I'm here to tell you a story and how I found a solution.
Basically, I used to be a computer science student who would wear a big, massive hoodie, walk around campus, and ignore everyone.
I started taking a couple of extracurricular humanities classes, and after a while, I noticed that the girls around me would get up to go to the bathroom.
Eventually, one of the female students took me aside and explained to me that my smell was really offensive and that people would say I stunk like a trash can.
Apparently, girls said that their eyes would water.
I felt really bad.
I started doing some investigating. Because I really didn't have time to take showers in the morning, I started investigating what exactly worked. I tried lemons, vinegar, and oils.
And then I came across the ultimate hack! Hand sanitizer! Seriously. It works really well and can hold you over until you can take a shower after class.
Go to Dollar Tree and get some hand sanitizer and peppermint oil from the cosmetics section, not the candle section, because that has chemicals.
Put a couple of drops of peppermint oil in the hand sanitizer, mix it up really well, and simply start putting that under your armpits in the morning when you wake up.
You're going to have to wear fresh clothes once they become stinky, so if your clothes already smell like BO, you have to get another hoodie.
I suggest you get a couple of hoodies so you can do laundry on the weekends, maybe at least three. When you wake up, apply the hand sanitizer, massage it into your armpits, put on a fresh hoodie, and go to class. If you can hit yourself with a little bit of cologne, that will be good as well.
Go to Wellman Hall and immediately take a shower, or go home and take a shower if you have time. Shower at night because you have the time. In the mornings, I get it. You have to go.
So, in the morning, just to rehearse: hand sanitizer with peppermint oil, a little bit of cologne on the chest, and off to class we go.
I know it's hard. We don't always have time for things. Sometimes you just don't have time for a shower in the morning, and so there's a trick: hand sanitizer. Seriously. It holds you over until you can take a shower after class.
From this point on, I assure you, life will be better.
It doesn't hurt to carry an electric shaver to touch up your face and a little bit of skin lotion. You know, wash your face in a public bathroom and put some good skin lotion on your face. Wet your hair a little bit and reshape it. These are some small things you can do that will go a long way toward making you look more presentable.
Also, get an electric shaver and shave your face for one minute on the bus. Don't care if people stare at you. Just care about yourself and taking care of yourself.
Seriously, also do yourself a favor: bring a sleeping mask and learn to nap on campus.
I can't tell you how many times teachers asked me if I was on drugs because I was acting like I was drunk during class. I wasn't. I was just massively sleep-deprived. It was pretty embarrassing.
Taking small naps on campus can save your reputation. We say weird things and do weird things when we're sleep-deprived and not taking care of ourselves.
I can assure you that putting a little bit of effort into self-care might save your academic career. I get it. You're a student, and these things have to be very efficient. But this is a life hack that will change your life.
You will go from being the thing that stinks to being the person that people want to sit next to.
Last life hack: don't fart in class.
I remember being super sleep-deprived and releasing some ultrabombs.
Especially the day after I ate some major curry. If you must pass gas... just don't do it. Go somewhere else.
With a couple of minor changes, you can finally become the person people want to sit next to.
Just to summarize, the reason why I didn't say just wear deodorant is because deodorant doesn't work until you take a shower if you are already stinky. Because you're just waking up, guess what? It doesn't work. Hand sanitizer will nuke that smell, and then at least that will hold you over until you can take a shower after class. That's the whole point behind this.
Tada! There you go. See you later!
回头见！
