13 tips to help you ace freshman year!!!

HI! It has been a hot minute over here, but let's just say it's because ya girl is a freshman this year in college and I LOVE IT. I love the mental challenge and learning about self discipline :) With that being said, here are some of my favorite tips that I've learned from going to school for just three weeks! Clearly, I'm the pro. I know. But seriously, guys, these are helping the adjustment so much!

1. Skip the makeup.

I know, I know. I love me some good makeup, but honestly I get up early everyday and go to bed so late and I hate taking it off. I'm just waiting for the day my A&P professor rocks my world about how awful my mascara is for me! Wear it on special occasions (like test days or speech days so it feels special!) and savor the fact that you are saving a crazy amount of money!

2. Budget for food.

I don't like to eat on campus much because it's so expensive! so I've started budgeting for groceries (I pick up a ton of snacks almost every week) and it helps me out a ton. My favorite snacks include grapes (perfect for my 9:30 AM Anatomy Lecture haha), Larabars (chocolate cherry torte, chocolate brownie, and cashew cookie are my favs!), Veggie Straws, and GoGo Squeezes are my jam. Also, the Pedal Pedal Peach has rocked my world! And seriously, if you're hungry and you're the only one in your class eating-just do it. Hunger headaches are no joke!!!

HEY HEY: I've literally worked out the math and the GoGo Squeezes 12 pack is cheapest at .58 per pack!

HEY HEY HEY: if you go to GRCC, on Thursdays Art and Bevs has cookies and bread 1/2 off! Cookies are only 50 cents and the oatmeal raisin is SO good and HUGE and filling, and I got a huge loaf of cracked wheat bread for only a $1.

3. Wear a watch.

For most of my classes I can't have my phone out unless I really wanna get kicked out, so having a watch really helps with covertly checking the time without letting the teacher know I'm looking haha! Also, I have my phone tucked in a pocket in my backpack I can't reach most of the time, and I'd have to take it off to get to it. Watches are gr8.

4. Take the stairs.

I've heard the freshman 15 is real, but I don't want it to be real for me haha! Long story short: take the stairs. One of my classes is on the 5th floor, so that's 10 flights of steps and then another one is on the 3rd so that's 6 flights and I have a decent walk to the bus stop. Get ya steps in, peeps!

5. Keep your earbuds in a box/bag.

I just started doing this because I splurged on new Apple Earbuds before the school year started and I realized they're losing their hard texture (which means they are WEARING.) So I've stopped stuffing them into my tiny pocket and just wind them up and put them in the sturdy little Apple box they came in. Let's all have untangled earbuds and SAVE OUR EARBUDS friends.

6. Put together a playlist for your test day.

Okay, here is mine if you want to listen to it! I found that listening to this on the way to school just calms me down and helps me refocus on giving the glory to God before I take the test. Also-Ellie Holcomb's Red Sea Road + Tauren Wells' Hills and Valleys= all the heart eyes for encouragement.

7. Try and exercise while you study!

I have to read a decent amount and watch lab videos and seriously, just put your binder/laptop on a desk and do some standing barre moves. Or, put it down on the ground and do a bunch of planking ab variations. Killing two birds with one stone is bomb!!

8. Get a planner.

I bought a planner a few weeks ago and it is saving my life. I hesitated about buying one before school started and I didn't, and then as soon as week 2 hit and I got overwhelmed I went and got one! Get the ones with the big boxes to write lists every day. It's excellent for helping you plan out little chunks to study for each day so you know what you need to do to be ready for a test in 5 days. It also really helps you commit to finishing said task.

9. Schedule your study, and find your style for studying.

I schedule what pages I need to know by what day and it has helped my studying so much. I passed two big quizzes this week doing it this style so whoop whoop! I know now what I like to do for my studying-I copy the notes and then type them up in red (red helps you remember I guess? I heard it did and it does help me!) till I remember them. Have your classes prioritized (I always work on A&P first, and push back my other two. When it gets slow, I do a bunch of papers for my other two classes and get a head.)

10. Get up early and read your Bible for 10-15 minutes.

Starting your day off right, even with just a few minutes if that's all you have-is a huge spiritual encouragement. I've been using a really simple highlighting method by underlining with my highlighters so it's not so overwhelming! I also just finished the Nehemiah plan from SheReadsTruth and that was GREAT.

11. POSHMARK.

Okay, so quick plug here. I'm always looking for new pieces that I might have forgotten to buy and Poshmark is my favorite! I've scored Albion Fit Joggers for around $30 instead of almost $90 and some Sperry winter boots for a real steal. It's like a fancy Plato's Closet :) If you're looking for higher end stuff, just search for it and then narrow your search by looking in "Show Low to High" pricing.

12. Fliqlo Clock.

So a while ago I found this awesome photo of a MacBook with a black screensaver and a flip clock. A few Google searches later, I found the app-it's called Fliqlo and it's so fun! You just install it and you have yourself a giant clock on your laptop!

13. Bookmarks.

I've bookmarked my Bible plan, my link to my school website, school documents on Google and have them right on my bar as soon as I get on Chrome. It saves me so much time trying to find the exact window I need (especially on Anatomy and Physiology Revealed!)

14. Cold water bottles.

A few months ago I bought a cheap Meijer water bottle that is a hot/cold one and OH MY LANTA. You don't need a fancy one, and this one is great! It looks exactly like a S'Well-just minus about $28! I'm super picky about my water and I only like it cold. This is helping me stay SO MUCH MORE HYDRATED.

HEY HEY: if you're looking for a Hydroflask (I've heard you can switch the tops on them, how cool!), I've found some brand new unused ones for almost half the price on Poshmark. ;)

OKAY!!!! WHOO. That was so fun! Hope all of your studying lives are going GREAT! <3