Overcoming Homesickness in College

First of all, know that it is totally normal to be feeling this way.  I think almost everyone goes through a period of being homesick at some point in their life. For most of us, the first time we encounter this awful feeling is during college. College is the first time that you spend a significant amount of time away from the place you grew up in. It can be a challenge to break out of your comfort zone, meet new people, discover who you are, establish your own routines, and succeed while being away from the support system you've had for so long. It's important to know that your support system is still there, but you need to reach out to them to let them know that you need them. I think it's more common to be homesick in the spring semester rather than the fall semester. In the fall, everything is new and exciting. However, in the spring it's not so new and exciting. Plus the colder weather keeps you trapped inside rather than being out and about having fun. Today I'm sharing some tips to overcoming this homesickness. By no means am I a professional, so these tips are just things that have helped me and people I know.  If your homesickness is more serious, then I recommend seeking professional help because it could be something more serious.

Understand this is a normal feeling
Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is a normal feeling to have. It's important to know that you are not alone in feeling this way. Most of us experience homesickness at some point in college. The degree varies from person to person, but I'm willing to bet more people share these feelings than you'd think. Learning to acknowledge and accept your homesickness is helpful in dealing with it.

Get used to new surroundings
The more comfortable you get with your new campus and the surrounding area, the better off you will be.  Take some time to walk around campus, find some places you like to eat, discover a great study spot, and figure out things you like to do there.

Create your own space- a home away from home
Make your room a place you feel safe and relaxed in. This is your home away from home, so it actually needs to feel like it.  I recommend decorating it and adding items that make it feel happy to you. For me, I liked to have pictures and quotes hanging up. Additionally, having a clean and organized space was helpful.

Stay connected- but not too connected

Yes, it is important to stay in touch with your family and friends from back home. However, there should be a balance in the amount of communication. It's going to take some trial and error to find this balance, but I can assure you it is important to discover it. No, I'm not saying you should never call home, but doing it multiple times everyday isn't the best either. Talking with friends and family 24/7 while at college will prevent you from living in the moment.  It won't allow you to truly enjoy college.  Additionally, too much communication might make you feel like you're missing out on experiences at home- thus making your homesickness worse.  Instead, I would find a regular time to chat with family and friends. Maybe every Wednesday you and your BFF FaceTime, several times a week you chat with your parents, and every morning you text someone else.  Regardless, you need to find balance in order to stay in touch with friends and family without losing out on your college experience.

Talk to other people on campus
Sharing with your friends how you feel might help you deal with overcoming this.  They will be able to support you and force you out of your comfort zone a little bit.  If you don't tell them, then they might wonder why you are being so distant. You also could consider talking to your advisor or the campus counselor.

Make time for sadness but not too much time
It's okay to be sad sometimes, but it's definitely not okay to allow yourself to be in a constant state of sadness. Letting your feelings out every once in awhile is good because it prevents you from bottling everything up inside. Sometimes you might actually feel better after letting it all out. Being sad all the time will prevent you from being happy as well as create a pessimistic outlook on college.

Get involved
Getting involved on campus and the community will definitely help make things better. Take some time to look at the clubs your campus has to offer. Attend a few meetings to see if these clubs are a good fit for you.  This will help you meet more people and become busier. When you are busier, you have less time to dwell on missing home.

Stay positive
Last but not least, try to stay positive. This won't alway be easy, but it will help you get through things much easier.  Sometimes in life we have to fake it until we make it.  If you are able to convince yourself that you are happy, then it might just work.

Best of luck!
XOXO

Adulting: Month One

Happy Thursday everyone! Just one more day until you've survived the fourth week of 2017. For some of you the first few weeks of the month have been fabulous- filled with healthy eating, daily workout routines, and happiness.  For others the first few weeks might have been a roller coaster of a rough start to the new year.  The good news is that next week we start a new month, which brings and opportunity for a fresh start.  I honestly cannot believe that January is just about over.  January has been my first full month out of college, or as the majority of my fellow millennials would refer to it as my first month of "adulting". I thought I would give you all a little update as to how the post grad life is going for me.  

So where do I even begin... 

If you've been following along, then you know that I didn't graduate this past spring. Instead I graduated a semester late (this past December).  I chose to graduate a semester late for several reasons. First, I wanted to be able to do well in my classes rather than overloading credits and overwhelming myself each semester.  Second, after doing some research I found that student teaching in the fall semester is actually the best option for education majors.  Third, I refused to spend every single break taking classes. I think it's important to give yourself a little brain break in between semesters.  Fourth, transferring schools and changing majors altered my original plan.  

Most people graduate college at the conclusion of spring semester.  There's usually lots of pomp and circumstance along with what seems like endless celebrations. Graduating at the end of the fall semester was much different than the experiences I watched most of my friends have roughly six months prior. Graduating in December was rather uneventful.  Graduation was a one day celebration from brunch with my family, the actual graduation ceremony, and then ending the day with a dinner hosted by my parents.  The semester ended, graduation was a whirlwind of a day, a week later the holidays happened, my post grad friends returned back to work a few days after Christmas, and in the past few weeks my undergrad friends returned back to their college campuses for another semester. 

Then there's me and my first month adulting.  Just before graduation, I was feeling pretty burnt out.  My parents and I decided that for my mental health it would be best to give myself a month off before  really beginning the job hunt.  Needless to say, this first month of post grad has been spent focusing on improving my mental and physical health.  I've been working on creating healthy habits, finding hobbies that make me happy, and catching up on the rest that I missed this past semester.  The first two weeks of January my brother was still home on his winter break from college.  It was fun having him home during the days.  We would go to the gym, play games, and binge watch Netflix together.  These were essentially my lazy recovering weeks.  He went back to school, so the past two weeks I have been home alone most days while my parents are working.  These two weeks I have been searching for hobbies, spending time at the gym,  binge watching Grey's Anatomy, snuggling with the puppies, cooking dinners, and beginning to apply to jobs.  

