My First Semester

Well, Fall Semester 2014 is over. The exams have been graded, books have been returned, clothes have been packed, and every once of information has been drained from my head. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how it went. I definitely learned a lot, being my first time away from home and such, so I'm gonna share what I learned with y'all!

1. You really don't need all of your clothes.... I thought I'd dress up every once in a while to go to class. Boy, that idea wore off really quick. On average, you will most likely not have the energy to try so hard every day. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and I give major props to the girls and guys that put so much effort into their appearance! That takes work. Anyways. I bring home so much random junk every time I come home. Only bring what you really know you'll need. Space is precious in college. 
2. Organization is key. With every day consisting of a different schedule, it tends to get confusing. Due dates are given to you once. Most professors will not constantly remind you when something is due or when you're next test is. Keep a planner! I've told you this before, so please believe me! It's important! 
3. Do your best to get along with your roommate. You never know when you'll get sick and need someone to bring you gatorade or when your hair dryer will break and you'll have to borrow theirs! Plus, who else is gonna be cracking up with you at midnight when you know you have things to do early the next morning.
4. Find a hobby. Drawing, guitar, writing. Something small to fill gaps in your schedule.  I do Zentangles. They're so fun, and you can find all kinds of pattern ideas on Pinterest. 



One of my tangles! They're so fun to make!


5. DO NOT BUY YOUR BOOKS FROM THE ON-CAMPUS BOOKSTORE. I simply cannot stress this enough. This past semester, I paid $500 for RENTALS THAT I COULD NOT KEEP. That's absolutely ridiculous. This time around, I went online ahead of time and looked up all the books I will need for next semester. Then, I went on my Amazon Prime account (sign up through this link to give me $10 credit and get Amazon Student for $50 a year!!! SOOO worth it...)and looked up my books. Basically, I chose whatever option was cheapest. For large textbooks, like Calculus, I rented them through Amazon. For shorter reading for English, I simply bought them. Though Kindle is cheaper, I personally prefer having the book in front of me so I can mark in it and such. I had to get a couple through the bookstore because they're impossible to find, but they were still cheap. Basically, save money where you can. Rent, buy used, borrow, whatever you can. I'm not even getting my French book because I already have the online access code from this semester! So, instead of $500, I spent..... *drumrolls* $100!!!!! Hallelujah. A miracle has occurred. 
   
6. Stick to your studies. In my experience, college professors don't assign a lot of busy work. Yes, you'll probably have a decent amount of papers to write. It really depends on your major. But all in all, you have a lot more time to do your work, especially if you just get it done! Don't wait up all night (coughKelseycough) to do your paper. Get it done when you have time to kill before the caf opens for dinner, or while waiting for your friend to get out of class. You'll find a lot of little snippets of time that can be used just to write one paragraph at a time! You'll feel a lot less stressed and so much more confident- plus your GPA will thank you!
7. Go home. I love being at school with all my friends and all that freedom. But there's nothing like real food and movie nights with your family. They miss you, believe it or not. If at all possible, go home sometimes.

All in all, the best advice I can give you for your first semester is to enjoy it, but learn to hold your own. It's all about balancing your studies with your parties. I'm really looking forward to next semester, and the rest of my college career. If you have any other advice, tell me in the comments below! 

xoxo, a.  

Gettin' Crafty

One for me, one for Kaye! At least we'll have one matching thing in our room.

Who doesn't love arrows?

A jewelry hanger I made!! Super easy!

I've always said the artistic gene skipped my generation. Though I still believe I lack in most forms of creativity, I am proud of the cute things I've made for myself and my friends! Nothing fancy, but a little paint and glitter never hurt anybody, right?

Short post, sorry guys. College stuff, ya know. I'll write whenever I can. Wish me luck!

xoxo, a.

