asking you to watch it only to hear you say, “time kaha hai.”

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, all provide a wide variety of content to download and binge on. Depending on how long your travel is, you could catch up on (or re-watch) the twenty-minute episodes of Friends or the hour-long Game of Thrones.

Listen to podcasts/audiobooks:

If you would rather prefer to gaze outside the window or observe the funny kid in the metro, you can do so while listening to podcasts. Recently gained popularity, podcasts are audio episodes which are recorded as a part of a series. There are podcasts on history, food, comedy, news, fashion, and practically everything else. Usually available for free, you can download apps specifically meant for podcasts or listen to them on music apps like iTunes or Spotify.

Image Credits: — *Image Credits*: Lopscoop

If you are into reading but don’t have the patience, you can also explore audiobooks, that has your favourite books read to you by someone. Takes less energy and can also make the story come alive, if read well.

Learn a new language:

You’ve perhaps been planning a backpacking trip in France and need to brush up on your French, or want to learn Japanese to understand your favourite anime better. What better time to finally learn a new language than in the metro? Apps like Duolingo have daily 10 to 20-minute tutorials where you can learn any language you want. Travel hours provide the perfect space for you to learn and practice new languages. And being multilingual is always an attractive trait!

1 (1) — *Image Credits*: Indian Institute of Legal Studies

Finish your assignments and reading:

Contrary to popular opinion, hours in the metro can be used to finish your assignments and readings. It gives you an extra edge over your procrastinating self and you don’t have to slog much when you get back home. Use the travel time in the morning to finish the assignment you have to submit that very day and haven’t started yet. it can even be used to revise the morning before your exams. Not to forget, also leaves you feeling accomplished and productive for the day.

Sleep:

When nothing works out, sleep! Use this time to catch up on your precious sleep before you go back home and get back to work. Be mindful of your surroundings though, lest you end up missing your station, or worse, your wallet!

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Satviki sanjay

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It’s that time of the year again when the week-long break is what all college students wait for. The mid-sem break is the perfect time to rouse those latent hobbies and interests that can keep you from dropping out, till the next mid semester. Here is how you can utilise the break effectively.

We, as college students are very busy during the semester with classes, assignments, friends, and internships. It becomes difficult to have time for everything that needs to be done. When break comes around, we have a lot of time for ourselves .However, it is important to use this time wisely and to stay focused. Here are a few things which can help:

Spend time with your family – As an outstation student, one rarely gets time to visit his/her family. Even if you commute, college life can get so busy that you do not get to spend as much time as you would like to with your family. Holiday breaks are a perfect time to spend time with your family. Spend time together and tell each other what is going on in your lives.

Catch up with friends from school – With a hectic college schedule, it becomes difficult to keep a track of all the friends from high school. Still, social media has helped us stay connected with some. Mid-sem break is the perfect time to catch up and remember all the crazy stuff you have done in your school days.

Pick up a hobby – When was the last time you thought of playing the violin? Though you might have lost touch with your hobbies or pastimes, it’s never too late to start again.

Sleep – Sleep can seem evasive when you are busy with college and assignments. We tend to stay up late, trying complete assignments which we were unable to do during the day. Over break, make a point to catch up on sleep. It may be tempting to stay up late, but catching up on sleep will help you renergise for the next few weeks.

Update your resume or start making one – This week long break is the perfect time to add all the volunteer activities and internships you have done in the semester. It is important to update your resume so that you look as great as possible when you go for job interviews, or even scholarships.

Read something apart from your course books -Haven’t picked up a novel in the last four months? With the mounting pile of course work, multiple readings for the same topic, classes, a dozen societies and some socialising squeezed in between, reading for leisure has been pushed into a corner somewhere at the back of our minds, where we know we would like to read that book, but just haven’t got around to actually doing it. Pick some novels or articles this mid-sem break and enhance your knowledge.

As it is said, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ However, it is only through making concrete, time-bound plans that you will be able to accomplish all you want this break, and nothing is more satisfying than a period where one can proudly claim of time well-spent.

Feature Image Credits: Surewinner

Anoushka Sharma

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