College Series Day 27: Last Day and Final Advice

Today is Friday the 31st of August, which means that it is the last day of the college series! Happy? Sad? I'm not really sure at the moment, but I wanted to share some final advice with you all, and I will try to keep it short and sweet:

• Be open to new people, new ideas, and new experiences. 
• Go to class!!!
• Don't be afraid to change your opinion of someone or something.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. You are there to learn!
• Have fun. College is a really exciting and fun time, and I would hate to think that someone was unhappy the whole time. 

Like I've said a couple of times, if you ever have any questions or need help, please let me know! I would love to do something like this (but probably shorter) again next year, but it's really only going to happen if people have questions and thing that they want to know. 

Also, throughout September, I will begin normal postings. Please let me know if there is something you would like to see! Reviews, stories, hauls, etc. Whatever it is that you want to see, I'll try to make it happen! 

Hope you enjoyed the college series! 

College Series Day 26: Getting Out Of The Bubble

If you've been in college, you know what I mean when I say this: College keeps you in this invisible bubble. You see everything that is going on at college, but you barely venture outside of that bubble.

When I went off to college, I didn't know the community that I was in. I didn't know where anything was, and I think I was at a great disadvantage vs. someone who lived in that city their whole life. I decided to make it my mission to venture out there, even if it was just to go to on a short errand. I found places to volunteer at, I took my GPS into the car with me and went exploring to find the nearest Target, and I Mapquested the nearest mall and went out and shopped. While these may seem trivial, they got me out my bubble and into the "real world." I think that is really important, and I encourage all of you Freshman to get into your car, or if you didn't bring a car, then grab a friend and go exploring. Find your nearest target or Ulta  or SOMETHING. You could have an emergency and need to know where the nearest pharmacy is or something, and you'd have no clue where one is or how to get to it.

Here are a couple of places I think are important to find:
-Nearest Target/Walmart
-Nearest convenient store and drug store
-Nearest gas station and car wash
-Nearest grocery store
-Nearest car dealership in case you need repairs, oil changes, etc.
-Nearest bakery (I kid you not, this comes in handy when it's someone's birthday
-Nearest 24hr clinic/hospital so that if you are deathly ill or injured in the middle of the night and need medical attention, you aren't having to search online for it!

That's my tip for the day. Please feel free to comment down below and add to the list of important place to find

College Series Day 25: Separation From Home

I want to do this fast because I'm in the middle of a TV show!

Essentially, everyone deals with separation from their home and parents differently. It's just dependent on how close you were to your family before. To be honest, I am super close to my family, but I had NO trouble at all being away from home. I think it's because I've always been super independent and I know that they are just a text or call away.

My biggest tip is TEXTING. If your parents don't know how to text, teach them before you leave!! I had many days where I was just too busy to sit down and talk to my parents on the phone, so we would just talk through texts, and that way they can still feel like they are a part of my life/know what's going on. (Although, it's not my fault if your parents then decide to text you every morning while you are trying to sleep! That's what my parents do :P )

If you ever need someone to talk to or are lonely, I'm hear for you. But your parents are just a phone call away, and I'm sure they would be happy to hear from you. And you can always visit home :) Don't be lonely :)

College Series Day 24: Eating Right and Exercising

The Freshman 15. Oh so popular because of how much food you have access to without knowing where your limits are. The nice thing is that you CAN choose to eat right and exercise to keep that freshman 15 off.
Here are some ideas to keeping that weight off:

• Walk around campus. It's super easy and it gets you out of your room and into the sun. 
• Go swim in the pool. 
• Join a sport or take a gym class. There are usually a lot of gym class choices, including dance classes. I always try to take a PE credit, even though I don't need them. It gives me a reason to get out there and exercise, because I know sometimes I'm not motivated. 
• Find someone to go on a run with. It's so much easier to find motivation when you know you have someone counting on you to go with you. 
• Set up a Wii in your room and get active! My roommate and I love doing this to get us active and going. 
• Set up a workout routine. My roommate does 30 minutes of exercise every morning before she leaves for class, and she said she feels so much better every morning. 

As for eating right, it's pretty much common sense at this point. Don't eat french fries for every meal or get dessert. Just be smart about what you are eating, and make sure you are getting fruit and veggies and protein in MOST of your meals. It's perfectly acceptable to cheat from time to time and have a waffle for dinner. That's part of the college experience ;) 

Hope this gives you some ideas!

