1. 17 mo. Ban.do Agenda (in Flora Bunda) - It's no secret Ban.do agendas have been wildly popular since their inital release over a year ago. The first time around they sold out almost instantly and I sadly missed out. I vowed if they ever came out again, I would snag one up. I plan to make good on this promise. My only problem? I can't decide between their three fabulous cover options. I think I'm leaning towards the Flora Bunda one featured above. Maybe I'll even spring for it in it's large version? Also, the planner offers stickers, fun colors, and a Ban.do to-list that you'll actually want to check off each week.
2. Large 17 mo. Kate Spade Agenda (in Quick and Curious) - This Kate Spade planner definitely caught my eye. Kate Spade's aesthetic is very clean and modern and they're agendas are a perfect reflection of that. There's several different color options (you can shop a few of the different ones below), but I found myself favoring this quote. I love it especially because of the gold foil. It's the perfect daily agenda for the modern, polished lady on the go.
3. A Beautiful Mess Academic Agenda (in Striped) - I haven't tried this agenda, but it looks especially promising for those headed back to school. It comes in three fun cover designs that are bright and bold. I found myself favoring this classic striped and hot pink concoction. I love that this agenda comes with plenty of pockets, color, and stickers galore.
4. 17 mo. Rifle Paper Co. Agenda (in Birch Floral) - I had no idea Rifle Paper Co. even made agendas until recently, but now that I do I can simply never unknow it. I'm not sure if this is a new item they've sneakily added to their repertoire, but either way their agendas are gorgeous. If you're a fan girl of their undeniably feminine florals, then get ready to buy this one. They carry two cover options and both a absolutely lovely. This floral is a bit more classic, while their blue toile cover is a bit more regal. They appear to be large sized and have plenty of space for scheduling just about anything you need.
5. Large Lilly Pulitzer Agenda (in Bright Navy Wild Confetti) - I've been a die-hard Lilly Pulitzer agenda girl for nearly four years. I have nothing but good things to say about this agenda. The large agenda is more than enough to get you by. There's plenty of room to write and the Lilly-esque illustrations found throughout make the agenda bright without overdoing it. The agenda comes with stickers (which I love) and tabs which make navigating a breeze. This agenda is perfect for just about any girl in need of a good agenda.

It's back to school season and this is the first time in my life where I am finally not going back to school. The feeling is definitely a strange one! I graduated from college in May, but for 4+ long years I've been blogging a lot about college and the college experience. I've dished on everything from the planners I use to from hard lessons I've learned about scheduling classes and apartment hunting. I've even talked a lot about projects I've made and my sorority experience. So, I thought I should take a short jaunt down memory lane and compile some of my best college themed posts for you all.

Whether you're an incoming freshman or a seasoned college pro, there's something in here for everyone.

- Tips for Surviving Your First Week on Campus
-  Things I Know to Be True: College Edition
- 10 Things I've Learned Since Graduating High School
- How to Get Along With Your Roommates & Neighbors
- College Essentials Checklist
- College Rewards System for Motivation
- Fun, Functional, Favorite Dorm Room Inspiration

- Sorority Bid Day Dos and Don'ts
- Introverted Girls Guide to Sorority Recruitment

- Back to School Must Haves
- 10 Things I Know to Be True: Internship Edition
- What Feels Like Home To You?
- Consider Creating a Sanity Manifesto
- Finals Week By The #'s Pt. 1 and Pt.2


So, tell me, are you headed back to college? What was some of the best advice you got in college? I'd love to know!

1. It's a All About Balance
Internships are great practice for real life jobs and real life / work balance. Learning how to juggle projects and work-related commitments, in addition to your life outside of work is challenging. Add school into the mix and it's especially challenging! I currently attempt to balance my internship, a full course-load of college classes, a bi-weekly ambassadorship, and weekly sorority-related commitments. It's a lot to take on and I've never felt more inundated with things I need to do.

Instead of completely sinking under the weight of it all, I've actually found myself becoming more focused and organized. On the whole, I get my work done in a more timely manner both at school and at work. I've begun to procrastinate less in all aspects of life and I find that I'm more focused while doing work. Free time is precious and I want to ultimately set myself up to enjoy as much of it as possible.

