Test Week!

Boy, oh boy! This week, I’ve had THREE tests!

Let me reiterate so that it’ll fully sink in:

Not one test.

Not two tests.

But, THREE tests.

That may not seem like a lot but, all those college students out there can attest that having one test in a week is stressful enough, but having three tests in a week just makes you want to crawl under the covers and watch Netflix until your professors just decide to cancel all of your tests and give you A’s in the class, just because….

But, unfortunately, we all know that won’t happen! So, I had to buckle down and study my butt off because, lucky me, I had my hardest tests this week!

On Thursday, I had my first Biology test. I’ve been keeping up with all my classes pretty well when it comes to reading the chapters as we go but… not with Biology. Since it’s my only Tuesday/Thursday class, I just never think to read before going to class, so I was about five chapters behind in the book before I started studying… meaning I had extra studying to do!

So, I made flashcards to study for my Bio test and there were over 200 of them for me to memorize! So, I spend the entire day on Wednesday studying those flashcards– and by all day, I mean ALL DAY! From the time I got home from class until about one o’clock in the morning. Thankfully, all of the studying paid off because I did well on the exam!

If anybody is taking BIO 1305, here is the link to my flashcards on Quizlet, they may help you! They definitely helped me! Click here to view them.

Today (Friday), I had my Neuroscience and American Literature tests.

There wasn’t really much studying I could do for my American Lit test because, well.. you either read the books or you didn’t. So I spent about 30 minutes the night before reviewing my notes, the major themes, and reading general summaries on SparkNotes to refresh my mind on anything I may have forgotten.

For my Neuroscience test, I made flashcards on Quizlet and had over 300 (if you’re studying for neuroscience exam too, you can view these flashcards by clicking here). Holy. Cow. I honestly didn’t even know where to begin studying for this exam! There was an UNBELIEVABLE amount of information covered just in the first four chapters. So, I decided to make a chart of all of the major parts of the brain and draw diagrams of the brain and neurons to see if it would help… it didn’t. Well, it did, but not as much as it would’ve if I would have allowed myself more time to study for it. But it was impossible to study that much information in just one day, even though I studied for that exam from 11:00 that morning, until 1:00 that night (or, I guess technically the next morning). That’s a good 14 hours of studying and I only took a few breaks. So, I knew a lot of the information but had I started studying BEFORE the night before (like, a week before) the exam, I probably could’ve memorized all of this:

 

I worked my butt off on those charts and diagrams and I really don’t want to throw them away… I may hang them up on my wall.. Yes, I’m THAT nerd! Haha.

Also, I’m officially convinced that if being a doctor doesn’t work out, I can always become an artist. Because my diagrams are so much better than the ones in the book!

And by “better”, I mean they’re more entertaining to look at because they’re SO awful!

My American Literature test consisted of writing essays over the given prompts on the books we’ve read so far this semester: The Pioneers by Cooper and The Death comes for the Archbishop by Cather. These two books were by far the worst, most boring and hard to read books I’ve ever read! ESPECIALLY The Pioneers. But, I’m actually pretty proud of myself becasue I wrote three good two page essays for the test and am pretty sure I’m going to get a good grade! 🙂

My neuroscience exam was multiple choice, thank God! After my first test, my hand was definitely cramping up, big time! Unfortunately, most of the stuff I studied wasn’t even on the test! It was like he drew random topics from a hat. I studied all of the brain systems and parts of the brain because that was the hardest information to know, so I figured that would be what was mainly on the test… but there were very few questions over that, unfortunately. But, I still think I did well on the exam!

I prayed my way through all of these exams. Before every exam I take, I close my eyes and say my prayers (not to mention the fact that I’m praying all night the night before and the entire morning before the exam) Praying ALWAYS helps me. It calms me down and lets me know there’s nothing I can’t do with God on my side. It clears my head and helps me focus on everything I know, rather than being anxious over what I think I don’t know. And, let me tell you, it works. I have never failed a test I’ve prayed over. In fact, I usually do quite well. GOD IS AMAZING! I give all of the glory to God!

I had an hour break between my neuroscience and psychology classes with nothing to do… so I decided I would take every quiz for my Theatre Appreciation class. We have a weekly quiz over the book (open book, thankfully) and they’re all available for us to take early, if we want. So I took all 10 of the remaining quizzes for the semester and made 100’s on all of them! YAY!! Random, I know, but now I’m WAY ahead in that class, which is always a good thing!

