Day 2 of college tips: Packing for college

So in hindsight I probably should have done this one first! Packing for college can be super stressful and intimidating especially if you are doing it for the first time. But never fear! It can be easier if you know exactly what you do and don't need. So if you are living in a dorm this semester, this packing list is for you!
For your bed:

• Cute comforter!- your bed is one of the few places in your dorm that you will be able to let your personal style shine through completely so get creative with your comforter choice! Make it fun! I opted for a simple white comforter with blue trim and accessorized with pillows but there are definitely way cuter options! Also, pro tip: your university may send out a catalog full of comforters to order "made specifically for dorm beds" but those are going to be tons more expensive and are honestly no better or different than the ones you can buy at target so save money where you can! 
• Pillows!- Comfy pillows are a must because you will be spending a ton of time on your bed watching movies, chatting with your friends/roommates, and even studying (though I recommend doing most of your work on your desk but that is just me). A large body pillow is the best thing that you can get because they are super comfy and you can use them for just about anything. Target has some really cheap ones see them here. Cute accessory pillows are also a great way to add your own style to your space!  
• Mattress pad- These things are amazing! Dorm beds are not exactly known for being the most comfortable so trust me, these are a life saver! Get the fluffiest softest one you can find and your bed will be so much better.
• Extra sheets- This is your first time living on your own so you might not know this but: you have to change the sheets on your bed every once in a while. So having an extra pair of sheets to throw on while the others are being washed may not be the worst idea. 

For your desk:

• Big desk calendar!- I have said this before and I will say it again: this. was. the. best. purchase. I. ever. made. Having a big desk calendar allowed me to write out everything that was due that week plus remember any meetings I had. It kept me so organized. 100% recommend. 
• pencil holders- get creative with these! Use mason jars or other types of storage containers to add a personal flare. 
• Bulletin board- I will admit that my bulletin board isn't exactly used for educational purposes (it is mostly just pictures of me and Ben). But it is a great thing to have! 
• Tons of pens, markers, and pencils- No matter what your study habits are, these are a must!

For food:

• Fridge- if your dorm allows it 
• Microwave- if your dorm allows it (note: stay away from all of those instant microwaveable meals! They will kill you and are the main cause of the freshmen 15!)
• coffee maker- This was literally the most important thing to me 
• coffee mugs
• microwaveable plate and bowl 
• set of silverware (you will get tired of using plastic)
• a knife- I ended up buying one of these about a month into my first semester. They really come in handy!)
• Storage container for food: I recommend some kind of basket or stationary tub or at least a drawer in a storage bin 
• Napkins and paper towels! 

For storage:

• Extra storage bins- Let me start off by saying this: College dorms do not give you enough storage! It is crucial that you bring your own storage bins to put all your extra stuff. I had one set of drawers that was used for toiletries, undies, and scarves and another set that I used for food and cleaning supplies 

For cleaning:

• Mini vaccum 
• clorox wipes
• windex
• trashbag and trashcan- You will want to get a full size trashcan. Not just a desk one, trust me!
• extra light bulbs!

Other:

• Rug
• lamp 
• cute decoration stuff 
• printer- This is super important! It will cost you so much money to print stuff in the library and you will need to print out a lot!

Bonus:
Here are some pictures from my freshmen dorm! Sorry the lighting is terrible, the pictures from this year will be much better!

