College + Internships Archives - Macarons & Mascara

13 Tips For Getting A’s In Your Classes

January 2, 2017Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 1 Comment

I know, a semester just ended and the last thing you want to think about right now are your grades for next semester. In fact, you’re probably in the process of receiving this semester’s grades and you’re either doing a happy dance with your laptop or wondering what could have been if you had done a few things differently. Or maybe you worked super hard and still didn’t get the grades you wanted. I have been in all of those positions at some point since starting college, and of the two not-so-good ones, the latter is sometimes harder to fix.

I know our generation is all like, “a letter grade shouldn’t define who you are,” “a number is not representative of your abilities,” and I agree that we shouldn’t label ourselves as “not smart” because of a B or C in a class. Getting high grades, however, helps you become eligible for scholarships (yay for saving money!), honor societies, certain organizations on campus (including some Greek Life orgs.), and on-campus jobs and internships to name a few. So while I promise you you’re still a beautiful genius no matter what grade you got in English class, it’s also not a great idea to throw your transcript to the wind.

I recently received grades in my classes that I’m extremely proud of and I know that it’s difficult and there isn’t exactly one set, cookie-cutter method that will work for everyone, but I figured I could try to share my tips for getting A’s because maybe you’ll find something in here that takes your college academics to a new level, or something. I know, I’m trying way too hard to convince you to keep reading, so here are my tips!

1. Understand the expectations of every assignment.

This is essential to making sure you get full credit for everything. If you don’t understand what’s being asked of you, you’ll leave out some required aspects and, thus, get lower grades. Read the assignment requirements in their entirety (even if they seem to go on and on forever). When the assignment instructions are lengthy, I like to give it a read and then create a checklist of all the required elements to summarize things. This way, I know I’m not missing anything. If something’s unclear, ask the professor.

2. Procrastinate smartly.

Okay, I know that smart procrastination sounds like an oxymoron but hear me out. This semester, I found that doing assignments for certain classes the night before actually helped me produce quality work and I went on to get A’s in those classes. So basically here’s the (short) story with me: I had this multimedia skills class where I had to use camera equipment to work on a new video every week to help build our skills with Final Cut Pro. It was tedious and shooting the footage required A LOT of planning ahead, however, I always waited until the night before to edit the footage because I found that I was able to sit down and take my time through all of it. Sure it was a long walk from the lab back to my dorm room at midnight, but in that moment I could just focus on what I was doing and nothing else. Didn’t have to worry about rushing to my next class, didn’t have to worry about another class coming into the lab — I could just go at my own pace, take breaks as needed, and basically leave whenever I felt happy with my work. The setting was also very peaceful and quiet and I was able to give my assignments my undivided attention.

If you can find this type of assignment bliss in any of your classes, I highly suggest going with it. You will produce higher quality work because you’re able to take your time while still on a deadline. Does the math building have that one special room that’s always quiet after 9pm? Maybe the atrium in your favorite building is the best place to study Thursday mornings. This really worked for me and I know I’ll be taking classes of the same nature next semester, so I’ll definitely keep doing this.

3. Use a planner to stay on top of your tasks.

I am totally the type of person to pour their life into a planner or an organization app, and I pretty much do this on the daily. I’m definitely a meticulous planner and I like to list all of my tasks and even write them down in the order I want to complete them. You don’t have to be as hardcore as I am, but investing in a planner definitely helps keep you on top of everything. My planner lets me create daily to-do lists, jot down due dates on the monthly calendar, and record birthdays and events so I never miss anything. If you aren’t a paper and pen kinda person, utilize your phone’s calendar app or download Google Calendar (another Godsent).

4. Ask questions that go beyond the professor’s lecture.

Sometimes asking questions about things that take the lecture a little further is key to unlocking that extra knowledge that can really save your ass on an exam. I usually asked my one professor about additional techniques when editing, just for my personal knowledge if I, say, decided to start a YouTube channel. Then, later on I was actually able to use those answers to really make my projects impressive. Asking these kinds of questions can also clarify a concept for you, and likely for others, especially if you feel that the professor moves too quickly or discusses obscure points.

5. Don’t do all of the readings.

Especially not if you have to read like 500 pages in a medieval textbook in one weekend. My one professor would assign an entire book for us to finish and then in class would go over important sections and quotations that would be on the test. So if the book was really long or boring, I’d check out Sparknotes (that thing our high school teachers forbade us from using) to get an idea of what happened in the book, then I’d highlight and jot down the quotes as well as the full discussion on them as the professor spoke. This saves a lot of time and energy. Also, be very observant during the first few weeks of class because this can tell you if you should be reading the textbook or not. Some professors comprise their exams entirely out of lecture material, so textbooks are often a waste of time in this situation. Pay close attention to know what to do.

6. Don’t skip class.

There are very few things that would make me actually feel like skipping class. I’d have to be really, really sick to decide to not leave my room. When you skip class you miss out on a day’s worth of notes. I know it can be tempting to just ask your friend in class to text you a picture of their notes, but everyone’s note-taking style is different and it may not benefit you. If you’re the type of person who has to write down EVERYTHING in order to understand something, you aren’t going to enjoy reading notes from someone who only writes down a couple of words here and there. Go to class and take your own notes. Plus, if you skip class you’ll definitely miss out on important announcements, including ones involving extra credit!

7. Don’t do work if you’re not in the zone.

I know no one actually ever says, “OMG I’m so excited to start that 10-page paper now!” but just simply being focused and having the words and thoughts and calculations and whatnots flow out of you is as close to the zone as you could possibly ask for. If I know my mind isn’t in it then I don’t do work unless it’s something that I urgently need to pay attention to. You need to be in the mindset to work and if you aren’t then you’ll be very unfocused and it’ll take longer for you to finish the assignment. You’ll read the words on a page without actually understanding what they mean. Then, you’ll have to go right back to that page another day because you didn’t understand it the first time. If you don’t feel focused, there are some things that you can do to nudge yourself in the right direction.

Go to the gym for a quick workout
Build focus by building up a daily routine
Read articles
Take out your books and class material
Keep your to-do list in front of you
Study in the company of people who also need to study

8. Get your sleep.

As I’m typing this, I should probably start making my way into bed…but I’m really in the zone for writing right now and I just can’t stop! Anyway, I know this is where people run into some trouble because some people work better at night while others work better during the day. Personally, I’m terrible at staying up late so I usually go to bed early so I can wake up early and start my day. There have been fewer than five instances this semester where I actually got fewer than six hours of sleep because I know I can’t operate throughout the day with limited sleep. Sleeping will ensure that you’re more alert, retain more information, and have more energy to do assignments. Nothing — not even coffee — beats a good night’s sleep.

9. Get group projects out of the way ASAP.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone has a love-hate relationship with group projects for any class. Because now you don’t have to just rely on yourself; you have to rely on at least two other people to pull their weight, keep the group informed, and basically continue being a student at least until the project is over. Take the lead on all projects and make sure your group starts thinking about them early and not at the last minute. This way, if there needs to be any adjustments or if there are disagreements, they happen early on and not when you should be putting on finishing touches. In my experience with working with others, every group needs that one person to be assertive and get the ball rolling, otherwise nothing will get done. I’m definitely a take-charge person but I do feel that there’s a fine line between staying on top of things and babysitting people. Guess which of the two I DON’T do… Maybe I’ll write a post on how to survive group projects later on — I’ve got a mouthful for that one!

10. Find a study method that works for you and stick to it.

I know this one’s been said many times before, but I have found that a lot of times, it can be easy to succumb to other peoples’ study methods because they seem to be doing far less work and are getting good grades. The phrase “work smarter, not harder,” only works if it actually works. I had this one class where we had a ton of reading everyday from the front page of the newspaper and we were quizzed on all the content every week. When I have readings like this to do, I like to take notes on all the major points. And right before my quiz or exam, I re-read the notes I took and I do really well. A lot of people would say that this is a lot of work — just re-read all the articles twice and you should be good. But simply reading the text doesn’t work for me. You need to just stick with what works best for you. I definitely spent an average of maybe three or four hours per week (which was a lot compared to the time some of my other classmates spent studying) preparing for those quizzes, but I did so in my favorite study spot (aka Starbucks) with an iced coffee in hand and a comfy seat under my butt, so the work actually wasn’t so bad.

11. Put your phone face down while studying or working.

When sitting down to study or work, I only look at my phone when I take small breaks. Otherwise, I keep the screen hidden so I don’t see any notifications that can distract me. I have studied with so many people who snatch up their phones the instant they see a Snapchat notification or a text from a friend. By the end of our study session, they’ve barely ticked anything off their to-do list. Learn the art of ignoring. It’ll help you finish your work much faster.

12. Read the syllabus and don’t miss homework assignments.

This is another one that’s been said before but keeping up with the syllabus will help you never miss homework assignments. Some professors weigh a significant amount of your grade on those homework assignments. And even if they don’t, you’re leaving stray points on the table (more on that below) every time you fail to turn in an assignment. Your syllabus will also tell you how to turn in homework assignments. Do you email them to your professor? Do you submit them through an online system? Does your professor accept hard paper copies of your homework?

13. Don’t leave stray points on the table!

This is a huge mistake that a lot of people (including myself) have made. Stray points are defined by Jasmin’s Dictionary of College Terms as:

stray points /n./ The little things that you can and should do throughout the semester to get a better grade, but you don’t because your lazy ass has convinced you to do it next time (and you still don’t).

That is all too familiar to me! These little things can be as simple as raising your hand one time every class for those participation points. In one of my classes from this semester, the professor told us that an easy way to get participation points if we’re shy and don’t like talking in class is to leave comments on online presentations done by our classmates. I kept telling myself I’d do it next weekend and the other weekend until I eventually forgot to do it. My grade in the class went from an A to an A- just from that. That, my friends, is why you should never leave those stray points dwindling.

What are your tips for getting good grades in class?

10 Tips For Surviving Winter Classes

December 28, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 2 Comments

College winter break can usually be summed up by one of three things: you worked, you took a winter class, or you Netflixed everyday. A good chunk of students usually take a winter class during the winter term to catch up in their degree program, complete a curriculum requirement, or boost their GPA, or even for all of the above. My first time taking a winter class was after I had finally declared myself as a Journalism major and I needed to catch up in the program because I was almost a year behind. Let me tell you, taking even one winter class makes a HUGE difference if you’re behind in your program. Yes, it was pretty costly because I had to pay for winter housing (ya girl cannot drive two hours both ways four days a week in crappy weather) but it was still worth it.

Most people think, “oh, a three-week class? This’ll be the easiest A I’ve ever gotten!” Well, not necessarily… Winter classes often move at a much faster pace because you need to learn at least 12 weeks of material in three weeks. Also, the class time is MUCH longer EVERYDAY. Usually, you’ll have class for three hours a day, four days a week. It can get pretty mind numbing after a while. And if your class starts at 8am, good luck… If you’ve never taken a winter class before, here are some things to be wary of if you truly want to do well and finish in one piece.

