Keeping Up with The Current College Trends: What’s in?

Trends in the college landscape are always changing. It can be hard to keep up with them since time is always going by and new trends will come and go. So, with that being said, what is “in” right now in terms of college trends?

New Trends in Clothing

Students who attend university are always staying on top of the latest trends within fashion. Given the growth of online fashion blogs and fashion related Youtubers, college students are able to stay on top of trends quite easily, whether that be through Instagram or other social media platforms.

Styles are also different depending on which region you are attending school in, and students will likely dress similarly to other university students. For instance, down south, t-shirts and shorts will be worn more often, while up north, bean boots, Patagonia (designer outdoor clothing), and flannels might be worn. New trends will be geared toward what climate you are attending school in.

Wherever you end up going to school, you will see other college students participate in new trends. Being exposed to other college students’ fashion choices could influence what you may want to buy for yourself. (1) A lot of people express themselves by what they wear. When attending a school, you will most likely want to identify yourself with others, so you may dress the same as your peers.

Focus on Fitness

Fitness has become a major aspect of a lot of college students’ lives. (2) With the rise of Instagram, and the fitness accounts within the platform, everyone wants to work out and look good doing so. This ties in directly to new trends with clothing as well, as brands such as Fabletics gain popularity.

Putting a focus on fitness can actually help college students stay on top of things. Making a getaway to the gym can be a great and healthy way to get your mind off studying for the time being.

This can be a better, more productive way to take a break from your schoolwork. Also, keeping your mind and body healthy will boost your mood and improve overall productivity.

With a lot of students choosing on-campus meal plans and dining options, there can be a lot of healthy options for them to choose from. (3) There are lots of different types of foods offered in these environments, so it has the potential to be what students make of it. For this reason, it can help students who are more focused on healthy eating and fitness.

Depending on how nice a college’s gym infrastructure is, it can also make a great hangout for sports and active activities. A lot of college students enjoy getting together with their friends to play basketball, soccer, football, etc. Even if you are not part of a school sport, there are often club sports and Intramurals that anyone can join to play sports with less pressure.

Technology & E-Sports

Technology is something that has completely changed higher education and will continue to do so moving forward. A lot of classes are now offered online, as teachers have plenty of technological resources at their fingertips.

Technology has also offered a wide array of new majors for students to choose from as they pursue a degree. Lastly, college students are following the growth of E-Sports and figures within that space.

Online classes can be great for students who do well with technology and manage their time well. Not having to meet for in-person meetings gives you more freedom and independence regarding your class responsibilities.

Technology has also created a wide range of high-paying majors that students can chose from for their degree. For students who do well with technology and are interested in learning skills within the space, this is awesome.

Some of these majors include computer science, cyber security, data analytics, data science, information technology management, network systems administration, software application development, and web programming.

The majority of technology majors are also high paying, considering that they demand a highly specialized skillset and the work is in high demand. This puts technology-focused students in a good position by the time they graduate to become financially independent.

E-Sports have become highly popular and lots of college students are interested in the space. With the growth of streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, if you have a decent computer and some games, you can start your own E-Sports venture.

One of the major trends within video games and E-Sports is the growth in popularity of battle royale games. These include the likes of Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, Apex, and many others. These games are free to download, which make them attractive to college students who do not want to spend tons of money on video games.

Financial Literacy and Smart Spending

With the growth in free finance apps on our smartphones, it has become a growing trend for students in higher education is to be smarter with their money. Some examples of these include investing, budgeting, and savings apps.

The most popular investing app that is used by a lot of college students is Robinhood. Robinhood is a free-to-use investing app, which is the main appeal for college students. It also has an inviting and simplistic interface that is easy for students to use.

There is a wide array of budgeting apps that are free for students to use, and most of them offer the same underlying features. These make it easier for students to budget and spend smarter, since they are using their phones anyway, and now they can use them to be more productive.

Another app that has gained popularity among college students is Acorns. Acorns could be considered a savings app, but it invests the savings for you as well. The app connects to your debit and credit cards and rounds up purchases for you. The rounded-up change is automatically saved and invested for you, so it takes all of the thinking and effort out of the process.

Apps aside, there are some costs associated with college. A big expense that many university students face is having to pay for textbooks. Each semester there are new classes, meaning there are new textbooks that need to be purchased. Instead of going through your school’s bookstore, you can check out other resources. Some of these resources include Amazon, Chegg, and SlugBooks.

Books do not need to be purchased brand new either. Even if college students prefer to go through their college’s bookstore, they often have the option to either rent the book or buy a used copy. Saving money on books by using outside resources or by renting/buying used can allow you to save more money. We have an article with more on this here.

Working Smarter not Harder

College students are always finding ways for themselves to be more efficient as they go through their classes. Whether this be computer programs to help them with papers, collaborative work software, or setting up a task manager system, students have become great at working in a smarter way.

One example of students using computer programs to help them be more efficient is using Grammarly. While some versions of the software cost money, college students are usually willing to pay for it if it makes their grades better and classes easier. This software uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to correct errors and make your papers better written overall.

Another great example is college students using Chegg Study to help them out with their classes. Chegg Study is a paid service that gives students access to textbook solutions and expert Q&A to help them through their classwork.