After I got back from class, I crashed from about 2:00-6:00. BEST. NAP. EVER. Seriously, after the week I’ve had and how many exams I’ve been stressing over, a four hour nap did a world of good. It just amazes me how much difference a nap can do!

Though it was rough, there’s no better feeling than knowing, at the end of the day, that you worked your butt off for something; I definitely feel so accomplished and proud of myself for getting through the week and persevering!

When it got rough and I really wanted to just give up and take a nap, I looked through all of the pictures I have on my phone of my sweet nieces and it just reminded me that they are my entire world; they’re my motivation! I’m about to bombard you with a bunch of pictures that got me through the week with a smile on my face! Hopefully they’ll make you smile, too!

Madison:

 

Paisley:

Sarah:

Oh, and of course my adorable puppy 😉

 

  

 

Monday, I have an exam for my Biology lab and on Friday, I have an exam in Psychology. After this week, I have DEFINITELY learned my lesson and plan to spend my weekend studying for these exams, because I’m determined to make 100’s on them!

So, how are y’all’s classes and tests going this semester?! I know this is test week for a bunch of college students out there, so comment below and tell me how they’re going! 🙂

And, for all of you freshmen out there (or all college students, really): if you do badly on one exam, it’s not the end of the world! You CAN recover, just work your butt off next time and find more effective ways to study. I remember my freshman year, I stressed more than was probably good during my first week of tests! Also, praying before your tests WILL help, try it out! 🙂

Thanks for reading, y’all! I also made a Facebook page y’all can like and I’ll post links to all of my new posts on there, so you can get them directly to your news feed! So check it out and like it by clicking here!

If you liked this post, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe or share! 🙂 Thanks a million!

First Week of Classes are Complete!!

I just finished the first week of classes of my sophomore year and, man, what a week it’s been!

This semester, I’m taking: American Literature (my last English class! YAY!), Introduction to Neuroscience, Neuroscience Lab, Theatre Appreciation, Introduction to Psychology, Biology, and Biology Lab.

I have my American Lit class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and is my first class of the day. The amount of reading for this class is ridiculous. It’s about 100-150 pages of reading for each class. Though that may not sound like a lot, the book we’re reading is The Pioneers, by Cooper and is most definitely, without a doubt, the most boring book I’ve ever read in my entire life. And that’s saying something, because I’ve had to read some pretty horrendous books for my English classes. This one takes the cake! It takes me about four hours to read the assigned reading, not just because I’m a slow reader, but because the book is so boring I can’t pay any attention to it! And, no, it’s not on SparkNotes… I already checked! 😦 My professor for this class also goes off on a lot of tangents and speaks in random phrases that don’t make sense… So, overall, this is probably my least favorite class. But, my classmates are pretty cool because we vent to each other about how much we hate the book before the professor gets there in the mornings.

Don’t read this book if you have the choice!

After American Lit, I have Intro to Neuroscience. This class is team-taught, so we have four different professors. They each teach for about 3-4 weeks, give a test, then alternate to the next professor. The professor we have now is kind of braggy. He talks about himself, all of his degrees, and all of the research he’s done in his life for the first 30 minutes of class, leaving only 20 minutes of actual learning. It would be different if what he was talking about actually pertained to the class… but it doesn’t. At all. All’s I can think is, “dude, just get to the actual teaching. I don’t care that you used to give cocaine to monkeys. I care that I’m paying $100 an hour to listen to you brag on yourself…” Other than the professor, I actually find this class fascinating! I had to read the first chapter in the textbook and actually really enjoyed it! Parts of it even made my laugh out loud, so hard! (just ask my roommate)

Oh, you know, just reading about rat orgasms….. Haha.

I only have Theatre Appreciation on Mondays and Wednesdays (which gives me an hour break on Fridays, and I don’t have to treck back and forth to the BSB– hallelujah!). This class is pretty easy so far and you pretty much just sit and take notes. My professor is a second year grad student and is pretty hilarious! He’s constantly showing us hilarious/cool videos that relate to what we’re learning about. I really admire his ability to make this class interesting! Here’s one of the videos he showed us last class period:

 

I have Intro to Psychology on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as well. My professor for this class is so awesome. He gave us his cell phone number and told us to call him literally day or night. He said, “since my wife is a doctor, middle of the night phone calls are a common occurrence in my house. So, if you need me, call me, it doesn’t matter what time it is.” I think that is so awesome! He also told us that he would stay on campus however late we needed him to in order for him to work with our schedule to meet with us and he lives 70 miles from campus! This class is going over the same things as my neuroscience class is, right now, so the majority of the class is like deja vu!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Biology. The professor for this class is a great lecturer! He actually keeps me engaged, which is hard to do in a biology class. So, major props to this man! He also goes really fast, so I’m going to have to start taking notes before class and adding to them during lecture. This is my only class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I get out at 10:45. That definitely makes me like this class so much more!!

