Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Springtime!


I've been super MIA lately, but it's only because I've been outside enjoying the wonderful weather we've been having!!

Well, that and studying for the LAST FINALS OF MY COLLEGE CAREER!!

Basically, my life has just been a lot more exciting than usual.

The other day, I had so much free time that I got to take advantage of the fabulous weather and chill out on my balcony with a nice, cold glass of frozen sangria.


Now, I don't have the most beautiful view at my apartment, but it was still perfect for me to sit outside to work on my papers and study guides while listening to some of my favorite music (this week I've been on another Wicked kick)



I was able to be so focused and relaxed at the same time, which is definitely not something I'm used to.
It was quite a treat.

I love when the weather is consistently 80+, so I have been in Heaven lately!! And it only gets better, because my apartment pool opens up next week!!! I am so excited!

Has anyone else been enjoying the nice, Spring weather? I'd love to hear your favorite ways to take advantage of it!!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Study Tips


With finals just around the corner, I've definitely been getting a little bit worried about being prepared.

In high school, I never really had to study; I was in honors and AP classes and graduated with a 4.3 (on the 5.0 scale, obviously), so when I got into college and first realized that--GASP--I would actually have to study, it was a bit of a shock.

Now that I'm finishing up my senior yer at my university, I have become rather good at studying, if I do say so myself. Although, I am still the reigning queen of procrastination. 

Here are a few of my favorite study tips that I've learned along the way. Some of them might sound a bit overused, but trust me--they work.





  1. Take Breaks
    I know, I know. You're studying and you're so productive, so you don't really want to take a break, but I swear by this. I'm a big fan of the 25-5 rule: you study for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break to do whatever you want: eat a snack, browse Facebook or Twitter, fit in some quick exercise, whatever really. Apparently this is called the "Pomodoro Technique," or something.
    I'm a big fan of using technology to help anyway it can, so I recommend Pomoroido on android to time your studying/productivity and alert you when it's break time. For iPhone users, Pomodoro Time Management Lite is a good alternative. If you have a Windows phone, I think the Tomato Productivity Timer is the best free option.
  2. Drink Water
    If you haven't heard this one, you've probably been living under a rock. Apparently, drinking water while you study increases your brain function or something. It also, you know, keeps you hydrated, which is always important. I don't think there is anything worse than being distracted by how thirsty you are and how dry your mouth is. Talk about unpleasant.
    And, whadya know, there are apps that track your water consumption, too! I have not yet found one that reminds me to drink water (the fact that I find that necessary is a little embarrassing), but I love that Fitbit gives you a visual representation of how much water you've had that day.
  3. Listen to Music
    I feel like this one actually goes against everything you're taught about studying, because it pulls focus away form your work, right? Well, I'm not talking about flipping to your favorite BeyoncĂ© or someone playlist. In fact, recently I've been  big fan of the Hans Zimmer station on Pandora. If you don't know, Hans Zimmer is a well-known composer who's worked on films like Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean, 12 Years a Slave, and even The Lion King! The music gets me super pumped and I actually feel like I'm doing something important, rather than studying for that econ final.


Those are my best study habits. Are there any that you swear by?

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Life is Hard


I don't think there has ever been a more true statement.

It's not like I'm just realizing this, of course; I've known for quite some time. It's just that some times you let that realization slip into the back of your mind until something brings it to the front again.

Like finals. My last finals.
It's a little terrifying and preparing for them is completely taking over my life.

I'm taking 21 hours this semester (WHY??), so I have finals for 7 classes.
SEVEN.
Thank God they're not all actual exams, but still.
I have papers, presentations, projects, exams, on top of trying to find a big-girl job, working at my internship, and completing activities for Chi Omega and my other organizations.

It's a lot to handle, and it hit me just how much this all has been affecting me when I took the time to look at my room this morning.

It is a MESS. Honestly, it looks like my room exploded.
Which is a big deal, because I HATE MESSES! If everything is not in its place, I almost have a panic attack. And I wish I was kidding.

