What's on My Desk: College Edition

I have two desks: one at home and one at school. At home I use my desk occasionally for work or blogging, but I tend to end up on the living room couch instead :) At school, my desk sees a lot of use. I do quite a bit of homework at my desk, as well as sorority work (and now, blog work!). I like to make it as homey and perky as possible. Plus, it's also used as an "all-purpose" table, for food, crafts, breaks, and anything in between.

I thought I would show you around my desk so you have an idea of where I'm working and what organization/set-up options have worked the best for me!

Let's begin, shall we?

My built-in shelf holds a storage box, my makeup container, all thirty of my books, and my notebooks and folders held in a pretty magazine holder. It's nice having a shelf on my desk. Everything's within reach without cluttering my desktop (which, as you can see, I like to keep as clean as possible).

Say hello to my little friends... ;) These guys just hang out on top of my printer paper, cheering me on! The Mickey "12" was a graduation gift from my friend Nikki. The fox was a Christmas present from my mom and dad. The camel is a recent addition. My best friend Hattie went to Russia this semester, and kindly brought it back for me. It's made from a mineral natural to the area where she worked. I think he's rather cute- and also an excellent people-poking tool ;)

Now we move to the lower portion of our tour. There's a little bit more excitement going on here. I have my letter sorter in the corner, my Ikea cork containers, a picture of my parents and me at my high school graduation, and my beloved pencil cup.

The bulletin board has pictures of my friends and family along with a couple decorative cards. I also have my dry-erase weekly calendar on the right. I love this thing. It helps me to remember every day where I need to be when. Since it sits right in front of me every morning, I'm less likely to forget something.

The Ikea containers just hold some jewelry, my watch, my headphones, and lip balm. This is a new addition this year. I wanted a place to store the random bits that sat around on my desk. I haven't decided yet what to put in the bottom one, but I think my camera and blog notebook might end up in there. My letter sorter holds any incoming and outgoing mail and papers.

Finally, we move to the right of my desk. Sure, it's pretty simple looking but I love my new wall calendar. It's the perfect size to fit on my wall, and looks so dang cute. I'm almost sad I have to write the due dates for papers and tests on it... but at least the calendar itself will cheer me up while I look ahead to impending doom :)

So that's it for the desk tour! What do you think?

How did you set up your desk for this semester? Do you like having more things within reach on your desktop? Or are you like me and prefer a clear surface?

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Below the Line:

• Move-in went smoothly Saturday. I dare say it was the easiest one yet. I have an idea now for what goes where and what I actually need for the space I have. Still, it's been weird coming back. I was so used to life at home that it's time for adjusting all over again. Good thing I've had three days to do it!
• Tomorrow is my first day of classes. I'm nervous, in the "I know I'm going to have so much work to do and would rather keep sitting around" kind of way ;)
• On that note, good luck to all of you who have already started classes or are about to!

College Organization Tips (+ My School Supplies!)

The college blog posts continue with an exciting ORGANIZATION POST! If that doesn't push you to the edge of your seat, how about a peek at my very own school supplies? :) I just want to start by saying organization is a very personal thing. I know people who throw caution to the wind (I mean, they don't use a PLANNER) and somehow wind up getting everything done on time. I know people with flash-card obsessions and detailed, color-coded notes as pretty as they are useful. I am somewhere in-between.

You know where you fit on the spectrum. I encourage you to take these suggestions and make them work for your personal organization style (or lack thereof :)).

Without further ado: the tips

Color-code. While my notes are black and white, my folders are a different story. I assign a color to each of my four classes each semester (blue, red, green, and purple). I use that color for two things: my folder for that class, and the assignments I write on my wall calendar. I can quickly glance at the current month and see what class has something big coming up.

Give everything a place. My folders and notebooks go in my magazine holder. Books line up next to that. My planner is either in my backpack or on the left side of my desk. My laptop is always on the right. My letter organizer sits in the top left corner. And so on. Giving everything a home (on your desk and throughout your room) makes it less likely you'll lose something. It also lets you know where to put something (thus avoiding too much clutter).

Put what you're using in front of you. New assignments go in the front of your folder, as do printed readings. Books you're currently reading sit at the top of the stack/front of the row. This goes for class, studying, clubs, anything! Life gets a lot easier when you're not constantly searching for a frequently-used item.