Sunday Bible Study

Another thing I would like to do on this blog is share my christian faith with others. The bible says in Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole of creation." the gospel of course being the amazing news that Christ dying on the cross paid a price that none of us could pay for no other reason than pure love for people that did not even know him. It took me a long time to fully understand the magnitude of what happened on the cross and even today I still fathom at it. As Christians we should never stop praising God for what he has done for us. the ability to tell others about our faith is the greatest gift we can give. Because Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) not just those who knew him or had a faith at all. A lot of people get turned off by the christian faith because they see it as a set of rules to follow and there is no fun in that. But being a christian is not a check list, it is a liberation! It is knowing that if I have Christ then nothing else matters and forgiveness is new every morning and God has already forgotten the day before. I hate that people tend to focus on God's wrath and hell when thinking about Christianity. But here's the truth: Hell is real. And it is a scary, painful place where you live in the presence of God's wrath forever. I guarantee you that after that statement at least someone exited out of this page. But here is the other truth: all it takes to escape that is admitting that we sin and are in need of a savior for Christ to bring us under his wing. My decision to accept Christ was the best one I ever made. And even though I am still working towards fully trusting him and giving him my everything I know that he is helping me get there. My goal with the posts on this page is to share what I am reading in my bible. Honestly this will help me too and hold me accountable for actually completing quiet time with my bible which is something I also struggle with. So be praying for me as I work on this blog because prayer is the strongest thing there is! 

Day 1 of college tips: dorm living

My first day of college tips! Since I only just set up my blog today and no one has read it yet, I figured that I would do an easy one just to get my feet wet. Obviously one of the biggest changes about going to college is transitioning into dorm living. Living in a dorm can seem intimidating at first but I have a few simple tips that helped me to feel at home during last year in the UMD dorms.

1.  Make your dorm feel like home!- Your dorm is more than just a bedroom for the next eight months, its your home! Your dorm is the only place that is entirely yours (and your roommates) on campus so make it feel like a home you want to come home to everyday. Personalize it like you do to your bedroom at home but also don't be afraid to go the extra mile to make it more than just a bedroom. Adding simple things like a coffee maker and bringing real dishes and mugs can make it feel like more than just a dorm room. Another huge thing that helped me feel comfortable last year was bringing my own lamps so I didn't have to use the harsh overhead lights in the room. The soft lighting from the lamps added a much more homey feeling. Also, rugs make a huge difference!
2.   Make friends with other people on your floor, but don't make them your only friends!- The first people that you meet will be those who live on your floor with you in the residence halls. And they will most likely be the people you hang out with most when you first get to college. And that's great! Don't be afraid to hang out in the common areas on your floor and get to know these people! Go to dinner with them, play cards against humanity with them, all of that is great! The people who live on your floor will most likely be your first friends at college. But don't make them your only friends. After move-in settles down and classes start, you are going to be exposed to tons of other new people and when you get involved in clubs (trust me, you will!) you meet even more people who share you interests! Don't focus so much on the people who live on your floor that you miss opportunities to get to know people that you really have things in common with! One of the biggest regrets I hear from my friends at college is that they spent way too much time with the people on their floor their freshmen year and they aren't even friends with them anymore! So trust me, the people you meet on your floor will really help my the transition into college easier, but don't be afraid to make other friends! 
3. You and your roommate don't have to be best friends!- As shocking as this may sound, your roommate may not become your best friend in college. I know it seems like on all the tv shows and movies about college you've seen that they are but I promise you; its ok if your not best friends with your roommate. Unless you requested eachother, you and your roommate were two people who go thrown together based off of some very basic questions by a computer program. The odds that you two will have a ton of stuff in common beyond whether or not you smoke is unlikely. And that's ok. Like I said before, you will meet tons of people within your first few months at college and you will make tons of friends! So as long as you and your roommate get along enough to not fight when someones sweater lands on someone elses  chair, then your good. Don't force a friendship that just wasn't meant to happen. You will still look back on your freshmen year with fond memories even if your roommate wasn't your best friend. 
4. Get organized!- I know it sounds like a cliche, but organization is key to success in college. One of the best (if not the best) purchases I made when shopping for school my freshmen year was a big desk calendar where I could write out everything that was due during the week and check things off as they got done (see my college study habits post for more!). Trust me, as the semester goes on it is imperative that you stay ahead of what you have to do to make sure that all of your work gets turned in on time. Because in college, spoiler alert: there is no make up work! Being organized is half the battle when it comes to college work. And trust me, your friends will be incredibly impressed with how neat your desk looks, etc.
5. Go to the gym! - Seriously! Go do it! College is one of the few times in your life where you have access to a state of the art gym facility for free! Well, not free because you pay tuition but TECHNICALLY...you get the point. Going to the gym has so many more benefits than just physical fitness. It is a great break from studying or homework rather than just turning on netflix because it keeps your mind active! Take advantage of the fitness classes offered at your schools gym because they can be a lot of fun and motivating! I started taking a yoga class my second semester and loved it! Also, take the opportunity to try a new form of exercise you've never done before! Start swimming or lifting weights, anything! It can be really fun! 
6. Watch what your eating!- Another cliche, the freshmen fifteen is real. I can attest to it. But it's not for the reasons you think. Most people think that the freshmen fifteen is caused by snacking and eating unhealthy once your out from under your parents watch. And they're not wrong. But it is also due to one simple fact: College food is made from and prepared with the worst stuff imaginable. The food that colleges serve is filled with artificial ingredients, grease, and sugar. And it is impossible to get away from if you don't eat everything out of the salad bar. Even the things that they say are healthy most likely aren't that great. The companies that colleges purchase from specialize in food in bulk, not quality or healthiness of ingredients. So be careful and eat smaller portions than you normally would if you want to stay away from gaining weight. Unfortunately there is not much you can do to get away from the dining hall food while living in the dorms which is part of the reason why going to the gym is so important! 