My Neuroscience Lab is pretty cool because I can take it whenever I want, as long as I complete one lab a week. It’s computer-based, so as long as the computer lab in the science building is open, I can just go in and take it. I’m planning on taking it on Tuesdays right after my Biology class so that I can get it out of the way early in the week during my least busy day! Plus, I’ll already be at the BSB for Biology, anyways. I don’t know how the actual lab or TA is yet, because I don’t start it until next week, but I’ll update you guys after my first lab on Tuesday!!

Lastly, my Biology lab is on Mondays until 4:30. I was stressing out really bad about this class because I haven’t had the best experiences with lab partners in the past. But, this semester, I have two freshman lab partners: Amanda and Duc. They are really sweet and hard working (a complete change from my last two lab partners) so I’m not worried about this class at all anymore because I won’t have to do it all myself. Plus, they just seem to be so sweet, so I really enjoy getting to talk to them! And the TA is really sweet and helpful, also a huge change from my second semester Chemistry lab TA (he just sat there and watched football the entire lab).

I really enjoyed this first week of classes! I hope this post hasn’t seemed too pessimistic– I really am enjoying all of my classes! Well… except my english class. Other than that, my classes are wonderful and so interesting! This is by far the best semester I’ve had at Baylor. I think it’s because I’ve finally figured out what I want to do, so I’m working towards the goal of being a pediatrician now. Whereas, last year, I had no clue what I wanted to do so I just felt like I was spinning my wheels. I finally have the motivation I need to stay on top of things because I know that these classes are actually going to be useful to me in the future! I’m so thankful that I decided to take the leap of faith and do what I’ve always wanted to do: become a doctor. Major thanks for my family doctor and my best friend for their support and advice that helped me make my decision!!

And, it’s always a blessing to be able to walk through such a beautiful campus everyday! Here are a few pictures I snapped while walking to class this week!

On Tuesday, I got to have lunch with my Baylor Buddy (Garrett) at Which Wich– the best sandwich shop EVER. We spent most of our time talking about how much different and more relaxing this semester has been from previous semesters– probably because we’re no longer freshmen and finally have the hang of things!

On Thursday, I got to have lunch (at the same place, because it’s THAT good) and Starbucks with Josie! It was great to get to catch up!

SELFIE– because we’re really excited about the science building’s new Starbucks! #TypicalWhiteGirls

ANOTHER delicious sandwich!!!

Clubs start next week and I’m really excited!! I’m joining BU Meds, AMSA, and Baylor Buddies!

BU Meds is a Medical Humanities (one of my majors) group that focuses on the compassion, morality and spirituality of medicine as well as patient-doctor relationships, rather than just the science behind it.

Speaking of Medical Humanities, check out the shirts the department made for us this year:

AMSA is the American Medical Student Association and they do various medicine-related projects throughout the semester. I get to spend a day practicing sutures on fruit! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baylor Buddies is by far the club I’m most excited about! It’s a program where you get assigned to an underprivileged child and you go eat lunch with them at least once a week at school and you take them to various Baylor sporting events and you just mentor them and become a positive influence in their life! I cannot even begin to explain my excitement for this club! I love children and the thought of getting to spend time with a sweet child and helping them just by hanging out with them is the best thing I could imagine!! It reminds me of the tutoring program I did in high school and makes me miss my sweet kiddos so much!!

This weekend, my sister is coming down and staying the night with my niece. I am unbelievably excited for them to get here tomorrow!!! I’ve missed them so much!! She made Paisley an adorable Baylor onsie and tutu to wear while they’re down here (it was supposed to be for the game but we unfortunately can’t go, so we’re just going to take her around campus and show her off!) :

So, overall, my week was WONDERFUL and I’m about to have an even better weekend (not to mention, NO CLASS MONDAY!) I’ll post all about my time with my sister and niece on Sunday or Monday, so don’t forget to check back to read all about it and see the adorable pictures of my niece! Or, just subscribe by entering your e-mail to the left to get it directly to your e-mail so you’re sure not to miss it!! And, trust me, you’re not going to want to miss those adorable pictures!

Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you enjoyed this post 🙂 If you’re back at school, or a first year freshman, I’d love to hear all about your week and what classes you’re taking, so feel free to comment below, or e-mail me!

Also, let me know if there are any college-specific things you would like me to post about!

 

– ❤ B

Erin Condren Planner: First Look

I recently ordered an Erin Condren Life Planner and it finally came in the mail! I was so excited, I decided I would do a blog post about it, in case anybody out there was looking for a good planner to use for college! I apologize in advance for the poor lighting! Haha.

This is the front and back of my new Erin Condren Life Planner! It’s customized so that all of the words on it are things I love. Click on the pictures to get a better view so you can read the words!

 

 

On the first two pages, there is a quote, “work hard, play hard”

 

There’s a ‘year at a glance’ page at the beginning. I plan on using this to mark the days off as I go, so I can see how close I am to the end of the semester. I’ll also highlight important dates (such as finals, breaks, etc.) on there so I can keep track of how close those are as well!

 

For each month, you get the monthly calendar and you also get a weekly calendar. There is a different quote at the top of each monthly calendar. Since you know I’m obsessed with quotes, I’m obviously going to love this! I’m also really excited about the “goals and notes” and “to-do” sections on the weekly pages! I’ll use this to set a goal for myself each week, put inspirational quotes write down to-do’s, such as pick up mail at post office, buy laundry soap, etc.

 

It also comes with stickers you can put on the calendar that say things such as “doctor appointment” and “birthday”. I got two sheets of these along with a blank sheet of labels (3 sheets total) with my planner. I ordered another sheet that says “TEST!” on each label!

 

You also get a booklet where you can put important information such as birthdays and phone numbers:

 

At the back, there’s a little pocket folder where you can make sure you keep up with things and there is also a plastic bag where you can put important papers, pencils, pens, etc.

 

And, finally, they gave me labels with my name on them (not sure what I’ll use those for yet…), ‘to and from’ gift labels, and “lets get together cards”.

    

I’ll post an update/review later on in the semester and let y’all know how the Erin Condren Life Planner is working out for me! If you’re interested, you can click here to visit the Erin Condren website and browse around. If you’re interested in my specific planner, you can click here to check it out!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to subscribe, like, comment, or share this post! :))

– ❤ B

Moving Into My Very First Apartment!

Hey guys, it’s Brooke! I just moved into my very first apartment and wanted to share this wonderful experience with y’all so I copied and pasted this post from my personal blog, Finding The Good In Everyday Life!

YAY!!! Today is the day!! The day that I officially move into my very first apartment 🙂 This morning, I snuggled both of my nieces and my dog because I knew I wouldn’t get to see them for a while 😦

 

I had already packed everything in my car the night before and was so ready to go!

 

 

Apparently miss Paisley was ready to go, too!

 

My sister and I set out for Waco with my dad following behind us but we couldn’t have a proper road trip without the proper snacks. A pizza, hot cheetos, beer salt (for the cheetos) and a fountain drink should suffice! 😉

Candice and I had a blast driving up there and we talked so much that it definitely didn’t feel like two hours! I’m so thankful she came down to help me, I seriously couldn’t have done it without her!

 

Once we got here and we unloaded (my wonderful roomie was here to help us unload!), this is what my room looked like….:

 

Holy cow, we had a lot to work to do… So it must be time to go get some sustenance to give us the energy to fix this mess.. Off to Rosa’s cafe we go! Rosa’s was seriously THE BEST Mexican place, ever. I will definitely be getting it more often.

 

Paisley loved their tortillas! She ate two all by herself!

 

After Rosa’s, we went to Target to get bed risers (they didn’t fit so I have to take them back tomorrow ), a laundry basket, laundry soap, toilet paper, paper towels, school supplies, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and command hooks.

Apparently my driving was scaring us all… Lol.

My wonderful daddy!!! 🙂

Group selfies while walking through a parking lot proved to be pretty tricky… But we mastered it, eventually! 😉

That lip… This face just melts my heart!

 

The best thing about college is definitely the fact that you need, like, 1/4 of the school supplies you needed for elementary through high school! All’s I got was a spiral for each of my classes, pens, pencils, and highlighters. That’s it. Pretty exciting!