Learning How To College

Well, it's been a month since I moved to Montevallo. Crazy how time flies, isn't it? I was so nervous

"If she doesn't scare you, no
evil thing will...." Props to
you if you got that reference.

about leaving home, but I'm learning to love it. Heck, sometimes I'd rather be in my way too tall bed in Brooke Hall than in Hoover. Literally everything has changed, and I love it. I have tons of holes in my ears (thanks mom). My hair is two colors. I have a new roommate (because Kaye betrayed me, now I'm stuck with Kelsey... Just kidding, y'all are both fab!). I actually study sometimes, but usually I'm sleeping or eating. Man, what a life it is...

It's an obsession... Whoops.

I'll have to admit, the biggest change I've encountered is my attitude. I've learned that I will be loved by great people if I am myself around them. My real friends will always come through for me. There's no better person to act like than myself. It's actually kinda fun, ya know? Not having to worry about how people will react to my hair, jewelry, makeup, clothes, etc. is so relieving. You wouldn't believe how much time you spend thinking about that stupid stuff! If I like the way it looks and feels on me, then I'm gonna wear it! Funny enough, I get more compliments when I'm wearing my favorite outfits than when I wear the "popular" clothes! Who knew?!

I guess y'all are probably wondering about how the sorority stuff worked out.... Unfortunately, I was dropped from recruitment. Nobody "wanted" me, so to speak. But fear not! While I was upset at first, I was expecting it, and there are no hard feelings! My closest friends all got bids, and I am so happy for them! Thank god we can still all be friends, Greek or not. Besides, that's money I don't have to spend.... (Not like I had the money anyways) Oh, and a great big shoutout to all the lovely Pi Chis, who read the blog too. :) Y'all were fantastic, especially group 5 ;)

I really have some great friends. I spend more time just watching tv with people than anything. It's so relaxed around here, so my stress levels have stayed down pretty well. It's manageable, at least. I have found the motivation to study for all my tests, which has helped my grades, though I haven't taken many tests yet. Plus, especially in the fall and spring, it's too beautiful to not go on the quad just to write and study, as I am doing at this very moment. And although I, like so many other college students, hate going to class, I don't gripe nearly as much, or as seriously, as I did in high school.

Overall, college is great. I have a feeling I'm gonna be saying that a lot. Montevallo is absolutely stunning, despite the calf-ache inducing hills and the squirrels that are absolutely hell-bent on attacking you. College is pretty cool, even though it's still technically school. More updates soon, I promise I'll try to write whenever I possibly can.

xoxo, a.

Honey, I'm Home!

I swear I don't get how everyone posted pics of their adorable dorms all finished and cleaned just hours after moving in... It took Kaye and I 3 days to get almost everything situated. But, now it's all kinda cute. Nothing matchy-matchy, and it's not like a super organized space, but it's pretty good for what little space we do have.

My bed-ft. Cheez-Its and my Macbook, of course.

Unfortunately, Brooke Hall isn't what I thought it would be. It's not the newest, nor the cleanest or updated halls. We can't control the temperature in our rooms, and we don't have carpet. However, the closet space is absolutely phenomenal, and I wouldn't trade our private bath for anything. Overall, I think I'll like it here. I can just go buy a rug and we have a fan blowing in our room and blankets for nighttime.

I can't say all of my planning and charting was in vain, but a lot of it was. About 2 things actually hold what they are supposed to, and there's still a couple storage things we need to buy, so we have a couple random items laying around the room.

Yoga with Kaye and Britt!

I have to say, as nervous as I was, I'm adjusting well. Yes, it's difficult, but I really truly enjoy it. Sunday, I went home to visit my parents and Sasha. Sasha greeted me like she's been away from me for years, peeing on the rug no mater how recently mom had taken her outside. Mom and dad were happy to see me, even though I'd only been gone for two nights. I will most likely be going up to Hoover every week or so,  depending on what's going on around campus. I just text Momma and tell her to make me some food, and I come home to nice hot Pizza Rolls. Naturally, when I came back, my friends and I went to hang out with some people, and the guys decided to make us Pizza Rolls. Go figure.

My Mondays are crazy, with 4 classes spanning from 9am to 8:30pm, but I get downtime in between each class. Tuesdays are chill, with only an 11am class, then yoga and frozen yogurt (aka Froyoga) with some friends, then Baptist Campus Ministries bible study in the evening. Very relaxed. Turns out, Kaye and I basically have the exact same schedule time-wise, but no classes together. Our Tuesday and Thursday schedules are switched though, so we will get some alone time.