The honest truth.  As everyone has headed back to school and work, I've been feeling a little lost. The past four and a half years of my life have been centered around succeeding in college in order to be prepared to enter the real world.  This is the first time in awhile that I have no idea what I will be doing a month from now.  As someone who is type A and used to being on the go, this feeling is a little scary and overwhelming.  I'm learning to embrace the uncertainties of life, but sometimes I can't help but feel like I'm standing still while everyone around me is moving forward with their lives.  I know this feeling is pretty irrational, but I think it's part of being in the minority of people who graduate in December.  Those who I've shared these feelings with have gently reminded me that most people graduate and take the summer off (about three months) before they begin working. I am working on not being so hard on myself and finding joy in this oddly calm point in my life, but I would be lying if I told you it has been easy.

Enough of the negativity, let's talk about some of the positive things that have happened my first month of post grad.  I have finally gotten back into working out again.  It has made me happier, and I'm already feeling healthier.  I've also started cooking dinner for my parents.  I'm learning to become a better cook and how to really plan out meals for an extended period of time.  My blog has been thriving.  With my free time, I've become more dedicated to writing.  This month my blog has gotten the most monthly views in its four year history.  Picture me doing a little happy dance. I've been able to spend time with our puppies.  They are full of energy and growing quickly.  They are only puppies once, so it's been fun playing and attempting to train them. I've been living at home, which has helped me become even closer with my parents.  I'm grateful that they are allowing me to stay with them to save money until I'm financially ready to stand on my own two feet. Their constant love an support has been so helpful. 

Looking ahead into month two. I'm not really sure what will happen.  I've started the on boarding process to begin substitute teaching, so I'm thinking in month two I'll begin that journey.  I'll be searching for open teaching positions to apply for, updating my digital portfolio, continuing my fitness journey, celebrating my twenty third birthday, taking a weekend trip, and watching my little brother begin his college lacrosse career. My goal for month two is to spend more time focusing on my positive traits rather than dwelling on the negatives. 

Celebrating month one of post grad like..

Thanks for reading my update. Tomorrow I'll be sharing a glance into my day to day life in my first month of adulting!

XOXO

Top 10: Things to do Before Student Teaching

For some of you, you're just days away from your first official day as a student teacher.  Emotions are probably high- excited, sad, nervous, and the list goes on. Some of you are probably over prepared while others are wondering where to even begin to prepare.  It was only one semester ago when I was in your shoes, so I know exactly how you're feeling (check it out here).  

Take a deep breath- it. will. be. okay! 

Today I wanted to share some things you can do in the following days to make sure you are prepared for your very first day. Here's my list of ten things you can do in the upcoming days in order to head into your semester of student teaching prepared. 

One: Gather your supplies

Take a little inventory on your school supplies. What do you have and what do you need?  The supplies you need for student teacher are a little different than if you were taking classes. You'll want a large binder to keep your lesson plans in,  pencils, black pens, colored pens, highlighters, post-it notes, agenda, notebook, markers, and anything else that makes you happy. You can check out my recommendations for supplies from my blog post back in August all about school supplies for student teaching.

Two: Checkout your wardrobe

Yesterday I shared with you my tips and tricks for dressing in business casual.  Spend some time going through your wardrobe mixing and matching different outfit combinations.  The more outfits you have created the easier it will be to get dressed. Make a list of items you need to get and items you want. Remember you're on a college budget and there is a difference between wants and needs. 

Three: Begin to create a portfolio

This sounds a little intimidating and overwhelming.  You don't have to have this perfected, but you will want to start. Begin by gathering supplies and figuring out what format you want to you. My portfolio is a digital one that is hosted by weekly.  If you have questions about this, let me know and I'd be happy to help you. 

Four: Update your resume/ cover letter

By now you should have created a resume. Take a few minutes to update it and make sure it is error free. Throughout this semester you'll have the opportunity to interview for jobs, so it will be easier if you have this done now rather than rushing to get it done later on.  The same goes for a cover letter. Begin to draft one, if you don't have one yet.  It doesn't need to be perfect, but chances are you will be working on it during one of your seminars. 

Five: Social media clean up

This should have already been done by now, but just in case it hasn't get on it.  When getting hired, your social media accounts will be viewed.  Just because you have them set to private doesn't mean that they can't be viewed.  Make sure everything you are tagged in and have posted is appropriate. The grandma test will help you (if you'd be embarrassed for your grandmother to see it, then it probably shouldn't be posted). Check for alcohol, foul language, etc. If you want to be proactive, then you could also create a professional twitter. This is a great way to showcase your digital citizenship, projects you've done with students, accomplishments you've had, etc.  

Six: Get organized

Starting off the semester organized always brought me inner peace and clarity. It's one way to feel like you have your life together, even if in reality you don't.  There's lots of different things to organize, but there's several items I definitely would.   Clean up the files on your computer, organize your room, organize your closet, and organize your bathroom. Doing this will make you feel much better. 

Seven: Go shopping

Who doesn't love a little retail therapy? Grab a friend or your mom and head out to your favorite stores. If you're stressing or have a little anxiety, it might calm your nerves.  I'm sure you've figured out somethings you need to be ready (school supplies, groceries, a lunch box, clothes, shoes). Take advantage of this time to go out and buy these items.  At the very least, you need to go grocery shopping so you can meal prep for the week.  

Eight:Do something fun 

Seriously. This is a must. Call your friends and plan something fun for the weekend.  This is your time to let loose, laugh, make a few more memories, and enjoy the time you have with friends.  Maybe go to a winery, visit an aquarium, go shopping, enjoy brunch, a night out, or watch that movie you've been wanting to see. This semester you'll feel isolated from your friends as they will be taking classes on campus and you'll essentially be adulting.  Remember it's your senior year, so you should be making memories and having fun with your friends. Use this time now before you're swamped with grading, lesson planning, applying for jobs, and all of that fun stuff. 

Nine: Meal Prep

Head over to pinterest for a little inspiration.  The more you cook now, the easier your nights will be during the week.  Start with something easy, then work your way up to more challenging things.  Checkout my pinterest board if you need some help getting started. 

