OMG I Love Office Aesthetic

I hope you all have had a fantaaaaaastic week. Mine has been pretty good, just settling into a routine and all of that. I actually went to the gym three times this week and am feeling awesome! I'm going to refresh myself on my how-to post on staying healthy in college, which you can find here. Friday was busy after my fridge cut out and I had to cook everything in my freezer. luckily a new fridge was found quickly and I could get on with my day. Saturday was horrible after I found a giant spider in my sheets. I finally fell asleep but today I found out there are several nests in my room. they were vacuumed and spider repellant was sprayed in my room so hopefully tonight is less anxiety inducing...

This week's post is a kind of extension off of last week's post on dorm/bedroom style. I will be sharing some really cute office decor along with stationary and office supplies. All of the pictures were found on Pinterest and have links next to them.

Office Style

 I love the mix of gold and pink (X)
  A rainbow theme really lets you show all of your colours! (X)
  Forget a chalkboard wall, I want a corkboard wall! (X) An ocean theme will always be relaxing to me (X)
  Call it, real-life Instagram! A super cute idea (X)
  Adds a cottagey feel the room... very comforting (X)

Cute Stationary 

 Super fall themed! (X)
 Gorgeous art (X)
  Pastel Highlighters! (X)
 Super helpful sticky notes (X)
 Say goodbye to your days of crumpling paper (X)
 Mean Girls Pencils (X)

Awesome Organization

 All-in-one carrying case (X)
  Helpful and minimalistic (X)
  Organization wall (X)
 more pastel! (X)
  very simple and pretty (X)

Other Cool Office Related Things

 Very calming and pretty (X)
  Headphone winder/ screen cleaner (X)
  Miscellaneous pink things (X)

This is just a brief glimpse at some styles I find really cute/helpful in an office. I'd love to hear your opinions so comment and share!

Room Style

Happy Sunday! I finally had my two final Monday classes, but sadly none of my friends are in either. My first class, counselling and communication skills, was pretty good but the textbook is really dull. I already have a test tomorrow so my fingers are crossed. My second class, English, was pretty good as well. luckily I do not have to buy a textbook for this class. The one downside is that my teacher is one of those deep thinkers that believe that every small detail has some metaphorical meaning and as a writer I can say that 95% of the time, details are just to set the scene or fill space, and rarely have a superficial meaning. Nothing else really happened through the week except that I'm finally moved into the basement *happy dance* and I attended my first college party!

Now that I've, mostly, moved into the basement, I have decided to make a quick post on some amazing dorm/bedroom styles and tips for those getting sick of their blank walls.

Super Useful Things to Have

• Toolbox
• First aid kit- even if it's just the basics
• A printer- " I added a bit of washi tape so it wouldn't be an eyesore" (X)
• Storage- you'll honestly never have too much.
• Rug- You will be grateful on chilly mornings.
• Mirror- Full-length is even better

If You're in a Dorm or a Dull, Undecorated Space

• Work with white walls instead of covering them up- "embrace the minimalism" (X)
• Plants help to liven up a space.- some plants that grow in low lighting are; peperomia, zeezee, arrowhead vine, cast iron. and calathea
• Make photo frames from washi tape
• Use throw pillows as extra seating
• Get alternative lighting if your room only has drab fluorescent lighting
• Lofting beds can add extra space- if the ceilings are high enough

Extra Decorating Tips

• Make sure that your desk is as aesthetically pleasing as it is organized- this will make studying less painful
• Instead of hiding your shoes, use them as art. display them in view.
• use clipboards as photo frames and to display important documents at your desk
• Make your own headboard if your bed comes without. It can add some style and you can coordinate it with your duvet cover or comforter

If you're still stuck take this quiz to determine your ideal  room theme and then see this post for some styling tips by theme.

I'm sorry this post is short, but I'm still adjusting to all the homework. See you next week!

