Meanwhile

Happy Monday everyone!

Dress: Rent The Runway// Heels: Kohls// Necklace: the Limited (old)

You might be missing some posts from me this week! Last week started with a tickle in my throat, and now I found out I have bronchitis. Not just any bronchitis, a strain that is supposed to last three weeks. This past weekend was my sorority formal and senior tea. The first half of this week will be spent in a crisis simulation for my capstone course, and the second half will be spent on my internship portfolio and final project papers!

Due to the fact that I sound like I'm coughing up my right lung every three minutes, I'm not sure how much blogging will get done because rest and school work are my top priorities this week!

How was your weekend? Do you have finals this week or school still? I have 2 weeks of classes left before finals!


xoxo

Finals Tips

Dare I say it? It's time once again for finals. The spring semester can be especially brutal because it's starting to get nice out and harder to concentrate.

Here are my best tips for staying focused and acing your exams.

Eat Healthy & Schedule Exercises// Eating healthy and exercising will actually keep your energy up, and help you stay alert during study sessions, group meetings and your actual test.

Have a Daily Schedule// This may seem weird, but map out your day. Don't over schedule yourself, but give yourself time blocks to study and complete group work.

Work 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break//  This is the easiest way to study for hours and not have your neuro pathways fried. A break could be painting your nails, socializing with a friend, or watching one of your favorite Youtube videos!

Switch Up Locations//  Don't just sit at your favorite table at the library! Go to a little coffee shop, or study outside. It can actually help you concentrate.

Have a Study Kit// When you go to study, bring all your books and notes for your scheduled study time. Also have on hand: flashcards, highlighters, different colored pens, extra paper, and extra pencils. Make sure to also have snacks, water, and money for coffee!


Good luck with your exams! What are your favorite study tips?


xoxo

Fall Semester Finals Survival Guide

Honestly finals are tough for more than just academic purposes. They're so close to Christmas, and you usually don't have that much time in between Thanksgiving and the start of finals to do much. You're worried about packing for home, seeing you friends, buying Christmas presents and more. Here is how I get through finals!

Packing & Christmas
Packing during your study breaks! Bring home pjs, whatever clothes are appropriate for your climate and what you'll need for holiday parties!

When it comes to gifts start a list of who you need to buy for and when you'll give it to them. Next start a list of what you should get them. Decided before you leave for Thanksgiving break so that you have time to shop while your at home (in your pjs if you prefer to online shop like me!)

Studying: 
Make sure you know what projects and papers you have to do before you leave for Thanksgiving break! Create a study plan like you did for your mid-terms before you leave so you come back to school somewhat organized.

Not unlike mid-terms, make sure you start a week before. However you might be covering more material than last time. Allocate for that.

Some people may have papers or projects in place of a final, or both. Make sure to be on track with papers and projects before you leave also.

Study like you would any other test, using note cards for vocab and concepts. Highlight important concepts or facts in your notes.

Make sure that you take a deep breath and remember that while school is important, it does not define your worth!

What do you do differently during finals? What are you most excited for during winter break?

xoxo

Back To School: Desk & Study Supplies

Another installment of my back to school series! Today I'll be giving my advice on what study supplies to pack and what you'll want on your desk!

I love study supplies! I'm extremely organized and meticulous when it comes to my notes and study guides. I wanted to give you an idea of what I bring to college with me, and then give you suggestions on which products I buy!

Studying:

Tips!

-Use binders with looseleaf for your classes, that way you can add paper as needed and re-use the binders semester to semester. I suggest 1 inch binders. 

-Use multi-colored pens for color coding notes and your agenda. My favorite are Le Pens.

-Use notecards for vocabulary and studying. 

-Get white out to fix mistakes on your notes and in your agenda.
-Mechanical pencils are great, because you never have to sharpen them! I usually get mine on Amazon, and I love the fact that these are thicker. Make sure to get lead to last you the semester.
-Post-its and a small notebook are great for todo lists and little reminders. Also essential for planning your weeks successfully.


My desk is my safe haven, and I love an organized one. Here are some of my essentials for a great desk and even dresser. Some of these items are also essential for networking.

 Tips!
-Grab a magazine holder to hold small books and important papers.
-Pen holders are great for extra writing utensils
-Notepad for scratch paper and thinking!
-Scissors and a stapler for final papers and projects.
-A fun print from Etsy to liven up your space.
-A tray to hold your jewelry and to put your keys and i.d.
-Thank you cards and plain stationary to send to prospective employers and gift givers.
-Paper clips and binder clips to keep things together and hold your place in your agenda.

Check out Target & Design Darling boutique for the perfect desk supplies!


What else would you have on your lists? When do you leave for school?

xoxo

OOTD Finals

This is basically what you'll see me in for the next week.

Lauren James Shirt /Nike Shorts/ Nike Flip-Flops/ North Face Backpack/ Lilly Agenda / Southern Pro Hat 

Comfort is key. I really could care less about how I look because of how much I'm packing and working on things. But Lauren James and SoPro keep anything classy and cute!

What does your finals week OOTD look like?

xoxo

Packing Tips: Going Home

The end of the year is especially stressful because not only do you have finals, but you have to pack up your room and say good-bye to friends for two to three months!