Ten: Treat Yourself

The day before you begin, do something for yourself.  Get a manicure, a pedicure, buy a latte, binge watch your favorite Netflix show, etc.  Do something for yourself that will make you feel relaxed.  In the upcoming months you won't have much time to do these little things, so take advantage of your time now and #treatyourself. 

If you're still feeling lost be sure to checkout my following links for help:

Student Teaching Survival Guide

Teacher Outfits

Thursday Thoughts to Inspire Teachers

What's in my bag: Student Teaching Edition

Work Week Breakfasts

School Supplies for Student Teaching

Monday Motivation

Walk in my Week: Student Teaching Week 2

Walk in my Week: Student Teaching Updates

Good luck!

XOXO

What's in My Bag: Student Teaching Edition

A few weeks ago when I shared that I would be creating this series I got a few questions regarding what student teachers should bring with them on a daily basis. This is definitely a personal preference. Some people might bring more items back and forth, on a daily basis, while others will carry very few things. It also will depend on the space you are given to make your own within the classroom you are located. I was fortunate to have my own desk. My cooperating teaching was kinda enough to provide me with just about all of the supplies I needed (post it notes, pencils, pens, highlighters, notepads, paper, index cards, a clipboard, paper clips, stickers, tape, white out, binder clips, rubber bands, markers, a coffee mug, tissues, hand sanitizer, and more). I was also in a safe privileged school, so I was able to leave things on my desk without them being taken.  This meant that I didn't have to bring too many supplies back and forth with me- only the ones that I would need to complete the items on my nightly to do list. 

Let's start off with the bag. I had been looking at this tote from Madewell for several years. I always thought it would be what I would ask for as a graduation present since it didn't quite align with my college student budget.  However, a few weeks before school started J.Crew came out with their fall catalogue as well as a sale.  I found a tote even better than the transport tote I originally wanted. The All Day Tote was just screaming my name. It seemed to be similar in size to the other tote, but it had more pockets- better for organization.  I ended up getting it for about 50% off, so I decided to personalize it with my first initial.  The gold personalization and the bag tag really spice the plain black bag up. The bag itself was designed to be an everyday bag to get the working woman through an entire day (barre class all the way through lunch and the working day). This bag definitely did not disappoint me this past semester. I have gotten my money's worth and will use it throughout my teaching career. 

Folders

I typically brought two folders back and forth each day. One folder contained assignments that needed grading. Keeping them in a folder helped me prevent them from getting damaged in my bag.  The other folder contained miscellaneous items like papers that needed copied, ideas for future lessons, notes from seminar, etc. This was the first time I used filing folders as opposed to pocket folders. I actually found that the filing folders were better to use because they didn't crinkle the papers and could hold more.  I found these folders on sale at TJ Maxx before the semester started. 

iPad/Laptop

I alternated between bringing my laptop and ipad.  I has access to the wifi, so I was able to bring either device.  The school I was at relied heavily on Google Drive, so I had access to all necessary documents from pretty much anywhere.  If I knew we would have the laptop cart, then I would only bring my iPad in. However, if we didn't have the laptop cart reserved then I would bring my laptop in. I found it easier to grade online assignments from my ipad, but it was easier to create assignments, lesson plans, etc. using my laptop. 

Notebook

This was something I used a lot.  My agenda had a few blank pages in it, but I ran out of those pretty quickly. This notebook came to meetings, lesson planning with my cooperating teacher, home on the weekends, etc. I used it to take notes during meetings, write out daily to do lists, write reminders to myself, inspirational quotes, things my students would say that stuck with me, etc.  This notebook was the perfect size. You can find something like it at Target, Amazon, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx. 

Agenda/Plan book

I highly recommend getting an agenda to use just for the semester of student teaching. You will want something with a lot of space and multiple calendars. I used the front calendar to keep track of my personal life and the calendar before each month as one to keep track of school life (meetings, letter days, assemblies, etc.). I purchased a jumbo Lilly agenda towards the end of last year.  It gave me plenty of space and provided me with colorful inspiration on challenging days.  

Pencil Case

I brought this back and forth with me, but I mainly used it when I was grading papers or writing lesson plans outside of school.  This creme de la creme (cream of the crop) pencil case is from Anthropologie.  They don't sell this exact one anymore, but you can still find similar ones here. I always kept a few black pens, a highlighter, a pencil, eraser, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, white out, stickers and a packet of post-it notes inside of it. 

Wallet

This one is pretty self explanatory since you shouldn't leave the house without it.  Plus you never know when you might need a few dollars to donate to whatever the cause of the month is. 

Emergency Kit

I call this pouch my emergency kit, but it's really just the random items I never know when I need.  I bring this in all of my bags.  I usually keep lotion, hair ties, a hair clip, bobby pins, lipstick, chapstick, feminine products, hand sanitizer, gum, cough drops, tissues, advil, and my inhaler in it. All of these items came in handy throughout the semester. 

Glasses

Some days I needed these and others I didn't, but I always liked to keep them with me.  I found that days when I did a lot on the computer or when I was grading essays I needed them. 

Water Bottle

Water is something that I hardly ever leave the house without.  During the school day water is a necessity.  As a teacher, you talk a lot. Your throat will get dry, so you always want to make sure you have water.  I used the 32 oz. Hydroflask. It kept my water colder throughout the entire school day. I would usually try to fill this up twice from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep. Drinking out of a water bottle consistently also helped me track how much water I was consuming. 

Travel Mug

This came to and from school with me just about everyday. Some mornings it was filled with ice/cranberry juice/orange juice, iced coffee, or hot tea. During school, my cooperating teacher would make tea so I would fill it up on chilly afternoons as a pick me up.

Lunchbox

In case nobody has told you yet, teachers don't have much time to eat. You will want to pack your lunch to save time and to make sure you're eating healthy.  I always made sure my lunchbox was filled with a mid morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack for the hour (plus some) long drive home. My Vera Bradley Lunch Bunch Bag fit perfectly in my tote. 

Other Items:

Some other items I kept in my bag were a hair brush, my keys, pepper spray, my school ID, my ID for the school district I was in, and a charger for my laptop/ipad. 