I'm more organized. If I don't write it down or set myself a reminder – then it won't get done. I've learned how to realistically schedule myself and brace for the week ahead.


2. It's Going To Be Fast Paced
Don't worry, it's nothing you can't handle. Internship and business work days function vastly different from school days. There are a bevy of deadlines to meet and everyone has their own list of priorities and to-do's. Getting assimilated into this fast paced environment will be the hardest part. There will be days when you feel like you're drowning, but hopefully those are far and few between. A great example from my own personal internship experience revolves around a project I would've had two or three weeks to get done in school. It was my second week at my internship and I was given roughly 3-4 days to bring something substantial to a meeting. I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to meet the deadline and an equally tremendous amount of pressure to prove myself all at once. The first big project may be the hardest just because of those two factors alone. Don't be afraid. Push through. You'll adjust to the pace! Pride yourself on quick turn arounds.

3. Be A Self Starter
All I mean by this, is be self-motivated. Don't sit back and wait to be told what to do. Don't wait to be asked if you're working on anything. Don't wait until people come asking about projects long ago forgotten to start on them. Motivate yourself to go above and beyond in order to see long term success. Once you finish all of your tasks, make it a habit to immediately ask for more. I often find that when I've come to a good stopping point on all of my projects, I take a good 20 minute breather and then ask my fellow designers if there's anything they'd like me to do (whether it be picking up something they need help on or starting something new entirely). Remember that an internship is all about gaining experience and the more projects you're able to get your hands on, is just more experience. Make it worth your while.

4. It's Important to Ask A Lot of Questions
Any time you start somewhere new, there's going to be an adjustment period. That's okay. What's not okay is fumbling around blindly through your adjustment period and failing to ask questions along the way. There's no shame in asking for help–ever. Bottom line. There's definitely no shame in asking questions in order to do your job effectively or how to thrive effectively on a personal level within the confines of work. Ask about company culture, basic rules, and definitely ask for a general run down of a typical day. As a designer, I came in needing to know everything about the way my company branded itself (internally and externally). I came in knowing that my job didn't have an a "typical day" and that I'd have to be largely communicative and self motivated. Ask lots of questions in your interview and ask lots of questions post hire too. There's no shame in knowing ahead of time what you'll be signing up for if you accept an offered position.

Luckily, most jobs/internships have on-boarding for new hires, which is a great resource and a perfect chance to get a more in depth look at your company and your role within it.

5. Technology Isn't On It's Way Out Anytime Soon
Where I intern there are a lot of locations and a ton of the employees work remotely at home. Members and head honchos on my team are based out of an entirely different state! I've found that this work situation has become increasingly regular amongst a lot of businesses. It's amazing what technology has done for the work environment and it's more vital than ever.

My advice? It's important to practice polishing those video conferencing skills. Whether you interview via video conferencing or attend weekly meetings with members in remote locales, it's important to know how to utilize tools like Google Hangout, Skype, and Facetime. My first week, I was given a crash course in Google Hangouts and instructed to plan 15 minute introductory meetings with our team members in another state. I felt awkward and nervous, but ultimately, it was a great exercise.

Also, it's important to figure out the whole email thing. Businesses utilize email in a much more demanding and practical way. Before my internship the only email I received was from my sorority and shops I signed up to send me deals. In that same vein, I rarely did any emailing either (unless you count emailing myself documents for class ten minutes beforehand). Now? That's a totally different story. I email everyday and quite a lot. It's important to master email and professionalism via email (be courteous, be yourself, never hit 'reply all' unless you're sure, know the difference between cc and bcc, and spellcheck!). Be authentic when emailing and err on the formal side of things when in doubt. Once you get settled at your internship you'll get a better idea of the tone most commonly used in office emails and between employees.