A lot of pens (I lose at least one a day..), some highlighters, mechanical pencils, and some spirals.

 

We went to Walmart afterwards to get groceries. I’ve never had my own place before so I had no earthly idea of what to get! So, I just got a few snacks and decided I would go back as I needed things. Everything I got was unhealthy, of course. Typical college student, right? Haha. Well, except the Golden Grahams… I’m pretty sure those are good for you!

 

I then went and transferred my prescriptions and picked up two packages from the post office. I got the books for my English class and my Biology lab in!

My bio lab book cost twice as much as all six of these books! 😦

 

Back to my apartment to actually start doing stuff. We couldn’t really do much until the shelves were put together so my dad worked really hard to get the beautiful shelves he bought me finished 🙂 I’m seriously in love with these shelves! Ever since I first saw them years ago, I always said that I would have them in my very first apartment!! 🙂

My master shelf builder! : )

The finished result! : ) I love them so much!!

 

Candice then decided to organize my jewelry like she had helped her boss do. So, she bought coat hangers and command hooks for my necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. It looks so amazing. I didn’t realize I had so much jewelry!

 

 

After the shelves were done, we could finally unpack. It took hours of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) but we finally got it done! Thanks daddy for doing all of the building and lifting and thanks sissy for helping doing all of the unpacking, organizing, and decorating! Y’all are the best! Here’s my side of our bedroom:

moving into my first apartment

The curtains my mom made me

This is the quote above my bed. It’s like my life motto: “Pray about everything, worry about nothing.”

My bedside table 🙂 The top shelf is filled with my books for my American Literature class and my new Erin Condren Planner. Oh, and if you look really close, you can see the bookmark in one of the books that Hannah got me from The Forbidden City in China!! The middle shelf has a peacock Garrett got me, a Hollywood star Hannah got me when she went to California, and the bottle of Coke with my name on it that my cousin found and bought for me 🙂 The bottom shelf is all of the books for Biology and Physics that Eileen let me borrow. (I know, there’s a ton! She’s awesome!)

Above my bedside table, I hung my diploma and graduation picture of my best friends and I, a picture of my sisters, nieces, and me at the hospital when Madison was born, and a picture of my best friends and I taken last week at our birthday celebration! I also put up one of my absolute FAVORITE quotes I bought when I went to the mall with Stormie a few days ago: “Live your life in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God will come to know God because they know you.”

On the other side of my bed, is mine and Megan’s mini fridge and a few picture frames 🙂

This is the picture collage I made of my family and friends! Next to it is a canvas I got printed out of a picture of my baby nieces, Madison and Paisley, and I!!! : )

My closet. I have a TON of shoes and I didn’t even know it. I had to double up most of the shoes in my shoe rack! And above my dresser is my jewelry that Candice organized for me! I absolutely LOVE it!!! Who knew I had so much jewelry?! Not me! I’m learning so much about myself, the more I unpack! Haha.

This is the quote Stormie got me after my first serious boyfriend and I broke up. It says, “be with a guy who ruins your lipstick, not your mascara” I love it so much! It goes perfectly above my closet where all of my jewelry and makeup is 🙂

The shelves my daddy got and built for me!! Finally finished and looking beautiful! I love them so much 🙂

The quote I got last week that says “let your dreams run wild” and a cross that says “faith” hang above my TV. I love them so much and they’ll be a constant reminder to follow my dreams of becoming a doctor, now matter how hard it gets. God will get me through it if I just trust in Him! 🙂

In my shelves, I have a ‘Family’ picture frame with a picture of my parents, sisters, and I taken at graduation. I also have all of my movies and Sims games, and all of the books at the bottom are the ones I mentioned earlier that I bought but never read! Looks like I’ve got a lot of reading to catch up on before school starts! In the middle is the adorable Baylor canister Tori got me and two snow globes I’ve had forever 🙂 And, on the bottom right, there’s a scentsy zebra Diane got me and a cute teddy bear my old roommate’s mom got me!

Our apartment is prefurnished and since my roommates all lived here last year, it was completely decorated and everything, already. 🙂 Here’s the rest of our apartment:

Our living room:

 

Each of us has our picture framed on the mantel of our fire place. I added my picture today 🙂

This is the quote above our couch that says, “Faith in your mind, Hope in your soul, Love in your heart”

I got to add my Line jersey to the Baylor wall in our living room!! 🙂 (Mine is “Doodle Bug”)

 

Our dining room:

Our kitchen:

Since it was completely furnished, I didn’t need to bring much. But I definitely brought my crock pot and George Foreman grill!