While packing, there is always that moment where you panic about how all of this stuff fit in your room, and how you're going to pack it all again.

{one} Separate & Label: separate parts of your room: kitchen, desk, nightstand/dresser, closet, and bathroom/toiletries. Than make sure to label what you put in each box. Trust me, when you're trying to figure out what is in each box when you're unpacking you will thank me!

{two} Invest in Plastic Bins: While I use small paper boxes to organize each inside of each bin, plastic bins are a great investment. You'll continue to use them, and they keep your school things dry and safe where ever you have to store them for the summer!

{three} Split Up Packing: With finals and packing it can be difficult to have time. But schedule an hour or two everyday as a study break! Put on your favorite TV show, movie or playlist and just start packing! I always start with the little things, like wall decorations, pictures and trinkets.

Hopefully these help you get started! I know packing is always the most daunting for me because I have no idea how I packed everything in the first place!

Are you home already? How do you find the motivation to pack?

xoxo

Finals Week Essentials

My extended finals week is about 1/3 of the way over. Lots of chocolate, coffee, and time on my MacBook Air is the recipe for my success (hopefully)

Here are some of my essentials for finals week!

Coffee: I limit myself to three cups a day! I usually drink a cup in the morning, a cup around 1 or 2, and one around 5 at night! It's been pretty chilly here, so I've been sticking to the warm version.

Diet Coke: Total White Girl Move, but I limit myself to only 16 ounces a day. This is for when I'm want something bubbly, and cold!

Water: I am almost always drinking something, so my water bottle or mason jar glass is almost always by me. You can easily be dehydrated by all the caffeine you're consuming, and that can make you tired. This is obviously the opposite reason for you drinking all the caffeine you can. Drink some water. You'll thank me.

My Lilly Agenda: Basically my best friend and worst enemy during busy weeks. I write literally everything down. Having a plan a way less stressful (my how-to in this post)

Le-Pens: The perfect pens for studying! I create really colorful study guides that are perfect for keeping me alert during long study sessions. (here's a how to for essay test-study guides)

Spotify: Find my productivity "homework" playlist here. It's the perfect mix of my favorite music, fast and slow.

Self-Control: This app is perfect to keep me focused, I tend to take too many little breaks checking my social media accounts and the latest news.

Sleep: I know that this is really hard, but if you can't remember any information you studied if you're too tired!

A can do attitude: This is cliche, but don't defeat yourself before you even start. You don't have to be über cheery about it, but don't be negative either.

What are your  go to finals week essentials?
Good Luck!
xoxo

Best Study Tips!

Finals week! AH! Here are some tips that I have compiled to aid you!

1. Start studying ahead of time, and if you can't do that or forgot to take short study breaks. Go on Twitter and Facebook or even Pinterest for five minutes. 

2. Keep your phone out, but on silent so that you can check your messages, but wait until you take your break to text back!

3. Make a list of everything you need to study, and cross each item off as you review them

4. Use notecards to summarize not to review. That way if you are able to summarize the concept, you know that you can cross it off your list. Also they are a lot more portable!

5. Schedule study time like you would work.

6. Remember to talk to people! You won't feel as tired if you socialize a little bit!

7. Find a couple of your favorite study spots and move around between them! You have a change of scenery, you move around to keep you awake and you have time to grab a snack!

8. Review your notes quickly before bedtime and after. Studies show that you remember the most at night right before you sleep. Also, your brain has the most short-term memory storage in the morning to turn into long-term storage. 

9. Most importantly SLEEP. You won't be able to remember everything that you've studied if you are sleep deprived!

Good Luck on exams, and if you've already survived them good for you!

xoxo

AV

Finals and the end of my first year as an adult...

Can we all take a minute to slow down please? I have four days of school left, two finals, and days of packing to do. 

I just realized that since I'm a June baby, I am almost done with the end of my first year as an adult. That sentence in itself is scary, exciting and odd. I have never really thought as myself as adult yet, I don't think I'm a child either. 

Here are some of the things that help me get through finals!

1. Water: Most people are tired because they don't hydrate themselves enough! Especially with the weather warming up, you are more likely to get dehydrated. So take a water bottle around with you, or if you're like me and need to get rid of dining points buy water every chance you get. I recently bought a Brita water-bottle so I could drink our dorm water here!

2. Snacks: While I'm studying I like having something to graze with. Sometimes it will be strawberries or fruit, other times it is peanut M&M's or Bottlecaps. While I recommend the first, every once in awhile you need a sweet pick me up!

3. Working out: Take a little study break that doesn't involve Netflix or Hulu and I guarantee your all nighter or almost all nighter won't seem as bad! Working out actually energizes you. I like to take a twenty minute jog (yes I actually jog) and do a little strength training for a study break. It also helps to stay awake and focused during long study sessions.

4.Study Blue: This is like social media studying! It tracks your progress and gives you a study guide option as well as a test option. I really enjoy using this!

5. A little study break: If you aren't ready to go to the gym, take a study break with my Pinterest boards! I promise there are a lot of treasures to be found!

Good luck, remember start early!
xoxo
AV