Off to College Check-List Part 3 – School Supplies

Welcome to Part 3 of the ” Off To College Check List “.

School Supplies

Besides shopping for new things to decorate my room with, this was my favorite part of getting ready to go back… shopping for school supplies.  Who knows, maybe that makes me crazy – but to me it signified a new start, a way to organize myself and get ready for another successful year!

Speaking from personal experience, I love being organized.  Every year for Christmas my parents give me a gift card so I can buy a brand new planner (again, call me crazy, but it definitely helps me out throughout the year) !  This will be your ultimate shopping list for school supplies, without the hassle of spending hundreds of dollars!

This is what I would like to call,  “Rumor has it”.  When you get to school, the students around campus will tell you some things about the beginning of school… but remember, what they think and what the professors think are two totally different ideas.

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1)

Rumor has it: “You don’t need anything for the first few weeks of school, nothing really happens and you can just write on the sheets they give you.”

The truth: First impressions are everything!  If you walk into a class, the first day, with nothing in hand, how will that look the the professor?  You want to come across as cool, composed, and ready to learn!  The better the first impression, the better chance you have of doing well in the class!  Make sure you have:

2)

Rumor has it: “Don’t carry a backpack around campus, you’ll look like a stupid freshman.”

The truth: If you don’t carry a back pack around, you’ll be lugging books all over the place!  Normally, the people who don’t have the backpack are the ones who don’t bring anything to class… and the ones who aren’t so successful!  Get something comfortable, and cute (no one said it had to be bulky and bland) !

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With those things being said, here are a list of good finds that you can purchase

to make the beginning of college life successful!

• A 3-ring binder
• Filler Paper
  
• A 2-pocket folder for each class
  • Each folder can contain the syllabus for the class, and any papers that are handed out.
• Dividers
  • If you’re taking more than 12 credits, sperate your binders so you’re not carrying around a huge binder… Make a M/W/F and  T/TH… it will be much easier on you!
• At least 2 pens, and 2 pencils
  • You know someone will forget one, and it’s a good way to strike up an conversation with a new person!

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These Wilson Jones Basic Round Ring 2″ Binders can be found at Office Depot for $4.89 a piece!

These Mead 5-Star folders are 3-hole-punched and contain 4 pockets, around $1.89 a folder.

You can match your folders for class with these colored dividers, found at Office Depot, to make your organization even better (and more fun!)

$.99 for 5 Divider

Depending on the type of pen you like to use, you could either purchase :

Pilot Precise Pens # 3 for $3.27 @ Target

Or

Ballpoint Stick Pen from Target @ $.99 for 20

In addition to being prepared for class, having some extra supplies in your dorm room doesn’t hurt.  Here are a few things that I felt helped me out:

Post It Notes

These were my favorite… you could find them all over the place in my dorm.  Anytime I received a reminder I would write it down on a post it note and stick it on my computer screen or keyboard so I wouldn’t forget.

A Wall Calendar

In addition to a planner, a wall calendar is good because you can write down all of the dates again and have it fresh in your mind AND in your face.  Place it somewhere in your room where you will never be able to miss it.

Highlighters

As much as people try to avoid highlighting in books, I recommend it.  Highlight the main points throughout the chapters that way, when it comes to test time, you don’t have to reread the ENTIRE chapter – just the things you thought were important the first time through!

There is less than a month left for some of you heading off to school, so good luck with the rest of your shopping … and remember, have fun with it!!

Kristin Marie is a College Lifestyles (TM) Intern, who just graduated from William Paterson University with a B.A in Journalism and Public Relations.  She is a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and a huge fan of random road trips and Dave Matthews Band.

Meet Kristin Marie

Hey Everyone!

I’m so excited to be interning with College Lifestyles (and all the amazing women!) .  A little about me…  My name is Kristin Weinstein, and I will be receiving my B.A in Communications (PR/ Journalism) from William Paterson University in August!  I am a proud sister of Alpha Sigma Tau (Gamma Chi Chapter!) , I have held many positions (President, New Member Director and Assistant, and so many more!)  and it was the best decision I have ever made!  I have a little sister named Sara who is by far my BEST friend, and I love reading and writing!  I am an outdoorsy kind of girl with a big Jersey heart .  Want to know more, just ask!