1. Go to bed early.

If you think having an 8am class twice a week during the fall semester is bad, wait till you have it four times a week in the winter. Make sure you get to bed early so you don’t wake up late and arrive to class late. Even if your class starts later in the day, you still want to be well-rested because the classes go on for at least three hours (that’s how mine was) and I really don’t recommend struggling to keep your eyes open in this situation. One of the cool things about staying on campus during intersession is that there isn’t much going on at this time on campus — no parties, no friends trying to get you to go to the club, no annoying people down the hall blasting music until all hours of the morning. So, there are far fewer distractions to keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.

2. Bring water and a snack to class.

You’re definitely going to get hungry, especially if you didn’t have time to grab a bite before leaving for class. This is especially important if you’re commuting to your winter class because you likely wouldn’t pay for a meal plan for the winter session (I know I wouldn’t if I were a commuter) so bringing a snack from home will help you stay alert during class. I used to pack a banana and granola bar into my backpack before leaving my room and they always came in handy!

3. Use your break to stretch your legs.

You get a 15-20 minute break halfway through, so that’s nice. Use this break to get up and walk around because you’ll definitely get tired of being glued to the same spot for the entirety of the class. You definitely want to do this if you find it difficult to sit still during a lecture that lasts one hour and 30 minutes. Walk to the water fountain; step outside for a quick breath of fresh air. This is also the perfect time to have that granola bar you packed.

4. Work on homework assignments immediately.

Everything is sped up and you do get homework assignments just like you would if the class were held during a regular semester. You definitely get much less time to complete the assignments because your professor is trying to get you through so much material, so make sure you keep your head in the game and finish all of your assignments in a timely manner. You really can’t afford to miss one. As soon as you’re given an assignment, begin thinking about what you’ll need to do in order to prepare for it and/or complete it. The great thing about winter classes is that you’re only taking one class (winter session is usually limited to three or four credits), so you don’t have any other class assignments to get in your way. In other words, there’s no excuse to slack on the homework. You’re going to work extremely hard during winter session, so don’t let your guard down!

5. Get to know the people in your class.

I met some of my closest friends during my winter class. A lot of the classes will have fewer than 100 and even fewer than 50 people. My class had around 10 students, so it was very easy to know everyone by the end of the week. Having a buddy to share the misery with makes things a whole lot better, so don’t be shy! Winter classes are also great for making connections with professors because they’re more likely to give you individual attention when they have fewer students to lecture to. Their office hours may be out of whack, but that doesn’t mean you can’t approach them before or after class, or even during your break. Your professor will really get to know you and your skills, which can be really good if you want to reach out to them later in your college career for a letter of recommendation or something.

6. Stay engaged during class.

It’s going to be very easy to feel like falling asleep in class. It’s cold af outside; you’re already bundled up in a warm, cozy sweater; you have a piping hot cup of coffee right in front of you. So why not just close your eyes for 20 minutes? Oh, because if you do you’ll basically miss a day’s worth of notes. Missing important details definitely isn’t on the syllabus. This is also why it’s important to get as much sleep as you can for this class. Stay awake by drinking water frequently, chewing gum, and raising your hand in class to occasionally answer or ask a question. For some reason, when you actually answer questions in class, the time seems to just fly by. Maybe because you don’t have to sit there worrying that the professor will randomly call on you because you haven’t spoken in a while. I don’t know, I could be wrong. Making a new friend in class may also motivate you to keep each other awake.

7. Dress in layers.

There were some days when the classroom was insanely warm and other days when it was freezing cold. This also applies to the regular semester, too, because we all have that one classroom where we simply can’t win with just a long sleeve, or just a sweater. Layering is your best bet at staying comfortable. If you’ve gotten this far in the post, you probably know by now that the class is really long so you need to make sure you aren’t freezing or burning up for three hours straight.

8. Have money on hand.

I was required to have a meal plan for the winter session because I lived on campus and, honestly, there weren’t many dining halls open so I was basically buying a sandwich and a banana everyday for lunch and dinner. During the winter session, you likely won’t have all the dining halls open and operating — just one, maybe two if you’re lucky — so you’ll likely get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. If you bring some money with you, you can order take out and have some leftovers for a couple of nights. This also comes in handy when the weather gets really bad and you don’t want to leave your room.

9. Have your cold weather essentials.

This can include touch screen gloves (my favorite essential!), cold medicine, and other things that you think you might need. You wouldn’t pack a parka to go to the desert, so make sure you’re bringing all the right stuff to survive the harsh weather. I won’t discuss this too much here because I have a blog post about winter essentials that you can check out.

10. Be a smart textbook buyer.

Last, but certainly not least, this is one you really have to watch out for. You don’t have a month to decide whether or not it’s worth getting a textbook for your class, so you really have to be on your toes for this. Talk to people who have taken the class during the winter session and see if and how often they used the textbook. A lot of times, the textbooks are used heavily because the winter session is so short and professors might direct you to the textbook for anything that can’t be covered in class. But I know spending money on textbooks is a major drag, so I have a post on how to buy textbooks in college. This past semester, I only spent $15 on textbooks! Crazy, right?

Have you ever taken a class during winter session? What are your survival tips?

What To Do If You Want To Change Your Major

December 20, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara Leave a Comment

Throughout the course of my three years of college, I’ve changed my major around half a dozen times. I’ve gone through thinking I know what I want to do, making a plan for that career, looking into classes for my schedule, and then deciding that I don’t want to do it anymore more times than anyone’s probably willing to listen to me babble on about. It’s usually at the end of the semester that most people decide they want to change their major because by then, they have gotten a taste of a few classes for their current major and they’re in the process of deciding whether that taste is bitter or sweet. If you’re like me and you love feeling in control of everything, then feeling uncertain of your current major probably feels slightly troubling and even stressful. Plus, not knowing what you want to study anymore doesn’t really make for a great conversation at the dinner table with your parents… Fortunately, here’s how you can handle this in an organized and composed manner.

1. Ask yourself: Why do you want to change your major?

I don’t think that simply disliking one class or disliking one professor is enough to force someone out of a major. Disliking half the classes in the program, however, is another story. Every class is a lot of work, but the part of you that enjoys doing it is what makes it worth it. If you aren’t good at a subject, this may also be a reason to change your major. I started my freshman year as a Health Science major on the pre-med track because I thought I excelled at science and would be successful studying for a profession in health care. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. I did decently in Chemistry, survived two semesters of math, struggled through two semesters of chem lab, and completely screwed up biology. I simply wasn’t as good at science and math as I thought I was and that made me miserable, but that’s okay. I feel like a lot of pressure on changing your major comes from the way your peers might perceive you for doing so. My school focuses heavily on math, science, engineering, and computer science, and it’s pretty easy to think that you’ll be considered “less smart” because non-science majors are “easy.” I say, give ’em the finger and move on. Your major isn’t supposed to ~impress~ anyone. Also, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN “EASY” MAJOR. Likewise, don’t feel like you need to switch to a major that’s considered more “prestigious” at your school. Bottom line, make sure you’re changing your major for the right reason.

2. Look for a major that shares some classes/pre-requisites with your current major.

One concern a lot of people have when trying to change their major is that they’ll basically be starting from scratch again. Looking into majors that also require one or two classes that you’ve already taken is a good way to not feel like you’re completely starting over. Maybe you took an intro level history course as per your school’s curriculum requirement and you want to start studying history. This is a good starting point when looking to change your major. But sometimes, we might make a change that’s COMPLETELY different and we have no choice but to start from scratch. This was totally the case with me when I declared journalism as my absolutely final major, but I’m glad I made the switch because (and this is going to sound totally sappy) I’m studying something I love.

3. Talk to people who are studying what you’re thinking of studying.

Ask them what they learn in the classes they’re taking, how they plan to use the major after graduation, etc. Of course, you probably shouldn’t let your decision ride on just one person’s thoughts so try to talk to as many people as you can to get an idea of what you can expect and see if this is a major you’re still interested in studying. Be on the lookout for ice cream socials and other events designed to get people in the major together. If you can attend, this is the perfect place to talk to multiple people!

4. If you aren’t sure about another major, declare it as a minor first.

I always tell people to dip their toes in it first by declaring it as a minor if they’re REALLY interested in the subject. From there, you can declare it as a major later on if you really want to, and you’ll already have a good chunk of the major completed. When I was in high school, I used to think that your minor HAD to be related to your major, but that’s not the case at all. You can be a Biology major and a Spanish minor; a Journalism major and an Art minor — I love that there are so many combinations!

5. Don’t compare your progress with anyone else’s.

This is super important when deciding that you want to change your major. Depending on when you decide to change your major and how much of the program you have to complete, you may be a bit behind. You may not be able to graduate in the time that you initially wanted to. You may also find that you need to take a winter or summer class to “catch up.” Let me tell you, even just one three-week class over the winter can make a huge difference, especially if it’s a pre-requisite for a lot of other future classes. Thinking about how ~that~ person is a sophomore taking 300-level classes, and how ~that other person~ is going to graduate early is only going to harm your progress. Focus on YOU and what YOU need to do.

6. Make an appointment with your advisor.

If you don’t yet know what major you want to switch to, see your advisor. He or she can talk you through what major might be a great fit for you. If you know what major you want to switch to, see the advisor of that department. They can determine which classes you can take over the winter or summer intersessions, if you need them. Advisors are really great for helping you see both the big picture and the little ones within the big one. They can tell you exactly which classes to take every semester until you graduate, and they can help you plan the best way to help you accommodate any minors or double majors, and other things that might come up. If you only decide to do one thing on this list, it has to be seeing an advisor! If you aren’t sure what questions to ask an advisor when you see one, here are some for you to jot down:

Will I need to take a summer/winter class?
Which classes in the program are available during the summer/winter?
Are online classes available?
Will I still be able to graduate in the time I expected?
Are there any joint-degree programs available for this major?
Does this major require any concentrations that I should be aware of?
Is it possible for me to take pre-requisite classes as co-requisites with other classes?

That last one is my favorite question to ask my advisor because it helps me take as many classes as I can each semester. Of course, I always consider whether or not I can handle the course load before I do it. Another thing to consider discussing with your advisor would be waitlists. If there are closed classes that you need to take, make sure you can either get on the waiting list or have your advisor throw you in.

What are you studying in college? Have you ever changed your major?

