What's In My College Backpack

My absolute favorite part about back-to-school is getting new furniture. I just get super excited to go furniture shopping!

This year i did almost all of my back-to-school shopping at Staples, partly because my friend works there and i wanted to get some discounts.

Writing utensils

• Mechanical pencils: I always try to have as many of these as possible. This is a utensil i never like to run out of. Plus, people often ask to borrow my pencils and never give it back. So i like having extras as back-up.
• Erasable pencils: I mentioned these in my last post and as promised, i went ahead and got them. I’m super excited to use them!
• Flash cards: My math professor this summer made it absolutely mandatory we use flash cards. I really didn’t care much for these before, but after using them consistently enough, i found them pretty helpful!
• Post-it notes: I have to remind myself to do things ALL.THE.TIME. Post it notes help with that tremendously.
• Eraser: pencil erasers run out all the time. Always got me some back up.

Notebooks: There’s only one notebook pictured here but i have two. I just forgot to take a picture of the other one. The notebook pictured is a 5-subject notebook i’m using for all my classes except for one.

The other notebook i have is a one subject notebook, which i am using for my math class. I use a lot more paper in math for notes and whatnot, so i definitely needed more paper than what is available in the 5-subject notebook.

Planner: This is one of the items that is not from Staples. I actually got this planner last semester at Target. It’s a fairly good planner but i do want to try other planners in the future just to see if i like anyone of them better.

Cosmetic bag: You may recognize this “Play Beautifully” bag from last December. It’s one of the things i received from my Blogger Secret Santa.

I basically have things like lip gloss, lipstick, a mini bottle of lotion etc. inside the bag.

Eyeglasses cleaner: If you didn’t know, i have four eyes. I wear prescription glasses pretty much all the time and i got two bottles of these lens cleaner at Costco for a pretty good deal! I can even go back and get a refill when i run out!

Pencil case: If you’re wondering why they’re puzzle pieces in my pencil case, i use to have a phone case with those in. You could rearrange the pieces to your liking. The phone case eventually broke, i just really like to look at those pieces. I also have extra lead for my pencils.

Now inside the pencil case i have the usual. Pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, eraser, white out, and some glue (you never know when you’re gonna need some glue).

Calculator: Can’t do math without this one.

Flash Drive: My old flash drive recently broke out of nowhere and i never thought to backup my documents (i know, how dumb is that). So all my documents were G O N E with the wind. It makes me upset just to remember all the 4 years worth of documents i lost. I definitely will not make the same mistake with this one. I learned my lesson.

House Keys: I have been locked out of my house too many times. I try to always keep my keys in my bag.

Phone Charger: Always need my phone charger with me.

Water bottle: I have lost so many water bottles in the past and i forbade myself from buying anymore. Until, i went to Dave & Buster’s and got this water bottle at their store. Technically, i didn’t really buy it since it was one of the prizes at their store. I'm pleasantly surprised i haven't lost this one.

Book: I have a fairly long commute to school, i would much rather have a book with me rather than being on my phone. I always try to keep an interesting book in my bag.

Sunnies: i love my new sunnies from GlassesUSA. I literally parade them everywhere. I’m actually sad it’s about to be cold and i won’t be able to wear them.

Wallet: always need my wallet.

Body Spray: I have to smell good! I’m not the biggest fan of the smell, but i can deal until i run out.

Deodorant: This deodorant smells pretty good but i’m looking for a more natural deodorant. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comment section.

Backpack: Last but not least, the backpack! I actually got this backpack at the thrift store (I love shopping at the thrift store!). I really like it because it has a bunch of pockets, everything has its place.

I got my “RESIST” pin you there at the climate march in DC. That’s where it has been sitting ever since.

What’s one thing you absolutely have to have in your backpack?

-Yvanne

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5 High School Habits To Drop Before College

Remember in elementary school when your teachers would often say “oh when you get to middle school things will be so much different and you won’t be able to do this and that...” but then you get to middle school and lo and behold, everything is pretty much the same. Then you would hear the same lecture in middle school about high school and once more, it was all just talk to scare you a little.