Frands...

I sent a picture to my mom with all my friends like "Look!!! I actually have friends!! Yayy!!" I've actually had some people refer to me as "popular." Of course, I take that with a grain of salt, knowing that popularity isn't the key to everything. However, just hearing that made me very happy, and honestly proud, because I finally am comfortable enough with myself to be outgoing and make new friends and do new things. It's truly a great feeling.

I know this is a long post, and there are so many awesome stories I'd love to tell you, but I'll end with this one. This morning, Kaye and I had 9am classes. No problem, right? Wake up at about 7-8, get ready, go to class. Piece of cake. Unfortunately, Kaye's alarm(s) did not go off, not even one (she had set 3). At 8:48, I scraped the crusties from my eyes, rolled over, and looked at my phone, wondering why the sun was already so bright. After a few double takes, then some math, I yelled "KAYE IT'S 8:48!!!!" What happened next can only be described as a wild dash to see what was really necessary. I brushed my teeth, put on deodorant, thanked the good Lord I had fallen asleep in my clothes, and dashed off to class. Small campuses were made for rogue alarms, no joke. We both scooted into our classes right on time, looking absolutely horrid and probably not smelling much better.

Well, I'll leave it at this. I love college, I really do. Montevallo is such a wonderful place with such amazing people and activities. I feel so blessed to be here. Despite all my worries and the struggles I have faced,  I feel like this is my home. I know God sent me here for a reason, and I'm excited to really find out what that reason is. I wish I could explain how accepting, open, and fun everyone here is. And to my friends and fellow classmates: thank you. Y'all are so amazing and I love each and every one of you soooo much!

xoxo, a.

And So It Begins...

Tomorrow is the big day! It's hard to believe that after 18.5 years, I'm actually moving out. Packing has been... Interesting. I feel so overpacked, but there's still so much crap in my room that I'm not even bringing... How did I accumulate so much stuff? I blame my packrat sentimental mother. I keep EVERYTHING. Oh well, I'm sure my dorm will be full enough.

The guest room.. So much stuff...

Of course, the anxiety is starting to kick in. I'm excited, definitely. But this is such a huge step! I wish my sweet Zachary could be here with me, but duty calls (sob sob, sorry). At least I have my parents and 'Vallo friends. I wish Ern could be there with me (long story, miss you babe) but I have Marlee and Kaye and Britt! Yay me!

I have plenty food to keep me goin for a while, hallelujah!!!! College girl's dream, right?

Stay hydrated!

So. Many. Snacks.

I'm gonna cry, mom's gonna cry, dad's not gonna cry, Nanny's gonna cry, and Sasha will probably pee. Is it bad that I'm most upset about leaving the pup, though? Sorry mom, Sasha is my baby. I'm still excited though, really.

Packing the cars... Now there was a task. How the heck was I supposed to get everything I own (not really) into two cars??? Ugh, the struggle. Well, I mean.. They're actually packed pretty well. Between my OCD and mom's HUGE car, it fits pretty well. It's weird to have an empty closet and all but one outfit in the car... I'm beyond thrilled that it's supposed to be in the upper 90s-100 in Alabama this weekend. Man, what great weather to run in and out and up and down in.... Sooo looking forward to that....

This is a short post, but I have tons still to do... Wish me luck! I'll be posting whenever I can, but I may be relying on drafts for a while, so there may not be too many updates. Again, prayers and thoughts requested, this is gonna be tough. Thanks!

xoxo, a.