I have dirty clothes all over the place, bags just piled on the floor, my shoes are strewn across the room, and I have clean towels in my hamper that I haven't even considered folding.

My life has just been so busy and stressful lately that I let my room get this bad, and now it's making me even more stressed and I know I have to take time out of my day to clean this. If I don't, it'll kill me.

But when will I have the time? Everything is due this week and next! I just don't know how I'm going to make enough time to get my room clean enough for me to handle it, but I also know that if I don't I won't be able to focus on anything that I do!!

Does anyone have any suggestions for managing my time for cleaning, working, and doing school work?
Because that would be a GREAT help. And I'd probably love you forever.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Summer On My Mind


There is no way to deny it; I cannot  wait for summer.

The hot weather, the bright sun, the cute clothes; I love everything about summer. Everybody around me hates summer because of the weather, but that is only one of the many reasons that I love it!

The hot weather just gives me one more excuse to wear shorts and sandals! (For the record, I hate winter because of the cold and the fact that I cannot wear such things)

And the dresses. Dresses are such a fabulous item of clothing. They take almost no effort to wear, and yet the instant you have it on it looks like you actually put a lot of effort into your appearance.

I mean, look at this dress I want from J. Crew:



It's so classy, and yet all I have to do is slip it on! (I also, of course, have to actually buy it first. That's where the real problem lies.)

And then there's this:




If I could have this outfit for my cruise in July, I would be ecstatic.

I mean, look at that Kate Spade bag.

I NEED IT.

But seriously, guys. I just cannot wait until summer.

In my opinion, summer is the most wonderful time of the year!

Is there anybody else who's as excited for summer as I am???

All-Nighter


So, who's a fan of all-nighters? I'm really not sure how I feel about them, especially as I'm currently enduring one right this moment. Hopefully this will be the last one of my undergraduate career, but I guess only these next two weeks will tell.

Oh my God, I only have two weeks left of school. How weird is that??

But, back to the point.

All-nighters.

How do we let it get to the point where we have to force ourselves to stay awake just to finish the work we've been assigned all semester? I know, for me, it's the pressure; I work best under pressure. But that doesn't stop me from freaking out, so sure I won't actually finish my assignment in time. I've never not-finished an assignment, but that doesn't stop me from worrying about it! It's a whole lot of undue stress, honestly.

So, tonight/this morning as I'm writing this term paper that's due at 8 am (why did I just start this???) I'm obviously stressing out about not being able to complete it. This worry is completely unfounded, considering I have almost seven hours to write two more paragraphs, but I worry nonetheless.

So this is my advice for you: don't pull an all-nighter.

Especially if you have plenty of advance notice about the assignment. Sure, procrastinating is fine; I don't get why everybody acts like it's such a big deal. But don't, and I mean DO NOT, procrastinate to the point where you will literally have a 15 page paper due in 8 hours and you haven't even thought about it for two seconds.

And do you wanna know when it gets especially bad?

When you have to pull more than one all-nighter in a row.

I've been 86 hours without sleep before, and I promise you that it is not something I recommend. I showed up to an important presentation with my clothes on backwards and my work sub-par.

Sure, I look back on it and laugh now, but it really was no fun. It was hell. Like I said, not something I recommend.

And all-nighters are just so not good for you. I can already tell that my sleep schedule is going to be fucked up by this. And let's not even discuss my eating habits for the night.

I just really, really hope that this is my last all-nighter. REALLY.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Look Back


This has been quite the week; I've just gotten so lost in all of my work and school assignments that I was never even entirely sure what day it was. It was hard to just sit back and enjoy the moment, which is something I really need to force myself to do more often.