A planner is a girl's (and guy's) best friend. I'm a very forgetful person. I'm constantly over-correcting that flaw with alarms, reminders, emails, a dry-erase weekly calendar, and my planner. A planner is the best way I've found to remember what I have to do and when I have to do it. How you decide to use it is up to you, but writing things down means it's way more likely you'll remember them.

If at first you don't succeed... try, try again! The system you think is going to work doesn't have to be the one you stick with. Freshman year I had decorated, color-coded binders I loved, but never really used. I had single-subject notebooks for each class, but never filled them up. It took a little trial and error, but now I have a system I love. Don't be afraid to try out different organizing styles before settling on one that works best for you.

Speaking of the system I love, now we move on to the show-and-tell portion of this blog post: my 2014/2015 school supplies! (I apologize for the sub-par photo quality...it's been cloudy in Indiana :))

• Five-Star three subject notebook. I used to have a one-subject notebook for each class, but I never needed that many pages. This three-subject suits me well (not too big, not too small). I've been reusing a one-subject each semester for my writing classes, since they don't involve many notes.
• Two-pocket folders. Here's the color-coding I was talking about. If a folder starts to get full (I'm looking at you, writing classes), I move old papers to manila folders.

• Pen and pencil. Basic, but oh so important. I use a pen for notes, a pencil for- you got it- scribbling in the margins of my books. My new favorite pen is the Pilot Acroball, but I also like the Bic Round Stic. My pencil of choice is also Bic; I'm not sure what model. It's just a mechanical pencil :)
• NEW Lilly Pulitzer Agenda. I could seriously write a whole post on this planner. The struggle to find it this summer was intense (in tents...). I might dedicate a post to it once school gets into full swing and I start using it more (let me know in the comments if that's something you'd like to read). I'm lost without a planner. I can't imagine surviving college without it.

What organization tips do you have for school? Any favorite school supplies?

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Below the Line:

• Tomorrow is the big day- I move in for my junior year. I made a packing list yesterday, so... that's a start :)
• Yesterday was also my back-to-school dinner with my family at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I just can't get over how amazing their pasta is- that Mizithra Cheese, man...
• My friend Sarah and I got pedicures Tuesday and I opted for this beautiful bright pink (the only place I really like the color is on my toes :)) I keep peeking at my toes!
• Have you started classes yet? How have they been going for you?

5 Tips for the Best Fall Semester Ever

Fall semester is my favorite semester now, but freshmen year it was nothing but stress, stress, and homesickness. Being prepared for what's going to come is a huge help, and I recommend finding out what life will be like at your particular college (your college's website and other blogs will help with this).

But fall semester can also be a ton of fun and more of a learning experience than a stressful one. Here are the five best things you can do to make your first fall semester awesome:

Talk to your professors during the first week. You'll hear this advice from everyone: your mentors, your peers, your professors, your parents, and especially your school. But it's the best advice you'll hear.

Establishing a relationship from the start gives you an idea of what your professors are like and what they will expect from you in class. It also gives you people you can come to during the semester. When you have three tests and a paper due on the same day, you'll feel better about coming to a professor and asking for help if it isn't the first time you've seen them out of class.

Figure out a time management plan. I always say my high school prepared me for the difficultly of my work in college, but not the quantity. I was a mess trying to get everything done freshmen year. I lived in the library until 6:00 except for class and lunch. I did not need to do this. I over-planned, thinking I needed to put more time in than necessary.

The next semester, I developed a plan that worked for me (reserving the library for my hardest work), but life would have been a lot easier if I did that sooner. So learn from my mistake. Set up your study/activity plan before all your "to-dos" take over your life.

Study outside the library. As hinted at above, my university's library sucked away my soul. (It looks like the 1980s touched it and never went away). But I assumed it had to be the best place to study- it's the library! Not until later would I understand how much better I worked at the Starbucks in town. When you're looking for a place to work, venture out from the library and try out several spots until you find the spot.

Go home (but not too soon). You need time to adjust to your new lifestyle, and going home the first four weekends isn't going to accomplish that. But once you make it a least a month (or two), feel okay about going home for your sibling's choir performance or your town's winter festival. Taking a break away from campus helps you to recharge, and some time with people you love.