How To Study For A Class You Don’t Pay Attention In

December 6, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 2 Comments

Everyone has that one class that they haven’t really been paying attention in. Maybe it’s super boring and you can’t help but zone out or do something…less boring, like check your email or something. Maybe you use this class to catch up on work from other classes. No matter, finals week is coming up and you’re stuck choosing between momentarily getting your shit together to salvage as much of your grade as possible and pretty much giving up. It ain’t over till it’s over, so trying to salvage the grade sounds pretty appetizing. Especially since you may have the ghosts of semesters past clawing at your door for not paying attention — or is that just regret? If you aren’t even sure where to start prepping for your final, consider doing these things.

1. Form a study group.

The easiest way to obtain information that you’re missing is to collaborate with others who might be able to fill in the blanks. Notice the keyword here is collaborate. Don’t come into a study group empty-handed with nothing to contribute; the other people in the group will definitely be annoyed that you’re basically just there to mooch off of the notes they’ve been taking and not offer anything of your own.

2. Study the main themes outlined on the syllabus.

Seriously, syllabi are sometimes the only things that can help you keep it together and get organized. If you really don’t know where to start studying, refer back to the syllabus. It’ll give you a general idea of what you should look at. You can even use it as a checklist for when you complete each topic.

3. Round up whatever notes you did take in class.

This will be handy if you decide to start a study group. Plus, keeping the notes you did record could help you remember anything else you might’ve heard the professor mention, even if you were taking BuzzFeed quizzes while the professor was lecturing. This is definitely a good start and probably the second thing you should automatically do when studying for anything (the first being to look at the syllabus). For more study tips, be sure to check out my post on How To Have A Productive Library Study Session.

4. Go to the TA’s office hours while you still can.

The TA isn’t as intimidating because they’ll judge you less than the professor will for not knowing the material. It sounds harsh but professors totally keep track of who has their shit together and who doesn’t, and some of them are just more willing to go the extra mile for students who pay attention and make the effort rather than the ones who don’t (can you blame them, though?). TAs are students just like you, so they’ll be less harsh when filling you in. But do them a favor and make their job easier by coming prepared with at least a couple of specific questions about the material.

5. Practice problems that could be on the test.

This is great if you’re in a chemistry, math, or other science-y, math-y class. Usually, professors post previous exams online as study aids so this is definitely a good way to prepare for what’s to come. And if you swear up and down that you can’t solve a single problem on the previous exams, bring the test to your TA’s office hours and go over it with him or her.

6. Go to tutoring.

If you don’t want to constantly bother your TA, go to tutoring instead. Tutoring is also a good way to get one-on-one attention; if your TA is really popular, you can bet that everyone and their mother will be trying to go to office hours for the final push. So if you’re really behind consider scheduling an appointment with an on-campus tutor.

7. Review your previous exams.

This is a good way to reiterate the material that was taught over the course of the semester. Reviewing your own exams will also give you a sense on which topics were crystal clear and which ones you still need to work on. If you come across a question or topic that you struggled with on the exam, put a star next to it so you can review it with the TA or tutor, or ask if anyone in your study group arrived at the right answer.

8. Figure what you don’t know and learn it.

What it really comes down to is solidifying the stuff you kinda know and attacking what you don’t. You have more or less one week (a couple of days if you’re unlucky) to learn a semester’s worth of material, so you can’t afford to waste too much time on the concepts that you’re kind of good at.

What are your tips for studying for a class you don’t pay attention in?

How To Pull A Successful All-Nighter In College

November 29, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 4 Comments

The semester is coming to an end and with it may follow some nights where you get very limited sleep and even some all-nighters. Maybe you were warned about the dreaded all-nighter before coming to college. Maybe you’ve already pulled three all-nighters this semester. Pulling an all-nighter isn’t the worst thing you could do in college, but it still isn’t something that’s desired (unless you’re weird like me and want to pull an all-nighter just to see what it’s like). It’s like that thing you do when all else fails, or something like that.

All-nighters are physically demanding and they’re also not good for focusing the next day. Sometimes, you might feel like staying up all night is the only way you can cut your mountain of work in half.If you really need to pull one, though, it’s best to do it if your work load the following day is really light (so you don’t exhaust yourself), and if you haven’t stayed up all night recently. With that in mind, here’s how you can make your all-nighter as successful as possible:

1. Find a spot with a lot of outlets.

If you aren’t studying in your room, make sure you can snag a spot close to outlets in your favorite study place. This pretty much means that if it’s finals week you’ll have to try to arrive there as early as you can to even get a seat. You wouldn’t want your phone or laptop dying on you in the middle of your study session — this is a one-way ticket to cutting things short and not being able to finish your work.

2. Dress in layers.

You want to make sure that you aren’t burning up and you’re not freezing cold. I personally can’t focus if I’m cold (I feel like sleeping!) so I’m always sure to bundle up with sweaters so I can focus when I study. Layering is your best bet so you can always remove clothes and put them on as needed. Just make yourself as comfortable as you can.

3. Play music that really puts you in the zone.

If you can work with music on, listen to something that can really get your blood pumping and really push you to keep working. Sometimes silence can be so boring, so music is a good way to entertain your mind while also allowing you to stay focused. Check out my study session playlist for some great suggestions!

4. Stay hydrated.

Drink lots of water throughout your all-nighter. It’s a good idea to keep a refillable bottle with you, plus if you have to get up to go to the water fountain to fill it up again this is a good way to take tiny breaks in between the material. Water is just so refreshing. I love drinking iced water because I feel so much more alert when I do.

5. Don’t drown yourself in coffee.

You’ll honestly probably just be jittery half the time if you only drink coffee all night. Having some is okay but don’t overdo it. Pro tip: it takes coffee about two hours to really kick in; you don’t feel instantly wide awake when you drink it. If you know that 3a.m. is the time when you usually start getting sleepy, have some coffee around 1a.m. so you can power through for another couple of hours.

6. Have easy access to a bathroom.

With all the liquids you’ll be drinking, you’ll need to be able to use a bathroom when you really need to. If you have to walk up four flights of stairs just to get to a bathroom, you may need to rethink your study location. Sure, the exercise is a great way to keep you alert, but it’s not so great when you really, really have to pee and can’t hold it any longer.

7. Take breaks.

If you can’t possibly memorize another formula without a break, take one! Take a few minutes to peruse through Instagram, retweet a few things, and watch cute puppy videos on Facebook. You can set a timer on your phone if you don’t trust yourself to only take a 10-minute break.

8. Wash your face.

Washing your face is really refreshing, and it’s an easy thing you can do to try to keep your eyes open. If you’re in your room, you can even give yourself a mini spa treatment while you work. Apply your favorite face mask and keep it on while you work. When it dries, wash it off and you’ll feel extra refreshed (and your skin will be glowing!).

9. Avoid “closing your eyes just for a minute.”

Usually when I say this, I end up napping for a whole hour and then I wake up to put my books away…and I just go to bed. Sound familiar? Some people are able to nap, wake up, and get back to business. If this doesn’t sound like you then you should try to avoid napping during your all-nighter — the point of having one is to actually stay up!

10. Sleep early the following night.

Pulling an all-nighter means that you’re already screwing with your sleep pattern, so make sure you can get enough sleep the next night to kind of put things back on track. Don’t pull multiple all-nighters in a row. This is just asking for trouble (and possibly a low grade on your test or paper).

What are your tips for pulling an all-nighter?

How To Get At Least 8 Hours Of Sleep In College

7 Things I’ve Learned From Being A Part Of Her Campus

November 15, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 2 Comments

7 Things I Learned From Being Part Of Her Campus

I’m in a very serious relationship with writing. I love it so much that I want to get paid to do it every single day for my adult life. But if you had asked me my freshman year of college what I wanted to do with my life, I would’ve told you that I wanted to be an anesthesiologist. What a jump, right? So when I decided that science and me just weren’t going to work out, I changed my major to Journalism and immediately panicked because it was bad enough that I was already behind in the program, but I also had no writing clips and no experience writing anywhere.

Her Campus was actually the first platform I joined to get my thoughts, my words, and my sass out there. If you don’t know what Her Campus is, it’s basically a site where girls from colleges all over the country write articles that get read by other fab college girls. Plus, the logo was super cute so of course I had to join! It’s been nearly a year and a half since I joined my school’s chapter of Her Campus and it’s been such a rewarding experience so far, not to mention Her Campus has taught me some seriously valuable things.

1. You’ll always have time for a laugh.

College is hard, so make sure you laugh harder! This semester, in addition to being a writer, I’m also one of the social media coordinators for my school’s chapter, which means I work alongside other girls to keep all of our social media pages up to date and full of fun, encouraging content. We post links to all newly published articles from our team, but we also sneak in quotes and pictures to give our followers a little chuckle, or even a smile. You know how good it feels when you’re having a crappy day but you go on Facebook and there’s that one quote that just lifts your mood? Yeah, we totally get that, which is why we do it.

2. I’ll never run out of ideas.

If there was ever a doubt in my mind that I’d always know what to write about, there isn’t one now. As a chapter member of Her Campus, I’m exposed to so many articles written by girls just like me on a daily basis. They’re so much fun to read and often, they’re a source of inspiration for future articles. I always feel like I learn something about someone else, about the world, about an issue, and so many other things when I read Her Campus articles. Plus, as a member of Her Campus’s InfluenceHer Collective, I’m also exposed to work from so many other bloggers that I might not have been able to connect with otherwise. Seriously, there’s never not a creative moment.

3. You don’t need to take the road that everyone else is taking in order to succeed.

This past summer, I had the amazing experience of being able to attend Her Conference 2016 in New York City and learned so many things! (Btw, one of the ways you can attend Her Conference is by being a chapter member. So if you join, I hope to see you at next year’s conference!). At the conference, Joyce Chang, the Editor in Chief of SELF magazine, spoke to us about how we don’t need to attend grad school in order to achieve success. The option can be really tempting, especially since so many of our peers are making plans to further their education after undergrad. But this piece of advice really gave me a sense of security in knowing that even if I don’t attend another four years of college, I can still end up with an extremely rewarding career in the media industry.

4. If you really want to grow, take a step back and evaluate yourself as a writer from time to time.

Of course, you’ll end up with great writing clips to add to your portfolio. I’ve written about how to be healthy in college, how to flaunt your curly hair, and how to survive finals week with the flu, but I evaluated all of that and decided that I should use this as an opportunity to add things that I haven’t written about yet — topics I have less experience writing about; more focused, and specific ideas in the form of identity articles; things that could potentially go viral. This platform is so diverse that you may be holding yourself back by sticking to your comfort zone. When I started pushing myself to look for more, I became more confident in my portfolio, and I also had an insatiable drive to keep trying new things!

Writing for Her Campus is definitely a great way to start your career. So far, writers for Her Campus have moved on to jobs and internships at Glamour, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, The Washington Post, People, Teen Vogue, InStyle, The Huffington Post, MTV, Digitas, Ogilvy, and so many more, and I definitely hope to be a part of that group!