Looking back on it now, this was quite busy, but it was also quite entertaining. Here's what I most enjoyed about my week:


  1. Chi Omega Workshop
    Our National Consultant came and visited us and gave us a workshop on sisterhood, which most of us didn't even realize we needed. With the stress of life pressing down on us, we placed our sisterhood on the back burner, which is never something we want to do--especially me, as a senior. I want to be able to enjoy every moment of active sisterhood that I can. She reminded us that sometimes you have to create your own happiness and that no matter what, there will always be a sister there for us in our times of need; she also introduced us to some fun activities that can be used at sisterhood events in the future. She basically opened my eyes to how I can make my life, and my last moments as an active sister of Chi Omega, more enjoyable.

  2. No work!
    Okay, so this is kind of bittersweet. I didn't have to work at my internship at all this week, so I had a lot of time to catch up on all of my assignments and relax a little, but I also didn't make any money. That's definitely going to come and bite me next week when I don't get a paycheck. But having so much free time was such a blessing, and it gave me time to evaluate my life and make sure I'm on track; I'm definitely a planner, so I needed to make sure everything was going according to plan!

  3. RAW Art Event
    Last night I went with my friends to an art event! It was very exciting. My friend had to go for her internship at an art gallery and didn't want to go alone, so she took us with her! It was so exciting. There were so many different types of art and some were even interactive; I've never been to an art show like this one. They also had bands performing and a lot of other stuff going on. They held a fashion show as well, but it was at the very end so we had to miss it. :( It was such a fabulous experience and I'm glad she decided to share it with me and our other friend!

Like I said, it may not have been the most exciting week, but there were definitely things to be happy about. As our National Consultant told us, you need to always find something to be happy about in the moment, because if you're waiting for happiness in the future you will never truly be happy. (You should check her out: http://thesunnygirl.com/.)

Is there anything that happened that made your week? Or anything you're just especially proud of from this past week? I'd love to hear about it!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Welcome to my Home: Living Room Edition


Week two! This week I thought I'd show you all around my living room.
It won't take very long, promise.


If I'm not in my bedroom, I'm in my living room. This is primarily where I eat dinner and watch TV. I have a television in my bedroom, but this on is so much larger and my bluray is hooked up to it, which allows us to watch stuff like YouTube and Netflix. I also have my ancient PS2 hooked up, so when I have free time I love to play games (mostly stuff like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, but also some others.) Basically, the TV gets a lot of use.



There obviously isn't nearly as much going on in this room; it's basically just a hodgepodge of whatever furniture we could use from our parents' houses. I tried to keep a sort-of "red" theme going on, but I wasn't very successful. Oh well. It's a college apartment, so I'm not too bothered by it. Once I graduate I'll probably buy much cuter furniture (whether it's for here or an apartment far, far away, who knows?)

Kind of off to the side of the living room, right outside of my bedroom, is my crafting nook! I love to craft, sew, and draw, so this is where I get all of that stuff done. It's kind of a mess, because I have entirely too much stuff. I'm trying to come up with a better way to organize it all, but so far no luck. Any suggestions?



I suppose that's it! If I'm not relaxing or working in my room, I'm relaxing or working in the living room! The walls are drastically bare though, so I definitely need to fix that.

If anybody has some organization or decor tips, I'm definitely willing to take some advice to make my place more exciting!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Keeping it Together




Being organized was never something that I really felt was important in high school, but as soon as I got to college I realized that I was going to need to get myself together. Literally.

Since then, I've become and organization fiend. If something is not in its place, I scramble to fix it because I have a plethora of worst-case-scenarios running through my head.
"What if someone visits and needs items A and B and I don't know where they are?"
"What if I'm taking care of the family dog and I can't find his leash? "
"What if I'm getting ready for a final project and I can't find any of my deliverables?"

You get the gist of it. It definitely can get worse than that, but those seem to be my most common thoughts.

So I make sure to keep my life together. Everything has a place and everything is in that place. That's the tough part. Saying what belongs where is easy; actually making sure it gets put there every single day is a struggle.