Task management software has also become popular among students, as it leverages technology to keep them organized and timely. There is a wide array of free software that can manage tasks for students, as well as paid/premium versions of software that will give them even more features.

When college students are working collaboratively, whether it be through group assignments or just helping each other study, it is helpful to use Google Drive. Google Drive includes Docs, Slides and other platforms. On Microsoft Word, it is hard to work at the same time as your peers on assignments, but with Google Drive, everyone can access the work and work simultaneously.

College Hunks Hauling Junk

College Hunks Hauling Junk is a moving business that has gained popularity recently, employing college students to help people with moving. While they are not available all around the United States, they do service a lot of areas in the country and have recently began servicing the Dallas, TX area.

College Hunks Hauling Junk also offers a service that helps students move in and out of school. So not only is the business employing college students, but it is also helping students move to school or back home.

The appeal of using this moving service is that the movers have very friendly attitudes and have the lowest damage claim rate in the moving business. Having them help you move can make for a more fun and enjoyable moving process.

Internships and Online Networking

The way that students are approaching internships has changed over time. Rather than something that is saved for juniors and seniors, people of all ages are doing internships. What was once just seen as an in at a company, is now regarded as a valuable learning experience and something to showcase on your resume.

Even students who are in high school are doing internships so that it gives them a head start. Besides, they can always elect to do a second internship down the road, either in the same field or a different one they are interested in.

Technology has changed the way that professionals interact and display themselves, and college students are at the center of this. The growth of use in LinkedIn has increased digital networking and has created a new way for college students to connect with employers and other professionals.

Professors now encourage their students to create LinkedIn profiles and to connect with them. Not only does LinkedIn help students obtain internships and jobs, but it also provides a way for them to keep in touch with students and professors, as well as build connections in their industry.

More and more recruiters and human resources professionals are now using LinkedIn to scout out future employees. There are also extensive job listings on the LinkedIn platform that can help students from a variety of different fields of study.

New Majors

New college majors will always be responsible for molding the culture of campuses. This is because different majors attract different types of people with different interests. As a result of this, college campuses are becoming more diverse in terms of interests of their students.

These new majors are popping up due to changes in technology and changes in the ways that businesses operate. These changes call for new skills and specializations, and college students are gravitating towards those opportunities.

Often these new majors are things that college students are more acclimated to because they grew up with technology as a part of their lives. A prime example of this is social media. Companies are increasing their presence on social media because it is a great marketing channel. This is great for today’s students because they grew up with social media in their lives, and they know how to leverage its reach.

Some of the new majors that are available and are growing in popularity include: Social Media, Nanotechnology, Game Design/Development, Computer Security, and Cultural Studies. Most of the newer majors are technology based, which is mainly due to the rapid development of technology. Here is our current analysis of top majors in Texas.

The new demand for a Game Design/Development directly ties to growth in E-Sports that was discussed earlier. There is a growing demand for new video games, and the sector as a whole is growing rapidly. This attracts college students who are tech savvy and have a passion for gaming.

When you think of someone who is a hacker, you may think of some guy who lives in his mom’s basement drinking mountain dew typing away. The reality is that hackers are a real threat, and companies are willing to pay a lot of money to keep their online infrastructure protected.

Often times students within this field will end up working to keep user and consumer information protected, which make them very important in our current technology heavy consumer landscape.

Graduation Gifts

A lot of the graduation gifts that have become popular revolve around trends that we have already discussed. As I am sure you can imagine, technology related products have become popular among graduation gift ideas. Another gift idea that has been trending is gym memberships, so that graduates can stay fit as they lose access to their school gyms. Professional clothes for a graduate’s wardrobe are a practical gift idea that will come in handy. Lastly, money is a tried and true gift that graduates are always grateful to receive.

Some of the popular technology gifts include laptops, cameras, and voice assistants. A laptop is very useful at this time, because their school laptop is most likely bogged down with lots of files and old hardware. Getting a new, faster laptop is great for them going into the professional universe.

A camera is also great for graduates so that they can start documenting their life as an adult. While there are nice built in cameras on their smartphones, an actual camera will have superior quality and look great on Instagram. AI Voice Assistant products are also a great gift, as a lot of graduates will be moving into their first home or apartment, and this can be a great addition to that new space.

A new gym membership as graduates move on from there college gyms can make for a great graduation gift. If fitness is something that influenced their life at school, then make sure that they have the set up to keep that fit life going beyond college.

Professional clothes are always a welcome gift for a graduate, and they will definitely come in handy for them. Recent college graduates will have plenty of occasions that are business casual or full on professional, and they need to have a wardrobe that is ready for those occasions.

While a lot of people think that money is not a thoughtful or acceptable gift, it can actually come off as very thoughtful for graduates. Sometimes the best answer is the simplest, and the reality is that graduates need money. Whether they need to have a backup for student loan payments, they need to get something fixed on their car, or they need help paying some of their bills, money will take some stress off their shoulders.

Keeping up With Changing Trends

College trends are always changing, and they shape how students interact and spend their years in school. Technology is at the forefront of these cultural shifts and it changes students’ lives for the better. It has been connected to almost every changing trend that we have talked about, which just goes to show that technology often leads change.

We are also seeing the growth in services such as College Hunks Hauling Junk, which not only employs college students but serves college students as well. College trends will always change, so in order to keep up with them you must stay connected and informed.