6. However, Face-to-Face is Key
On that note, know when email or IM isn't appropriate. If you're able to communicate face to face with someone on a project detail, I always find it more productive. There are countless studies out there about this I'm sure, but being able to see, hear, and read the body language of someone really eliminates the confusion often garnered through email. I find that face-to-face interaction is great whenever someone is not sure about something big/complex within the project (sometimes concepts are hard to convey over email) or if an urgent response/snap decision is needed.

Also, getting feedback face-to-face is invaluable. I find I take feedback better when given to me face-to-face because it feels more like a conversation or discussion. I like being able to hear, "This color isn't working, but maybe we could implement this color here and adjust the overall width to comply with the background change the client requested. What do you think?" versus sending off a project via email and getting a list of critiques (i.e. Color isn't working. Adjust widths. Nix the background). It comes off more accusatory at times and I'm more inclined to feel like I've done something wrong.

7. Find The Right Fit
Even if your first real job or internship experiences aren't everything you ever wanted, never lose sight of finding value in the right job fit. Find companies whose missions you believe in, whose culture is compatible with your nature, and companies who value people with your skill set. Focusing in on these characteristics may help you narrow in on ideal and attainable places to intern (and hopefully someday work at). Finding the right fit is key to loving what you do long term.

8. Organization Tops Everything
Being organized feels like something second nature to put on a resume, but really take a step back and ask yourself if you are. Be honest about how organized you are and then try to set yourself up for success in the workplace. I'm the type of person that has to write everything down. If it doesn't get written down, then it doesn't get done. I utilize productivity tools while at work (mainly Trello for keeping up with projects and Toggl for keeping track of how much time I'm devoting to each task). I also like to keep a physical list and an agenda of things to get done. I try to keep work and school separate as well. Organization is impossibly crucial during your internship process. There will be a lot of metaphorical balls in the air and making sure you're organized enough not to drop them is half the struggle.

9. Internships Are Multidimensional
Sure, you'll be doing everything in your job description, but internships are far less one-noted than that. They comprise themselves of things you'd never thought you'd be doing (in a good way). You'll get to help with projects in different facets. You'll gain a ridiculous amount of experience in professional areas besides just your specific job role. For example, my internship has been less about growing my design skills (though this has definitely happened!), but rather honing them for the work environment. I've learned more about how a company functions and more about how to work professionally on client projects. I've learned how to design more quickly and efficiently, too. I've learned so much about marketing, branding, and development. Your internship is going to be multidimensional you'll gain more knowledge than you bargained for!

10. Treat Yo Self
Find paid internships if you can. There's been a big wave of turnover recently in the general attitudes surrounding internships of the paid variety (which are becoming more and more). In some industries it may be harder than others to find paid internships. Sometimes the connections and value you get from getting hands on experience in a well-known or highly regarded establishment trump getting a pay day. However, most companies are beginning to view internships as a starting point for soon-to-be grads or post-grads. In fact, a lot of places are implementing intern-to-hire type of programs. Compensation shows that the company values your presence, work, and time. It's a win-win. So, find a paid internship if you can. Save most of your $ and then TREAT YO SELF!


Do you have any valuable insights to add to this list? Let me know! I'd love to know any tips/advice you have about thriving at an internship or in the post-grad work environment! Tell me all about your experiences (good & bad).

I did a post similar to this one in the spring. Here's how finals week by the numbers is shaping up this semester!

-13277817238047 - my level of cares right now
0 - number of available seats in the library
1 - the number of finals I have every day of finals week
2 - number of research papers due before finals week even began
3 - # of pens I've gone through already
3 - average # of Snapchats a day I get from friends who are already home from finals and bored
4 - number of finals I have total
6 - how many scantrons come in a pack (even if you only need one)
25 - days of Christmas Break I have to look forward to
35 - dollars of printer allowance I've used up this semester
60 - # of hours until I get to go home
100 - grade I hope I'll make on every final I take
120 - minutes allotted for each final
170 - number of tissues I've gone through while studying (because I'm currently sick)

Happy Studying!

It's that time of year again, and if the non-stop ads running on every media outlet available weren't enough to let you know, it's time to get back to school! This year feels exceptionally different for me because I will be starting my senior year of college. It's weird to consider that next week may possibly hold my very last first day of school ever. I can barely wrap my mind around it!