To keep it together, I primarily use 4 things:

  1. Chromebook
    My laptop. This Chromebook is barely 11", so it's super easy to carry around everywhere; it even fits in a few of my purses, which is super convenient for me when I don't want to lug around an extra bag just fr my computer. It also stores everything in the Cloud, via Google Drive, so even if I leave it behind or--heaven forbid--lose it, I won't lose any of the work I've done. It operates using Chrome OS, so I have access to all web apps in the Chrome Store, which definitely helps me keep everything on the computer nice and organized. There are planners, task timers, note-takers, and so much more that you can use to stay organized.

  2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
    I guess at this point, this particular tablet is "out-of-date," but it's basically the love of my life. I can access everything I do on my computer and everything I do on my phone thanks to the cloud, plus a whole bunch of other stuff. I love to read, and since ebooks are much cheaper than hard copies (although, there is nothing like a real book) I keep a ton on here so I am never without a good book. It's also a lot easier to carry around my one, tiny tablet, than to store 3 or 4 books in a bag. I primarily use this for reading news and blogs. My favorite app for doing so is Feedly, which keeps it all together and nice and organized for me. Sometimes I even use this to take notes in a class or meeting.

  3. Planner
    Basically every second of my life is in here. If it's not in here, I'll probably forget. In fact, lately I've been forgetting to transcribe items from my digital calendar to this planner and, shocker, I've forgotten about them. So I definitely need to get back on that, because missing things causes so much stress and I am not about that life.

  4. Mini Binder
    Every thing is in here. I plan my days in here, take notes in here, write down ideas in here, draw quick sketches in here. My life is in this binder. I have it separated for different subjects--classes, my internship, this blog, personal things--so I can easily find what I'm looking for. This binder goes with me everywhere. If you don't have something like this, I definitely suggest you get one. It's adorable and it helps me keep my life together, so I'd say it's basically essential.

So, there you have it. That's how I'm keeping it together. There are a few flaws that I'm currently working out, but overall, it's a system that works for me and keeps my life as stress-free as possible (which, in the last month of your senior year of college, is not very stress-free, fyi)

Does anyone have any organization tips that they are particularly fond of? I'm always trying to perfect my system, so don't hesitate to let me know! 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things: Books

So, my last post was about the few things I do to help keep myself from going completely insane, which got me thinking: there are so many things that I love. That inspired this post: My favorite things.

Specifically, this week I am going to tell you about a few of my favorite books. Reading is definitely one of my favorite ways to relax and it also allows you to experience a world and a life without leaving the comfort of your home. It's basically a cheap way to travel, if you ask me. I mean, could you imagine the price of a ticket to Middle Earth? Meanwhile, you can get The Lord of the Rings for as little as 10 bucks. What a bargain.



Here are the books that currently make my top 5:


  1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
    Okay, okay. This is actually a series of books, but you didn't actually expect me to pick just ONE, did you? Every single book in this unfinished series is such an adventure, with so many different characters and plot lines, it's basically impossible to lose interest. But there isn't so much going on that you get confused; just enough to make it seem realistic--despite the dragons. I'm just hoping George R. R. Martin can finish books 6 and 7 before the HBO series gets there! I love watching the show, but I'm the type of person who wants to read the book first, especially considering the show has already made a few significant changes to the events that occur in the books. I am especially mad at a certain character that they just invented.

  2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
    Definitely on the other end of the spectrum from ASOIAF, but such a good book in a completely different way. There's a fabulous aspect of mystery without being too clichĂ© and, just like ASOIAF, just enough to keep your attention without losing you completely. It also touches on family life and expected societal roles, and a brief mention about mental health, so I definitely recommend it to someone currently struggling with one of those issues.

  3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
    If you haven't heard about this book, you certainly will soon. It's been made into a movie and is coming out in theaters June 6! How exciting. Like most of John Green's books, it's rather sad, but with a twist. You'll cry, but you'll also be relatively happy; it's strange. It's a book that makes it seem like you've become a part of the characters' lives, which can be sort of depressing since it is focused around 2 young teens who meet in a cancer support group. Despite the brief feeling of despair, it's a great book for almost anyone and a fabulous read.