College Series Day 23: Monday Update

This is my first Monday that I've been in classes, and I wanted to give a little update.

I've been moved in for a while now, and classes started last Wednesday. Already, I know I'm going to have a lot of work to do. I did get into all the classes that I wanted though :)

I'm officially getting paid to work on campus! Yay! I'll have some income coming in, and I'll be able to hopefully do more reviews for you all!

Speaking of this blog, I haven't yet missed a day of posting my college series! I have been writing posts in advance though, and having them scheduled to upload on days that I know I'm going to be busy, so if you've noticed that all of my posts go up at a certain time, that's why.

I'm also already starting to plan out September's posts, so please let me know if there is anything you'd like to see! My college series is going to end when August ends, so it's fast approaching and I need ideas!

Overall, school is going well. My TV isn't working, and I haven't gotten a chance to get it fixed, which sucks,  but it's kind of okay for right now. I'm hanging in there. Sorry there isn't anything too eventful, but I've got some great things planned for you all in the upcoming month!

College Series Day 22: Finding Time to Relax

It's Sunday, and if you have started classes already, you are probably already stressed out. I think it is super important to do your homework, but at the same time understanding when you are stressed or when you need a break, and when that happens, you need to find time to relax. Here are a couple of suggestions of things you can do to relax:

• Pool Time!!! My college has an outdoor and indoor pool, and right now the outdoor pool is open, so my friends and I will go out there and tan or swim. It's a great way to cool off from the hot weather, and it's really relaxing to just sit there in the water for a while. 
• Take a nap. Sometimes just letting your mind take a break in the form of sleeping is really what you need. 
• Watch some TV. This can be kind of dangerous. If you decide to watch TV for a break, you need to set yourself a time limit. One hour show or 2 thirty minute shows is usually what I do. If you don't have a TV in your room or would prefer to watch it on Hulu or Netflix, just watch one show, and close the browser when it wants to auto-play the next one. 
• Snack break. Grab some nutella and crackers, or some fruit and eat for a couple minutes. If my roommate and I haven't seen each other all day, I usually take a snack break when she gets back in the room so that it gives us some time to catch up. 
• Go exercise. Whether it's on Wii-fit, taking a 30 minute walk or jog, or riding your bike around campus,  a 30 minute work out will give your mind something else to focus on instead of your homework. 
• Read a magazine. I always hate when I get a magazine in the mail when I'm doing homework, because it just sits there and taunts me, but it doesn't have to. Tell yourself that you are going to work for 2 hours, and then take a break and read a couple of pages. It's a reward system that really helps me. 

Whatever you do, just don't be spending more time on breaks than on your homework. Work first, and play later. 

College Series Day 21: Buying Textbooks

BUY BOOKS IN ADVANCE!!! Whatever you do, don't buy them from the bookstores. They will jack up the price to a ridiculous amount.

When buying books, I'd suggest this site: Slugbooks
Just type in the ISBN number on the book that you need and it will search for the book on a bunch of different databases and find you the cheapest price. It's saved me so much money!

When it comes to selling back your books, I'd suggest selling them on Ebay, Amazon, etc. The school bookstore will give you practically nothing for them. I can get all of my money back from selling them on Ebay over the summer.

Want to rent books? This is probably the best option for big textbooks, but at the same time, you aren't going to get ANY money back when you return them. I even buy my bigger textbooks instead of renting them so that I at least get SOME money back at the end of the year.

It's really about preference. Rent or buy your books, whichever you prefer, but DON'T fall for the scam of buying books from the bookstore. It's such a waste of money. If the school tells you that you HAVE to get them new from the bookstore, contact your prof and see if you will even use the code. 90% of the time, they don't even use the codes, and if they do, you can usually buy them from the book publisher company and buy the book separately.

College Series Day 20: Boyfriends?

Is college a good time to get into a relationship with a guy? I think the most common answer is yes. I've been in a couple relationships in college, and they have not at all distracted from studying, yet I know a lot of people aren't so keen of dating during college because they say they are going to college just to get their degree and not to date.

Here's my take on the whole matter: if it is right, then it's right. You shouldn't push someone away because you want college to be about studying. That person could be your soul mate, and you'd never know.

