So, ladies & gents, it's about time for school to be starting up again. I myself have about 3 weeks until I'll be moving back into my new dorm at The Berg. (Yay!) So, I know this has been on my mind as well as many other people. :)

Back to School tips -- Clothing
Get things that will last. You want to get versatile things, like well made tshirt, long sleeved tshirts, sweaters, vests, etc.

Tip: Get non-hooded (or hooded if you want to mess with it) long sleeved shirts. You can get them fairly cheap at retail stores (Wal*Mart, Target, etc.) and you can wear them alone or with a cute vest or even under a tshirt when the weather is just a little too cool for your tastes.

If you get things like that, things that will last you more than a semester, get them. You may spend a bit more than usual, but these clothes will do you much more good in the long run and you'll definitely get your monies worth.

Brands I trust: Soffe, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, L.E.I, Mudd

Back to School tips -- Managing Time
I'm a full time college student, involved in various activities on and off campus. I'll be working a part/full-time job (haven't decided yet), I'll be taking 17 credit hours this semester, I have a boyfriend, and I'm also the Vice President of a Student Organization. How do I manage all of this? Truth be told, last year I sucked at managing my time wisely and with grace. Now that I have made all the mistakes, I know a bit more as to how to handle the stress and time better.

Tip 1: Go to class. I know that sometimes you just don't want to get up, or you oversleep, or you feel sick, but you have to go to class. It's really hard to keep up when you don't go. I've made it a point now to miss a maximum of 2 classes/semester.

Tip 2: Organize your room. I am the world's messiest person when it comes to my own things, but I've found if you get bins, label your drawers, and find a good place for everything, you feel better about your environment, which helps you study better. I'm not saying clean everyday, but clean your room out once a week. Dust, sweep, wash off the windows and let the light shine in. You'll feel energized and comfortable, which will help you concentrate. Clean is happy. :]

Tip 3: Study party! Something that I find helpful is getting a group of my closest friends together (usually 2 -3 people works just fine) and try to get some studying/homework done. Doing it with other people may prove to be a bit more distracting, but at the same time if you've got a group of people together - especially if they don't have the same classes - you can all help each other out with your weaknesses. It's fun, and you get your work done! The best of both worlds!

Tip 4: Write it out. Something that helps me is writing out my daily schedule and posting it up on my door. Granted you may not want to do this for privacy reasons, but this also helps you stay focused and keeps your friends in the loop. If they can see your classes, they're less likely to bother you unless it's an absolute emergency. I tend to put my work schedule down too, just so the people in my dorm/who come to my dorm daily know where I'm at. It helps! Also, a dry erase calendar/reminders board will come in handy too. Write quick messages, and allow people to write messages for you on the board if they need to. :] It's nice.

Back to School tips -- Clubs
As mentioned above I am VP of a Student Organization, World Student Union, on the Heidelberg campus. I love this group and I am so pumped that I've been given the opportunity to help run it this year. Now, generally the meeting's last between 30 minutes and an hour depending on our agenda and what events are coming up. Believe it or not, an hour can make a difference if you've got a schedule that's far, far to packed. You have to give yourself a few ours (2 - 3) out of the day to relax and do something you enjoy.

Tip 1: Keep a binder for any and all extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs and any job you have. You need to stay organized in this aspect of your life too! Keeping records of these things will help you in the long run, you'll feel less rushed and more up to speed with everything going on in your schedule.

Now it's on to the fun stuff! :D Relationships, everyone favorite and least favorite thing to talk about. This sort of talk is overdone, overplayed, and so hyped up anymore. Well, listen to me when I say I KNOW! ^^ Just read on, this will be a fun article.

My boyfriend and I spend a lot of time together, but at the same time we also concentrate on our studies. As much as I love and adore my boyfriend, school comes first. It helps, though, that we do things (like WSU) together, and we even have a class together. We can eat our meals at a time when we're both free and that makes for a happy, healthy relationship.

We also take time apart.
We don't have all the same classes, just one, when he wants to eat his meal with a seperate group of people than I do, we do that. We differentiate between our seperate needs and, let me tell you, that makes for a much happier relationship. Spending every waking moment with your significant other, though nice at times, could also eventually grate on your nerves. I don't mean this to offend anyone, or my own boyfriend at that, but time apart is just as good a thing as time together.

If you feel like you cant concentrate with your boyfriend/girlfriend around, then plan a time when you can take a break and study on your own. I know our "study parties" have led to other things before. :P

Sex Sells, so read ahead.

Almost everyone likes sex. It's fun, it's really great if you've got the right partner, and it's relaxing. I'm by no stretch of the imagination saying go at it every chance you get, but I'm saying a few times a week (2 - 4 is probably plenty?) will help you stay relaxed, and it'll keep you from getting too stressed. Sex is a fantastic outlet... just don't get too rough with it. ;)

This season's biggest rage is time management, so use these steps wisely and even add your own flare to them. Have any better tips for me? Let me know in a comment.

Sincerely,
The Fat Girl

Labels: Back to school, class, clothes, college, dorm room, fashion, friends, love, money, organization, relationship, reliable, sex, study party, time, time management, tips, university