Living in a dormitory can be difficult. From sharing a single room with another person to relying on the commons for your meals, living in a dorm is usually a huge lifestyle change for most people.

Other drawbacks to on-campus living include using a community bathroom, a community washer/drier, and not having much say as to what sort of light bulbs you can use. This lack of choices can make being “green” more difficult. Still, there are small and simple changes you can make to be a little more environmentally conscious.

1. Beware of “Vampire” electronics

While plugged in, some electronics will still draw electricity (hence the name “vampire.”) You can avoid this by either unplugging unused electronics (think of your Xbox or iPhone charger) when you’re not using it. You can also buy anadvanced power strip to help limit the amount of electricity pulled.

2. Reduce the amount of shower time

Each minute in the shower equates to about 2 gallons. So, a 30 minute shower can equal to about 60 gallons of water! I am so guilty of taking long showers and I’m sure many others are. Reducing your shower time even to 15, or even 20, minutes can seriously reduce the amount of water you use!

 3. Limit your AC usage

Ok, so I know what you’re thinking: “we live in Florida, there is no way that I can go without air conditioning.” Still, there are plenty of months and evenings that are cool enough where you can open your window instead. Allowing fresh air in is not only relaxing, but also helps reduce electricity use.

4. Walk around DeLand

It takes about 15 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of gasoline. Stetson’s campus and DeLand itself is so small that we don’t truly need to drive to get mostly anywhere, including downtown. Enjoy the outdoors and trying walking downtown to the farmer’s market on Fridays.

5. Turn off your lights

Despite being a given to turn off the lights before going to sleep, many of us forget to turn off all of our lights before leaving the room. From the fairy lights, to the bulbs in your closet to even the fluorescents in your bathroom, it only takes another five seconds to check and make sure your lights are off before you rush out the door.

These are only a small portion of options of how you can be more eco-friendly while still living on campus. Feel free to comment below some of your favorite ways to go green. Happy Green Friday!