Making the Dough & Making the Grades

So your parents cut you off...now what? The only option now is one that many college students struggle with, finding a job. At this point you may be thinking to yourself, "How am I going to get a job and work during the week while still taking those 15 hours of course work?". The answer is unfortunately not going to be that easy to swallow.

Working a job and going to college full time is, in itself, like having two jobs. You must work so many hours a week to pay your bills and buy food, but you must also have time to study and attend your classes. So how do you do it? 

Speaking from experience, I have had a part-time job since I was sixteen, holding down a job and attending college full time is not an easy task. However, maybe I can give you a few tips that will help make it a little less stressful. 

1. Don't schedule your work during class time. Let your scheduler/manager know before you start your job that you have classes at a certain time on certain days so you will be free to attend them. If your job can not work with your class schedule it may not be the job for you. 

2. When you are at work, work. Unless your boss just doesn't care if you study and do homework on the job, just focus on work. Then, when you leave your job, leave your job. When you get home it is time to get focused and do your school work. This will help you keep the two tasks separate. *This tip will also help you ensure good time management skills.*

3. Limit the amount of time you work during the week. Unless you have no choice financially, do not overload your work hours during week. See if your manager will let you work more on the weekend than you do during the week. This will keep you from being so drained during the week, and will give you time to do homework on the week nights. If you need the extra hours, try picking up most of your shifts on the weekends. 

4. Give yourself time during exam time. Keep in mind when your midterms and finals are. Ask for a couple days off during these times to make sure you have time to study. *This will also give you time to catch up on resting your body and mind, to prepare your body for your exams.* You need to be well versed in the material as well as being well rested so that you do the best you can on the tests. 

While working a job in college may not be ideal or "fun", it is possible. Follow these few key tips and maybe your twenty hour work week won't be so stressful.

Getting That A

In my last post I gave you tips on studying effectively, but then I realized something very important. If you don't have the tools to study by, then how can studying help you at all? Therefore, in this post, I will be sharing with you some of my favorite tips to help you ace that history class you've been worried about.

> Get a good calendar at the start of the semester. Before school starts, get a good calendar/planner that you love and that can keep you organized all semester long. *My favorite right now is the Lilly Pulitzer agendas.* Make sure you write down anything and everything that is due in class and any out of class plans that you may have. This will help you keep up with deadlines and due dates and it can keep you from turning anything in late. You can also use your calendar to plan out your time for studying, doctor's appointments, etc. This will keep you on track for the semester and you won't get behind or forget any important dates. *TIP: Use different colored pens for different classes within your calendar. This will make it easier to read and to decipher what is due for what class.*

>Take good notes in class. Pay attention in class. Take good notes while the professor is lecturing, and write down anything important he/she says more than once or writes on the board. (This information will probably show up on a future test/quiz.) Use highlighters to note important information and things to do and/or remember. If your instructor uses powerpoints, print them off and bring them to class. You can take notes on the individual slides as the professor goes over them. 

If you have sloppy handwriting don't worry about it. You can take the notes in class quickly then go home and re-write them neatly and in an organized fashion. *This is also a good way to study your notes.* Always remember, if you miss class, get the notes from a friend that was there so you always know what to study for when the test comes around.

> Get to know your professor and classmates. This tip will come in very handy throughout the semester. If you know people in your classes you can get together and study for the tests, compare notes, and as I said before, if you miss class you will need someone who was there to help you catch up. Get to know your professor too, this way they can help you out if you don't understand something in class, and some professors remember if you have talked to them throughout the semester. This can affect your final grade at the end of the class. 

Following these simple tips, along with showing up and paying attention, will help boost your grade in each class and ultimately help your GPA climb to a 4.0.

Who Has the Time?

So you wanna know how to study for that big test coming up? In this blog post I will be giving you a few simple tips on how to use your "study time" effectively.