Don't force a relationship though, because that will divert from your studies. There will be lots of drama, and it just won't be fun.

If you and another person mesh well and are attracted to each other, the let it happen. You may never get another chance to date them.

Just be safe everyone. :)

College Series Day 19: Schedules Part 2

Part 2 is how to get into the classes that you want. You are a freshman, and most likely you have last pick of classes, which means that most of the good classes will be gone.
Some colleges actually reserve spots for freshman when the upperclassmen are registering, ensuring that you all have a chance. If that is the case, then you are much better off. But here are some tips nonetheless:

1. Get waitlisted! When you register for classes and a class is full, it will give you the option of being put on the waitlist. Do it! If during Add-Drop someone decides that they don't want to take the class and they drop it, you might be given the opportunity of signing up for the class!
2. E-mail the professor to get in. Sometimes if you are sitting far back on the waitlist, but you e-mail the prof and express your interest in taking their class, they will clear you for the class and you will get to register for it. It's totally worth e-mailing the professor and early on establishing a relationship with them. Likewise, if at all possible, go to them face-to-face and talk with them. But most likely even if you do, they will ask you to e-mail them so that they don't forget to let you register. So, start with the e-mail. 
3. If you e-mail them and don't hear back and still really want into the class, go on the first day to their class (but don't skip a class that you are already registered in to go to that class!). Go early, and before class starts, talk to the professor and see if you can get into their class. Again, express your interest in their class. Most professors will be excited that you are excited about their class, and they will want to let you in. 

Hopefully, by then you will get to enroll, but if not, there is always next year! Good luck getting your perfect schedule!

College Series Day 18: Schedules Part 1

I'm still tweeking my schedule, so I thought that today would be a good time to give some tips on figuring out the perfect schedule. This is part 1, which is where to start:

1. Look at the class options. Highlight or make a list of what looks interesting to you (if you don't know your major) OR what you know you will need to take for you major (if you've decided on a major). 
2. Bring that list to talk with your advisor. They can point you in the right direction and get your list whittled down for your first semester.
3. I suggest picking a lot of common curric classes if you don't know what you want to do. To read more on that, visit yesterday's post here.
4. Be considerate of your meals. Leave yourself time for lunch especially! You don't want to block out lunch and have class all day. It will suck, trust me. 
5. Have your schedule written up in a table that shows what time each class is. Have back-ups for those classes in case you can't get into the one that you want.

Tomorrow will be part 2!

College Series Day 17: Majors

Choosing a major either goes one of two ways: either you completely know what you want to do, or you don't.

If you know what you want to do, then go for it 100%. Get into the department as much as you can, and make as many connections as you can that will help you once you have your degree.

If you don't know what you want to do, don't worry!!! My suggestion is to try a bunch of classes and see what catches your eye. Likewise, if you love doing something but don't know if you could make a career out of it, go take a couple of classes in that field and talk to the professors about your reservations.

The most important advice is this: Talk to your advisor. If you have an idea of what you want in life, that's great and they can help guide you on that path. If you don't have any clue what you want your major or career to be, then they will help you to figure it out before you have to declare your major.

College Series Day 16: College Parties

I don't want to talk about college parties too much, because I feel like either a) you DO or you DO NOT want to go to parties and b) because the type of parties that you attend in college is usually pretty synonymous: lots of alcohol, and lots of people. I thought of a couple of things that might prove helpful to people who DO want to attend parties. If you don't want to go to parties, then I'll see you for tomorrow's post!

1. Bring costumes to college. Most parties that I've been to in college have been themed, and expect you to show up in costumes. Even if you bring along a tiara and cat ears/bunny ears/and/or devil ears, those are pretty cheap ways to put together an easy costume. They also aren't too hard to pack. 
2. WATCH YOUR DRINK. Of course I'm not going to suggest that you drink if you are under 21 in the US, but at the same time I know it's going to happen. But seriously, if you get a drink (EVEN WATER!!!) and leave it in a very crowded room, it's super easy for someone to walk over there and spike your drink without being seen. If you put your drink down somewhere and aren't watching it, just leave it there and don't go back for it. You don't want to run the risk of what someone could have put in there.
3. If you plan on drinking, find a DD. I know everyone tells you this, but it really needs to happen. Don't think "oh, I can find a DD when I'm ready to leave" because you are going to be intoxicated, and not able to think clearly most likely, and you might make some bad decisions in the process. And if you plan on DDing someone who is drinking, do not leave the party without them!!! A lot of times, they will tell you to leave without them and that they will find other arrangements, but that usually doesn't safely happen, so if you take someone to a party, don't leave them behind when you leave. 