Although it would make sense to believe that college wouldn’t be much different than high school, i can assure you it’s definitely not the case. In order to have a successful high school to college transition, it is imperative that high school students break and replace the common habits listed below.

Not reading your class’s assigned books

News Flash: You actually have to read your textbooks instead of using them as coasters and whatnots. I was talking to my friend the other day and she was telling me how annoying it is that she actually has to read her textbooks now that she’s in college instead of barely cracking them open like she had done in high school. It was so funny to hear her rant about it because all i could do was reminisce on the time i was in her place my freshmen year, ranting about the same thing.

When you think about it, we really had it easy in high school. We had free textbooks which we barely read. Meanwhile in college, you have to pay for your own OVERPRICED textbooks and you have to read them. Sparknotes won’t come to your rescue anymore either. You’re going to have reading quizzes and sometimes you might not even get a heads up from your professor. All to say, when you get reading assignments, it’s in your best interest to follow through.

Not studying for tests

Oh how i miss the good ol’ days in high school when i barely worried about exams. Most of the time i would study for an exam the day before and call it a day. Meanwhile in college, i have done everything but pull my hair out during finals.

You absolutely cannot take this habit to college. I repeat you can NOT take this habit with you to college. You’re going to have to learn to study over a period of time for upcoming exams and not the day before. Not only is it a better study strategy, but you will also learn a lot more than you ever will with the day of or day before habit.

Procrastination

If i’m being honest, this will likely follow you to college (it followed me!). Procrastination is a pest you can’t easily get rid of. With that being said, i advise you to try your hardest to get rid of this habit, which has the potential to make your life a living hell in college.

Procrastinating in college is a whole different ball game than it is in high school. You could procrastinate in high school and still be able to turn in a decent assignment. Whereas, a lot more is expected of you in college and the amount of time you spend working on an assignment will reflect on your grades.

Don’t be surprised if what would have earned you a B+ in high school may earn you a C- or worse in college. Moral of the story? It is always best not to procrastinate at all, but if you do, do so at your own risk because you will not receive any favors from your professors

Expecting teachers to remind you about missed homework

assignments.

College is whole new ball game than high school. You get a syllabus that tells everything you need to know about the class. All your assignments will be on it and sure your professor will verbally present them to you, but after then you’re on your own. This is especially tricky with long term assignments that students often tend to forget about. If there’s a big research paper due a month or two, don’t expect your professor to remind you about it every other day.

It is your job and your job alone to remember when your assignments are due. And if you happen to forget about them, that’s on you as well.  

Not asking for help when you need it

At this point we’ve pretty much established that college is almost nothing like high school. While you were able to do most if not all of your work on your own in high school, you are probably not going to be able to follow the same pattern in college for the fact that more is demanded of you.

Whether you’re struggling with your chemistry homework or your literature paper, there are multiple resources on campus readily available to help you. Your professor most certainly has office hours, don’t be afraid to stop by and ask for help. That’s what office hours are for.

If you would much rather have things explained to you by your peers, there are students tutors available for most subjects. If you’re feeling under the weather, there are counselors you can surely talk to.  Remember, a lot of these resources are made available with the help of your tuition money. You’re simply using what you’re paying thousands of dollars to your college for. I know being in college we all want to learn how to “adult,” but asking for help when you need it does not make you less of an adult than the next person.

-Yvanne

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How To Survive 8AM Classes In College

Ah, the dreaded 8AMs. As most people do, i have avoided early morning classes throughout my college journey like no other. That is, until I had to take a class this summer and my only options were to either register for the class at another campus which was farther than my regular commute, or take the class at 8am sharp at my usual campus.

Lord knows i looked for every alternatives in order to avoid the dreaded morning class, but in the end i had to give it up and take the 8am class. While sobbing of course (okay not really but i felt like it).

As someone who’s used to going to sleep late and waking up even later, the first week seemed like hell on earth. Peeling myself out of bed suddenly became the hardest task known to man. I probably had 27 alarms with 3 mins intervals because i could not wake up to save my life. I walked around campus like a zombie.