XOXO

Student Teaching Survival Guide

It's been exactly one month since I completed my last semester of student teaching.  This past semester was hands down the most tiring and rewarding one of my college career. It was filled with change and a gradual change from being a college student to almost adulting. I moved back home with my parents, in May, to save money since I knew I wouldn't be able to work enough hours to pay rent. Living at home definitely had its pros and cons. I was lucky enough to have the support of my parents after long days. However, I wasn't able to socialize quite as much, which was definitely a positive for my overall health and wealth. The weeks leading up to this past semester, I was filled with curiosity as to what student teaching would be like.  Sure I heard stories from friends who graduated the semester before, but I still wasn't 100% sure what I would be getting myself into. Because of this I thought I would put together a little survival guide for those of you who are embarking on your semester of student teaching.  This week you'll find the real truth about student teaching, how to maintain a sense of professionalism, the perfect teaching outfits, and my top tips to have a successful semester.

The view from my desk.

Time Management
Enjoy the last little bit of free time you have because once student teaching starts your free time decreases down to hardly nothing. Between creating lesson plans, attending seminar, keeping up with your assignments, getting involved in the school community, and maintaining your sanity your free time diminishes quickly. Once the semester starts, time management is crucial. Take twenty minutes each Sunday night to plan out your week (workouts, lesson planning, grading papers, doing one fun thing, sleeping, attending meetings for clubs you're still involved with, work, and completing your assignments). You won't follow this time table exactly, but it will make you feel like you have more of a grip on things during the week when you have hectic days. This sounds silly, but if you can designate a time to stop working each night to go to bed it will help you.  I tried to stop doing work by 9:30/10 each night, so that I could  be asleep by 10:30/11.  If you don't do this, then your work time will cut into the time you should be sleeping. And trust me when I say you're sleep is important.

Speaking of work time, take advantage of your free time during the school day to prepare for the following day.  This will decrease the amount of work you have to do outside of school.  You're going to have to do some work outside of school, so find a time and place that you work best.  I found that staying after school during the week to finalize lesson plans, PowerPoint's, make copies and grading worked best. This helped me feel prepared heading into the next day.  On the weekends, I designated Sunday mornings at my desk or a local coffee shop to get school work done. This prevented school from taking over my entire weekend.

Ask Questions
Unless you're extremely extroverted, you might be hesitant to ask a lot of questions.  However, you will need to push yourself to get outside of your comfort zone and learn as much as you possibly can. Asking questions is going to help you advocate for yourself, make you feel more comfortable when you're uncertain, and help you learn more about the profession.  In the beginning you'll want to ask a lot of questions in order to understand how the school and classroom operates.  Ask questions to learn how to determine if a student should get an A vs an A- if they are on the line, classroom procedures, management, behavior procedures, how to deal with certain situations, how you can improve, why certain steps are taken in a specific lesson, to learn about students' backgrounds, etc.  These questions are going to make you more knowledgeable in the long run. A good idea is to write down your questions when you think of them, and then ask your cooperating teacher at an appropriate time.  The most important question you should ask should be "is there anything I can do to help" or "is there anything I can do tonight to help prepare for tomorrow".  These two questions show that you are interested and want to take on more classroom responsibility.

Network
Student teaching is basically a semester long interview. Take advantage of your time, and work to collaborate with the faculty in your building. You will be able to learn from these professionals and allow them to get to know you too.  If you observe other classrooms, be sure to write thank you notes to show your appreciation.  Become involved in the school if there are any opportunities to do so.  Attend parent meetings, back to school night, school concerts, etc. These show the parents that you are serious about teaching and that you care about their children.  Towards the end of the semester, try to meet with the principal to ask questions you may have.

Professionalism
As an education major, you should definitely be familiar with this term. It's pretty much shoved down our throats from the very first education class to the very last day of student teaching.  So this is your friendly reminder from me to also carry yourself professionally throughout student teaching. There's a number of aspects that go into this loaded word.

First, always dress professionally. I touch on this a bit below and I will in a later post, but basically make sure your attire is appropriate to your building.  This doesn't mean you have to wear business casual everyday.. take advantage of jeans Fridays, spirit days, and holidays.

Second, don't bring too much of your personal life into the school.  The students and teachers don't need to know every single thing about you and what you do on the weekends.  With the students, it's important to share some information (where you go to school, hobbies, pets, favorite colors, etc.) but know where to draw the line. The same thing applies with the staff you are interacting with. You will know how much information is too much after spending a few weeks with these people.  This will vary depending on your cooperating teacher.

Third, be kind and courteous.  Use your manners, write thank you cards, and volunteer to help those around you- it will help you get noticed too.

Fourth, be on time early. If you are on time, then you are actually late. Do your best to always show up early. I always tried to get there ten minutes earlier than I was told.  This was helpful on days when inclement weather interfered with my morning commute..even when I was "late" for me,I was actually on time.

Fifth, don't be the first one to leave school each day. If you're constantly the first one to leave, then it looks like you don't want to be there. You should be staying until your cooperating teacher leaves or tells you that you can leave. This past semester I was one of the first ones in the building, and on some days my cooperating teacher and I were one of the last ones to leave.  Putting in the hours at school made a big difference because I had less work to bring home.

I don't think I really need to say this, but make sure you attend every day. There really isn't a reason you should be missing many days during your student teaching semester.  Your university's requirements might be different, but where I attended we were able to miss up to five days for family reasons, illness, and job interviews/fairs.  I think I missed a total of one day due to a stomach bug. Your time there will go fast, and you now have teachers and students counting on you so show up regularly.

Assignments
During this semester, you will most likely be required to attend weekly seminars. On top of teaching, you will be required to complete a certain number of specific assignments and case studies.  Chances are these will have due dates closer to the end of the semester. Take advantage of your free time, at the beginning of the semester.  Get these assignments completed before you take over teaching full time. Waiting to complete them last minute will just stress you out.  A lot of the assignments involve collecting data or doing research, so they aren't things you can just complete in one night.  Set a goal for when you want to complete everything and work to achieve it.  I had my assignments finished before my last month, and it was such a relief to only focus on teaching for that last month.