Now, for the fun stuff!  I’m here to write what you want to read!  Don’t hesitate to give me ideas!  You are the audience and we do this for you! 

Looking forward to hearing from all of you!

xOx

Kristin Marie

First Blog’s a Charm!

Hi everyone, my name is Marisa and I am very excited to share with you why I am proud to be an intern with College Lifestyles!

On my first day of university I arrived on campus armed with confidence and ambition. Then, I took one look around and contrasting feelings immediately overcame me: I realized that in addition to knowing no one within a fifty-mile radius, I knew absolutely nothing about the true nature of college life.

Although I had received a first-rate education at my local secondary school, high school had not prepared me for the new and overwhelming cosmos that was college. Like almost everyone in first-year Arts, I assumed I was destined for law school; I had no idea what a real sorority was, never mind how to successfully rush one; and the threat of the notorious “Freshman 15” seemed inconsequential when disguised beneath the cheerful décor of my dorm’s cafeteria and its employees’ welcoming smiles (which I now interpret to be menacing).

In an attempt to better navigate my surroundings, I employed various social networking sites as my electronic allies in the hopes that I would find the answer to mastering college living. However, although these sites allowed me to rapidly gain a sense of the true personalities of my dorm mates and the trendy places to visit on campus, I had no inside information that unlocked the secret to making the most of my college experience – no source that scratched beyond the surface of repetitive party scenes and photos-for-the-sake-of-taking-photos.

Over the subsequent years I was eventually able to find my own way on my own accord. I narrowed down my major (based on my passions and skills, as opposed to what is considered to be a ‘useful degree’); I joined an amazing sorority (Alpha Phi) where I met some of my best friends, and rose through the ranks to become the youngest Panhellenic President in my campus’s history; I learned how to write an A-worthy paper in 48 hours, and also figured out the best time to line up at my campus Starbucks in order to beat the crowds. But in order for all of this to come together, it took a lot of time, a lot of wrong turns, and many hard lessons learned. Although everything eventually turned out like clockwork, in retrospect, I definitely wish I’d had a more concrete form of guidance.

This is why I am thrilled to be an integral part of College Lifestyles: the ultimate insider on the college experience. In my early undergraduate years I craved this sort of direction – the ability to have valuable information at my finger tips (the type of information that glossy freshman pamphlets often neglect to feature) in order to keep me in tune with ‘college culture’. I truly believe that the information offered through College Lifestyles has the ability make your university experience that much easier and more enjoyable!

Have you ever sought out the best way to confront a disorderly roommate or a deceitful friend? Wondered what you should have known going into sorority recruitment and cursed the tips and tricks they never told you? You’ll find your answers to these questions and issues here where I will be fusing together real-life experiences with researched opinion to bring you up-to-date information on all hot topics – no obscuring of the truth à la MTV reality shows here! Above all, I want to hear from you! Feel free to e-mail me at marisa@collegelifestyles.org with your suggestions and feedback. Before I head out for the evening, here’s a Top 5 list to get you started:

Top 5 Reasons why College Lifestyles will soon become your New Homepage
1. 17 Interns = 17 diverse points of view and areas of expertise. Not even CNN offers that much coverage.
2. Gossip Girl is done for the season, so where else are you going to get your free, immediate updates on the latest hot topics in style?
3. Nutrition, interviews, sororities, oh my!
4. You’re probably hunched over your laptop or Blackberry reading this blog, and since ‘slouched’ only looks good on certain leather products you’ll need to start straightening up that posture and check out our section on etiquette
5. At 9 a.m. on a Monday morning even your most creepable Facebook friend will not have new activity. We will.

It’s me, Emily T!

“Time is more valuable than money, you can get more money but you cannot get more time.”

That quote is one that I strive to live by everyday. Of course, in this economy it is important to think about money, but I don’t want that to run my life. Plus, it reminds me that I shouldn’t be obsessed with making or spending money. To me, time spent with friends and family are much more important.

That being said, let my introduce myself! I am Emily Trimble, a recent graduate of Valparaiso University with a degree in Public Relations. Currently, I’m searching for that perfect place to start my career. Since I’m unemployed, this internship with College Lifestyles was perfect to get more experience and share my knowledge with all of you!

