Making Friends in College

 So I'm starting my junior year in college and I can't believe it; seems like I was just starting my freshmen year of college. One thought that went through my head as "freshmen me" was "how can I make friends in college?" Who knows,  your roommate or suite mates might end up being your best friend. But, if that isn't the case here is my advice on making friends in college.

If you are an incoming freshmen and are worried about making friends, don't worry, it will come naturally. Of course, first and foremost be yourself.

 Join a club or organization to come in contact with others who probably have the same interest as you.

Eating with different people at the dining hall. Sad, but it is true that you can spot out the freshmen. So just sit down and start talking to them. Some common beginner questions include: where are you from, what's your major, and even where do you stay on campus. Those introductory questions can lead to something much more and find some common connection.

Hang out in the common rooms of your whole dorm building. I met so many people from just hanging out in the common rooms and playing ping-pong (which I'm not that good at).

Attend the first week of school events. I know many schools hold some meet and greets and social events for the whole student body which is a great way to meet new people at your school.

The classroom is another great way to make friends, especially if you see that person in another one of your classes.  Just an easy way to make a bond and also have someone to check your notes or study with.

Livin' & Stylin'

Sheika 

Hebrews 6:19

Where to Shop for Your Dorm

If you were anything like me before my freshman year of college, I looked for every kind of list as to what to bring for college. If you didn't know Bed, Bath and Beyond have wonderful lists of what you should bring for your dorm pertaining directly for your college/university. So I definitely used that list to help me out.

{Before Going Shopping}

Talk to your roommate/ suitmates: Before going shopping for your dorm, especially if you are sharing a room with another person, talk with them to see what he/she is bringing, so you all won't have many duplicates in such a small space. Also, it is good to talk to your roommate beforehand to see if you all want  a color coordinate and/or theme for the dorm room.

Make a list of what you will need to purchase.

Look online before you go to your stores to see their store ads and what they might have on sale.

Look on Pinterest or online to see different pictures of how other decorated their dorms to get ideas for your dorm.

{Where to Shop}

I know everyone always think of Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Walmart for the go to places for dorm shopping, but there are many other places that are also budget friendly to shop at for your dorm. 

 1. TJ Maxx/ Marshalls/  Burlington: They have a wonderful selection for almost all of your college dorm essentials. I actually found my comforter from TJ Maxx last year.

2. Dollar Tree: Great for little storage bins. I purchases two small glass vase from here for my makeup brushes, and I put a monogram on the front of it. So really try to be creative.

3. Rose's: I'm not sure if this store is everywhere, but this is  definitely a great place to go for bathroom essentials.

4. Hobby Lobby/ Michael's/ Jo Ann's: Great place to look for storage bins for your dorm and also DIY decor projects supplies, like my DIY Flower Initial  on my blog. These craft stores always have coupons on their site, so definitely check out their website. 

Just remember to keep track of all your receipts, so if you find an item somewhere else that you liked more or even for a better price, you can take the other item back.

If you are attending an out of state college/university and need moving boxes, instead of buying them, you can ask employees of the stores for their boxes that they are not using anymore. This will be helpful when you start packing your items for school.

Comment below some of you all tips for college dorm shopping.

Livin' & Stylin'

Sheika

Hebrews 6:19

Back to School | Make the Most of Senior Year

As you may or may not know, I graduated high school this past May, and I'm off to college in just a couple of days. Senior year can be a fun year or stressful year depending on how you spend your time.  So I have some tips and advice to share with you all to make the most of senior year. 

1. Senioritis is real, Do not catch it 

Boy, can I tell you that senioritis is real, and unfortunately I caught it earlier.  Senioritis is basically when you are just done with high school and just don't care anymore.  Especially, once I got accepted into college, I felt like I was  completely done with anything and everything. But, you still need to be productive and try not to fall into this trap. 

2. Spend time with your close friends

Your friends and you may not be attending the same college/ university so you might as well spend as much time with them as possible. This is especially crucial because that is when you become even closer. For me I went to the same school for SEVEN WHOLE YEARS because it was a magnet middle and high school combined. So the friends I had senior year been with me from 6th grade so it is especially hard on me when we depart out separate ways in the fall. 

3. Take Pictures, Take Pictures, Take a lot of Pictures

Senior year is full of exciting events happening, and who would want to forget these memorable moments. So go ahead snap a few or even a few hundreds of pictures. These are the key moments in your life, so capture it. You definitely want to look back on this year in the future. 

4. Do your college applications early

If the college you plan on applying to have a early action and your SAT and/or ACT scores are up to par, apply to college early. Keep in mind that early decision is BINDING meaning if accepted you have to attend that university/college. But, early action just means that the college/university lets you know your acceptance status earlier than regular admissions and it is not binding. You wouldn't want to be bog down with college applications that you can't enjoy your senior year and all the events that come with it.  Also knowing your college acceptance status, helps you decide which college/ university you wan to attend earlier. 

5. Apply to Scholarship, Trust me you want to

Many seniors procrastinate or even don't apply to scholarships because there is an essay involved. And who would want to write another essay that is not mandatory for school, right? Wrong.  Apply to scholarships because this will definitely help you out in college. Trust  me, a $500 scholarship doesn't sounds much, but ever bit helps. Even when I applied to scholarships, and didn't get it, I kept on applying. There are so many scholarships out there for so many things, just google them.

6. Have fun and enjoy yourself

Even when times becomes stressful, just remember to smile.  Senior year happens once in a lifetime, so enjoy it while you can because it truly does go by fast. I could not believe when May rolled around and my name was being called to walk across the stage; when it just felt as though senior year was beginning. 

Livin' & Stylin'

Sheika

Hebrews 6:19