How To: Prep for Freshman Year

So, I'm actually sitting here starting this post in the middle of July, when I still don't know how I really need to pack. But I'll forget to write this if I don't start now... Scatterbrain problems. Anyways, I love packing and organizing. The neat and orderly part, at least. All the messy bits annoy me. Whenever I decide to clean out drawers and such, I always end up with that one freakin' pile of random crap that has absolutely no place in my room. As I get ready to move out on my own (kinda), I am bound and determined to make it all as physically painless and seamless as possible. The emotional part carries no such promises, though. These tips are based on my personal situation, with one roommate with whom I share a bedroom and a bathroom, and we each have our separate closets. Plus, I will be going to school not far from home, so I have that advantage. So, once again, take these tips with a grain of salt, everything can be molded to your own situation in some way.

• Label your boxes. This one is kinda a no-brainer... If you use any plain cardboard moving boxes, just stick a sticky note on them saying what specifically is in them!! (Sticky notes so you won't write all over the box- they can be reused a million times and constantly marking things out gets really annoying) That way, you won't have to run around screaming "WHERE ARE MY UNDERWEAR?!?!?"
• Put things in their designated drawers/containers and take it all in together. For example, I'm using a small plastic set of drawers for my makeup. Instead of boxing up all that crap and having to reorganize it on move-in day, go ahead and put it in the drawers! Just tape the drawers shut really well for traveling. You'll save room in the trunk, plus you'll keep yourself sane when you  move in! It may be a little heavier than carrying things in separately, but it's totally worth it. Just don't load cheap drawers with heavy sweaters...
• If you can, leave seasonal stuff at home. I'm lucky enough to be going to school less than an hour from home. Hence, I will be leaving my sweaters and boots home until the weather starts changing. No fear, I do understand Alabama weather (or.. I know to expect really crazy stuff... ) so I know to keep a few jackets with me, because you never know when you'll need a blanket in August.... If you live too far away, I really dunno what to tell you. Your best bet would just be to buy a couple big bins and stuff them under your bed.



Yes, I have things designated for specific drawers.




Who's bringing what? Color coded, naturally.





• Plan ahead. Y'all know I do this big time. Make lists, spreadsheets, whatever it takes to stay organized. I have spreadsheets on my computer as well as handwritten lists in notebooks. Everyone is different, I just do it all. Some may call me crazy, others call me.... Crazier.

• Get creative. Who needs air freshener when you can just tape a dryer sheet to your fan? It works, I do it all the time! Leave it on for a few minutes to get a nice fresh smell, then stick it in your drawers to make your undies smell all purday. Better learn to play Jenga, your room is about to be stacks on stacks on stacks. (Unfortunately, said stacks are plastic and filled with sweaters, not cash)
• Learn to be cheap. Or, to be proper: thrifty. I prefer to be honest and say cheap. The Dollar Tree is your friend, folks. Dollar General brand products are actually fairly decent. In general, generic brands are the best thing ever. School supplies from the dollar store are my particular favorite. Soon to come: an entire post on my money-saving cheapskate strategies! Be on the lookout!
• One step at a time. You have all semester to procrastinate. Don't do it for move-in. Us Montevallo folks move in on August 22nd. Guess what day classes start? The 25th. That is 3 days to get settled in before it all begins. 3. Days. Although I won't complain, it's all because of some awesome renovations on campus (brand new furniture- turn down for what). Box up what you can as you go. Start a few weeks ahead of time. Whatever you can live without until you move in, pack it up. That way, you'll have even more time to keep it organized.

Erin and I!! She's a doll.

• Get to know people ahead of time. I'm fortunate enough to be a fantastic social media stalker (it's a known fact, I can do some major damage), so I have been able to make several friends by putting myself out there and introducing myself. I feel much more comfortable knowing a few people that will be living near me or in some of my classes. Of course, we're all gonna be strangers the first few days, but it's still nice to have someone to get lost with.

• That being said, don't be a stranger. Open your door! Talk to people! Your life starts outside of your comfort zone, so do something different! I would never have met Erin and become so close if it weren't for me commenting on her instagram picture. (Yup, I'm a creep. And yes, Ern, you have me to thank. Love ya!)

Yes, I am well aware that I'm giving you tips on stuff I haven't experienced yet. So, this is partially a reminder to myself of what I really need to do... Sorry for such a long post, I combined several drafts that I couldn't quite pull into full posts on their own. Best wishes!

xoxo, a.