6 Facebook life hacks that will get you through university

The key to surviving a hectic year at university: Facebook.

Ah yes, the university jitters. Those feelings of anxiety that go back and forth as you make your new home for the next few years. The list of questions you ask yourself over and over again—how will I get around? How long will it take to make new friends? How do I make a good impression?

Well, as someone who has felt more or less all of the above, I can say with confidence that settling in was made all the more easier by Facebook. And I’m going to share with you how to use it to make your life at university run as smoothly as possible.

Find people with similar interests

Join Facebook groups. Before you even reach your university. Groups for accommodation and courses are useful in helping you get to know the people you’re going to live and study with better. It definitely reduces anxiety. There are also societies—whether it’s boxing, board games or breakdancing, finding people with similar interests becomes a walk in the park if you join their respective groups online.

It’s also a great catalyst for making new friends.

Scoop the best bargain

You’re a student. You’re probably not too flush for cash. So you’re going to need to find the best deals possible when buying household items—especially after spending a tonne on textbooks. Well, Facebook Marketplace allows you to scour the site for the best deals on the things you’ll really need—a laptop, a lamp, that Barry Manilow CD you wanted for Christmas.

Maybe you’ve got some things you’d like to get rid of—well the market allows you to sell items too. More money for that concert you want to go to.

Privacy and ads

In the first few weeks, you’re going to meet a lot of new people. Use the Privacy Checkup tool in your settings to make sure they don’t see that video of you dancing to ABBA. Not yet anyway.

To avoid a plethora of vaguely related adverts go to ‘privacy shortcuts’ in ‘settings & privacy’ and select ‘ad preferences’. No more odd adverts. You’re welcome.

Save yourself from inevitable procrastination

Sometimes chats can get busy. Very busy. Saving yourself from the onslaught of messages may be a blessing when deadlines approach. Hit that snooze button to pause updates for 30 days.

Think before you share

This one speaks for itself. If you’re about to upload something that you think could get someone into trouble, check Facebook’s Community Standards.

Know how to report scams

Be wary of any adverts that look too good to be true—they might be scams. To protect yourself from such, make sure you report anything odd. This is done by clicking onto the three dots on the top right corner of the advert. You then click ‘report ad’. You could be helping other people out too.