Those are really the only thinks that I feel REALLY need to be said at this point when it comes to parties. Drink responsibly, and be safe everyone! 

College Series Day 15: Roommates

The topic of roommates can be a touchy one, but it doesn't have to be. I know there are a lot of horror stories about bad roommates, and my stories from my Freshman year can definitely be included in that. But, at the same time, there are a couple things to remember going into becoming a roommate that can really influence what your roommate experience is like. Here are a couple roommate tips:

1. Be open-minded. Whoever you room with is from a totally different family, school, background, etc. They are going to have different views and opinions on things that you may feel strongly about. Have an open mind, and be open to listening to what they have to say. 
2. Compromise. Because you are probably two very different people, you may have some disagreements. Try to compromise when you two don't see eye to eye. Also, compromising means that each person gains something AND loses something in order to find common ground and solve a problem. 
3. Don't go into it thinking you and your roommate are going to be BFFs. Either it happens naturally or it doesn't. Don't force it hoping for the best, because it will just leave people feeling resentful and unappreciated. 
4. Be observant of their schedule. If you can, try and figure out when they like to go to bed, when the like to shower, and how studious they want to be, and then try to plan around their schedule. I'm not saying that you should let them do whatever they want whenever, but if they usually take a nap around 4pm, don't go back to your room at 3:55pm expecting to have a dance party and play loud music. If you can figure out when they usually do things, it can avoid any added drama when you interrupt their schedules. 
5. Be willing to apologize. If you come in and turn the lights on late at night and they blink confusedly in bed, half asleep, apologize for turning on the light and waking them up. Little things like that can make someone else feel like they are being seen and heard. I know so many people who say that their roommates just kind of pretend like they aren't there, and they don't talk to them, and that can cause a lot of resentment. If you do something wrong, just apologize, don't try to pin it on them. It's not their fault that they were asleep and you turned on the lights. 

I know the biggest thing for me when I was having roommate troubles was that I felt like it was only me and my roommate that were having trouble, but know that you are not alone. There are other people struggling to make it work with their roommates too. Also, if you ever want someone to talk to, just shoot me an e-mail or a message. I always felt like I had no one to turn to when me and my roommate weren't getting along, and I don't want other people to feel like that. Good luck with your roommates! Feel free to share any stories that you have in the comments of you and your roommate that can hopefully help others, or just share some other tips and tricks!

College Series Day 14: Making Friends and Finding Your Niche

This is kind of a continuation from yesterday. Making friends is going to be very dependent on orientation and your willingness to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to others. Here are a couple other ideas for making friends:

• Keep your dorm door open. People in your hall will feel more comfortable walking by and introducing themselves. Likewise, if you see someone, introduce yourself. It's can't hurt, and I'm sure they'd be happy to feel like they know someone who lives in their dorm!
• Get to class early so that you have time to make conversation with the people around you. If you show up just as class starts, you will lose the chance of talking to your peers and making friends. 
• Sit with different people at meals. My roommate and I are already moved in, and we were in the dining hall watching the freshman eat. This was this girl that we saw walk up to another girl sitting alone, and they both introduced themselves and started talking. That's what I recommend. If you walk up to someone sitting alone and introduce yourself, they will be grateful for that, and they will remember your kind actions.

Just like finding friends, finding your niche in college is important. Whether it's in the theater department like me, or with a frat/sorority, finding your niche is an important part of feeling like you belong at college. Here are my tips to finding your niche: 

• Try things you wouldn't normally try. If it sounds interesting, then give it a try. You may realize that you really like it and really love the people you are working with. 
• Take different classes to fulfill your common curric needs. Take a HCOM class, take a science class, take and anthro class, etc. I know so many people who came in knowing what they wanted to major in and then finding something they really loved more through taking different common curric classes. 
• Go to the involvement fairs. Learn about different clubs, and join some. It's okay if you figure out you don't like them, but at least you've tried them :)

These are just a couple of ideas. Just make sure that you try different things. Everyone is scared of doing something different, so it's no big deal. The worst that can happen is that you didn't enjoy yourself, which is fine because then you don't have to do it again. :) Hope this helps!! Let me know how YOU made friends in college/found your niche.