With that being said, this year, I'm making certain to do back to school shopping like a pro. I may never get the opportunity to do this ever again. Today, I want to share with you some tried and true must haves for me as I head back to school!

• A reliable water bottle: This Brita Hard-Sided 23.7 oz water bottle which is available at Target is perfect for on the go. It's got a really fun color, is easily portable, and helps me to get my daily water in-take way up. Campus life is a constantly active blur and this water bottle is a perfect fit for keeping me hydrated all day! In addition, it's perfect for toting around campus and multifunctional! A total win-win. Also, for home, I love my Brita Space Saver System in turquoise!
• Lilly Pultizer Agenda: I've had a Lilly agenda for ages and I couldn't start senior year without a new one. There are more options than ever as far as Lilly agenda styles/price ranges go. My agenda helps keep me on top of all my tasks for the week and the upcoming month in style!
• Five Star Notebook: I've been using two of these bad boys for the academic year since high school. They're large and have several dividers which means that keeping my class notes organized and separate from one another is never a problem. Plus, they come is a huge range of colors!
• G2 Pens: These pens are exclusively my favorite. They come in variety of awesome colors, glide over paper, and I would be lost taking notes without them. They've also been an unbeatable favorite since high school!

These are just a few of the awesome things I've gathered or restocked up on during back to school shopping, but I love them all so much! I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing year!

What are some of your back to school must haves? Let me know! 

I'm going to be a senior in college soon (have I mentioned that? Oh yeah, I have...10 million times), so I thought I'd drop some wisdom on you with 10 things I know to be true about college life. There's way more than 10 things I know to be true - trust me - but these are the first 10 that popped in my head. Maybe I'll expand in a separate post in the future, but for now this one's for you future and currently returning collegiates!

• Pack an umbrella:  Take it from a girl who, after she moved up to college Freshman year, spent 99% of the first week drenched because it rained the entire time. An umbrella is one of those pesky things that evaded my perennial packing check list. It took me almost a month to invest in an umbrella. So now, I make sure to keep one at home and one in the car. Also, pack an extra set of sheets and extension cords (other commonly glossed over items)!
• There aren't enough command strips in the word: However many you think you'll need? Double that! It may seem excessive and expensive, but I promise it's worth it to invest in lots of command strips. You'll use more than you think, plus any leftovers can be used to fix mid-semester breakdowns of current strips or be used next year!
• Get done early on Fridays if you can: Each and every semester I try to make magic happen as I tweak my upcoming class schedule. The magic? Trying to make Fridays a half day or less! I've sacrificed my share of early morning or late evening classes just to have glorious Friday be a short day. I promise it's worth it in the long run. Since you'll usually be going home Fridays for breaks, the earlier you're done the better. Who wants to be stuck in class at 4pm on a Friday? Not this gal! Cheers to early weekending!
• Don't schedule a class earlier than 9:30 for Friday: On another note relating to the above, don't even think about scheduling a class earlier than 9:30 for a Friday. You'll regret it a million times over and that early morning Friday class will be your most missed, guaranteed. If you haven't heard, Thursdays are the new Fridays in college. Adjust your schedules according so you'll have some time to recover from the previous night no matter what you were up to.
• Don't be afraid to keep asking until you get an answer: Just because you think someone in a position of authority is the end all be all to answering a question or trying to accomplish something academically, doesn't mean they really are. Sometimes when it comes to scheduling, overrides, and exceptions it takes a village or finding just the right person in a department to get a task accomplished. Don't be afraid to ask and keep asking until someone can make it happen for you. There's always a way! Keep pursuing!
• The University has SO many cool services available to you, use them while you can: It wasn't until junior year that I started realizing how many cool services/opportunities the university makes available to students at little to no charge. I'm not sure when the next time I'll have access to an expansive tech library, endless databases, a recording studio, a digital media center, a photo darkroom, or several high format printers will be - so I'm utilizing them now! Get on it and get your money's worth before you hit the downward slope of your college career!
• Getting to know a professor is worth your time: Everyone will tell you to swing by a professor's office hours, but I'll be straight with you, I've always been too much of a chicken to do that cold turkey. However, there is something valuable to be said about forming a relationship or at least getting to know your professor beyond the classroom. I'm about to be a senior and since I'm part of a relatively small department I know almost all of my professors now because I've had them before. It's made a world of difference to form these connections. I feel more engaged in class, more willing to interact, and feel more confident in getting feedback/help on my work. There's many ways to form a connection, try going up after class if your professors sticks around and say something nice or something you found interesting about the lecture you just sat through (ex: "I found that lecture about art in Rome simply fascinating today! I'm planning on studying abroad next year. Where could I find some of the works we discussed in class if I were to visit Italy?"). Also, try taking advantage of guest speakers/bonus opportunities/events going on within the department that your professor will most likely attend - just getting your face out there repeatedly counts! Also, if you find a professor you like and they teach more than one class, if it's within your power, try to get them again. Easy ways to form a connection without it getting awkward!
• Naps are life savers: I've taken way more naps in my college career than during my kindergarten nap time. Mastering the 15-45 minute break nap is essential for any successful, busy college student. No more than forty five minutes or else you'll be sluggish and your sleep schedule will slowly but consistently get off. I know from experience. P.S. - you'll become a napper even if you weren't one before!
• The Freshman 15 is NOT a myth: I gained the freshman ~30 and have yet to shed most of it. Sigh. Get on a routine eating schedule. That's the thing that killed me freshman year. I never ate at set times and sometimes would go long periods without eating and then binge eat from being overly hungry. Also, sometimes I'd eat more than once simply to accommodate different friend's schedules (because who wants to turn down an opportunity to be social with new college friends?). Practice portion control, pack healthy snack to take in your backpack, and try to get on a fairly consistent routine for eating! 