And then, slowly but surely, getting out of bed became a lot easier day by day.Having a bunch of alarms turned out to be more annoying than helpful, so i sized down to 3 alarms. My zombie look disappeared and sometimes i would catch myself singing my way to class!

I still don’t understand how i did it for 4 years in high school,yet the thought of attending a class that early in college was like asking me to climb mount kilimanjaro. Makes no sense.

Go to bed early!!

As a night owl, my bedtime hours typically ranged from midnight to 3am. So the first week of school, my genius self thought it was okay to still go to bed at these hours. Let me just tell you,  the STRUGGLE taking myself out of bed was very real. This is when i had to set up a million and one alarms along  with a live band to get me out of my covers.

Having to wake up a lot earlier than usual is already pretty hard enough. Learn from my mistakes and don’t make things worse. Breaking my habit of not going to bed until after midnight was not easy but it was definitely worth getting a couple more hours of sleep. A restless night is a recipe for a disastrous day.

Have your outfit ready the night before

Do this and thank me later. I seriously didn’t realize how long it took me to pick out an outfit until my 8am class started. It amazed me because i would take the longest time to choose an outfit, as though i was getting dressed to meet the queen. But after all that time, i would come up with the most basic outfit i could find. Yes, i took me 20 minutes to come up with jeans a shirt. Don’t ask how.

I saved close to an extra hour more of sleep for myself by simply taking  a shower and picking out an outfit the night before. Instead of waking up earlier the next the day to do all that jazz, all i had to do was wash my face and brush my teeth. This definitely helped improve my mood in the morning.

Also, do yourself a favor and have your bookbag ready to go the night before class. I used to leave all my stuff scattered on the table after studying and it would take me too long to put everything back in my bag before school. Especially if you’re rushing out the door.

Don’t skip breakfast

Guess what? “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” isn’t just something people say for the heck of it, it’s actually true! Even if you only have time to a grab a banana or a nutrition bar, do so. Eating a nutritious breakfast will give you the energy you’ll need to get through your class and the entire day.

Do your work during the day

The good thing about having morning classes is that it makes your day seem longer. After your class you still have a good amount of time to get some work done. This was definitely my favorite thing about having a morning class. I loved knowing that i still had the whole day ahead of me after getting out of class.This was great because i could get most of my work done after class instead of doing it in the evening and not going to bed until midnight and after like i used to. Getting myself out of bed in the morning became a lot easier to do, along with staying awake in class.

Set your alarm clock

I like to set my alarms  for an hour before i actually have to wake up. So let’s say i have to wake up at 6:00am, i will set up my alarm at 5:00am, then 5:30am, then 5:45am, then 5:55am and finally 6:00am. The way i see it, i’m slowly waking myself up so when the clock does reach 6:00am, getting up won’t be as brutal. I also have a couple alarms with 5 minutes intervals for when i lie to myself by saying that i’m only going to sleep for a couple more minutes then find myself sleeping for a whole hour more. This may seem like a lot, but my professor would not let you hear the end of it if you came late to class. I didn’t want to take any chances. It’s also a pretty good idea to set your phone away from you so you’ll force yourself to get up and turn off your alarm.

Have a positive attitude

This is may be the most important one of them all. A positive attitude makes some of the hardest things a little easier to deal with. Waking up early in the morning may be a big pain in the you know what but try to associate something positive with it and  watch what happens.

See? Morning classes aren’t THAT bad. You can totally pull it off as long as you discipline yourself. Good luck with your morning class!

-Yvanne

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BTS: 12 Things I Wish Knew As a College Freshmen

Hi friends! My Back-To-School series is finally coming to an end, and I just hope that this series has been helpful to you guys so far! If you have already started school, I hope it's going well and if you're like me and you started today, I hope your first day went by smoothly.  Being a freshman in college brings so much excitement but at the same time it's also really nerve-wracking because it's college, you're new and you're pretty much starting a new life. To close the series, I want to make life a little easier for all the freshmen out there and give you guys a couple tips to get through this new era in your lives. I thought it will also be very helpful to include tips from other college bloggers who have been there, done that!

