You asked:

What are some ways I can conserve energy at school?

There are several smart ways to reduce your impact on the environment -- and your wallet -- during your college years.

Reuse instead of recycle Switch to a reusable water bottle, even if you always recycle your plastic bottles. (Remember, reusing is always better than recycling.) I save money by skipping bottled water and heading to the water fountain instead. My water filter has a permanent place of honor in my fridge.

Be thrifty When it comes to reusing, thrift stores are always an entertaining and cheap option for shopping -- especially for party and Halloween costumes. For instance, I was able to put together a great vampire ensemble for $9 by pairing an ’80s prom dress with a vampire cloak.

Line dry For clothes, use a drying rack to save the money and electricity it takes to run the dryer.

Better your battery life span Taking care of your laptop, cell phone, iPod and camera batteries means you’ll use less energy recharging, trash fewer dead batteries and avoid buying replacements. For nickel-based batteries, occasionally let the charge run out to maintain the maximum energy capacity when recharging and extend the battery’s overall life. Lithium-ion batteries -- found in iPods, most phones and newer laptops -- don’t need to be drained before recharging. That said, all types of rechargeable batteries have a finite number of recharges, so plug in only when necessary. And all batteries fare better in fair weather, so avoid storing electronics in extreme temperatures, like near a radiator.

Prevent power leakage Many electronic appliances, such as your TV, use a small amount of power even when they are turned off. Unplug or use a power strip (and its off switch) to plug the power leak.

Preserve printing products Printing on both sides will save on paper costs, and many printers and computers have settings that use less ink. Better yet, think twice about printing at all.

So there you have it -- plenty of awesome ways to go green (and save a little green).

Name: Liz Cruger
School: College of William and Mary
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology and English lit
Her deal: This is Liz’s second year as an R.A. for freshmen. She is also involved in several campus activities, including pep band and the belly dance club.

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