Hey lovies, sorry for the impromptu blogging break! Finals ended, I went home for a weekend, and now I'm back and knee deep into a summer intersession course. It was truly a whirlwind of things happening one right after another!  My intersession course regards the history of American Landscape painting (hint hint - not exactly my favorite topic in the world, but we're totally making it work). Luckily, my college town is roughly 35 minutes from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (the same place I'm a college ambassador!) and that's where we have a majority of our classes. It's really such an awesome opportunity to have class there and get a hands on education by seeing most of the works we lecture about in person.

For those of your who are unfamiliar with what an intersession course is, it's a class you take for only two weeks - however you earn a whole semester's worth of credit for it. It's a rather intense workload. It's 6 days a week and nearly 4 hours long each day. I have homework each and every night in the form of reading an assigned article and producing a 1-2 page written critique or summary of the article. Plus, I'm tasked with whatever other in class assignment or participation that's required.

This class is semi-sucking my days away, but I feel good getting ahead so that I can have an easier course load during my senior year. So yeah, I haven't abandoned this little space. I've just been consumed with the topic of American Landscape painting and trying to graduate as a double major in 4 years. Promise!

Stay tuned, I plan to post this weekend, but if you still miss me feel free to follow via Instagram or Twitter!

What sort of things have you been up to, big or small? Let me know!

xoxo

-1,256,721 - number of available outlets in the library at any given point during finals week
0 - the current level of my motivation
1 - number of all-nighters pulled so far
2 - number of papers due before finals week even begins
2 - number of printers that ran out of ink while attempting to print out my photography final project
2.5 - number of times I've cried already
3 - seasons of Games of Thrones I've watched in the past week trying to avoid any and all real responsibility
4 - number of actual finals during actual finals week
5 - number of books I've checked out from the library for one paper
6 - number of 5 hour energies I took when they were offering "free samples"
7 - times I've called my Dad to complain about finals week
12:15 - the end time of my last final next week
24 - number of hours a day the library is now open
36 - number of hours my professor extended the paper deadline (THANK GOODNESS)
500 - times I've gotten distracted while attempting to do actual work


Happy studying all! P.S. - hope y'all are hanging in there a little bit better than I am this week!

xoxo 

Hey all! Finals are looming right around the corner and for the next 2 weeks I'll be doing some serious prep! I have two research papers and a final photo project due before we even get to exam week, plus a slew of sorority obligations! Can you say busy? Inspired by all the busyness, I thought today I'd share some tools that help aid my finals prep!