BTS: The Best Ways To Deal With Homesickness in College

Hi friends! Welcome to the fourth installment of my Back-To-School series! I hope you have enjoyed this series and found it helpful so far because there's only one post left! Be on the look out for that post sometimes next week. In the mean time, here's what do to if you feel homesick in college.

BTS: How To Start The Semester Off Right

Hey guys! Welcome to the third installation of my back-to-school series!
We all know and can't deny that summer is quickly ending, which means that the first day of class is just around the corner! It's crazy how fast summer went by but i'm excited to start school again just so i can use all my new supplies. Is this weird? Am i the only one who's excited to start school for that reason? Yes? Okay then. I'm always looking to improve on anything i was unable to accomplish the previous school year. In other words, has anyone find the cure for procrastination yet? If you're like me, you would want to have all the tips you can get to start your semester off right. Luckily for you my friend, i have a few that will help you kick off this semester on the right foot.

BTS: 12 Types of Professors You Will Have in College

 College professors play a big role in whether or not you do well in a class. Some make it easier for you to learn, while others force you to basically self-teach. If you're going to be a freshmen this fall, here are 12 types of professors you will probably encounter during you college years.

1. The only my class matters

This professor seriously thinks your whole college education revolves around his/her class. They will give you an unbearable amount of work to be completed in the shortest amount of time. If you try to talk to them about it, they'll waste your time talking about how there are 24 hours in a day and blah blah blah. BS basically.

2. The self-promoter

This one spends an entire class bashing other professors for making their student buy books they wrote and then concludes by telling you that there's no way you'll pass the class without buying the textbook he/she wrote. They also make sure to tell to buy the most recent edition so you don't go buying a cheaper one even though they're probably not that different. Hypocrite much? Whether or not the textbook will actually help you succeed in the class is debatable.

3. The points taker

How dare you make a mistake and cross off ONE word! Now your entire paper looks a mess. That’s minus 5 point! Next time it''ll be 10! I can't begin to tell you how these petty stuff has affected my grade. It made me so mad, I wanted to cry.

This is also the professor who lives to make sure that no one passes their class with anything higher than an 80% and even that is sometimes too high. The fact that the class average is a 67% is literally their proudest accomplishment.

Related: 5 Simple Tips to Avoid The Freshmen 15

4. The tireless lecturer

Taking notes in this class will be the most tedious task you'll have to do. He/she does not wait for anyone so if you can't listen and take notes simultaneously, you're in trouble. This professor will literally talk your ear off! The only time they'll stop will be to take a sip of water, then back it again! You'll probably have a mini celebration every time this professor runs out of time. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a professor who knows their stuff but it doesn't matter if you deliver your lecture in a manner that does not help me succeed.

5. The lover of surprises

This professor patiently waits for the most unexpected day to announce a pop a quiz.

Picture this. It's too early to function, it's raining endlessly, you forgot to grab your umbrella so you're already soaked, and when you finally get to class, POP QUIZ. It also just so happens that you weren't able to read the assigned chapters for that day. Good luck my friend. You're going to need it.

6. The tech know-it-none

Every time you come to class this professor will almost always have a problem with a tech equipment. Just know that you'll probably always lose at least 10 minutes of class while your professor finds out what's wrong and how to fix it. This professor might have two Masters and one PhD but God forbid he/she tries to show you a video on YouTube. 

7. The Overly enthusiastic

This professor will make anything, and I mean ANYTHING sound like the best thing in the world. This is the professor who will give you fun ways to remember definitions or formulas. To this day, I still remember "Never Eat Soggy Waffles" for compass directions. As long as you get someone who doesn't try too hard to the point where they become annoying, this class will be super fun! The enthusiasms this professor has is super contagious and it'll likely help you learn better.

8. The Spitter

If you come in a classroom and there are 1-2 rows of empty seats, you likely have a spitter. Now there's a big dilemma in this class. What do you do when you need help with something? Do you call the professor and take the rain of spit like a champ as he/she explains what you don't understand or do you take a rain check and try to figure it out on your own? I took the spit like a champ! I just kept looking down on my paper so the spit will rain on my head instead of my face. You're gaining knowledge and spit with this professor! Two for the price of one!