Create a support system
Student teaching can be lonely at times. Unlike attending classes daily, you won't be able to lean on your classmates to help you plan your lessons and get through stressful days.  However, you will have peers who are experiencing similar situations in different contexts.  It's helpful to have at least one person you can lean on when you are having a tough time.  Someone else who is student teaching the same time as you is helpful because you will be able to bounce ideas off each other, share confusions about assignments, and go through the experience together.  It's even more helpful if this person is someone student teaching in your building.  I was lucky enough to not only have a peer in my building, but she was also student teaching on the same team as me.  We were able to collaborate a lot, share insights on students, and guide each other through the whole semester.

Shout out to Kim for surviving a whole year with me! 

Eat breakfast
This sounds silly, but eating breakfast is really important. Once you get to school, your day can take a million and one turns from what you thought it would be like.  Depending on what happens or how much work you have, your lunch time might get cut short.  It's important to eat breakfast because it jump starts your day and gives you energy to get you through to when you will be able to eat lunch or a snack.  My go to breakfasts during this semester were oatmeal and these breakfast cups. You can also check out my work week breakfasts here.

Meal prepping is your friend

Speaking of food. You'll want to take care of yourself throughout the semester, and that means eating right.  After a long day of teaching, chances are the last thing you will feel like doing is making dinner.  It's easy to pick up the phone and order take out, but your bank account will hate you for it after awhile.  I was lucky enough to live at home, so my mom and I took turns cooking dinner. However, we would try to plan ahead with some meal prepping.  Meal prepping on the weekends means that during the week you will just have to turn on the oven or microwave to make dinner. It saves so much time during the week! I also suggest meal prepping your lunches too.  This saves time in the mornings.  Checkout some ideas for meal prepping here.

Choose your outfits wisely
If the semester hasn't started yet and you haven't started your professional wardrobe, do so A-SAP.  There's really no excuse for not having, at least, a small professional wardrobe.  You definitely needed a few outfits to get you through your early field classes.  Chances are an organization you were involved with required business casual attire at some point.  When getting dressed for school, you will want to dress comfortably but professionally. Remember you will be working with children/adolescents.  You shouldn't wear anything too short, tight, distracting, or uncomfortable.  Ladies, heels are cute but they are not the most practical teaching shoes.  You want to seem approachable to your students, and you also want to make it the entire day wearing the same pair of shoes.  My advice would be to wear an outfit that makes you feel confident, but also shows you are professional.  More tips to come on this later in the week.

Stay healthy
You want to make sure you take care of yourself. With all of the stress, hectic days, and work it can be hard to remember to stay healthy.  There's lots of ways to stay healthy: go to the gym once a week, take a multi- vitamin daily, drink lots of water, wash your hands before eating and as soon as you get home from school, fuel your body with good foods, and get your rest.  It's important to have good mental and physical health this semester.  Listen to your body and take care of it. If you feel like you're getting sick, then try to get a bit more sleep, drink some tea, and take Airborne.

It's okay to spend a whole Saturday in bed!

Over prepare
When it comes to your lessons, try to be overly prepared.  The more scenarios you anticipate happening the more you can prep for them.  The last thing you would want to happen is for a student to ask a question and you can't answer it or aren't prepared for students who finish early. Doing research can also help you with this preparation.
Always make your copies the day before because you never know what will happen in the mornings. You might have to talk to another teacher, the copier could jam, etc. Always have activities planned for students who finish their work early. These anchor activities will help with your classroom management.
When you know you're getting observed by an administrator or your supervisor, definitely go above and beyond to prepare.  This means having a back up plan if technology doesn't work, having a behavior strategy for that student who dictates how the rest of the class behaves, etc.  The more prepared you are, the smoother your lessons will hopefully go.

Make time for fun
You should make time in your schedule to do at least one fun thing each week.  It's important to find balance during this semester.  It shouldn't be all work and no play nor should it be all play and little work. This fun could be grabbing dinner with friends, exploring a new city, taking a weekend to binge watch movies, getting your nails done, going to a new fitness class, or visit your family.  Regardless, you need to have some fun. It will help keep you mentally healthy and avoid burnout.


Remember that this semester is a time to learn and grow as a young professional. Take advantage of every opportunity you can. You are going to make mistakes, but that is okay as long as you can learn from them.  Do your best to reflect as much as you can because we all know that reflection helps us improve.  As you go through student teaching, do your best to have fun and learn as much as you can.

Also check out my post on supplies for student teaching

XOXO

Making the Most of 8 Ams

It's safe to say that the average college student would say that they hate having 8 Am classes.  I mean nobody likes to wake up and go to class when they could sleep in and take that same class later on in the day. Unfortunately, the chances that you will encounter at least one 8am class during college is pretty high.  I think your perspective definitely determines if these early morning classes are a good thing or not. Believe it or not there are some people out there who actually enjoy waking up early and getting their classes done with earlier in the day. During college I had several early morning classes. I liked 9am classes better than 8 ams.  The hour makes a big difference! Since it's the beginning of the semester, I thought I would share some tips and tricks for making the most of these early morning classes.

Prepare the night before
Take ten minutes the night before to pick out your outfit, pack your bag, and make sure you have all of your assignments done. The more you do the night before, the less time you'll need to spend getting ready in the morning. You might even want to consider showering the night before, so that you can sleep in a little bit later.

Set your alarms
Yes, I meant to say alarms as in multiple ones. If you're like me, then you understand why I'm saying this. I have a fear of sleeping through my alarm, so I always like to set two or three alarms.

Get a good night's rest
Don't stay up incredibly late the night before an early morning class. It will make it even more difficult to wake up, and chances are you will be groggy during class. Try to plan to get 7-9 hours of sleep.

Eat something
Be sure to eat something before you get to class. This will give you energy. The last thing you want is to get hungry mid way through class and be distracted by your stomach growling. If you don't have time to hit the dining hall, then grab a piece of fruit or granola bar and eat them as you walk to class.

