Starting a New Semester

Winter Break has tragically come to an end now. Unfortunately, that means I can no longer sleep in every day and the inevitable and dreaded homework is back..... But, it also means new things to learn, and I get to spend everyday with my best friends all over again. So, I picked up a few things to hopefully make the semester go by a bit more smoothly.

1. Notebooks: I get one single subject notebook for each class that I know I'm going to have to take notes in. These are also classes that I know do not have set Power Points to print out for notes.
2. Colored Pens! I love colored pens. No study guide or notebook is completely without at least 3 different colors throughout! They truly make things so much easier to see and even easier to study!
3. Binder Clips: These are great for keeping loose papers together that are just too large for paperclips. I also got various colors so that I can coordinate for different classes. 

So those are my three main things I got for this semester. I also have other things from the previous semester that I have kept. Things like 

• Lilly Pulitzer Agenda Book: I literally have EVERYTHING in this planner. I write everything down in it from due dates for assignments to times for meetings. It is my saving grace. (All in pink ink of course!)
• Lilly Pulitzer Notebook: I use this to make to-do lists for the week. I also have it for a list of homework to do over the weekend, and I also cross each assignment off when I finish it so I can see what I get done and how much is actually left and not just in my head. 
• Vera Bradley Folders: I love these folders cause they really last! I have had them and used them every day for 2 years now and they still look near new. I use one folder per class and carry my essential papers for that class in them from my room to class. They're a lot lighter than a large binder, which is great for my back while walking across campus.

So now I probably have enough to open my own office supply shop, but oh well! I'm prepared for anything. 

What do you always need when you start something new?

Xoxo,

Pink Prepster

How to Take a Final Exam

So, it's that time of year. Finals Week. That time of year when every student is camped out in the library, and you're probably study more than you've ever studied before. But, luckily, despite the possible mental breakdowns, Final Exams are really not that bad! As long as you put in the effort, you will do great! 

So, you've studied you're heart out, and you've practically memorized the entire text book! You are ready to take the exam and finally be done! So here are my best tips for what to do once the studying is done and the only thing that stands between you and winter break is the Exam(s). 

1. Get a Good Night Sleep! I really can't stress this enough. Although there may not seem like enough time in a day and an all-nighter seems like the only solution, it's not. You're brain just doesn't work when you don't get sleep. If you don't believe me, believe science! What happens when you pull an all-nighter

2. Have a Bag Packed. The morning of the exam you're probably freaking out. I know I do! I find myself asking a million times, "What am I forgetting?". So pack a bag the night before! That way you're not worried about being late and you have one less thing to worry about, and let's be honest, you have enough to worry about!

So here it is. I keep everything in my Lonchamp bag because it is always the perfect size. I also bring a water bottle for during the Exam. Obviously, I also have my Vera Bradley pencil case which holds all of my pencils and pens. I also keep a large eraser in there too, for when I have to erase a large chunk of words and the pencil eraser just doesn't cut it. I also bring my Finals Binder, for more on that click here. That little green ball is my Eos Lip Balm, I bring it with me everywhere. The dry winter air really can dry out your skin and lips and no one wants chapped lips! Now the real question I'm sure you're all asking is what are those little yellow and pink things between the pencil case and binder. Well that brings me to my next point....

3. Wear Earplugs!! This is my proudest trick for taking a final. I had never thought of it until this year, and I'm very upset I haven't done it before! My biggest pet peeve is when people sniffle during tests. I understand that it's cold out and that people are sick, but I can't help it! And, when you're in a large lecture hall with 50+ people, it is even worse! Between coughing, sniffling, and people fidgeting in their seats, the test room is hardly silent. All the noise can get very distracting, but that's the beauty of earplugs! I got these earplugs in a whole box at Christmas Tree Shop for very cheap! They block noise up to 32 decibels, so all that noise is GONE! It's like you're in your own little world to focus on nothing but that information you studied. I always make sure to check with the professor when I walk into the Exam because I don't want them to think they are headphones or anything else that might look like cheating. You would be surprised at what they have seen people do to cheat. But, I've never had a problem with a professor being ok with it.

So try these out! I hope they help! If you have any tips for when you enter the exam room, comment below; I'd love to hear about them!

Xoxo
Pink Prepster <3

Organize Me: Finals Week

It's that time of the year! Winter break is right around the corner, which means I get spend a whole month at home with family and friends celebrating the holidays and New Years. This also means that it's time for the dreaded Finals Week! But in all honesty I'm not that worried. That sounds terrible but it's because I'm ready! I know what I need to do and I have everything I need to do it. I want everyone to feel this way about their Finals because the more confident you are about what you know, the better you will do! I promise! So here it is!

1. Make a Finals Binder!
This is my holy grail of Finals week! It has everything I could ever need for Finals. It keeps me organized and it keeps everything in one place.

 This is the front of my binder. It has my exam schedule on it and what I am being tested on for each exam. I also decided to put a fun quote on the front to make me laugh while I am stressed and studying. I also chose to add glitter cause theres nothing that glitter can't improve!!

This is the inside of the binder. It has a section for each exam. In each section I keep all of my study guides for each test. I don't want to keep everything in here because I want to be able to take it everywhere and if it's too heavy I won't want to. The lined paper on the front is for me to make study guides and take notes on things as I need to. I also only want to focus on what I need to know for finals so I don't get distracted by anything else (God forbid I study something I don't need to!).

Things I do want in each section:

• Study Guide for each chapter that highlights the key points of each chapter in my own words so I understand them
• Old quizzes on the chapter to review the kind of problems the teacher will ask
• Powerpoints from previous chapters

2. Make Study Guides

Making study guides is a great way to study. The act of writing out the notes and copying them is a way to remember things. On the study guide you want:

• The key points from the chapter
• These are usually the things that the teacher talks about most during class. 
• Your own words
• you want everything written in a  way you understand it. You do not want to simply copy the notes from the power point. 
• Examples
• This is also really important for math problems because you want to see what you need to do for different types of problems
• You can also use examples for explaining different concepts. You can make these up on your own or you can use ones your teacher uses in class whatever works for you!

3. Find a Good Place to Study

You want a place where you can focus. Somewhere that doesn't have a lot of distractions and somewhere you're not going to fall asleep! The library is always great but its usually very full during Finals Week. Most classrooms will be open during finals week and those will usually be very empty and very quiet. Find somewhere you like and you're not going to mind going to. So somewhere across campus might not be the best idea if it means you will never go there.

These are just some of my best tips for Finals Week. But, when it comes to studying, you need to know how you learn best. So Good Luck! 

May the curve be ever in your favor!

xoxo