Well that is all I have for now, If people end up liking this I will do another post with more tips later on. Have any other dorm living survival tips? Leave them in the comments! 

Almost time to go back!

I am so excited that its only a little over a week until I get to go back to school. I really do love college park. It is such a great campus and I love the sense of community. I am also excited to be moving into an apartment this year! Pictures to come of all the great apartment stuff I got and decorations I made. Although I love summer, now that Ben has gone back to school I am more than ready to go back. My classes are great too. I know that this time last year that is all I was searching trying to get some sort of idea of what college was like, so I thought that since I have nine days until I go back to school I would post a college tips post for incoming freshmen every day this week! So here we go! Go terps!

Best Beach Buys!

What better place to stock up on some casual tees than ocean city? With all of the surf shops and unique restaurants there are plenty of unique stuff to buy! I managed to pick up a couple of great t-shirts and a great new hair wrap! I grabbed two long-sleeve tees from the green turtle (Maryland colors always!) and the crab bag and a short sleeve shirt from k-coast surf shop. I finished off my OC shopping with a hair wrap from Ron Jon's surf shop and a cool Henna tattoo. I love hennas and it just wouldn't be a trip to the beach without one. I love this design so much that I may just have found a new potential real tattoo design! 

Beach and more!

Well this is my first post about what is going on in my life right now and the short answer is, a lot. Ben just left for school and I am doing okay with that, and I am also in ocean city. I am only in ocean city until tomorrow but I plan on sharing my beach buys in my next post. (see the "awesome buys" page). The beach has been great and a good distraction from Ben leaving which is always hard. Fortunately it was easier than last year because last year I was saying goodbye knowing that I wouldn't be able to talk to him any time soon. Last year Ben was going through freshmen Rookdom at Norwich which is a lot like basic training and includes very little communication with your family. Luckily we made through it and things are much better this year! I am looking forward to the next week, it is my last week of work at the summer camp I work at, my birthday is next Monday, and then I am moving into my apartment at school next Tuesday! Definitely lots of great things to come!

21 Day fix!

On Monday (or whenever the package gets here) I will be starting the 21 Day fix. This is definitely a big step for me. This will be the first time that I am putting a real investment in my health and fitness level. I am in need of a big change. I am unhappy with the way I look and am extremely out of shape. My goal in doing this is to be more confident in my appearance as well as be some level of physically fit (which right now is about zero). For those of you who don't know, the 21 day fix is a program offered through beach body as a way to lose weight quickly and safely based off of portion controlled healthy eating and daily exercise. My cousin used this program and had huge success! I plan to do a few rounds of the program so here we go. Updates to come!