College Series Day 13: Orientation

I've been seeing so many Freshman walking around our campus as part of their orientation, so I figured it was about time to do this post!

Orientation is a time meant for students to get a feel for their surroundings and begin to make friends. Usually, there are a lot of sessions that you will have to attend in order to gain information on the school/what's going on.

The most important part of orientation is being open. Be ready to listen in sessions, and don't be afraid to ask questions. They do orientation for YOU and it's pointless to gain nothing from it. Likewise, go to as many sessions as you can.

I don't know if they do this at all orientations, but our orientation has a lot of games and group activities built in. SOCIALIZE. Don't sit in a corner and hope someone comes to talk to you. And have a good attitude about the games. Be willing to play the name-game no matter how stupid you think it is. The first impression people get of you is a lasting one.

Even if you don't have get-to-know-everyone games, go out of your way to meet people. EVERYONE there is new and looking to make friends, and it's up to YOU to put yourself out there enough and show people that you are interested in making friends. Go to events that are specifically set up as mingling events: Parties, concerts, mixers, etc. GO.

Let me know if you have any other questions about orientation. Our's was a week long right before school started, but I know some people have a two day jam-packed orientation in the summer. Every college is different. Just be open and eager to make friends. Be honest and truthful. In college, people want to be your friend for who you are, not who you pretend to be.

College Series Day 12: Great Food For College Students!

I know the best food picks for college students are usually Ramen and Easy Mac, but to be honest, I don't like either, nor did I eat either one, so I made a list of things that I ate a lot in college:

1. Cereal: Cereal was great breakfast food, but it was also a nice snack when you got hungry. What I really like is the cereal that is already in a bowl for you. They are really easy to take to class!
2. Pop Tarts: Again, an easy on-the-go breakfast if you are running late. 
3. Yogurt, Apple Sauce Cups, and Jello Cups: These kept me from exploding with hunger at odd hours. They are just filling enough to keep you from starving until your next meal. If my class ended at an odd time and I told someone that I would meet them at lunch at a certain time, but I was starving, I'd eat one of these to keep me full enough until I could meet them for lunch.
4. Spray Cheese: If this isn't your thing, that's okay, but this was a great midnight snack with some crackers if I was up late studying. 
5. Granola bars: Another great breakfast meal if you are running late. I'd suggest the Quaker Banana Nut Bread Soft Baked Bars that I talked about here. They fill me up and are super tasty! I'm always left hungry with other breakfast bars.
6. Hot Chocolate: I cannot tell you how many times my roommate and I would come back to the room on a cold night and have some hot chocolate before we started our homework. It also makes your throat feel much better if you are sick or just have a sore throat from screaming too much at a football game or party :P
7. Chex-Mix or Gold Fish: These were my preferred snacks when I wanted something salty. YUM!
8. M&Ms and Pretzels together: This was a great snack when I was going to work out. Salty, sweet, and gave me a nice kick for my workout. I'd make myself a bag of these, eat a little bit before my workout, and then reward myself at the end with whatever was left. 
9. Fresh fruit. This was something hard to get at the dining hall, and something that I think a lot of people forget about when they are eating. Plus, fruit tricks my taste buds into thinking I are eating something sweet, which is nice when I have a sugar craving. 
10. Water. I had sodas and juice in my room too, but I took water to class with me every day in a water bottle. And it was de-lish. Those packs of water add-in (you know like koolaid where you add the packet of sugar to your water) were nice to have too when I wanted something besides water or soda. I used the propel packets, and they were a treat!
11. Something in the freezer. I had pre-made dinners and well as taquitos, which was great for the two days that our campus lost power and the dining hall wasn't able to cook things. It was also great for late nights or days that the dining hall was closed. I knew that I'd still have a hot meal without having to drive off campus to get one.
12. Lunchables. One of my friends made a habit of always having one of these around for a pre-made meal if she knew she wasn't going to have time for lunch. I ended up buying a couple of these for meals during fieldtrips where we were told to pack a lunch. 

If you are moved in like I am and headed to Target to get some snacks, I hope you consider buying some of these things! Let me know what food you think is important for college kids. 

