Five ways to keep up with news in college

Let’s face it, when you’re in school, it’s easy to get stuck in your own little bubble. Between classes, midterms, clubs and social activities, there is barely any time to sleep, let alone keep up with the news. However, being a busy college student isn’t an excuse for not being informed. It’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the rest of the world not only to engage with other people, but also to be able to make smart, responsible decisions for yourself.

Below are five tips on how to squeeze time in your day to learn some current events:

1. Download a news app that can give you daily updates
I’ve actually never opened my CNN app to search for news because the app conveniently gives me notifications every day. Whenever an interesting story pops up that catches my eye, I can just click on it, and the app will take me directly to the article. The interface is also quite user-friendly, so I have no problem reading straight from my phone. My other suggestions for news apps are Tweetbot and Twitterific, BBC, Yahoo News Digest.
2. Listen to NPR while driving
I know it’s tempting to jam out to top 40 songs, but you don’t always have to listen to music when the radio is on. Even if you’re just going on a short drive to the grocery store, tune into some news or even podcasts to get your daily scoop. My personal favorite is NPR’s TED Radio Hour, which I listen to on my way to work for some extra inspiration in the morning.

3. Subscribe to a magazine or newspaper
Because I’m a business major, my dad has subscribed me to Entrepreneur, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal since my freshman year. Now that I’m finally reading all three of these on a consistent basis, I can admit that I’ve become 10 times more business-savvy and business-minded. Even flipping through some of these articles will help you when you’re in an interview because you can cite information about new trends and breakthroughs in different industries. Win-win!

4. Watch the stories on Snapchat’s Discover feature
If you’re a visual person, you can find interesting news videos just by tapping through stories on Snapchat. Besides CNN, Snapchat also features content from Cosmopolitan and ESPN, which users can click through to keep up with the latest events in celebrity gossip and the sports arena.
5. Read the Daily Trojan, of course!
Last but not least, our student-run newspaper is a great source of information for what’s going on in the community. The Daily Trojan features articles about a range of topics, from construction for the new USC Village, to student debates about this year’s presidential election. Whatever you’re interested in, you can flip through our paper for all things related to USC, as well as the greater Los Angeles area and beyond.