9. The late but not late enough

I had a class that began at 3:00 PM and my professor almost never came to class at that time. So much that we were always surprised when he did make it on time. I'm not sure if this goes for every college but at mine, you're allowed to leave 10 minutes after class is supposed to start if your professor hasn't shown up. My professor made it his life goal to show up at 3:09 PM!! Everyone would have their stuff packed and ready to go, then we hear him open the door. All year we were convinced that he was doing this on purpose and enjoyed seeing our disappointed faces as he walked in.

10. The Hotty

This professor could probably be speaking gibberish the entire semester and you wouldn't realize it. If you previously did not care for whatever this professor is teaching, you do now. If fact, it's your favorite subject now and you can't wait to go to class. 

11. The always off topic

This professor will be talking about molecules and protons, then all of the sudden he or she is talking about their trip in Italy. They'll then spend a good 15 minutes of class time talking about their experience in Italy and they'll ask the class "where was I again?" umm I'm not paying thousands of dollars to keep tabs on you!

 12. The power point lover

Adios! Goodbye! Sayonara! See you at the midterm and final! This professor will give you a bunch of power point slides and basically call it day. To make matters worse, those slides are probably 10 years old and in need of some serious updating. This professor will be at his/her computer desk probably doing something non-school related and if you raise your hand, they will act like you're asking them to fetch the moon for you. If you're more of a visual learner this might not be so bad for you but if you're the type of learner who needs someone to lecture and explain things to you, good luck.

If you're already college let me know what type of professor you've had so far!

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BTS: What I Wish I Knew Before Taking Online Classes

Hey Guys! We have finally entered the month of August which means we are officially in the Back-To-School season! Although I’m a little sad that summer is ending and school is starting again, I’m super excited to go school shopping! I love going back-to-school shopping because they are so many cute stuff to get, everything is new and it's just exciting to start another chapter of school.

In honor of the back-to-school season, I decided to start a mini-series on the blog to get everyone prepared for the upcoming school year! So stay tuned for more blog posts relating to this series.

To kick off the series, I’m giving you guys a few insights on what you should expect when taking an online class. I took my first online class last fall and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I'll be happy to let you know what I did wrong, so you can avoid making the same mistakes. Online classes are usually convenient for students who work and go to school or parents who have other obligations outside of the classroom. Having classes online has its perks, but you also have to be prepared for what comes along with those perks.

I have made some mistakes when taking online classes so you don't have to. Here's what I wish I knew before taking an online class:

It's NOT as easy as you might think

So many people (me included) take online classes because they think it's the easy route. WRONG! If anything, it's one of the more challenging routes to take. The freedom that comes along with online classes is nice to have, but If you don't know how to discipline yourself, then you are in for a treat. By treat I mean hell. Trust me I have been there. 

You should know your learning style?

Some of us learn better when they're in a classroom setting and there's someone lecturing in front of them, while others like having written information instead of lectures. Knowing what your learning style is will dictate whether or not online learning is right for you. I discovered that I would much rather have someone teaching in front of me instead of staring at a screen. This may sound boring to others, to be honest it's sometimes boring to me too but this is why it is important that you know what learning style helps you retain information easily. 

On a scale of I'm doomed to I know how to adult, how bad is your procrastination?

With the flexibility that comes along with online classes, it is quite easy to let yourself go and miss a few... a bunch... or even most of your deadlines. One of the many mistakes I made when I took my first online class was not setting time aside to study. I just didn't treat the course like a typical classroom setting class which was a really bad idea. Online classes require you to spend just as much time studying for them as the classroom setting does. 

You can't just take any class online

This is the one thing I didn't screw up on when taking my online classes. I know there are courses that are more challenging to me than others, so I decided not to take them online. If you know that you tend to struggle a little more with science classes than any other class, it's probably not a good idea to take those classes online. It's harder to get quality one-on-one time with online professors so you might not be able to get much extra help if you are struggling to understand something. 

I hope this was helpful! Stay tuned for more back-to-school blog posts!

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