Things to Prep for Finals:

• Plenty of sleep
• Eating consistently (avoiding lots of junk)
• Notebook full of notes from the past semester, handouts, note cards, etc
• Computer
• The BIC® 4-Color™ Pen

Making sure to get enough ZZZ's is especially important leading up to and during finals week. It's usually the time that we push our bodies to the limit, getting only a handful of hours each night and then we must overcompensate during the day with sugary energy drinks or coffee to keep us functioning. No one ever aced an exam on an hour of sleep. Okay, that's probably a lie, BUT you'll be almost a hundred percent more likely to ace your exam with a good, substantial night's rest under your best.

Another basic item to make sure you keep checking off your list, is making sure to eat. With all the studying and stressing, it can be easy to let something like eating fall to the wayside. Or if you are eating, it can be easy to forgo an actual meal in favor or some high calorie snack. Though you should indulge in a few finals treats (Airheads, anyone?) you should make sure to plan ahead. Carve out real time to go eat or bring something prepared with you wherever you're studying. I focus so much better if I'm not starving or sluggish!

Lastly, it's time to get busy making your study guides and reviewing your notes from the past semester. "How on Earth did we learn all that? How am I going to get organized?!" are two phrases I say every semester when I get to the library and start going through everything in my notebooks. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. No worries, though! I've come across the perfect solution: the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen! 

It's a little bit of a throwback - does anyone remember how cool your were if you had one of these bad boys. It's 4 Inseparable Colors in 1 Pen, that are here to help you get organized! Make study guides or sort through preexisting notes with the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen and utilize it's four awesome colors to help draw your attention to the most important things to study. Select a a different for each class or for each type of information you're studying. I'd give each chapter a different color and use a certain color for key terms!

Plus, the four colors in the BIC® 4-Color™ Pen have different personalities (another way to determine what color to use for certain information)! How cool is that? Which one is most like you?

• Blue likes himself. And with good reason: he knows that he's important. Blue cheese, blue skies, blue jeans, blue moon; he's everywhere! To prove his point, look at the names of his family members: Navy Blue, Oxford Blue, Royal Blue...Ever heard of "royal yellow"? Exactly. Let's admit it… Blue is the boss.
• Green is the jealous type…wouldn't you be if your Red, Blue, and Black counterparts were used [way] more often than you? He’s a foodie. Such a foodie that he chronicles each of his daily meals on his social media profile. Because if you eat a meal and don’t take a picture of it, did it really even happen? Green has a soft side too. For example, last summer he cooked a huge cat nip cake for his beloved cat, Mr. Furrybottom. Oh, and Green still sucks his thumb. But according to him, that's an old trick to prevent him from snoring.
• Red likes it when things are correct. When matches are parallel and books are well aligned on a shelf. His favorite moment of the day? When it is 11:11 sharp on his digital watch. His passion in life? He has many: spelling, grammar, conjugation, calculation. And a bit of syntax on the weekend. Want to make him happy? Give him some mistakes to correct. He even makes mistakes on purpose sometimes, just for the pleasure of correcting them.
• Black, he just doesn't understand…why does it always have to be about Blue? He is not as fit as Blue although he likes to think that he's just as handsome as he is – in a different way though. (Muscles are so last season). He secretly dreams of becoming the Undisputed Master of the World but hasn't yet come up with a clear plan for this. And before we forget (although he doesn't like to talk about it), his natural hair color is blond.

Also, you can catch these crazy pen personalities in action below:




I would say that my personality is a mix between blue and red! However, I use black most often as my color of choice! Sometimes, I throw in a little blue and would love to use green more often.

So, if you want to rock your finals preparation like me, you can purchase the BIC® 4-Color™ at Amazon or Staples. Plus, follow those crazy pen personalities on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy studying fellow collegiates!

♥