So now,  a little about me!  I’m from a small town in southern Indiana, and have to drive about 30 miles to get to shop or see a movie.  Though I am a small town girl, I understand that there is more out there than livestock and cornfields!   Druing my time at Valpo, I spent a year on the Crusaderette dance team before joining Chi Omega in the fall of 2006.  I served as Panhellenic Delegate and then Presidnet of my chapter.  Though it was rough at times, I learned a lot. There is a lot to know about me, and since I love  Top 5 lists, here are 5 random things you should know about me:

5. I love corny jokes…the lamer the better (What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho Cheese!)

4. My favorite movie is Dirty Dancing (Mary Poppins is a close second)

3. I have been decorating cakes (birthday, shower, wedding, etc) for 14 years

2. My hair is naturally curly and I have finally learned to embrace it

1. I’m obsessed with pigs. They are all over my room!

Here at College Lifestyles, I’m excited to start blogging for the first time. Follow my blog for the “real deal” (as Shelly likes to say). Check out my blogs about things like:

Sorority myths

Stress busters

Fun, cheap ideas for how to spend your free time (if you have any)

Things I learned as an undergrad

And

Job Hunting (dun dun dun)

Throughout my blog, I will also give you other quotes that inspire and motivate me.  I hope to make you think, inspire you or maybe even teach you something new.

Meet Brynne!

Hi!  I’m Brynne and I’m a senior at the University of Connecticut, majoring in English.  I’m currently the Vice President Education for the Gamma Zeta chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.  In the past I have also served as Risk Manager.  After graduation next year I’m planning to attend graduate school to get my Masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs or College Student Personnel.  I love to shop, watch movies, and read – especially David Sedaris and Jodi Picoult!

I’m so excited to be interning for College Lifestyles!  This blog includes so many of my interests – style, food, and sorority life.  I have a lot of plans for my blogs, including:  Best Beach Treats, Top 5 Summer Reads, Healthier Options at Starbucks, and some healthy smoothie recipes.  I’m really a sorority girl at heart, which I didn’t discover until I went through recruitment my sophomore year.  Since I’m somewhat obsessed with Greek life, there will probably be more than a few blogs about things relating to being/going Greek.

And since we love lists here at College Lifestyles, here is list of 5 things I’m currently obsessed with.
5.  Crossword Puzzles (it’s my true nerdy, English major self that loves them)
4.  Smoothies (since I discovered I’m not so bad at creating them)
3.  Twilight (sorry, I really can’t help it)
2.  Nail Polish (it’s really a problem at this point)
1.  Recruitment (I love it and I’m going to be this fall’s pledge class mom so I really just can’t wait!)

Meet your new Intern….Casey!

 

Hi Ladies!♥

     I’m Casey and I’m one of your CL Interns this summer! 

 

     I honestly saw myself spending the entire summer lying on the beach all day and sleeping off the stresses of last semester – but this internship was much too good to pass up! Now the only real obstacle keeping me from my prior obligations will be the struggle to keep the sand out of my laptop while I’m blogging at the beach. This is my first real internship, but I’m so excited to dive in there and offer up some great stuff – hopefully you’re just as excited to read it!

     I’m originally from New Jersey but I’ve lived all over the country (Maryland, Ohio, California, Georgia, Florida). I graduated from high school in Georgia where I decided to go to the University of Miami. While I know that sounds like every girl’s dream, it unfortunately wasn’t really my scene. So I decided to transfer up to Rutgers to get back in touch with my Jersey roots!

     Like my now-ambiguous accent, I hope to offer an interesting and different voice to College Lifestyles. I’m not a sorority girl, but I am definitely an advocate of female bonding! I am serious when it comes to football – go RU and Jets! I also have a fantastic job as a dog day camp counselor (yes, that’s real – expect to read some hilarious stories).

     I’ve been through my ups and downs in college as well as the same struggles that everyone deals with at school. Hopefully I can save you a couple of headaches and serve as an informative distraction to your studies!

Here’s some things you can look forward to reading:

Girls Night Out on a College Budget

Kickbox Your Stress Away!

Freshman 411 – How to Survive and Thrive!

Decorating Your Dorm for Less

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