Our cute little laundry nook:

Our bathroom:

 

Fitting all of my stuff into the bathroom was definitely a challenge!

This is just all of the perfume I have (and I didn’t even bring all of my perfume from home…)

This is all lotion. And I never even use lotion. Looks like I’m going to have to start! Haha.

 

And, finally, hair stuff and random things like medicine and extra razors.

It took up my entire shelf in the bathroom (and it barely fit!)

Even miss Paisley seemed to love Aunt Doodle’s new apartment:

This is when we were being resourceful and attempted to use the bathtub as a napping area! She loved it!

 

By the end of the day, we were all as exhausted as Paisley! I seriously couldn’t have done it without my daddy and sister! I’m beyond thankful for their help. I’m so blessed to have them!

Passed out!

Now all’s I have to do is go find the dumpster and throw all of this mess into it!

 

 

If you liked this post, feel free to visit my blog at www.thegoodineverydaylife.com and read more posts like it! I’ll be posting an organization/packing blog sometime this week so don’t forget to subscribe using your e-mail so you won’t miss it… or check back every day 😉 haha. Thanks for reading, everybody!! 🙂

 

-B

10 Things Not to Forget When Moving Off to College

Hey guys! Now that the fall semester is approaching, I know there are a lot of incoming freshmen who are wondering what they will need the most, and stressing about whether or not they’re forgetting to pack something. So, I thought I would share with you guys the top ten not-so-obvious items you should make sure you don’t forget! This is a blog post I copied and pasted from my personal blog, Finding The Good in Everyday Life, because it’s definitely relevant to what this blog is all about!

modcloth has some adorable umbrellas!

1. Umbrella. I don’t care if you’re going to school in the Sahara Desert, BRING AN UMBRELLA. Because when it does rain, and it will, you don’t want to be one of those students walking to class soaking wet! Trust me, I was that girl at one point. Also, keep your umbrella with you in your backpack. Because I can’t tell you how many times my friends and I have been completely caught off guard when we walked out of class and into a tsunami!

2. Rain boots. Going along with the umbrella, you’re going to need a good pair of rain boots. I remember last summer when Marisol and I were googling the most important items we needed to bring to college, rain boots was high on the list. She and I looked at each other and laughed, saying “that is so stupid! Why would we need rain boots?!” Well, a few weeks into school, we both found out exactly why we needed rain boots. Most campuses tend to not have a very good drainage system for when it rains. Which means that while you’re walking to class, you could be stepping into a puddle of water that goes halfway up your calve. Trust me, trudging to and from classes with soaking wet shoes, socks, and jeans is absolutely miserable. So, take my advice and pack your rain boots. If you don’t have any, go buy some. Now.

3. Hand soap and toilet paper. If you’re living in a dorm, you may assume you don’t need to buy these items because you’re sharing a restroom, which the custodial staff is supposed to clean and keep fully stocked. WRONG. Evidently, they’re only allowed to give you so much toilet paper, paper towels, and hand soap every month. I can’t count how many times our bathrooms were out of toilet paper and soap– sometimes up to two weeks at a time. So, make sure you go and buy a package of toilet paper and some hand soap in case you need it! It’s always better to have toilet paper you don’t need than to need toilet paper and not have it!

4. Shower shoes. If you’re using community showers, odds are you’re sharing about six showers with more than 50 people.  Though the showers get cleaned every morning, with that many people showering, the floors get pretty nasty! So, make sure you bring your flip flops and never shower without them on! And, if you’re worried about having to shower around other people (I know I was terrified!), don’t be. It’s not bad at all. I was never in the shower room with more than two people at a time and as long as you close the curtain to your shower stall, nobody will see you showering! Haha.

5. A Brita water bottle! I can’t even explain to you how many cases of water I went through last year. I drank probably five or six bottles of water a day. And even more than that during the summer because I got so hot while walking to class. So, I was spending too much money on bottles of water. Most people would think, “why didn’t you just refill your water bottles from the sink/fountain?” Well, that’s because the tap water at my school is DISGUSTING. Waco water is never something you should drink if you have the choice. So, just buy a Brita water bottle and you’ll save tons of money! (And you won’t break your back carrying the cases of water from the parking garage to your dorm!)