1. Pick a quiet space. Whether it's in your room, the library, or maybe a common room in your dorm,  pick a place where it is quiet and the lighting is good. Pick a place where you can think and concentrate, but not somewhere that you want to sleep. *I do not recommend studying in your bed (unless that is already a good spot you study in) because you could get too comfortable and fall asleep.* 

2. Give yourself a couple breaks. While it is important to stay focused and on task, if you are studying for hours give yourself time to regather yourself every once in a while. Take a bathroom break, eat a healthy snack, etc. Taking a break is important, but don't forget about studying! You only need to take a few minutes (10 max), then get right back to work. *This will help you stay focused, yet you won't get bogged down in work.*

3. Let the party go on without you. If you need to study but your friends want to go out, just remember, there will always be parties, but that deadline will come and go. Let your friends know that you have to study. If you happen to get done early, then you can go have a little fun. :) *Reward yourself, if you finish all of your homework throughout the week then you can go out on Friday and/or Saturday without the worry of that approaching deadline.*

4. Find good ways to retain the information. Every person learns differently. Use the first couple of times you sit down to study to find what way(s) work best for you personally. Whether it's note cards, reading out loud to yourself, or just re-writing your notes, find the way that you can easily remember everything you study. *The easiest way for me to remember definitions is by using note cards.* 

So, while these are not very hard tips, studying sometimes can be. It is something we don't really like doing, but maybe these four tricks can help make the time go by a little faster and you'll end up acing your test! 

HAPPY STUDYING! 

Let's talk Laundry

So, if you are an upperclassmen, laundry may no longer be a big deal, but for college freshman this may be a new concept. Therefore, this post is going to be a how-to on doing laundry and some tips and tricks to help you save those quarters. 

First, let's start with the basics. The first step is sorting your laundry. Sort your clothes into a few different loads. Separate your clothes into white/lights, towels/bedding, darks, and delicates. NEVER MIX REDS/PINKS WITH YOUR WHITES, unless of course your goal is to dye your new white t-shirt a nice shade of pink. :) 

Next, pick a laundry detergent you like, which for college students is usually which ever one is on sale. Load one load, adding in a small amount of detergent. Remember, do not add too many clothes to the load or the washing machine will not get them as clean as it should. You should always wash your clothes on COLD water, unless the garment tag specifies otherwise. If you put it on hot water, it could potentially cause the colors of your clothes to run together, also another reason you should separate loads. 

*Note: Do not do your laundry when you are about to go to bed bed, because you could possibly forget about them and they could get stolen or mildew if left in the washer too long. I find that the best time to do laundry is when I am studying so that it gives my mind a small break when switching them to the dryer.*

After the washing cycle finishes, put your clothes into the dryer. Most dryers have simple knobs that are easily understandable, so you can probably determine where to turn it to for proper drying time. Remember, with some delicate clothes, you are not supposed to put them in the dryer, you are suppose to hang dry them, so pay attention to the tag!

Some extra tips just for knowledge:

-You can avoid washing your towels everyday if you hang dry it after you shower. (Please keep in mind, however, that going weeks without washing it causes mold and mad roomies.)

-Use only as much laundry detergent as needed, I find the pods are the easiest to use. (This keeps you from flooding the laundry room.)

-Put your laundry hamper/basket in a spot in your room that is convenient. Put it where you always pull off your clothes to avoid a messy floor. 

-You don't have to do laundry every single day, but don't build a mountain.

Follow these simple tips and doing laundry should become second nature to you! Plus if you ever have questions, just feel free to ask your roommate or RA!

Just to get things started...

Hi! My name is Nicole Barnhill. I am a senior communications major at Troy University. I have started this blog for my JRN 4440 class. This blog is going to be all about life tips, tricks, and just some everyday, good-to-know information for college students everywhere. 

Some of my topics may interest you and some of them may not, but they are going to be things that I think every college student should either know how to do or just be aware of. I plan on utilizing this blog not only to help out those struggling with college life, but also to give my personal view on the topics as well. You never know, some of the things I write about could just make your life a whole lot easier!

"No life is so hard that you cannot make it easier by the way you take it." 

 -Ellen Glasgow