Sources

x x x x x

First Week Frenzy

I survived the first week!!!!! This post is just going to be a recap from my week, but I'll continue next week with more tips, tricks, and survival skills for college with actually first-hand experience now :P

To begin, I've only attended five of my seven classes because my two Monday classes fell on the labour day.

Day 1: Tuesday

Today definitely had its highs and lows. Luckily, despite me being directionally challenged, I found my classroom very quickly. So quickly, in fact that I ended up being 30 minutes late and took some time to explore.  My prof. was someone I'd met before at open houses and orientations. She's  teaching prep. for professional practice and there is a wide variety of people in my class. despite the fact that my class is three hours long, it flew by, especially with the two breaks. First impression rating: 4/5. After that, my afternoon was spent waiting. Waiting 40 minutes to talk to financial aid, waiting 20 minutes to get into the bookstore, and waiting in line for coffee. The library and student centre are really nice and definitely places I can see myself spending time. Despite the fact that everything was really interesting, I was bored. I feel like this could've been different if I had the nerve to make friends, but that's a work in progress. Oh well... tomorrow I tackle public transit.

Day 2: Wednesday

Today was much better than yesterday. I, as expected, messed up the buses but was still at school in good time. I got to class and had my fist course of the day, psychology and child development. My teacher was very nice and seemed excited about the class. I was also excited because I took a class very similar to this in 12th grade and loved it. We are also doing a virtual child assignment where we choose how we raise our baby and it determines it's life. If you want more info on this let me know because it's really cool. First impression rating: 4/5 After lunch and a three-hour break I was off to my next class. I actually got to know a couple girls who seem really nice and sat nearby. The teacher seemed nice enough; he is teaching foundations of child and youth care. First impression rating: 3.5/5. After class, I got myself some dinner and got to know another girl. The reason today was so much better is that I am actually socializing and not as lonely and bored.

Day 3: Thursday

I strongly believe that Thursdays are going to be my favorite days of the week. I got to my first class, social psychology, pretty early but one of the girls I met yesterday was already there and we talked until class and met up with another girl. This is by far my favorite class so far. My teacher is amazing and the material is really interesting. First impression rating: 5/5. Afterwards, we all went for lunch and went to the bookstore to purchase my books. I bought five which was just over $500CAD and still have two more to buy. luckily many of the books I'll be using in other semesters. My second class of the day is mental health and my teacher seemed really nice. I even got out of buying one of the books for her class because it was mainly for APA referencing which I'm comfortable with. Mental health is something I'm interested in so I'm excited about the course. First impression rating: 4/5. After class, I got invited to a couple parties which I might actually attend.

Fridays as I've mentioned I have no class so I just relaxed and got started on my reading. My biggest tip for starting college, now that I have started, is not to get discouraged if the first day isn't what we expect. Our classes may seem difficult and the road may seem long but we all can do it...  

Keeping off the Freshman 15

Not too much happened this week except my orientation on Thursday. I met my program staff and my classmates and saw my *shudders* book list. In other news, I got some cute clothes today and I'm still not moved into my basement and very bitter about it. My mom's getting into hoarder territory and my sister is not far behind her. Also OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Plan) is a pain in the ass and totally unfair. Looking back on the summer, my biggest regret is being a massive lump. I've undoubtedly gained some weight and my boobs are harder than ever to contain. It's about time I get my sh*t together >:|

I will be the fist to admit that I am definitely not the authority on health. I have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, the thought of running makes me cringe, and no one can describe me as "fit". Despite this, this post is extremely important for others as well as myself. Seeing as I have limited knowledge on this topic, I have scoured the Internet for other resources and have compiled them into a useful guide for both you, the reader and me, the author.

Exercising

Though it is dreaded and seemingly impossible to be a gym rat while in college and possibly having a part-time job, you can include fitness into your everyday life.

There are mannnny reasons why it is important to exercise, including health, improved academics, and improved mood. read some more reasons here. So many college and university student find time to exercise that there is hardly an excuse not to. To read how other students do it and find inspiration, look no further than this article.