Check out other articles I’ve written for Her Campus by clicking here!

5. You’ll always look forward to team meetings.

It’s funny because I actually just got back from a Her Campus team meeting, haha! I love our meetings because I always see new faces, which means we’re getting bigger and bigger. It’s also so nice because we can just talk freely with each other in a judgment-free zone, and just be ourselves with each other. Her Campus updates are also always really exciting because there’s always something new going on that I can’t wait to get on board with. Btw, this is also a great way to make new friends and get to know other people with similar interests. This is really important to me because my university is very STEM-focused, so it always feels great to be with a group of people who understand your goals and your strengths.

6. Working with social media is super fun.

This one is super big because I feel like now, platforms want to see that you’re very well-rounded. Just being able to write isn’t enough anymore. Within our team, we have a group of girls who tackle social media to make sure there are posts on all pages every single day, and we also have a team of photographers who submit photos weekly. This really gives us an opportunity to work on other skills that companies will find valuable. So if you’re a social media maven in the making, this is a great way for you to get more practice online. If you think you’re into photography and want a way to train your skills, this is perfect. Getting to take over our social media pages every week is so much fun because I feel like I’m interacting with all of the girls who love our chapter. Plus, we can interact with and support other chapters online too.

7. There are so many girls with the same interests as me that I can’t wait to meet.

Being a part of the chapter at your school gives you a little taste of like-minded girls out there. When I went to Her Conference, OMG, I was astounded by the number of girls who were there for the same reason that I was: I love Her Campus and I want to connect with others on a professional level. I met so many people and gave out business cards, and I still speak to some of the girls I met there. Sometimes it can be easy to see people with similar interests as you as competition, but being genuinely nice can speak volumes. I definitely know that we’ll keep supporting each other’s work, and this makes me even more excited to meet more people.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences at Her Campus! If you want to learn more about starting a Her Campus chapter at your school, visit www.hercampus.com/chapter to read more about the position and apply!

Are you also a chapter member of Her Campus? What have your experiences been like so far? Do you think you’ll join or start a chapter of your own?

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more fun things in the daily life of a college gal!

How To Write A Kickass Paper In College

November 8, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 6 Comments

So, I do a lot of writing, clearly. I mean, I’m a blogger (duh), a Journalism student, a former Editor in Chief at Odyssey, and I write for a billion platforms and things. I’m usually that person in my friend group who everyone comes to for writing advice, help with editing papers, and all that good stuff. In high school, you could probably b.s. half your paper and still do well enough to laugh about it after class with your friends, but college papers are nothing like high school ones. Professors expect much more from you: a higher level of information gathering; more advanced writing techniques; concrete proof that you actually understand the material/prompt and you didn’t just pull all those words out of your ass.

So yeah, writing papers in college is NOT always very easy, and if you aren’t careful you can leave some major points on the table. If you have a final paper on the horizon, here’s my advice when it comes to writing them:

1. Pick your topic ahead of time.

The gun has gone off the minute the professor introduces the assignment. You don’t need to have every detail of your assignment worked out at this point, but it helps to at least have even a vague idea of what you want to write about (go to your professor’s office hours to really come up with a solid proposal).

Here are some things you should consider to help you pick a topic you can really write about well:

What are your interests and how might they connect to the class material?
What are some things you’re just curious about finding out more on?
What issues are you most passionate about?
What topics do you lack an understanding of that you’d like to understand better?

2. Talk to your professor if you want to change your idea/proposal.

Don’t just assume that they’ll be cool with it, or that your new idea doesn’t need any work. Your professor might even help you discover a bigger topic that you can write about, or even point you toward excellent resources that you can use for your paper. A quick email explaining your reason for change will suffice, but if you want to have an actual conversation about your proposal, just go to office hours.

3. Read the assignment guidelines before you begin writing anything.

You can lose so many points for not doing this because you won’t know what the professor expects from your paper! Reading the guidelines can also hint at what sources you should use, what information should definitely be included, and ultimately what the point of the assignment is. If none of this is clear to you, verify with classmates or ask the professor.

4. Create an outline.

I LOVE OUTLINES. They’re God’s gift to people who have a million ideas in places they didn’t know they could keep ideas. Creating an outline will help you organize pieces of information so you know where to talk about certain things, and you can always add more tid-bits as needed, move things around, and never forget a thing. You can make your outline as detailed or as not detailed(?) as you want. Just simply using bullet points is a great way to get your thoughts and information on paper.

5. Is your opening paragraph reflective of what you’re going to be talking about?

If you don’t know what you’re going to say, that will be reflected in your opening paragraph. This is also why it’s really important to think about your topic in advanced. Don’t write an opening paragraph that tells people you’re going to talk about how Facebook gets in the way of intimate interactions and then use the rest of the paper to praise it for speedy contact with others in the rest of your paper. This would be an example of an unfocused paper. Not all professors would be okay with this, and the ones who aren’t will definitely deduct points. It helps to get another pair of eyes on your opening paragraph to see if the connection between your opening and the rest of your paper is clear.

6. Don’t add a million quotes to your paper.

And if you do add quotes, DON’T pick the ones that take up a quarter of the page. You actually shouldn’t have a quote take up more than three lines of your paper; so much for that level of bullshittery. If you’re employing the excessive use of quotes because you don’t know as much about your topic as you should, then your professor will know. I know that sometimes there are just so many amazing quotes that will suit the paper so well, but you can’t use them all. Paraphrase some of them and cite them anyway. Also, pick quotes that propel your points forward; don’t pick a quote that basically repeats what the previous one just said.

7. Explain every quote you include.

You can’t just leave a quote hanging with no explanation to keep it company — quotes get lonely; they have feelings, too. Okay, not really but you get what I’m trying to say. Does this quote support my idea? Yeah? Good, then explain to the reader how it does that.

8. Avoid rambling for “filler.”

If your paper needs to be at least five pages long and you have four, don’t talk nonsense just to fill up that last page. I know it can get to that point where you just want to be done with that paper ASAP, but take a break and come back to it and maybe another way to present the information will come to you. If you’re writing a statistical paper, use informative graphs where appropriate to help you take up some room. If you’re analyzing a book or text, draw connections between other books, if you’re allowed to. Just make sure that everything you include supports your thesis and moves your paper forward.

9. Don’t be repetitive.

If you feel like you’ve already said something, chances are you probably did. I used to have a major problem with repeating my ideas in elementary school essays, and it was never really caught by anyone, so I kept doing it until I got to high school and had to practice how to avoid repeating myself. Here are some helpful strategies I employed to solve this problem:

Designate a new idea to each paragraph, so you only talk about that one thing in that specific place.
Keep some sentences short and sweet — get right to the point. Every sentence doesn’t have to be long and flowery.
Find more evidence to support your thesis. You might be repeating yourself because you don’t currently have enough substance to back everything up.
Rephrase the prompt.

10. Verify statistics, dates, and other numbers.

Not every website can be trusted. Recently, I was working on a presentation for class and I initially used the internet to look up information on a specific, not-so-famous person and found birth and death information that I THOUGHT was accurate until I came across mention of the person’s birth and death in a textbook and found that the two sources gave me completely different years! Learn from my almost mistake, y’all. Numbers are super important, so don’t assume that because one source said it, it must be true. This ties into my next point…

11. Use sources other than the internet.

Use a textbook, library book, encyclopedia, newspaper, etc. Many universities have databases that you can access for the low, low price of $0, so make sure you take advantage of this for any papers that you have to write. You might be able to find much more information from a different source.

12. Avoid simply “summing it all up” in your conclusion.

In elementary school, we were told that this was okay — this was “how you write a good conclusion.” Not in college, my friend. You have to go a couple steps beyond that. Here are some ways you can improve your conclusion:

Connect your points back to a larger-scale phenomenon.
Connect back to real-world applications/experiences.
Show how your points might be actionable.
Briefly explain a possible intent of the author.

Of course, it depends on what class the paper is for, so use your discretion.

13. Grab a partner and read each others’ work.

I do this all the time with one of my friends and it’s seriously helpful. We catch mistakes that the other made that we ourselves wouldn’t have found in our own papers. If you don’t have any friends in your class, ask a friend who isn’t taking the class at all for some feedback. This doesn’t sound helpful, but it is! You have the opportunity to figure out how your paper sounds to someone who has little to no knowledge about your topic. Are your points clear? Did you properly explain terms and information that might otherwise be confusing? Does this person feel like they learned something from reading your paper? Hopefully the answer to all of these questions is yes.

14. Have your laptop read your paper to you.

Yep, you read me right. My professor actually told me that MacBooks can read what you wrote out loud to you. This super great for grammar because you’ll find mistakes you didn’t even realize you made! If you have a Mac, here’s how you can get your laptop talking:

Click the apple icon at the top –> System Preferences –> Dictation & Speech –> Text to Speech –> Open up your paper –> Edit –> Start Dictation

There you go! This has been a super valuable tool that I’ve been using ever since I found out about it. Do you know any other secret gems about Macs? Let me know in the comments!

I’m not completely sure if PCs can do this as well, but if they can let me know and I’ll update this post!

15. If you aren’t asked for your opinion, don’t give it.

I’m sure you have exceptionally brilliant thoughts, but if you’re writing a non-biased paper, you can’t afford to lose points for expressing bias. Another big no-no is making assumptions where they aren’t needed.

16. It’s okay to use new vocabulary words to sound fancy, but make sure you use them CORRECTLY.

I love learning new words (especially big, sophisticated sounding ones!) and I love using them in everyday, casual conversation. But, if you aren’t completely sure that a word suits the context of your sentence, don’t use it. If you use a Thesaurus for finding synonyms, try to pick a synonym that’s in the same field or subject as the word you’re trying to replace.

17. Know what style you’re using.

Different writing styles have different rules. Do not use them interchangeably in the same paper. If you aren’t sure what style to use, ask your professor. Sometimes I get asked by peers to edit their work and when I ask what style they’re using, they have no idea, so I don’t know if I should make certain changes to their paper. I use AP Style for every single class that I’m in, but other classes in other majors may require papers to be written using other styles.

18. Use an online citation maker for your bibliography.

I love EasyBib because it’s, well, easy! Be sure to input the correct information so that you get a correct citation!

19. Don’t save your paper for the last possible minute!

I love leaving at least a couple of days in between finishing my paper and the due date so that I can come back to it with fresh eyes and the intention of merely polishing it off with some finishing touches. If you’re still writing your paper less than 10 hours before it’s due, you won’t have this liberty, or at least you might not be able to exercise it as well as you might like to. Organize your time and plan ahead so you don’t have this problem.

Related: The Ultimate Guide To Organizing Your Life In College

What are your tips for writing a killer paper for college classes?