6. Extra USB cords for your phone. You should probably bring at least three. One for your dorm, one to keep and your backpack, and one as a back up. The libraries have “charging stations” where you can just plug your usb into the wall to charge your phone, so make sure you keep one in your backpack so you can keep your phone charged during an all-night study marathon!

7. An Ethernet cable and, if your computer doesn’t have the proper plug in, an adapter for it. I know it sounds like a given that dorms would have WiFi, right? Well, that’s what I thought, anyways. Come to find out, none of the dorms on campus had WiFi so I went without internet for a good two weeks while I was waiting for my cord and adapter to come in. Even if you know that your dorm does have WiFi, it’s not a bad idea to get it, anyways so that if the WiFi goes down, you can use your Ethernet cable and not miss a beat!

8. Extension cords and a surge protector. Odds are, you’re only going to have two plug-ins on your side of the dorm and they’re usually not where you’re going to need them to be! So, extension cords are a necessity!

9. Headphones! Always keep a pair of headphones in you backpack. They come in handy walking to class, studying in the library, or when you’re trying to tune some obnoxious person sitting behind you out. Trust me on this one– headphones are a must!

10. Medicine! You’re probably going to need to bring DayQuil, NyQuil, and Advil (or whatever brands of these you use). You may be thinking, “I never get sick! I don’t need these!” WRONG. You will get sick. Being around so many different people on a daily basis definitely makes you more susceptible to things like the flu. And, trust me, when you wake up sick, you’re not going to want to go all the way to the bookstore and pay $15 for a small bottle of DayQuil. It’s going to suck enough having to take care of yourself and still go to class when you’re sick. So, just bring them with you when you move in so you’ll have them when you need them. And keep the Advil with you, because on really rough days, you’re going to need it to get rid of your headache so you can study without concentrating on the throbbing in your head. I did, at least!

So, take it from somebody who’s been there and has forgotten nearly all of these things– make sure you pack all of this when you move off to college! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope it helped!:) Please subscribe by simply entering your e-mail on the right side (or, if you’re on your phone, just scroll down to the subscribe box!).

I also found another great blog post about dorm life and what you should make sure you bring! Check it out at: http://tylerlcalhoun.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-truth-about-dorm-life-2/

If you’re in need of a complete packing list, the image below is the ULTIMATE packing list for college! It has everything you will need on it!

The ULTIMATE college packing list!

 

-B

What You Should Know Before Starting College

Hey guys! I can’t believe the fall semester is already so close!! I know there are a lot of incoming freshmen out there who are probably freaking out (as I know I was) about what to expect at college.

1. You will make friends.

You probably won’t make your closest friends during the “bonding activities” during your school’s version of Welcome Week. Your closest friends will be made in the clubs you join and the classes you take– that’s where you’ll find people with similar interests! So, if you don’t have a new BFF by the end of welcome week, don’t stress yourself out! Let your new friendships evolve naturally, don’t force them.

2. You don’t actually HAVE to go to all those awkward ice-breaker activities. 

If you’re a social butterfly, you probably like the idea of diving in a group of people and coming out with a hundred new friends. However, if you’re like me, the sound of these freshman ice-breaker events is enough to make you cringe. From my experience, a lot of people went to these events mainly because everyone else was going. But, they came back disappointed. Because they met hundreds of people who were also nervous about putting their best foot forward.  Therefore, they couldn’t get past that “Hi, my name’s ______. I’m from _______ and I want to study ______!” opening without making any deep connections. Even more, you meet so many people that you’re head is spinning and you can barely remember all their names! For some introverts like me, this is a very uncomfortable experience that’s enough to make you want to head right back home. I prefer meeting people in the dining halls or during classes, where it’s natural and not so over-enthusiastic and forced. For others, it’s an enriching experience that helps them make life-long friends. Just follow your gut. (Side note: These events usually have food or some sort of goodie. So, you might not want to avoid these events completely. 😉 But, you can stop by and play it by ear.)

3. Leave all those extra t-shirts at home. 

The great thing about being a freshman is that you get to be babied and it’s AWESOME. Which means lots of organizations will be throwing t-shirts at you wherever you go! I’m pretty sure during my freshman year, I got at least 6-7 free t-shirts just because that’s how freshmen roll. So, save yourself some room in that suitcase or box so that you can pack something else more useful! Like sweats for your first final exam period! (JK, but not really.)