Here are some more tips and links to make exercising a bit easier;

• Learn to love running. I hate running with a passion, but these tips make it a bit less excruciating (X) 
• Incorporate exercise into everyday tasks. If you're doing these things already, why don't you spice it up a bit? (X) (X)
• Have fun. Exercise with a friend or by yourself, as long as you're interested in the activity
• Lookup instructional videos like Blogilates on Youtube (X)
• Look for free classes. Even if they 're not hosted by the school, look for ads by the community or from local gyms. (X)
• Join a club or sport. Whether it's dance, soccer, or tennis, as long as you're heartbeat is up, it helps! (X)
• Take a hike. If you're lucky enough to have some greenery around your campus or nearby, explore it. The nature will also help you relax and you may find a cool study spot. (X)
• If your school has a gym, make use of it! Luckily my tuition pays for free use of the gym, so I'll have a place to go in the winter.
• Make a routine. once you've made something a routine, it's much harder to give up... especially if you enjoy it! (X)
• Yoga. It's not for everyone, but it 's a great way to relax and tone up after all that cardio you'll be doing! Tip: for an extra kick, try hot yoga!

Diet

While the above is great, apparently fitness is only 30% exercise and 70% what you eat. This can be frustrating living on a student's budget and schedule... double that if you're in dorms. While it may be difficult, again it's not impossible.

While there are many roadblocks, there are also many resources to help you eat well;

• Figure out what's in season. This will save both your taste buds, and your wallet (X)
• Drink lot's of water. I'm really bad at this myself, I really only enjoy drinking water if it has an enhancer in it like Mio or crystal light. This app will help you keep track as you take care of a cute plant (X)
• Visit your local farmer's market. It will liven up you day, and if you go closer to closing, you may get a few end of the day deals (X)
• Look for healthy options in the cafeteria. This is essential if you have a meal plan. keep track of the extra carbs and also take a fruit. (X)
• Snacking is ok! As long as it's somewhat healthy like a granola bar, fruit, etc. (X)
• Check out this $2 meal. A dollar tree just opened up near me so I may take this advice one day when I'm low on time. (X)
• Focus on doing well --> not perfect. Face the fact that you're not going to have a perfect diet. As long as you're doing well, you don't have to do perfectly (X)
• Go Paleo. It's inexpensive, tasty, and simple (X)
• Mug+Microwave= Happiness. Don't get me started on mug meals... Quiche, Soup, Chili, Cake ... 
• Routine. If you eat at relatively the same time each day, it will help your metabolism greatly and establish eating habits (X)
• Eat Breakfast. You've probably heard this tip 10000000 times and there's a good reason for that. It's Important.
• Avoid eating late. It's harder to burn off. (X)
• Avoid calorie-filled alcohol. Whether the drinking age is 18, 19, 21, or anything else, you'll probably be of age at some point during college. avoid the extra calories if possible. Tip: water+Vodka+Mio...
• Get creative. Google is your friend, use resources to avoid the pounds. (X)
• Check out this suggested shopping list. Just some essentials. (X)

Other Health Tips

There are other health concerns to consider as you start college.

• Avoid Stress. I know, I know... easier said than done. But by avoiding procrastination and getting help, you could be doing your immune system a solid (X)
• Get enough sleep. There will be all nighters and there will be 2 hour nights but keep them to a minimum and use this app to keep track of your sleep (X)
• Don't check the scale too often. Unless you're trying to lose/gain weight, don;t check your weight more than once a month. In reality, your weight will fluctuate and there's nothing you can do about it. as long as you're exercising, eating well, and feel good, all they are, are numbers.
• Get tested and use protection. Your sexual health is just as important as everything else (X)
• Visit the clinic. If you're sick, get help. It's better to miss a day with only a sore throat, than two weeks with strep. (X)
• Take care of your mental health. It 's as important as your physical health, if not more. Take rest days when needed and make use of school counsellors. I'll make a mor in detailed post regarding mental health another time. (X)

So this is all for now, let me know what you think and if you have any other tips. Please share!