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How To Finish The Semester Strong

November 4, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara Leave a Comment

Winter is coming. That means your fall semester is ending (by the way, I just started watching Game of Thrones and I’m obsessed! Can you tell?). One thing every college student knows too well is that the semester can be a roller coaster ride — often with more valleys than peaks. But getting stuck in that valley really sucks and that’s definitely NOT where you want to be at the end of the semester! Being stuck there means that you might be making trade offs that won’t benefit your academic career: you decide to not study for your bio exam because you’re in the mood to go out that night; you decide that a class isn’t important because you haven’t been attending all semester so what’s the point in showing up now; you’re just too exhausted from working hard all semester only to not be performing as well as you had hoped. We’ve all been there at some point!

Despite this, remember that it’s still not terribly late to make a few adjustments to get back on track. Those final strides can really make a huge difference, after all, so don’t ignore them.

1. Review your handy, dandy syllabus.

Syllabi are pretty easy to forget about, but taking a second look at them will help you see how far the material has gone and re-group. It will also tell you when your next paper, quiz, or exam will be so you can start preparing.

2. See your adviser to prepare for next semester.

One of the worst ways to end the current semester is by being unsure of the next one. Be sure to see your adviser about classes you should take next semester, how far along you are in your major’s program, and if you’re still on track to graduate in the time you had wanted to. Don’t think that you can do it all by yourself and get away with not visiting your adviser even once; classes could be added or removed from your degree program.

3. Get back into using your planner.

If you aren’t a fan of planners, get back into whatever method you used to keep yourself organized — to do lists, writing on a calendar, app on your phone. And if you never used any of these methods, consider adopting one, especially if not doing anything hasn’t been helping your organization. Let’s be real, there are just too many assignments and obligations to keep track of with just your brain.

Be sure to check out my tips for getting organized in college!

4. Stop zoning out in class.

When you’re already exhausted, it’s easy to think about how great a quick nap would feel, or dream about the wonders of a cup of coffee. But unless the anatomy of your pumpkin spice latte will be on your next exam, it’s best you pay attention in class. I’m super guilty of having a short attention span, so I like to sip from a cold water bottle during class to keep me refreshed and alert.

5. Go to your professor’s office hours.

One of my professors gives us participation points for going to her office hours, and to be honest, I’ve been leaving those points on the table all semester! Going to your professor’s office hours can help you understand anything you’re struggling with, and your professor can guide you down the right path with your homework assignments. School work doesn’t have to be a lonely struggle.

6. Make it a point to improve on your previous test score.

Change up your study habits; study with a classmate. Find some way to do better on your next exam if you haven’t been receiving the grades you were hoping for. It can be easy to get stuck in the mentality that those curves will save your grade, but sometimes they aren’t enough. Treat every class as though there are no curves at all so you can push yourself to do as well as you can.

7. If you haven’t been taking notes all semester, start!

Really though??? I may be totally wrong about this, but I don’t think there exists a college class where you can sit there twiddling your thumbs and make it out alive and with a really good grade. Grades aren’t everything, but they’re pretty important. You may need to obtain a certain grade in a class before you can advance in your program, so that’s an important thing to be aware of. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my guide to good note-taking for some killer tips!

8. Start working on any unhealthy sleeping habits.

A great way to finish strong is to move toward becoming well rested and thus, less exhausted. If you’ve been average six hours of sleep over the course of two days, you’ve definitely got to do better than that. Don’t sacrifice your well being to half-ass a study guide or drool over obnoxiously long readings every night. You’re a human, not a robot. Take a look at my post on how to get 8+ hours of sleep to find out how to do the seemingly impossible even with a packed schedule!

9. Don’t get sick!

I know it can happen to anyone at any time, but coming down with the flu can really make you miserable, and you need to be on top of your game! If you haven’t gotten sick this semester yet, congrats — I’m with ya there. But be sure to go the extra mile to really make sure you don’t get sick at the worst possible time of the semester. Doing something as simple as wiping down workout equipment at the gym before you use it can really make a difference. For more tips like this one, check out my post on how to avoid getting sick in college.

10. Set weekly goals.

Stay on top of your progress and always be on the lookout for things you can improve on. If you’ve been getting five hours of sleep every night this week, next week try to go for six hours of sleep every night; if you procrastinated on two assignments last week, make it your goal to only procrastinate one (or none! Baby steps!). The best thing about goals is that they can be whatever you feel like you need to work on, and you can go at your own pace!

What are your tips for finishing the semester on a high note?

8 Things To Know About Halloween In College

November 1, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 4 Comments

Halloween is my favorite day of the year. Like, EVER. I love the movies, the candy, the decorations and especially the makeup tutorials! But as far as I’m concerned, I eat candy, watch horror movies and do a creepy smoky eye any day of the year — it’s just extra nice to know that other people are doing it with me on this day. As I’m a junior in college, this is my third Halloween in college, and even though I should totally be the master of all things Halloween by now, I feel like I’ve learned something new about college Halloween culture every year, including this one. Along the way there were some laughs, some regrets, some fantastic times and lessons for next year, so I thought I’d share them with you in this post!

1. Halloween can actually turn out to be a week-long thing in college.

This is because there will be lots of different Halloween-related events on campus going on on different days. Your building might host a scary movie night today, a campus group might host a costume contest tomorrow, etc. Halloween is no longer reserved for just October 31st when you’re in college. Keep your eyes peeled for activities that might interest you! Which brings me to my next point…

2. Take advantage of Halloween-related activities offered by your campus/building.

Residence halls at my college offer pumpkin carving for free. It was actually at an event like this that I carved a pumpkin for the first time! Events like these are also great ways to have fun with your friends, bond with a roommate and even make decorations for your room for free whilst enjoying free snacks (so much freeness! Yay!).

3. Make plans ahead of time.

This year, I thought I’d just try to be spontaneous and wing it — grab a friend and go to an event at the last minute; gather some people for a quick movie night. While spontaneity is super fun, your plans can quickly turn to mush if you realize you don’t have the means to do something, or if people are busy because you didn’t give them enough notice in advanced.

4. Don’t feel weird about dressing up in a costume.

People won’t judge you for dressing up as much as you might think. In fact, they’ll be impressed that you put in the effort and are totally rocking your costume. From cat ears and all black attire to a Mad Hatter costume that’ll actually make you go mad with jealousy, it isn’t uncommon for people to seize on the opportunity to have fun with accessories, wigs and makeup that they wouldn’t otherwise wear. At my college, some professors have been known to give extra credit in class if you wear a costume!

5. You might really want to go to that party you didn’t think you wanted to go to.

This is another reason why you shouldn’t feel weird about investing in a costume. Halloween parties on and off campus usually suggest that you wear a costume, so you might as well have fun with it. I don’t usually attend parties in college, but there were definitely some that arose on campus that I wanted to attend but I didn’t have a costume, so I already felt disinclined to attend. Also, at events there are costume contests and, let me tell you, the students who enter go ALL OUT for their costumes!

6. No costume? Paint your face using everyday makeup!

I was mentally kicking myself for forgetting to bring my Halloween face paint kit from home, and I was convinced that I couldn’t do anything at all for Halloween, but then I realized that I could use my everyday makeup — eyeliner, highlighter, foundation, liquid lipstick, etc. — as facepaint for Halloween. Thanks to some YouTube inspo (and an entire contour palette my roommate gave me a month ago) I did a deer makeup look.

Oh deer, Halloween is approaching! 🎃 idea from @sineadycady 💕

A photo posted by Jasmin | College Blogger (@xoitzjazz) on Oct 30, 2016 at 9:43am PDT

Aside from my everyday foundation, mascara and eyeliner, I used a contour palette and a white eyeshadow stick for this look. I absolutely love the way it turned out and I didn’t have to spend an extra dime! Moral of the story: when in doubt, get your makeup out!

7. Everyone and their mother will be making Halloween treats in the kitchen.

If you and your roommate want to bake adorable Halloween cupcakes, guess what: so might the people who live down the hall from you, and the people who live down the hall from them, and so on. Try to find a time when the kitchen won’t be as heavily in use, so try to avoid baking in the evening and early morning.

Don’t forget to check out my tips for cooking meals in college!

8. Halloweekend will be one of your laziest weekends.

You might not feel like doing any type of work during Halloweekend because everyone’s excited and making plans to celebrate and have fun, and you might also have some plans. I got my work done but at the same time, my mind often lingered on the question of what horror movie I would watch that night, how I would carve my pumpkin later, what outfit I would wear to take pictures with said pumpkin, yada, yada, yada. If you decide to try to get work done, check out my tips for being productive during your study session. Fortunately, they kept me on track enough to finish everything I needed to do this weekend (and I still had time to have fun!).

What did you do this Halloween?

The Ultimate Guide To Doing Laundry In College

October 19, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara Leave a Comment

One of the biggest tests of adulting is being able to do your own laundry right. If you cannot pass this test, I’m sorry, you’re just simply not an adult yet.

I’m kidding (somewhat). I still wear pineapple printed socks and think that this one sweater with cats on it that I got for $10 at H&M is my “lucky” sweater, so who am I to judge adulthood? But in all seriousness, if you haven’t learned how to do your own laundry yet, college is the perfect time to start. I can almost guarantee that your first attempt at doing your own laundry wasn’t (or will not be) without a few bumps in the road. So to help you out, here are my tips for getting your laundry done:

1. If you pay for laundry at your school, make sure you have enough money on your account beforehand.

At my school, students pay to use a washer and dryer using what’s basically a campus debit card. I have had the issue where I’m getting ready to do laundry and then realize that I didn’t add more money to my campus debit card, and then I go bonkers looking for the nearest machine so I can add funds to my card. Learn from my mistake (so you don’t have to learn from your own!) and always pay attention to all funds on your campus accounts.

2. Keep all your dirty clothes in one place.

Don’t toss your dirty t-shirts under your bed, or leave your pants lying around random places. When you’re ready to wash them you won’t be able to find them. Then you’ll be super annoyed with yourself when you want to wear them again but, oh wait, it’s dirty because you couldn’t find it to wash the first time. Use a clothes hamper or a laundry basket, or other laundry holding item to store dirty clothes.

3. Pencil in time in your schedule to do your laundry.

Unfortunately, laundry is not a college activity that can be half-assed. It takes time to separate your clothes (which I’ll talk about later), transfer them from washer to dryer (or hang them out to be air-dried), and fold them and put them away when they’re dry. You can definitely do other tasks while you wait for your clothes to wash and dry, but don’t venture too far because in the laundry room, you can pay the consequences for forgetfulness. Which brings me to my next tip…

4. Always set a timer.

If you don’t plan to camp out next to your washer or dryer so that you can remove your clothes the second they’re done, set a timer for yourself. People can be savage AF and will not hesitate to take your clothes and dump them somewhere when the machine stops. They won’t care that you just wanted to finish one more problem on the math homework before you tend to your clothes. To avoid conflicts, just use the timer on your phone so it alarms when it’s time for you to head back to the laundry room to remove your clothes.