Reward yourself
During college, most of the campus is asleep while you're in this early morning class. Once you get to the real world this own't be the case, so reward yourself now. Treat yourself on these days.  After class, stop at your favorite coffee shop for a latte and your favorite pastry.

Wear your gym clothes to class
If you don't have a break in your schedule after this class, then plan to hit the gym afterwards.  You will already be up and out of your room, so why not take advantage of the day? Go to class dressed in your clothes for the gym, so then you can just head straight there.

Walk to class
If you are able to, then choose to walk to class. The early morning walk will help wake you up and prepare you to learn.  Studies have proven that doing physical activity prior to studying will help you learn better.

Be engaged during class
Try to hand write your notes rather than type them. This will force you to pay attention during class rather than mindlessly typing. It will also prevent you from browsing the internet.  It's also good to sit up front, so that you are not tempted to doze off during those boring lectures.  Lastly, ask questions during class. This will help you stay on task with what you are learning, and it will help you better understand the material.

Review your notes
After class, take some time to review the notes you took. This will help reinforce the content and ensure that you completely comprehended the lecture. This is also a great time to re-write or type any part of the notes that you took that were unclear.

I do have to say taking early morning classes definitely made me drink more coffee during college. Taking early morning classes might not be ideal, but waking up early and being disciplined will help make your transition from college to the real world much easier.  Most jobs require you to wake up and early and be productive. If you start forming good habits now, then they will follow you throughout life.  This semester I can definitely attest to this.  Waking up at 5am makes taking 8am classes seem like nothing.


XOXO

September Goals

{Image via}

This week we enter a new month of 2016, September. They say that September is just an extension of summer.  The weather might still be hot and sunny and my summer wardrobe might still be worn throughout the month.  However, if I look at my calendar I definitely am not getting those care free summer vibes.  My September is quickly filling up with day of teaching, afternoons of coaching, field hockey games under the lights, back to school night, a celebration and a possible weekend trip or two. Looking ahead at the month makes me wish I was away carefree in Vermont again. Unfortunately, I can't be an ostrich and put my head in the sand to pretend like summer isn't over.  I thought some goals were necessary in order to conquer this busy month. 

One:workout five times a week

I think this is definitely doable, but I'm definitely going to need some motivation and self discipline.  I've been doing this for the past three weeks now, but this week my schedule starts to get busier so this becomes more challenging.  I'm going to have to become a night time workout person rather than the early morning gym goer. 

Two: publish 15 posts

A few weeks ago I shared that I will be posting three times a week in order to produce quality posts rather than quantity during my busy semester. My hope is to publish three posts a week plus an extra one or two.  I have been working hard to create my editorial calendar a month at a time and drafting posts a week in advance, so I think this will be an achievable goal.  I am thinking of dedicating a few hours each Sunday to draft my posts. 

Three: create a new 101 list

On September 30th my 101 in 1001 list comes to an end. I certainly have not completed my list, but I got a decent amount of items checked off of it. I think I made my list a little bit of a reach to complete.  I'm in the process of creating a new list, which I hope to begin sometime in October. This time around, I'm being more realistic about what I can and cannot do given my budget and time limits. 

Four: create professional website

In three and a half months I will be graduating college and searching for a big girl job. I've heard from so many people how difficult it can be to land a teaching job fresh out of college. I'm working to differentiate myself from other candidates in order to hopefully increase my chances of getting a job. I'd like to create a professional website that has a digital version of my resume, some lessons I've planned and taught, my letters of recommendation, and more information. 

Five: establish a morning routine

This is something that I think will make my life so much easier if I can achieve it.  I will have to leave my house by 6 am each morning, so I think having a smooth morning will lead to more successful days.  I'm hoping to have time to get ready and eat a sit down breakfast each morning before leaving more my hour commute to the school I'll be teaching out. I'm working on becoming an early morning person, but I certainly do not have it perfected just yet. I'd love any tips and tricks you guys have!

What are your goals for September?

XOXO

Your Guide to Sorority Recruitment

In case you're new to my blog or somehow missed my posts from the past three years, I was (still kinda am...since I haven't graduated quite yet) a proud member of Greek Life at my school. Four years ago I definitely could not imagine that I'd be saying that, but here I am a sorority woman. 

Greek Life definitely isn't for everybody, but I don't think you can be judgmental of it until you have given it a chance. 

Sorority recruitment can definitely be an overwhelming thing.  No matter how many blog posts you read, pinterest pins you have, or how great your outfits are I don't think you can ever be fully prepared for recruitment.  It's important to remember as you read all of these things that recruitment is a little or a lot different from school to school. My recruitment experiences in eastern Pennsylvania definitely differed from my friends who go to larger schools down south. With that being said, my tips for recruitment are based on my personal experiences, so don't let them intimidate you or get frustrated if they differ from something else you've read or experienced. 

Before I share my tips, I thought I'd share a brief synopsis of my recruitment story.  In August of 2013, I transferred from my dream school to a state school that I wasn't in love with. I was struggling to become involved on campus, and quite frankly I wasn't really motivated to join any organizations. My mom being a sorority woman, encouraged me give Greek Life a chance. I was incredibly apprehensive, but agreed to give the recruitment process a chance. When I went through recruitment, there were eight sororities on campus. The format of recruitment was two days of open house rounds, philanthropy night, and preference. I missed the second night of open house rounds due to the stomach bug, so I missed the opportunity to meet half of the sororities on campus (this definitely limited me). I went through philanthropy round and was definitely feeling hesitant. During the first night of open house round I attended a session about a sorority that would be colonizing on campus immediately after formal recruitment ended. I decided to drop out of recruitment to go through this new chapter's recruitment process. Long story short, I ended up joining Alpha Delta Pi as a founding sister and absolutely loved (almost) every moment of it. If you want to read more about my experiences, check out my links at the bottom of this post. 

Be Yourself

This is one of the most important things. It's easy to become something you're not during the recruitment process. You may want to join a specific chapter, so you try to act or dress a certain way to impress them. Definitely do not do that. Answer all questions truthfully and don't try to be someone that you are not. The whole process will work out much better if you allow the Panhellenic women to get to know the real version of who you are. 

