Surviving the first month

Honestly the first month hasn't been that bad for me. I've actually enjoyed it. I do have to say that the first week was a time of adjustment so it was kind of lonely at that time.
I have fallen into a schedule pretty quickly but it is still being modified. The first month for every one is always different. I've heard from some people that it was the worst time you'll have in college and others say that they had no issue. As for me, I was one of those no issue people.
My suite mates are some of the greatest people and I quickly bonded with them making this time period easier.

Some tips that I have for surviving the first month are:

1. Be open to new things- Now I'm not telling you to do illegal new things...no I'm saying to stop saying no when someone invites you to go somewhere like the beach or on a walk. You never know what relationships will spark when you're adventurous.
2. Meet new people- Be open to meeting new people. Don't close your mind off and think "I've been in the popular clique my whole life so I need them." So far college hasn't worked like that. The cliques are gone! 
3. Don't judge your suite mates/roommates- Don't go in thinking that your roommates are weird and that you'll never click. With that mind you won't, but if you go into it with a positive mind then you'll be able to get to know them quicker. Some of my suite mates have turned out to be some of my closest friends.
4. Give yourself time to relax and adjust- There will be plenty of time where homework will become your life and you'll become stressed. Allow yourself some time during the week, wether it be an hour or a day, for relaxation. Don't wait till the last minute to complete something; you'll cause it to become harder and more stressful when you do that. 

With these tips just remember to be yourself! No one likes a fake. You'll be fine. Make sure you go into every event wether it be a hang out or a stressful test, with a positive mind. God has you, give all your worries and anxieties to him.

How to stay organized for school

     

 When I was in high school I had one notebook for all six of my classes and everyday my bag was filled with that book, a folder, a pen and my makeup. You didn't need to be organized to survive through school. BUT, when you're in college it's a different story. You need to be able to find your notes for each class in order to study for your exam. Juggling seven college classes and be tough, but with great organization it can be managed.
Here's how I stay organized:

• I have a giant binder that fits all of my classes. I separate each class into a different tab with the syllabus in the front pocket. I put all of my notes in order from chapters and if my class has exam study guides I separate my note sections with those.

• Use an agenda! I know, agendas seem so "middle school" but really, it works. I NEVER use to use them, but when you have seven classes- along with meetings- along with clubs you get a little turned up-side-down with your schedule. It works when you have to remember when you have two paper due on the same day, a test after that and a club meeting before that.

1. I bought my planner from Office Max. Target has some cute ones and if you're willing to pay a little extra for a nice one, Erin Condren has awesome ones.
2. I use different color sharpie pens (the ones that don't leak through) and make each of my activities in the corresponding color. All my meetings and clubs are marked with black, my biology class is pink, my english class is purple, you get the idea.
3. On the month part of the calendar, I cross of the days as we go.

• I have a weekly dry erase board calendar that I hang above my bed. I got this one from Office Max.
  
  It is awesome because you can just look above you and see what's going on this week instead of constantly going in your planner. Very useful.

I hope these tips were helpful. If you have any study tips you'd like to share, comment down below! I would love to hear from you. 

First week blues and news

I just finished my first week of school (well now second..whoops!). I have been busy beyond busy with studying. When in high school I was the girl that got away with never studying and doing my homework an hour before it was due. I can't do that here.

But in all seriousness, I LOVE college! I am in love with my suite mates, I've really bonded with three of them and we're already talking about the next year and moving in together. 

So, why is this titled blues? I miss my home and my parents, but I want to explore what this life has for me. I know it sounds bad, but I want to be on my own and make decisions for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and I'm always thankful for them. They've done so much to see me succeed in life and I'm forever grateful, but sometimes I feel like not going home on the weekends. 

This weekend we have an all hall retreat and I'm super stocked for it. I can't wait to meet the rest of the girls in my hall seeing how I've only met one other person. It's going to be tons of fun to bond. 

One of my suite mates is, what we call, a manies lady (the girl version of a ladies man). She is with a guy or has a guy over almost every day. Thursdays is our visitation day so they were here and TOOK OVER our living room! It's Thursday, I need to study! So we are all going to meet and discuss our expectations of things. If you have any advice on how to deal with suite mate conflict, please let me know!

Tell me about your college experiences. Did you start this week? Do you have boy crazy suite/roommates?