5. Invest: detergent pods and dryer sheets.

Instead of lugging a heavy bottle of laundry detergent with you, buy a bag of detergent pods that dissolve in the water and have just the right amount of detergent to clean your clothes. Plus, they’re fun to toss into the washing machine! Just don’t do what I did once and toss in too many — some of the pods ended up not dissolving enough and some of my socks and shirts were left with sticky residue. Dryer sheets are great for making your clothes smell great as they tumble, so don’t forget those.

6. Don’t leave your laundry supplies in the laundry room.

People have no chill and will probably use your stuff. Unless you want to share your dryer sheets with the whole building, always keep an eye on your supplies.

7. Separate your clothes.

This sounds super annoying and like a lot of work, but if you don’t do this you might end up with pastel shirts that should be white. A couple of my items should be hand-washed, so I usually save those for when I go home so that they can be washed there. Additionally…

8. Don’t assume that everything can go in the dryer.

This is how I end up shrinking so many of my favorite sweaters! I love a nice, loosely fitted sweater (especially during the fall!) so it hurts when I accidentally shrink them a bit because I didn’t read the label to know that they must be air-dried. Did you know that you can ask Siri how to wash or dry a piece of clothing???? When in doubt, ask Siri!

9. Consider investing in a fold-up clothing rack.

If Siri tells you that you cannot toss your favorite dress into the dryer, hanging it out on a clothing rack is probably your best solution. This is a great investment if a large number of your clothes must be air-dried. And because it’s a fold-up rack, it can be stored very easily when not in use.

10. Don’t be rude.

Your laundry experience can be so much more pleasant if you bite back belligerence, even if the person you’re confronting totally deserves a slap across the face. Unfortunately, not everything can be solved with a smile, and sometimes you will need to be firm but if you can avoid yelling, be the bigger person and do so.

Bonus Tips:

11. Empty your pockets.

Mom isn’t here to save that $5 bill that you left in your back pocket from drowning in the washer. Make sure you remove anything — papers, money, coins, pencils, pens, food(?) — that you wouldn’t want to become a washed up mess!

12. Don’t use any laundry products that don’t agree with your skin.

If your laundry detergent is giving you a rash, you probably shouldn’t use it anymore. Remember that you’re likely many miles away from home and your parents might not be able to rush to your side if you need them, so you need to take care of yourself. Avoid detergents with ingredients that your skin deems too harsh.

What are your tips for doing laundry in college?

How To Have A Productive Library Study Session

October 14, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 6 Comments

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m the absolute worst at studying. I end up spending about a third of the time on Twitter and watching those yummy looking recipe videos on Facebook. Aaaaand then I get hungry and spend another 30 minutes getting food. And sometimes when I actually start working, I zone out and have no idea what I just studied. So yeah, if I had to describe studying in one word, that word would probably be “struggle.”

If you’re nodding your head in agreement right now then, first, thank you because I totally appreciate knowing that I’m not alone here. Second, don’t worry, studying doesn’t have to be such a struggle! I’ve been practicing some great solutions to my terrible study session problem and I’ve been super productive and focused.

I divided this post into two small sections to better organize my tips because I just felt that in order to have a productive study session, you must have both essential materials and essential habits. But really, it’s mostly to make this post a little easier to digest!

Materials…

1. Headphones/earbuds.

Sometimes it can be a little loud in the library, as with any other place you might study. Also, if you plan to watch videos from your class’s lecture you definitely don’t want to forget to bring earbuds! You wouldn’t want to distract anyone around you. To ensure that you never forget them when you need them, always leave your earbuds in your pencil case. This will also ensure that they don’t get too tangled up in the dark depths of your backpack.

2. Several writing utensils.

Don’t just bring one pen or one pencil. You might run out of ink; your pen can explode in your backpack; your backpack might grow a random, mysterious hole and your one and only writing utensil could fall through it on your way to the library. It happens. Personally, I don’t think you can ever have too many pretty pens in different colors, but then again I hoard them like crazy. But can you blame me? They make college life so much easier! Bottom line: bring at least a couple of writing utensils with you.

3. Your class materials.

Of course, you don’t want to forget to bring whatever study materials you’ll need: printed lecture slides; readings. If you’ll need a laptop, bring one. However, don’t bring textbooks if you can avoid lugging them with you. If you can access an online version of your textbook it’s way easier (on your back and shoulders) to pull it up on a tablet than to make your backpack 10 pounds heavier.

Have you checked out my ultimate guide to buying textbooks for college? I only spent $15 on my textbooks this semester!

4. Phone and laptop chargers.

If you plan to study for a while you definitely don’t want to forget chargers for your devices! A dead battery can cut a steady session short in the blink of an eye, so come prepared. Bonus points if you can grab a comfy spot in the library near an outlet.

5. Water.

If there’s only one beverage you should bring with you, it’s water. Sugary drinks can make you thirstier, then you’ll interrupt yourself every 10 minutes to go to the water fountain. I know libraries always have those signs that say no food or drink but let’s be real, people bring drinks anyway. Just be responsible and clean up after yourself immediately. A refillable water bottle is a great investment so you can drink as much water as you need.

6. A light snack.

A banana, granola bar and graham crackers make great study session snacks. They’re small and light and can probably get you through another hour and a half of studying before you want an actual meal (depending on how quickly you get full). What other snacks do you enjoy having while you study?

7. Tissues.

You’ll thank yourself for bringing a pack of tissues with you during flu season! If you’ve got some sniffles, have tissues on hand for when you need to blow your nose in a hurry. It’s so hard to concentrate when you’re thinking about the stream of snot fighting its way out of your nose!

P.S. You should totally check out my post on how to avoid getting sick in college! I haven’t gotten sick yet and I hope to keep it up!

8. Comfortable clothes.

The last thing I want to think about while I’m studying is how I feel like I’m going to explode because my pants are too tight. Dress comfortably so you can better focus on your tasks.

9. Medicine if you’re sick.

No need to make yourself suffer! Bring whatever cold medicine you use if you’re studying outside of your room. If you need to take another dosage you can do so without having to leave your study spot. All of your necessary medications should definitely be on your college packing list because trying to buy them on campus when you need them will cost SO much more money!

Btw, my college packing list includes a free printable if you’re interested!

10. A clear mind.

Leave the day’s frustrations at the library’s entrance when you go there to study. There’s not enough time to get caught up in other things when you’re trying to get work done. It’s definitely easier said than done to push some things to the back of your mind for a while, but please try to do it for yourself. You’ll feel so much more focused and productive if you can zero in on just the tasks at hand for the time being.

While studying…

11. Create an assignment to-do list.

This helps me organize everything in a much more efficient way. Writing everything down also lets me figure out which tasks require more attention and which ones I should save for last. I also love to list them in the order that I plan to do them in.

12. Hide your phone and don’t even think about looking at it.

Don’t pick up your phone every time you get a text or a new comment on your Instagram post. This is a one-way ticket for de-railing your focus. Of course, you need your phone in case of emergencies so I don’t recommend turning it completely off. Instead, I always place my phone face down so that even if I get a message or notification from Twitter, the lit up screen won’t distract me — hell, I wouldn’t even realize that I got a notification! You can also just pop your phone into your backpack.

13. Keep the chatter with your friends to a minimum.

Studying with friends is a great way to make your study session a little less boring, but try keeping the conversations at a minimum. Constant talking will distract everyone and no one will get any work done. Just be polite if one of your friends is talking a little too much or a little too loudly.

14. Play music if it helps you concentrate better.

Some people just love listening to music while they study. Music can also help you drown out any background noise that you don’t like. I love listening to classical composed music while I study because there are no lyrics to confuse me with the words I’m reading or writing. Take a look at my study session playlist if you want some music inspo for your studying!

15. Close excess tabs on your laptop.

Especially if they’re social media tabs otherwise you’ll be tempted to peek at them, and one tiny peek might turn into an hour-long engrossment. Also sometimes too many open tabs can make your mind feel cluttered and bogged down!

16. Avoid multitasking.

I used to think that I was good at multitasking. In fact, I used to adore multitasking and praised it as my method for getting things done. But here’s why I no longer do it and why I think it can actually be bad: It’s difficult for you to divide your attention equally among two or more tasks. Even so, you might end up carrying out one task slightly better than the other. Or worst case, you might screw up both tasks. There’s only so much our brains can do! Keeping your focus on one thing at a time will help you retain that information better and complete that task more effectively.

17. Give yourself small breaks.

Don’t forget to reward yourself with short breaks here and there. Taking even 5-10 minutes to relax your mind before moving on can really give your study session a boost by not totally swamping yourself with information all in one go.

What are your tips for conquering your study sessions?

The Ultimate Study Session Playlist

September 23, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 1 Comment

How many times have you found yourself in this situation: you’re chilling in the library, or your favorite study spot, with textbooks and lecture notes in front of you, preparing for an upcoming exam or just trying not to fall behind in class. All of a sudden, the unthinkable happens: you yawn. And before you know it, you’re yawning some more, and you’re actually starting to feel bored and maybe even a little unfocused.

Okay, I’m done sounding like an infomercial now. Ahem. Listening to music while I study is my favorite way to get me in the mood to do focused work and even maintain my focus. We all have those days when we’d much rather get in an episode or two of Grey’s Anatomy (okay, maybe that’s everyday) but even so, those unread chapters in our textbooks will still be waiting patiently for us. If you’re looking for some music to help keep you in a study-all-day-erry-day state of mind (or just to drown out the loud AF people talking around) take a look at some of my favorite songs to study to.

Rock:

I never really thought of myself as a lover of rock music, but I have found some songs from this genre that I just can’t get out of my head! When I listen to these songs I feel like I’m in my high-speed, super productive mode because of the beat and tempo. Some of these songs are so great to listen to when you’re speed-typing an eight-page paper — when you’re in the zone, you’re in the zone!

Off-Brand Misery — Loner’s Club

Loner’s Club is a band that was started by two of my classmates, so I basically know celebrities now. Off-Brand Misery is really calming, so it’s a great kick-off for your study session playlist. I seriously listened to this song multiple times in a row because, first off, IT’S REALLY GOOD, and second, I was able to relax and focus on my work while still enjoying the song.

Exes and Oh’s — Elle King

Good Girls — Elle King

Bohemian Rhapsody — Queen

Composed/Wordless:

Sometimes songs that don’t contain any lyrics really suit the type of studying I’m doing. If I’m reading a long-form article or doing a reading for class, I typically listen to this type of music so that there are no lyrics getting jumbled up with the words I’m reading and confusing me. I’ve been a band geek since middle school (yay clarinets!!!) so I became acquainted with pretty much all of these pieces by performing them and I’m still in love! (Note: you’ll soon find that Steven Renieke is my FAVORITE composer!).