Take notes

The weeks leading up to recruitment, I'm sure you will be keeping an eye on what the Panhellenic women on campus act like.  Sure these things are important, but it's more important to form your opinions during actually meeting these women in the recruitment process. Meeting all the different sororities can be a bit confusing, so try to take as many notes as possible. The more notes you take the easier it will be to select the chapter you want to run home to on bid day. When taking notes, it might be helpful to jot down the names of the women you meet, several positives you liked, and several negatives that you didn't enjoy. 

Form Your Own Opinions

It can be easy to get caught up in all of the rankings, what other potential new members are saying, and what you hear on campus. Try to make your own judgements on what each sorority is like and if they would be the best fit for you. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what anybody else says about the chapter because you have to be the one to want to spend time with them. 

Always Be Positive

When mass amounts of women get together, it can be easy to go down the negative road. However, it is important to avoid this route during recruitment. The days are going to be long, there might be things that you don't like, and it's easy to get frustrated when the process doesn't work out as you had imagined it would. Having a positive attitude will make the whole process much more pleasant for both you and the people you're close to.

Trust the Process
The recruitment process is incredibly unique. It's really unlike any other life experiences I've ever had. At most schools, almost every woman is matched with a chapter. Each school's recruitment process looks a little different, but there are so many similarities at the heart of it. You might get frustrated or discouraged at times because things aren't going as you wished, but you just have to trust the process. Things happen for a reason- you just don't always know the exact reason at that given time.

Be Inquisitive
Each chapter you visit will want to know about you. It can be easy for the sorority women to dominate the conversation, in order for them to get to know you and decide if you would be a good fit for their chapter. However, you should be in control of the process since you get to make the decision too.  Don't be afraid to ask questions about aspects of their chapter you are curious about. It's important that you feel comfortable and are knowledgable too.

Take Care of Yourself
The whole process definitely has the potential to be a long roller coaster filled with emotions. Depending on how your school has set up recruitment it could be spread across two weeks, take up a long weekend, or be during the week at night.  Regardless of the format, your health is important. Be sure to eat well, drink enough water, and get enough rest to fuel your days.

Choose Your Outfits in Advance
As far as what is and isn't appropriate to wear you'll have to talk to your recruitment counselor. This definitely changes from campus to campus.  Picking out your outfits in advance will give you one less thing to stress about when recruitment finally rolls around. The last thing you would want is to be late to an event because of a wardrobe malfunction. When picking out your outfits, remember that you will want to be cute, comfortable, slightly modest, and confident.  This means if those wedges you have give you blisters, then you might want to reconsider your shoe choice.  Also when you're picking out your outfits, don't be afraid to be yourself.  Wear clothes that resemble your style rather than clothes that you think a given sorority would wear.

Best of luck!
XOXO

Get Involved in College

One of the biggest pieces of advice I have for college students is to get involved.  It's important to become involved as soon as you  possibly can. Obviously take the time to figure out what organizations are best for you, but try to do so within the first few weeks of school.  It's never too late to get involved, but the earlier you do so the more benefits you will receive.  Being involved has a significant amount of positives. 

Meet New People

When you join a new organization you are able to branch out and meet new people you might not have encountered.  The people you will meet will provide you with multiple perspectives on things, which broadens your horizons.  Additionally, college is all about networking. The more people you make connections with the better. This will come in handy later on in life when you're searching for a job.  Also, meeting new people can lead to new friendships. 

Resume Builder

This is definitely an obvious reason to become involved. Going to college is all about working to better yourself in order to prepare for your future career. Sure a degree is great to have, but you definitely will need more than a bachelors degree on your resume. Getting involved will provide you with experience and skills that will help boost your resume. 

Leadership Experience

Every organization has some type of leadership because some body or several people have to run it to a certain degree.  The earlier you get involved in an organization, the more likely you will be to seek out leadership opportunities. Additionally, larger organizations like greek life will send you away for leadership training opportunities.  I am a huge fan of leadership. I think it teaches you a lot about yourself and how to cooperate with others. There are is a large range of leadership positions from small ones that require more behind the scenes work to larger ones such as President that require lots of behind the scenes work in addition to dealing with others and being the face of the organization.  You can never have too much leadership experience.

New Experiences

Part of college is breaking out of your comfort zone. Joining a new organization will definitely bring you out of your comfort zone at some point. It could be through having a difficult conversation, learning to get along with someone who has an opposite personality as you, going some place new, doing philanthropic work or learning a new skill.  You also could meet a new friend who might take you somewhere fascinating you've never been. Joining an organization will definitely provide you with these new experiences.

Budgeting Your Time Wisely
When you add an additional meeting or activity to your daily schedule your free time decreases. One of the great things about being involved is that it teaches you how to budget your time in order to balance the organizations your involved with, eating, studying, going to class, working out, and socializing.  Time management is a skill that will help you throughout the rest of life, so the earlier you can start mastering it the better.


During college I got pretty involved. My freshman year I played varsity field hockey and was an active member of Colleges Against Cancer. From sophomore through senior year of college I was involved with coaching field hockey, a founding member of my sorority, and a member of an honors society for education majors. I held numerous leadership positions during those four years and through my involvement I met friends I will have for a lifetime, attended four leadership conferences, countless hours of leadership training, travelled to three different states, learned how to have difficult conversation, gained knowledge on how to be an effective leader, had no choice but to be good with my time management skills, and created many memories.

As you head off to school this semester, think about getting involved!
If you're returning back to college, then I'd love to hear what your favorite part about being involved is.

XOXO

Textbooks the Affordable Way

As if paying for tuition did not cost enough, now you have to think about how you are going to get your textbooks for the semester.   Most campuses are going to try to convince you to purchase or rent all of your books from their bookstore.  They will claim to have the cheapest prices, but I can almost guarantee you that you can find your books for cheaper from somewhere else.  