College Series Day 11: Five Things I Wish I Had NOT Brought To College

Yesterday, I gave you all a list of things I wish I had bought to college, so I thought I'd tell you all what I wish I had NOT brought to college! Here goes it:

1. A bunch of shoes. My roommate and I both did not pack our shoes seasonally. The floor of our closet looked like a shoe volcano had exploded, and it would have been a lot easier to bring shoes seasonally like we did our clothes. It especially didn't help that when we bought new shoes, we brought them to college but didn't take any home. Shame on us. 
2. Pleasure books. I didn't read ANY of them. Instead I just read stuff off of my kindle. I think it's great to bring one or two books or your kindle, but I had like 8 books that I wanted to read, and they ended up taking up space on my shelves. 
3. PJs: That sounds odd, but let me clarify: I didn't pack my PJs seasonally either. I had a bunch of shorts that were too cold in the winter, and a bunch of fuzzy and super warm pants that were too hot in the spring and summer. I didn't think that one through...
4. My Robe: While fuzzy and warm on super cold days, I barely wore it. It just took up space in my closet.
5. Candy: Big mistake. I get bored, and then I eat, and it just wasn't a great combo with a bunch of sugar in my room. Granted, I was also working out, but it just would have been better to have some healthier things in my room. 

As you can see, I had a less items that I regretted than I didn't regret. Most of what I brought was stuff that I used on a pretty regular basis. 

Let me know what you regret bringing to college and why! 

College Series Day 10: Ten Things I Wish I'd Brought to College Freshman Year!

As I am packing for college, I have started to think a lot about what I need to bring. Last year, I had a lot of success with the items that I brought, but I also forgot some important things. I've compiled a list of things that I wish that I'd brought, and I present to you the list of 10 things I wish I'd brought with me to college that I will DEFINITELY be packing up and bringing this time:

1. A television. My roommate and I agreed that she would bring a TV to college, even though I was given one by my parents for college as well. Half way through our first semester, she removed the TV from our room because she didn't like the noise, which I didn't think was too fair. I ended up missing a lot of shows, but most importantly, I ended up missing the opportunity to have friends over to watch TV or movies. We used to have movie night in my room all the time, but when there wasn't a TV, there was a lot less social activity happening in my room, and I didn't meet as many people. 
2. Games. Again, as a social thing, I wish I'd brought board games with me. When we had friends over, we ended up inviting a couple of people simply because we knew they had Apples To Apples or Monopoly. It's sad, but true. 
3. A full length mirror. Like I mentioned before, my roommate and I didn't have one, but our suitemates did, and it was always so awkward when we asked to look at ourselves in the mirror before a party. 
4. A fold up chair. My friend had a really comfy one to watch TV in, and I always wished I had one. We had plenty of room in our dorm for it, and it would have been nice for guests or for movie nights.
5. More personal items and decorations. I have to say, my walls were pretty bare my Freshman year. I didn't think about what to do with my walls until I'd moved in, and I didn't actually end up decorating them until my second semester. I think it would have made my room feel more homey had I decorated and made my room my own earlier on. 
6. Markers. Amazingly enough, college kids use markers all of the time. I wish I'd brought markers so that I could decorate my door a little more. 
7. A bulletin board. I didn't think I'd need one, but I loved how it looked on my friend's wall. I'm definitely going to bring one this year so that I can decorate it and use it to remind myself of important things. 
8. A backpack. I mentioned this on another college series day, but I ended up buying a backpack half way through the school year. I had an across the body bag, but it really started to hurt my shoulder when I was going up this great big hill on our campus that separates the classes from the dorms. 
9. Movies. It would have been nice to have a bigger selection of movies for movie nights. 
10. Rain boots or Umbrella. I got absolutely drenched going to class a couple of times, and I wish I'd brought an umbrella for class. Also, my shoes got soaked a couple of times, and it would have been nice to have rain boots for walking around outside.

I know too that one big thing a lot of people wished that they brought was a car. I had my car, so it wasn't on my list, but I loved the independence that it gave me, which I think is the biggest reason people regret not bringing their car. It definitely depends on where your college is located, because a car might not be practical on all campuses. But my roommate always said that she wished that she had her car so that she could go off campus sometimes just to get away from school, which I definitely understand and could relate to. Just a suggestion. 

If you've been to college, let me know what things you regret not bringing! See you all tomorrow!