4. There’s still drama in college — but, that doesn’t mean you have to be a part of it. 

It’s all about the friends you choose. Avoid the gossips.

People will always bond and break apart by talking about other people. Just because you feel like you have no friends and you’re finally making a connection with someone else, don’t do it! Remember that you’ll most likely have to spend the next four years with the people that you meet this year. So, even if you might be feeling cranky and vulnerable, resist the urge to be judgmental and gossipy. Be a good friend. Focus on bettering yourself, and I promise that college will be a much happier and fulfilling experience for you. Also,   first appearances are not always what they seem. My best friends from college right now are not who I thought they’d be. Give everyone a chance. If you are stressed and need to vent, it’s best to have one or two trustworthy friends to confide in. Spend time with people who take the high road and don’t always agree with you. It’s beneficial in the long run.

5. It’s really easy to get sick in college. 

College is great because you have the freedom to eat whatever you want, unlike when you were living under someone else’s roof. But, mom was right about eating those veggies. You not only should eat your veggies, you NEED to eat those veggies. Your first semester is going to be a mental and physical battle. This means you’ll probably be getting less sleep, have less time to exercise, and have lots of stress that you never had to deal with before. On top of that, you’re living in close quarters with other people who are going through the same thing. Your immune system will be a lot weaker and getting sick is inevitable. I never really got sick in high school, but my body went haywire during my first semester of college. However, this doesn’t have to be a constant battle. Enhance your immune system by being mindful of what you eat, drinking lots of water, exercising when you have time, and getting a good night’s rest. Because your schedule will be hectic, it’s easiest to control what you put into your body. So try to eat three healthy meals a day, and maybe even take a daily multivitamin. I take daily gummy vitamins and it does wonders (plus, they’re yummy).

6. Do the assigned reading for a class.

Even if you don’t have a quiz over it, read it. If the professor suggests it, odds are they’ll put something on the test about it. Also read the chapter you’ll be going over in class before you get to class. You’ll already have a basic understanding of the information so when your professor actually teaches it, you’ll grasp it more fully. This saves a ton of study hours!

7. Going to different colleges from your best friends doesn’t mean you’ll lose touch and lose your friendship.

One thing I’ve learned in the last year at college is that a true best friend is someone you don’t have to talk to or see everyday but, when you do get to talk to them, you pick up right where you left off. Your friends will understand that college is a busy time in your life and you won’t have time to talk everyday. There were times when Marisol, Hannah, and I went months without having a real conversation and it’s only made our friendship that much stronger, knowing that even distance can’t tear us apart!

8. Your confidence will be tested. 

In college, you will get to encounter some of the most brilliant students who will be mind-blowing! This can be an enriching experience, but it is one that intimidates most people. You will meet people who come from insanely privileged backgrounds, people who seem to have a genius gene so they don’t have to study, or maybe even people who always seem to be doing better than you. But, hold your head up high and realize that you are there among these amazing students for a reason. Work hard and focus on yourself. Use the people around you as inspiration. Don’t talk about grades. Don’t compare yourself.

9. Netflix is dangerous. Don’t touch it during finals season.

Enough said.

10. Get involved!

The key to a fun and successful first year at college is to get involved in clubs you’re really interested in! This is where you’ll build life-long friendships.

11. Go to your professors office hours frequently, even if you have to make up a question to ask them.

Get to know them and definitely introduce yourself to them during the first week of classes to let them know how excited you are about their class– even if you’re not. This will help them see you as a person, not just another number. Trust me, this makes a difference during end of semester grade submissions! Plus, they have to have office hours– they get bored, so they want people to come in!

12. “Freshman year is basically meant for messing up.”

This quote was said to me by a very wise upperclassmen. Your freshman year is not going to be perfect. Even if you were a star student in high school and made straight A+’s your whole life, you will still encounter lots rough patches. You’ll change your mind about a lot of things. College is physically and mentally exhausting. Although you need to discipline yourself, it’s most important to love yourself. So don’t beat yourself up if you’re ever in the middle of freshman year thinking, “This isn’t how it was supposed to be.” Forgive yourself for that not-so-hot grade in Econ, keep working hard, and move on. You’ll get it. And when you do, it’ll be amazing!

College is a roller coaster. You don’t know what to expect– but that’s the best part! It’s an entirely new experience but you get out of it what you decide to. It can be the best or worst four years of your life– it’s your choice.

Good luck, freshmen and welcome to the ranks!

 

-B & H