  4. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
    If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should make sure to read the book beforehand. I mean, even if you've seen the movie, READ THE BOOK! The movie is quite an adventure, but multiply that by 100 and you get the book. There are so many plot twists that jump out at you and send you on a roller coaster through The Vatican. If you're looking for an adventure in a book, this is definitely for you. This is the first in the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown (contrary to belief, since The DaVinci Code--book 2--was made into a movie first) and if you enjoy this one, I definitely recommend you read the others.

  5. The Book of Joby by Mark Ferrari
    This book. Man, this book. I picked it up in my friend's dorm room our freshman year and was hooked by the first paragraph. The writing style of Mark Ferrari is so entrancing, and accompanied by the exciting tale this book holds--loosely based on, shocker, the Book of Job from the Bible--it is an exciting read. Believe it or not, you will be on the edge of your seat for most of this book: fists clenched, eyes wide, biting your lip, just trying to anticipate what's going to happen next. It's quite a thriller, but not in a Silence of the Lambs way; more of a Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince way.

If you've read any of these, you should definitely tell me whether or not you like them!

And if anyone has any book suggestions, I am so ready to take them! Like I said in my last post, I am currently reading Bossypants, but as soon as I am done with that, my reading list is completely open!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Playing Catch Up

I've been so busy with work things, and school things, and after-graduation things lately, that I haven't had time to do any of the things that I actually want to do. I haven't had me-time.

There are just so many things that help keep me sane: reading, watching Netflix, taking a bubble bath, listening to music, painting my nails; I could go on. I haven't allowed time in my schedule recently for much of it, except readingI always make sure to read before bed.

Obviously, it's resulted in a stressed out, overworked version of me that is not very pleasant.

So, this weekend, I have vowed to myself to play catch up on the relaxation that I've missed. I am scheduling time for myself, rather than for everyone else, and I am ensuring this me-time is high on my list of priorities.

Here's what I plan on doing for myself this weekend:

  1. Start Mad Men
  2. Watch new Game of Thrones episode
  3. Take a bubble bath
  4. Finish Tina Fey's Bossypants
  5. Paint my nails (still deciding on gold or coral nail polish....)
  6. Take the time to enjoy music (I partially succeeded at this today. One of my best friends had his senior recital and it was beautiful. If you're not a fan of the cello, you definitely would have been after hearing his recital.)

No matter what, I am going to let myself relax and do these things this weekend. I need it for myself, and I'm pretty sure everyone around me will find me a little bit more enjoyable when I'm not so stressed over everything. 

Does anyone have any relaxation tips that I should try?

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?





I'm not gonna lie, this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be. That's not to say it wasn't good; it was a very interesting read. Maybe not as interesting as say, Game of Thrones, but interesting nonetheless.

In my opinion, Mindy spent more time expressing her feelings about subjects than actually telling the story of her life. And the way it is written is very choppy, jumping from one part of life to the next without the barest mention of a segue.

For these reasons, I consider this book a 7/10.

Now for the good:

It's a very well written book. The structure and grammar is there, of which I am a big fan. And, of course, it's funny. If you're buying a book written by Mindy Kaling, it had better be funny. It is certainly not a book that disappoints.

It's also a relatively quick and easy read. It took me maybe 4 days to finish, reading it in the 20-30 minutes before I go to bed. So I'd say a little less than 2 hours in total. Not bad at all.

Like I said, it wasn't entirely what I was expecting, but that does not stop it from being a good book. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

If anyone else has read it, or has any book suggestions (currently reading Tina Fey's Bossypants,) feel free to leave a comment!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Bring on the Spring

It's bad enough that we had a colder (and longer) than usual Winter, but now even Spring isn't going to be warm?

Not cool, Robert Frost.

There were two days last week where I would consider the weather "Springy." Every other day has been like 62 or below (which, in South Carolina, might as well be Winter.) And let's not even talk about all of the rain. Monday morning, my trusty weather app warned me of "showers;" I was certainly not expecting the torrential downpour I walked into.

