Adjusting to college life is a challenging journey for everyone, not just for first-year students. Skills like time management, budgeting and managing mental health aren't mastered overnight. They're skills we all have to work on every day.
Understanding this struggle, DePauw’s Counseling Services, Libraries and Housing & Residence Life (HRL) have launched “College Hacks,” a series of events designed to help students adapt to the challenges of college life.
Leading these sessions are Emily Hoffman, DePauw’s mental health educator and licensed occupational therapist, Rachel Haines Cowart, HRL coordinator, and Kayla Birt Flegal, access services librarian. “College Hacks” meets every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Room 117 of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and will continue until Dec. 25. The sessions are open to everyone, providing a safe space for people to support each other and develop essential life skills through engaging activities.
“This is not your ordinary drop-in group,” Hoffman said. “We make sure each session is fun, interactive, and very engaging.”
Topics range from time management and goal setting to financial literacy and conflict management. The series also includes unique activities, such as playing Mario Kart to understand habits and creating vision board collages. The session on writing letters to your future self, held on Sept. 5, was a huge success.
Thien Truong ‘27 joined the recent event and shared, “As a sophomore, I still have a hard time balancing school and everything else.” “I’m really impressed with ‘College Hacks’ because, with the busy nature of everyday life, finding time to reflect on yourself and share with others can be tough.”
“College Hacks” aims not only to build a community where students can learn academic and post-graduation life skills but also to support them during their ups and downs at DePauw.
“Too often, students feel as though they are alone in figuring out how to ‘adult,’” Hoffman explained. “Through ‘College Hacks,’ we aim to increase conversations around and the acquisition of important life skills.”
However, opening up and joining an event might be hard for some students, and that’s completely understandable. Hoffman emphasized how welcoming the group is and how fun and safe the space is. “Students can engage in activities and discussions at their comfort level. We encourage them to give it a try—they might make a new friend, learn more about themselves, and take away valuable information,” she said. “This is not clinical group therapy, and we’re always open to meeting with students to discuss the format of the group and answer any questions before they attend.”
College Hacks will continue throughout the fall semester, with upcoming sessions including time management consultations, setting boundaries with roommates, and financial literacy workshops. Whether students are looking to improve their study skills, set personal goals, or simply figure out how to navigate college life, College Hacks provides a supportive space for growth and learning. Everyone faces their own challenges, whether you're a first-year student stepping into college for the first time, an international student far from home, or a senior feeling the weight of graduation. College Hacks is the key to help you through it.
For more information or to sign up for individual consultations, students are welcome to reach out to Emily Hoffman at emilyhoffman@depauw.edu.