College is f--king expensive.

What if there was a way to cut the cost by living minimally -- but ultimately find yourself richer for the experience? Juniata College senior Dylan Miller seems to have found one avenue: He's spent the past seven months living in a hut he built for himself in the Pennsylvania forests by his school.

MTV News spoke to Dylan, who is studying English and philosophy at Juniata. "I started the project around mid-June [of 2014], and I planned/built it myself with the exception of about five separate days when I had friends offer to help me," he told us. "I did it as a tool for self-discipline and challenging my mental fortitude."

The hut -- made purely from trees, with the exception of a tarp for the roof -- took Dylan about two months to build. He used no power tools and only a handsaw to cut the wood. While he says this was challenging, he found that through his struggle, he gained strength. "I used obstacles as tools for patience, so they therefore ceased to be obstacles," he said.

So what drove Dylan to become Thoreau in his senior year? While he certainly drew inspiration from his favorite nature-loving literary influences, like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David, the project was largely an experiment in personal fulfillment.

"I think if everyone started from where they were at and cut down on attachments to material goals and possessions, it would benefit the health of the planet and the happiness of its people," Dylan said.

It didn't hurt that he saved about $4,000 per semester living in the hut.

Dylan said he would recommend the project to anyone, college student or not -- maybe not the "living in the woods" part, but the general philosophy behind it.

"One doesn't need to live in the woods to simplify their life," he said. "I'm now convinced [simplicity] is actually necessary for a stable, authentic happiness that is independent from external influences."