Also, if you find yourself getting homesick (like I did- heck, like most freshmen I know did), you can also ask your family to come visit you. My parents and sister drove down to see me two weeks after I moved in for a Sunday lunch. It was such a relief to see them, but I avoided the anxiety of "going back to campus" you can get when you visit home.

Say yes to (almost) everything. Now this goes against what most of you have heard: "Don't be afraid to say no!" I'm here to tell you that fall semester is all about saying yes. When your floormate asks if you want to go to dinner, even though all you want to do is order pizza and watch YouTube? Say yes. When you're overwhelmed by the activities fair and just want to run in the opposite direction? Say yes to at least three sign-up sheets. When your classmate asks you to study together even though you already have the material down? You got it- say yes.

Fall semester freshmen year is all about new experiences. You'll never feel at home at your chosen university sitting in your dorm room day after day. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone this semester when given the chance. You never know what you might like.

Plus, meeting new people (even for you, introverts!) is so important those first few weeks. Friends going through the same changes as you make the whole process easier. Unless you know something will hurt you (i.e. a party the Thursday night before your chemistry midterm? Yeah, that's a no. Or if you're already an active member of two clubs and really can't take on a third), a "yes" will never be as regrettable as a "no."

What tips do you have for fall semester?

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Below the Line:

• Four days until my big move in! I'm both excited and anxious for the new semester :)
• Took a food allergy test yesterday :( I feel like I need to stuff myself with bread just in case gluten is taken away from me...
• Cookie butter= DELICIOUS. But then again, what did I expect? It's called cookie butter. ;)
• Coming up on Friday: a post for all you organizational/stationary fans out there.

What I Read: We Were Liars (50 Followers Bonus Post!)

Before I get into the review, thank you SO MUCH for 50 followers! It's been a lot of fun writing this blog this summer, and I'm glad there's 50 of you out there who enjoy it :) What's a blog without great readers? In celebration, here's a bonus book review about one of the more talked about novels of the summer. I hope you like it!

4.5/5 pineapples

This review has been difficult to write. I finished We Were Liars in the beginning of August, but I just haven't been able to review it yet. It's a complicated book. Plus it straight out warns me to lie when people ask what it's about.

I don't buy into that sales tactic. So I will review this book as I would any other, without spoiling anything but still explaining what I do and don't like. The book is about the extravagantly wealthy family, the Sinclairs. Of course, they're a total mess (that's what makes things interesting). Cadence, the eldest grandchild of the Sinclairs, serves as our narrator. Due to some unspeakable accident, Cadence can't remember the summer she was fifteen on her family's fancy-pants island. We follow her thoughts throughout the book as she tries to figure out what happened.

First of all, Lockhart's writing style is refreshing. It has a lyrical quality to it, breaking up paragraphs and even sentences into short lines. She also inserts fairy tale inspired stories in between the narrative that provide insight into Cadence's rather messed up mind.

The plot is also intriguing enough to keep reading. This was a refreshing element, since recently I've had to drag myself through the books I've read. That plus the writing style makes its easy to get through this book in one or two days.

But my absolute favorite part of this book is the mystery. I love mysteries, whether in book or TV form. I like trying to figure out with the characters what different elements mean, and then going back once I know the answer and seeing what clues I missed. We Were Liars is one giant mystery. Cadence doesn't figure out what happened that "missing" summer until the very end of the book. It's a twist I didn't see coming at all.

I left feeling like I learned enough, though. This wasn't one of those cliff-hanger books, hitting you with big information and then simply dropping off the page. I wasn't trapped without a satisfactory resolution.

Yet, I couldn't give We Were Liars the full five pineapples. Simply because, like Gone Girl, it was an entertaining read but not a life-changing one. Still, it's an excellent book that keeps you guessing. Lockhart's writing style also keeps the  story moving and brings an interesting perspective on the truth versus the lies. I highly recommend it.

What did you think of We Were Liars?

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Below the Line:

• I'm faced with lots of packing to do this week as I get ready to head back to school. Any packing tips would be appreciated (and yes, this is my third year- I still haven't figured out the best way to pack :))
• My back-to-school series resumes on Tuesday! More college knowledge (see what I did there?)