College Series Day 9: Different Ways To Pack

I'm officially 2 days away from leaving to go back to college, so I thought that I would do another packing blog post. One thing that I have noticed about move-in day is that there are many different ways to pack your stuff up for college. I thought I'd share them with you in order to give you some choices on what way would be best for you.

1. Use a suitcase. Using a couple of suitcases to pack your stuff works okay, but anything too large (like a full length mirror) or awkward (like a desk lamp) are going to either have to be bought in your college town on move-in day, or packed separately in your car if you are driving vs. flying. Now, by packing things in suitcases, you are able to roll all of your belonging to your room instead of carrying them, but make sure rolling is an option. My college's freshman dorms didn't have elevators since there were only 3 floors to each building, so if you had a second or third floor room, you are going to have to carry those heavy suitcases up two flights of stairs. And any misc. items that didn't fit in your car will have to be carried separately, which can sometimes take more trips. When it comes to moving out at the end of the year, my suitemate was from out of state and was flying home, but she ended up leaving a LOT of items at the dorms or throwing a lot of things out because the either couldn't be shipped or couldn't be packed. Just things to consider. I suggest if nothing else packing your clothes in suitcases. 
2. Use moving boxes. These are easy and cheap to get, and they allow you to fold up the boxes when you are done. What is also helpful is that if your mom and dad drove with you to your college, they can take the folded up boxes back home so that they don't take up space, and then bring them back at the end of the year for you. You could alternatively use boxes to ship all of your stuff to school if you are flying to college instead of driving. I ended up packing some of my clothes in boxes, but anything that had to be hung up was packed in a black bag still on it's hanger with the bottom of the bag punched out like a garment bag. I saw a lot of people doing this. 
3. In clear storage containers. This is a lot like packing in boxes except that you can see what is in each box. This option is a lot more expensive though from packing in boxes, especially if you don't intend to use all of the storage containers in your room. My roommate had 2 storage containers and the rest were boxes. She kept both storage containers for in our room, and sent the boxes back with her parents. It worked out well. If you are intending on bringing one of those clear rolly-drawer things (:P) then I suggest you pack things in them so that they aren't empty in your car and taking up space. Just make sure you tape the drawers closed so nothing falls out in transit.

I tried to cover as much ground as I could. but comment down below if you have any other tips for packing things for college! Let's help each other out!

College Series Day 8: Furniture in Dorms & Maximizing Space

Moving in to dorms can be a challenge because you don't have endless space in your car to pack up a bunch of furniture. You will want to check with your college to see what is provided in your dorm. Most dorms provide you with:

• A wooden bed frame and mattres
• A side table
• A desk
• A chair
• And some provide a mini-fridge and microwave either for free or that you can rent. 

Story time: I have an older sister and I helped her move in to college her freshman year. I remember seeing a couple of guys walk past us carrying a massive couch, a bookshelf, and a table, none of which were going to fit in his small freshman dorm! They carried them up 3 flights of stairs and then figured out there wasn't going to be enough room, and had to carry them back down 3 flights of stairs and put them back in their car and take them back home. 

Don't be that kid. You don't need a bunch of furniture at all. All you might possibly need furniture-wise is patio furniture IF you have a patio, or possibly a comfy fold up chair for in your room. Nothing else. Seriously. 

There may not be a ton of furniture in your room, but you room is going to be small, so you are going to want to maximize as much space as you can. I suggest: 

• Bed risers or bunking your beds. Bunking your beds won't allow for much storage underneath your bed, but it will allow for other things to be put where the second bed would have taken up space. Raising your bed allows you to store things under your bed. Last year, one of my friends stuck her desk under her bed so that she could put her comfy chair and television in a sitting room style where her desk used to be. Or, you can put a bunch of storage containers under there with your luggage/boxes that you used to move in. Whatever works :)
• Stack things vertically. Every storage container or shelving unit should have a lid so that something else can be stacked on top of it. You aren't going to have much floor space, so taking advantage of how tall your room is will work to your advantage. This also goes for your closet and underneath your bed. The more you can stack on top of something (safely!), the better. 

College dorm rooms aren't for displaying things on your shelves. It's going to be about fitting as much on those shelves as possible. You can still decorate your room in other ways, but don't waste space for decorating purposes. Hope this helps and I'll see you tomorrow!