And today is a complete tease. The sun is shining and there is barely a cloud in the sky, but the wind basically makes it feel like it's 50 degrees.

I can't tell you how ready I am for hot, long days with seemingly endless sunshine. I have such Spring (okay, maybe Summer) fever, that I've been scouring the web trying to find the most perfect swim suit.

Here are some of my favorites so far:

top: Sailor Stripe bikini at J. Crew
bottom left: Sweet Dots Flounce bikini at Forever 21 | bottom right: Isle Green bikini at Target

So far, I think I'm leaning toward the Sailor Stripe bikini (would that be perfect for my cruise??), but I'm so indecisive!!

Thoughts?

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Welcome to my Home: Bedroom Edition

So, I thought I would start posting a room of my apartment once a week so maybe if someone with decorating or interior design skills sees it they could offer a little bit of advice. That's completely logical, right? I thought so.


First up: my bedroom. This is basically where I live my entire life. I sleep here, I exercise here, I eat breakfast here, I read here, I do schoolwork here; you get the point. But there is just so much going on. I have such an eclectic personality and sense of style that I'm not sure what to do with myself.

I want a classic look, so I have my navy/white/black color scheme with my "Old Meets New Hollywood" canvases that I painted hanging above my bed.

But then I love my nerdy things, like Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, so I need to have those posters up too, right next to the canvases of course.

And we can't forget about my obsession for musicals (Oh, I have not mentioned it? Believe me, it'll come up again), so I have to hang the fabulous sketch of Sweeney Todd I bought and the Wicked Playbill that my friend panted for me! Where do those go? With all of my other favorites, duh.

But that's not even the half of it.

I have stuff everywhere on my walls. Some it is stuff that I bought, some if it stuff that I painted, and the rest is stuff given to me by others, but it is all stuff and it is all basically just randomly thrown on my wall where I felt there was a spot for it. But honestly, it doesn't bother as much as I expected it to.

There are just too many things that I love about my room.


    

First of all, it's rather large. (Which, when I move to New York is going to be the biggest adjustment to me. I'm used to living in a 1100 sq. ft. apartment with my one roommate. Definitely not getting that in New York)

Second of all, I have all of my favorite things, even just in my room.

I have my desk, where I can get shit done, whether it be something for myself, for my job, or for a class.

I have my dresser (which was my great great grandmothers. The bed, which matches, was too), that houses my television, my clock, some jewelry, and basically whatever I happen to set on it that day (In today's case, my water bottle)

And, my favorite, I have what I call my "book nook." It's not a nook at all, but I think it sounds. Hey, it's my room and I'll call it whatever I want! This is where I just let go. I sit here in the morning with my cup of coffee (notice the bedside coffee maker. I might have a problem), my breakfast, and my tablet so I can read the latest news, my favorite blogs, and maybe a few chapters of the book I'm currently on.

To some it's not much, but it's mine, and I love it.

(Speaking of love, did you see this fabulous graduation stole that my Big got me??)





















Monday, April 7, 2014

Who The Hell Invented Group Projects?

Honest Question.
Who said, "Let's stick these random students together for the most important project of their semester even though they are complete strangers?"

We all know there's always at least that one group member who doesn't contribute anything at all.

But when you have 5 group projects in one semester that "at least one" turn out to be a bigger pain in the ass than usual. (If you were wondering, I have approximately 8 members spread throughout those 5 groups that do absolutely nothing.)

It really has been a test for me, but it's taught when I should and shouldn't rely on others and basically how to take control of an out-of-control group.


  1. Identify a Leader.
    Honestly, this should be the first thing you do. But don't just pick anyone, okay? You need to make sure that the leader you choose can get their shit together under any and all circumstances. But also make sure they're not too invested in other things. (I've been picked as the group leader for 3 of those groups, and that has been some special kind of hell.)