The Witch and the Saint — Steven Renieke

I love Steven Renieke’s pieces so much because they paint a picture stemming from mythology, and they’re very dramatic. The Witch and the Saint is about twin sisters whose births signified a bad omen. The townspeople considered one sister to be a witch, while they considered the other to be — you guessed it — a saint. I won’t spoil the song for you, but there is a mixture of moods that take place here and the song is definitely worth a listen!

Fate of the Gods — Steven Renieke

Goddess of Fire — Steven Renieke

The Tempest — Robert W. Smith

Bolero — Ravel

Electropop:

Electropop is a super fun music genre to listen to. I’m very much in love with Marina & the Diamonds and in all honesty, songs from her are the only type of electropop music I listen to. I only included just two of my favorites from her on this list because then I’d basically be naming songs from one artist all night. I love listening to her songs when I’m re-writing lecture notes or doing a more enjoyable type of work (like blogging!) because I really enjoy her music and I like to be happy when I listen to it!

Lonely Hearts Club — Marina & the Diamonds

Sex, Yeah — Marina & the Diamonds

Indie pop:

Just like with Marina, I didn’t know Indie pop was a thing until I really started listening to songs by Lorde. A lot of her songs feel very the-apocalypse-is-coming or the-apocalypse-just-happened-and-look-at-the-world-now and for some reason I totally dig that. I love listening to her songs on a dark, gloomy day while I sit in Starbucks, soft, oversized sweater around me, iced latte in hand and laptop screen illuminating my face (me trying to descriptive, heehee). Her songs aren’t very boisterous, so they’re great for listening to while doing slightly more focused work. These are my two favorites from her:

Buzzcut Season — Lorde

Tennis Court — Lorde

Soca:

You may or may not know this but my family is Caribbean so I grew up listening to a lot of Soca music. The best way I can describe this type of music is that it’s just REALLY energetic and will make you want to dance! I usually save these songs for the last leg of my study session to really just help me push through and finish strong (and wide awake!).

Kotch — RDX

Whine Up — Kat De Luna

Press It Up — Sean Paul

I Need Your Love — Shaggy

These songs just make me — dare I say — excited to actually sit down and study and get work done. I definitely hope I was able to show you a little bit of what my music tastes are, and introduce you to some songs that make me feel more productive when I’m trying to get work done.

What’s on your study session playlist?

The Ultimate Guide To College Game Day

September 20, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 1 Comment

Attending college football games on my campus is one of my biggest goals this semester. You see, I don’t know the first thing about football and I never really cared to go out to any of the games. But this past weekend I went to my school’s football game and actually had a really great time, despite my lack of knowledge for the sport. Plus, it was my first ever time attending a football game as a spectator so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect other than going, sitting, and, well, watching the game.

If it’s your first time going to a game and you need some super cool *insider knowledge*, here’s what I learned at my first football game:

1. Familiarize yourself with your school’s policy on attending sports games.

Do you have to reserve tickets in advance? Can you just walk right in and sit anywhere you want? If you bring family members how much do the tickets cost? These are questions you should find the answers to before game day arrives! I had no idea that I needed to reserve a ticket for the game; I assumed that because I’m a student I could just show my ID at the gate and walk right in. It was a good thing my friend told me the proper way to attend games at our school.

2. Wear your school’s colors.

At my school, there is never a shortage of red t-shirts that say, “WHAT’S A SEAWOLF?” Wearing your school’s colors is an easy way to feel connected and feel like you’re really one with the thousands of other students who go there. I’m a major sucker for cool collegiate apparel so I have two hats, two sweatshirts, sweatpants, two t-shirts, a long sleeve top, and a football jersey with my school’s logo and whatnot on them (told ya I’m obsessed with this stuff). But if you aren’t going to wear your school’s colors then MAKE SURE you DON’T wear the rival school’s colors accidentally!

3. Do fun nail art to show off your school pride.

Showin my SBU pride with #gameday nail art! 🐾🏈

A photo posted by Jasmin | College Blogger (@xoitzjazz) on Sep 17, 2016 at 8:52am PDT

I love combining beauty with school spirit! For the game this past weekend, I did SBU-themed nail art using my school’s colors and it was not only super fun to do the night before, but it was also cool to show off. Get creative and make your eye makeup match your school’s colors! I didn’t have red eyeshadow on me, but if I did I would’ve also done that. If you don’t believe in your makeup skills (don’t worry, I believe in you!!) you can never go wrong with stickers. Just buy star-shaped stickers in your school’s colors and put them on your face, but don’t do this if your skin is sensitive to the glue!

4. Dress in layers if you aren’t sure about the weather.

The weather can be surprising sometimes, especially out here in Long Island. On game day, I thought it would be a bit colder because of the wind, so I wore a sweatshirt over my football jersey; if it got hot, at least I could just take off the sweatshirt, and if it got cold I could put it back on. Something as seemingly small as a change in the weather can really take away from your experience — you might even be inclined to leave early if you’re too hot or too cold.

5. Be prepared to spend about 3-4 hours at the game.

Football can be a little slow because the clock seems to stop frequently. There isn’t really an exact time limit for the game, so it can really go on for a while. If you know you have a lot of work to do but you’re still determined to have a good time at the game, get as much of your work done as possible before the game, because you might be haunted by the thought of all the exams you still have to study for and you might want to leave early. Also, make sure you have adequate phone battery. You probably won’t bring a portable charger with you (especially not if you carry a tiny crossbody) so make sure your battery can last at least until the game is over.

Btw, don’t forget to check out my post on how to get organized so you can keep track of all your assignments and not miss a game!

6. Don’t bring food or drinks with you.

Security at the gate will make you throw it out before entering. And don’t think you can get away with hiding it in a big bag because they check your bags as well. If you’re intent on not spending a dime for overpriced concession stand food, eat a big meal and hydrate before the game. I caved and had to buy a cheesy pretzel (which a WASP crawled on!) because I didn’t eat enough before leaving my room.

7. Get to the game on time.

But if you’re attending homecoming, plan to get to the game early because you may not get the seats you want if you arrive late or even on time. Homecoming is, like, a next level football game that literally everyone and their mother wants to go to because of all the festivities going on, so you must account for all that. During normal football games, sometimes it doesn’t get really crowded until around half-time, but if you really want to take your football experience to the *next level* you should try to make it to see the whole thing.

8. Beware of bees!

It was still fairly hot for September weather and bees and wasps were EVERYWHERE. I know that they say the key to conquering those little mother truckers is to just stay calm and be still and they’ll leave you alone. But let me tell you, I cannot count the number of times when a wasp flew near me and even though I was still and tried to not pay attention to it, it only got bolder and got all up in my face. It seemed like there was no actual way to win, so I ended up just standing behind the rail rather than sitting in the bleachers because I got sick of all the buzzing. Just keep in mind that if you want to beat the bees, you might have to try to attend a game later in the season.

9. Don’t stay glued to your phone screen the entire game.

Look up and actually try to follow the game. I know the temptation of wanting your Snap Story game to be strong that day, but just make sure you also try to follow what’s happening. And if you’re like me and don’t understand what the terms mean or why they stop the clock, like, every 30 seconds, it doesn’t hurt to go with a friend who knows a little something about the sport and can explain to you. It’s hard to genuinely have fun when you don’t make the effort.

10. Really get into the game and have fun!

Get on your feet and cheer! Sing along to any songs and join in on any chants for your school. I sometimes think that I’ll look ridiculous cheering and singing but then I realize that I feel awkward when I don’t. Just getting into the vibe of things can really help you have a lot more fun and ultimately enjoy your experience. So don’t be afraid let yourself enjoy the game!

I really hope this post provided some insight into how to prepare for a college football game, and even motivated you to go out to one if you haven’t thought of it. I definitely hope that I can make it to all of the home games this season!

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all of my posts and crazy/fun happenings!

Have you been to a college football game? What was your experience like?

The Ultimate Guide To Organizing Your Life In College

September 9, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 4 Comments

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by May Designs. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own, I’d never lie to ya!

Whoever said college was easy is a big liar and I’d like to high-five their face with a chair. It’s not necessarily always the academic part of college that makes things difficult — it’s the balancing other aspects of your life with the academic part that really gets us every time. As a fairly ambitious collegiate, I can say that without a doubt, it gets difficult to organize your duties and plan your time when you’re looking out for your school work, job, extracurriculars, social life, and even your personal life too!

The good news is that when that…rather large…slice of life gets a little crazy, getting into the habit of staying organized can really help you digest things a little easier. Like, you’ll actually be able to breathe a little! This is definitely one of my favorite posts because first, I can go on and on about organization for hours (but don’t worry, I won’t chat your ear off this time!) and second, I love an opportunity to just organize myself and lay everything out right in front of me so that I never feel like I’m blindly running through college (and tripping and falling on my face in the process!).

1. Hang a dry-erase calendar on your wall and look at it every. Single. Day.

But don’t put it directly above the head-side of your bed because it might fall off and give you a good midnight surprise! My terrible attempts at being funny aside, keeping a calendar in sight in your room can help you plan ahead — appointments, campus events, meetings, parties, due dates of homework assignments, etc. I like using colorful dry erase markers to make my calendar look a little prettier and more exciting so that way I actually enjoy looking at it! Because of this, my calendar is also a great piece of dorm room decor for me, so now you have even more of a reason for buying one. But remember to always refer back to it so that you stay aware of important dates that are approaching.

2. Create a to-do list on your phone.

I’m an avid user of to-do lists, especially when I list things out in the exact order that I want to complete them in. All you need is a pen and paper and you can feel the sweet victory of crossing things out on your list after completing them. Ah, what a wonderful feeling it is! While I usually write lists in my planner, I have really taken to writing lists in the Notes application on my phone because I always have it in my hand so it’s easy for me to take a quick peak while I’m on my way to class if I forgot what other things I needed to do that day. Sometimes I have those days where I even need to list the fact that I have to go to class just so I can look at everything collectively! Yeah, it happens, we have those moments.

3. Make homework one of your priorities.

Not gonna lie, I’d much rather go through a season of Gossip Girl than a chapter in a textbook, but homework is a necessary evil. You should probably do it. Correction: you must do it. Turning in homework assignments can be the difference between an A- and an A, or a C- and a C, so don’t squander those points! You’ll be super upset with yourself if you put it off for the last possible minute and have to stay up until all hours of the morning to complete it. Keep homework assignments near the top of your to-do list. I like to make sure I finish at least one big upcoming homework assignment before I hang out with friends. Plus, hanging out with people is a good study/homework break!