I know everybody has their own theory on buying or not buying textbooks, so I want to be up front and share that everything in this post is just what has worked for me best throughout the past four and a half years. I've tried many different methods: buying books 100% new from the campus store, waiting to see if I actually need a book until I get the syllabus, renting books, using e-books, etc. I've found it best to order books about three weeks before heading to campus and having them shipped to your home.  Yes, you run the risk of not needing the book. However, in my experiences it's been easier to sell the book I didn't need rather than fall behind in a class that I didn't have a book for. 

First you will need to head over to your campus bookstore website and find the tab that says textbooks. Using your course schedule, enter in the information for your course abbreviation, class number, and section number. For example, if I was taking History 101 it would appear as HIS 101-03. The course abbreviation would be HIS, the course number would be 101, and the section would be 03.  You will have to do this for every class. After doing so, it will give you a list of the books that you need. 

Each book will have a price and a number with the letters ISBN in front. These ISBN numbers are important because they are going to help you find the book for cheaper elsewhere. 

Open a new tab on your computer and go to Slugbooks.com. Once you get to this site, you will need to copy and paste the ISBN number for the first book you need into the search bar. After doing so, the search will pull up the cheapest version of the book to rent and buy from multiple companies. I suggest choosing the cheapest company. 

Once you choose a company, read the description to make sure the used book you are purchasing isn't too used. I look for phrases like "gently used" and "like new". At this point, you have the option to rent or buy a book. I suggest buying all books that are related to your major.  Books for general ed classes should be rented because you will not need them once you've passed the class. 

Select the book you want and add it to your cart. This is when you will return back to slugbooks.com and go through the same process for the rest of your books.  This process takes a little bit more time, but it ends up saving you lots of money. 

After you have purchased all of your books, you want to make a spreadsheet to keep track of all of your books. It's important to track your spending, when each book arrives, and if you rented it you'll need to know when to return it. See my sample below.

 

Other Tips:

+ If you are taking an online class, then I suggest purchasing an e-book. It will help you do keyword searches to seek out certain information.  

+ If you purchase an ebook, then you will want to have some sort of tablet. It makes it easier to navigate. 

+Renting books from Chegg has given me the best experiences. This company allows you to write in the books as much as you need to, and if you decide to keep the book rather than return it they give it to you at a discounted price. 

+If you have friends in a class, try to split the cost of the books by sharing them. 

+Before purchasing the books, see if you can borrow or purchase them from a friend who has already taken the class.

+Order your books three weeks before classes start to make sure you have them in time. 

Best of luck! 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. 

XOXO

Ways to Decorate on a Budget

The first few weeks are crunch time for many college bound students. Everyone is running around trying to get the finishing touches for their new dorm room, apartment, house, etc. The decor in your college living space can really make this place feel like home for you. Sure, you probably have pinned beautiful rooms that you'd love to recreate in your own space, but let's face it- on a college that just is not going to happen. Today I'm sharing some things you can do to on a college budget to decorate your living space to make it feel homey and look adorable. 

Picture Frame// Picture // Cactus // White pots

Succulents // Striped pillow // Fur pillow // Desk lamp

Throw rug // Duvet cover // Desk organizer

Gallery Wall

These can take up as little or large space as you'd like.  All you need are a few frames and prints. The frames can be as cheap as a few dollars at your local dollar store or you can spend about $10 on a frame from IKEA.  When it comes to the images in your frames, you can stick to something simple like framing your favorite print from the latest Lilly Pulitzer catalog or a photograph you have actually taken.  There are also some great easy websites that you can use. I found a few of the items on my gallery wall pre-framed at Home Goods for less than $10. 

Crafty Wall Art

Spend some time completing a little DIY project. There are tons of tutorials out there to help guide you through creating your own pieces.  If you browse pinterest you will be overwhelmed with inspiration. This is a great way to incorporate your university, sorority, hometown, favorite quotes, etc. into your room.  Last year I painted a canvas with my sorority letters on it. The fun piece was a grade addition to my room.  

Monogram 

Surprise, I'm obsessed with monograms. Adding a monogram to your room decor is an easy way to personalize your room. You could purchase a wooden monogram to hang on the wall, a sticker to place on a wall, or get crafty to design your own creation. Last year, I recycled my Lilly Pulitzer agenda and covered a wooden letter with it.  

Check out my tutorial here. 

Comfy Cozy Bed

A comfortable bed is probably the most important thing when it comes to your college bedroom.  I value sleeping and being comfortable while doing so.  You want to be sure to have a mattress topper on your bed.. it will make sleeping so much better. Have some fun with decorating your bed, since it will  take up the most space in your room. Play around with the color scheme you are using. There are lots of sheets and duvet covers you can use to spice up the room.  It's also important to have a comfortable throw blanket. A well made put together bed will really put the finishing touches on your college room. 

Throw pillows

 You can never have too many pillows on your bed. The more pillows the more comfortable. Throw pillows are a fun way to spice up your room. You can find cheap pillows in various colors, patterns, and quotes at Target or TJ Maxx. 

Desk Accessories

You go to college to learn and develop skills to help you have a career. Needless to say a desk should be an essential piece of furniture in your college space.  The library, the living room couch, and the kitchen table aren't always the most distraction free areas to complete your school work, which is why I put so much emphasis on having a desk.  Your desk should be an inspiring place for you to feel motivated to study, write that term paper, or learn something new. A desk can be a large piece of furniture, which is why it is important to decorate it carefully.  A desk lamp, a pen holder, and filing system of some sort are definitely essentials. You can play around with different textures, colors, and patterns to make this area fun.  I also recommend getting a comfortable chair since you'll be spending lots of time in it. Last year I got this cute chair cover from IKEA. 

Plants

Plants are great to have in your bedroom. They make for a great decor piece when paired with an adorable pot. They also purify the air in the room. There are lots of plants that are easy to care for, which would be perfect in a college room.  You can find cute pots at places like Walmart, Target, Ikea, Home Goods, Pier 1, Anthropologie etc. 

Area Rug

This isn't a must, but it can make a cold space feel more homey. Head over to your local carpet store and ask if they have any cheap remnants you can purchase. Having a rug allows for a more comfortable spot for friends to sleep when they come to visit too. 

Best of luck deccorating!

XOXO