  2. Set Guidelines. 
    As soon as you have a leader, make sure everyone knows what is to be done and who exactly is doing it. That way if something doesn't get done, you know exactly where to look. If you're all just free throwing and everyone is doing a little bit of everything, it's hard to hold someone accountable when something goes wrong, and even harder to fix it.

  3. Set Checkpoints.
    This kind of ties to the guidelines, but I felt it was important enough to warrant its own list item: set strict checkpoints. Don't say, "Have something for the project by halfway through the semester." Specify. Tell your group that they had better have parts X, Y, and Z done by February 22 or shit will go down. Mention peer evaluations (if your professor does them). Believe me, when someone realizes that their grade is actually at stake, they will step up to the plate and perform.

  4. Talk to Your Group.
    Whether you're the group leader or not, communication is key to the success of any group project. It doesn't help if the only common communication between you and the rest of your group is the one leader; everyone needs to be involved. You need to talk to your group to set up meetings, establish additional guidelines, change checkpoints, etc. There is so much stuff that can be corrected and changed so simply if you just talk to each other.

  5. Don't Stress.
    It seems like an obvious one, but for me it's the most important. I have to remember that as long as I am on top of my game and doing everything that I am supposed to be doing, it will all turn out okay in the end. This semester in my Marketing Strategy class, my group has been working with an especially horrific client that hardly responds to any form of communication and then complains that we aren't doing what they, "want." But I've done what I was assigned and tried my best to keep my team on track, and now that we're nearing the end of the semester our professor only has positive things to say about our progress (still haven't heard from the client, though. Oh well.)

I'm not sure if that's helpful to anyone but me, but it has legitimately saved my ass this semester. I would probably be hiding under my bed if I hadn't figured out what I needed to do to not only get my act together, but to get my group together. 

Sure, it's a struggle. But it's my last semester of college; the struggle just keeps coming in a variety different ways from here on out. 

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Forgot to Mention....

This totally should have been my first post, but with everything going on I got a little ahead of myself.
I mean, come on, I barely have a month before I graduate college. That's intimidating.

But let's get back on track here, guys.

I started this blog as just a place I could share my experiences and thoughts, etc. It may stray from that time to time based on what's going on in my life, but you know, shit happens some times.

But something that's really bothering me about it right now is the way it looks. Like I said in my first post, I'm getting a degree in Marketing and Design; the look of this blog just does not cut it on any level.

So over the next week or so I'm probably going to be making some intense layout changes (I'm not even sure what they are, yet!) I still don't even know if I'm going to be using my own brand to inspire the design or creating a whole new one.

I hope I can make a fabulously minimalist, yet interesting design for this blog.

I guess we shall see when it happens!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

35 Days

That's how long I have until I graduate from Winthrop University with my Undergraduate Degree.
(Let's be real: this is probably going to be my only degree; I don't think my sanity or my wallet can handle any more school.)

I will be receiving a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing and a minor in Visual Design Studies.
Sound intense? It was at first. But now all of the blood, sweat, and tears I put into all of my schoolwork seem like absolutely nothing. Because I'm entering the real world now. There will be no professors with an abundance of advice to call on when I'm stressed; no last minute emails telling my professors I'm "sick" and won't be able to make it to class; no strolling in to class looking like a hobo and not being judged for it because it's a Monday. All of that will be over,

In 35 Days.
THIRTY. FIVE. DAYS.

I'm not gonna lie, I am nowhere near as prepared as I should be. I don't even have a job yet. Not from lack of trying, of course; apparently all of these companies don't think I'm quite as fabulous as I do. And let's not even talk about how I am going to pay back this plethora of student loans once I graduate if I can't find a job. Shit's about to get real.
Because now I'm going to have to make sure I don't sleep through an alarm (or 4). And that professional wardrobe I told myself to buy a year ago? Yeah, I still don't have it and I actually need it now. It's time for me to buckle down, because the real world is speeding my way and I am nowhere near prepared enough to jump on.

And so it begins.