4. Use a journal to keep track of your fitness goals.

Like I said, college organization isn’t just about the schoolwork. If you have some fitness goals you’d like to achieve, keeping a journal is a great way to not just keep track of them, but to also motivate you to keep at it! The one above is from May Designs and it’s not only super gorgeous but it helps me keep track of my meals and snacks, and daily water consumption, and I can leave myself notes in case I think of something like a nutritious recipe I want to try out, or if I want to reflect on the day.

On the first page of the book, you can write out your goals to remind you of why you’re working out and eating healthy. For me, it’s because I’m asthmatic and my freshman year of college was my first time having an asthma attack in more than five years. Looking back, I think it might’ve been because of my weight gain (Freshman 15 doesn’t play games!). So I’m determined to shed some weight and put myself back in a healthier position so that I don’t suffer through another asthma attack like that.

But inspirational story aside, I am very much in love with this journal and I also love that you can really personalize it to make it your own (who doesn’t love monogrammed things????). I have my name on it and let me tell you, it took me DAYS to finally settle on a design and monogram style because there are so many designs to choose from and they are so beautiful!!! And if freedom with your book’s cover isn’t enough, you can also choose what your inside pages look like. I chose for mine to be the fitness journal, but you can also choose weekly and daily agendas, a prayer journal, budget planner (hint, hint if you love saving money in college!), and more. I received the ‘Classic Book’ which is 5” x 8” and contains 80 pages.

5. Set up a routine for calling your parents.

Crap happens and before we know it, we’re forgetting to call our parents, who would probably love to hear from us even just once a week! Keeping up with your family can be a bit crazy when you already feel like you barely have time to eat and breathe, but planning a time to call mom and dad and adding it to your schedule will ensure you don’t forget to do it. If Saturday mornings before you start the day work for you, then make that your day and time for phoning home. It’s nice to hear our parents’ voices when we’re miles away from home, plus, they’re great people to rant to when everything about everything is seriously irritating you!

6. Speak to advisors for advice on your classes.

But don’t just see your advisor one time at the beginning of the semester; try to meet with him or her at least two or three times throughout the semester so that you’re still in the loop of everything you need to do for your degree, and so that they’re still in the loop of your career goals. They can’t help you properly if you don’t tell them what’s changing for you. You don’t have to figure out this sort of stuff all by yourself!

7. Wake up at the same time everyday.

I adore the days when I can sleep in a little, but to be fair, sleeping in for me is waking up at 9:30 in the morning, so maybe I’m not really an expert on that! Waking up around the same time everyday will help you get approximately the same amount of sleep every night (assuming you’ll be going to bed around the same time as well). This allows you to have some type of consistency with your schedule, and even if you wake up at 7a.m. when your first class doesn’t start until 1p.m., you’ll be more likely to use all that time to be productive; go to the gym, do some homework, go to work, make time for appointments, etc.

8. Keep track of all the jobs and internships you apply to.

Sometimes I apply to a position and then a week later when I continue my search, I happen upon the same opportunity and think, “whoa, this is totally up my alley, I should apply!” and then it finally hits me that I already applied…That, my friends, is Jasmin’s forgetfulness at its finest. Be sure to keep track of all these opportunities — even the ones you get rejected from or aren’t qualified for — so that you don’t forget that you already looked into them. I like to simply organize them in a Word document as though I’m writing an outline. So helpful for referring back to!

Btw, be sure to check out my guide to resume-writing for some pretty top notch tips (if I do say so myself!) on how to stand out and write a pretty freaking good resume!

9. If your current shift at your job doesn’t work too well anymore, look into changing it.

I know that’s sometimes easier said than done because managers often need to consider other factors before giving you the thumbs up to change your shift, but it’s worth an inquiry. If your shift in the campus library ends at 4:50p.m. and then you have a three-hour class at 5p.m. and therefore no time to eat a meal and catch a breath, consider switching your shift to a time in your schedule that works better for you. When everything in your schedule is literally back-to-back, it can get hard to, well, survive. Make life a little easier by working this out.

10. Set specific days for doing your laundry, and cleaning up your room.

Don’t succumb to wearing the same pair of underwear four days in a row because you forgot to do laundry. Also, don’t get into the habit of not cleaning up after yourself in your room because dorm rooms are smaller than we sometimes think they’re going to be, which means living in filth and untidiness won’t give you a comfortable college lifestyle and you might be less productive. Remember to take care of yourself while away at college. Add these chores to your handy-dandy weekly calendar so you don’t forget!

What are your college organization tips?

10 Secrets For Making New Friends In College

September 6, 2016Jasmin - Macarons & Mascara 4 Comments

Social life can play a big part in your college experience, whether you want to believe it or not. You don’t need to be the most popular kid on campus, and let’s be real, that contest has “cliche high school food pyramid movie” written all over it. I like surrounding myself with people because I find that I enjoy all my experiences more (yes, even studying!!) when I have friends with me. I know, it feels like forever since we had to introduce ourselves to new people, and actually get to know someone, so it may feel like you’re a little lost (a.k.a. me almost my entire first semester!!!!!).

There is no concrete “method” for making new friends in college guaranteed — you won’t make one little change and then end up with 50 new friends in a few days. But you can try doing a few different things to get to know some new people and possibly become friends with them.

1. Don’t hole up in your room all day long.

I made this horrible mistake for my first few months as a college freshman, and I honestly regret it. I didn’t know how to talk to people or how to make new friends since I haven’t had to get to know new people since high school. I was also too comfortable with the two friends I did have, so if they didn’t want to go to an event that I wanted to go to, I just decided that I should stay in because I didn’t know how to do things by myself. Eventually, I realized that that kind of attitude was holding me back from getting to know people, so I started going to events, taking up recreational classes, and thus began making new, amazing friends! Moral of the story: unless your dorm room has some magical gravitational pull that just attracts potential new friends without even trying, don’t hide in there all semester.

2. Get to know your roommate.

Your roommate could end up being your first new college friend, so don’t squander any potential opportunities to become friends with them. Get to know a little bit about where they’re from, what their major is and why they’re interested in the field, and other cool details. There’s so much you can bond over with your roommate. And if you live in a suite, the more the merrier! You’ll have the opportunity to get to know even more people. If you live in corridor-style accommodations, it might be even easier for you to get to know all the people on your floor because you’ll be sharing a bathroom with them and will be able to see them almost everyday. Did you check out my post on what to do before you meet your roommate? It could really help you avoid any potential conflicts with them!

3. Remain committed to the clubs you join.

It’s really easy to just sign your name and email on a sheet of paper for a club at the club fair, but don’t attend three meetings for the entire semester and then stop going to meetings; you won’t actually be able to enjoy the club and you’ll definitely miss out on getting to know a group of great people. Pre-professional clubs on campus are a great way to meet people who have similar career goals as you. You’ll definitely be able to help each other out and become great friends. Also consider joining Greek Life. Not every organization will be for you or have the same values as you, so don’t let some digging around deter you from joining something that can really change your life.

4. Small classes are the best for making new friends.

I say this because it may be a little difficult to do this if your class is in a lecture hall with 300+ people, but if you have even one college class that’s really small it’ll be really easy to make casual conversation with a classmate. In my Italian class, the professor makes us do textbook exercises in small groups, so this is the perfect way for me to talk to my classmates and get to know some of them. I actually already made a new friend this semester from that class! You don’t do group work in large lecture halls. You’re lucky if the professor puts a problem on the board and asks you to turn to your neighbor and discuss it for a minute, but that rarely happens. All of my journalism classes are really small (under 20 people) so it’s a great way for me to get to know people. Also, small classes usually begin with some type of icebreaker or with the professor asking for everyone to introduce themselves, so at the very least you’ll know everyone’s names.

5. You might only get one chance to add them on social media and get their phone number!

The other night, my floor had a meeting so we can all socialize and get to know one another and I met some really cool people, except I forgot to ask them if they had Facebook accounts so we could connect with each other. And I couldn’t find them on Facebook myself because I didn’t even know their last names. Oops. If you speak to someone and they seem cool and you guys get along, don’t forget to ask for their social media or even ask for their number. Asking for someone’s number isn’t as terrifying as it seems (if you remember to do it, unlike me!!!). When I was a freshman I was always surprised by how quick the people I met were to ask for my number. It showed me that there’s no harm in wanting to text someone one day to grab lunch or to go to an event. This also made me more likely to ask someone else for their number because you may not miraculously run into them again.

7. Actually message them to go grab some food or hang out.

After you get their number, don’t forget to actually use it, especially if the two of you really hit it off! One day I decided to take a Zumba class at the rec center on campus and I met a cool girl there. We exchanged numbers and the following week I messaged her to see if she was planning to go to Zumba again, and lucky for me it was a yes. From then on we met up and walked to the rec center together and we’ve been doing that for three semesters! Sometimes all it takes is that one text to start a real friendship. Even if you aren’t usually the kind of person to reach out to ask someone you just met to hang out, give it a try and see where it goes. I have already learned from experience that it’s rare to have incredible experiences if you keep staying in your comfort zone; besides, college is a lot about trying new things!

8. The first few months of school are the least awkward time to meet new people.

I say this because during the first maybe two or three months, everyone wants to get to know everyone; people don’t really have their “groups” formed yet; and people are generally the most friendly at this time when the course load hasn’t yet spurred the urgency to stop hanging out with people and start getting down to business (ah, what a rush that is). I’m not saying that it’s *ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN* to try to make friends after the first three months of school, or worse yet, if you do try to make friends afterward *ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WILL TALK TO YOU*, but you might feel a little awkward trying to meet new people then. I know I definitely felt like it was ‘too late’ for me to meet new people and I wasn’t really motivated to try, which can really hold you back from, you know, trying. This is definitely going to sound cheesy, but it’s never ‘too late’ to try anything! The only thing holding you back is yourself.

9. Make a good first impression by just being yourself!

Don’t act like someone you aren’t just to fit in; it simply isn’t you and you owe it to yourself to make friends who love the real you, not someone they want you to be. Sometimes I’m weird, like really, really weird; I tend to babble on and on, my eyes tear up when I start talking about something I’m really passionate about, and I can laugh nonstop like a hyena when I find something really funny. But, hey, that’s just me. I usually have those moments where I meet someone new and I just let my whole self out and then realize that there’s a chance they’re thinking that I’m really weird, but it’s okay; if they welcome my weirdness it means they genuinely like the person that I am. Plus, some people can just tell that you have a great character, so don’t hide that!

10. Don’t be afraid of cutting off people who aren’t genuine friends.

I certainly don’t go to college for drama so if I smell it brewing or if I think the person I’m talking to is two-faced or just not genuine, I stop talking to them because I don’t need to hang with that crowd. You owe it to yourself to stay committed to your personal values, so don’t feel like you have to stay friends with someone if you don’t like their attitude. Making the right friends is just as important as making friends!

What are your tips for making new friends in college?