Haha… so I haven’t sat down to write in quite some time. I believe that brings us to point numero uno. Priorities, gurllll. If I have a test in 2 days but I also haven’t written a post? Yeah… the test takes precedence. Unfortunately, I had at least one per week, so this lead to a rather sparse posting schedule.
But that’s not the point. I have a few little ~lifesaving~ tips for the best grades possible.
Number 1: motivation and time management. I follow a few “studyblrs” on tumblr… having them in your feed as you scroll mindlessly through tumblr will actually motivate you to study. I don’t know about y’all, but aesthetically pleasing pictures of handwriting and lattes makes me feel like I should be doing something productive rather than lie in bed. That’s prob just me though.
Number 2: Flashcarding the right way. You want your flashcards to be the most detailed and accurate as possible, right? Right. What you need to do is after EVERY lecture (or class for my little grade schoolers) make detailed flashcards on the info you just learned. This seriously helps. I mean you’re rewriting your notes pretty much which is super helpful I.M.O. Not to mention you’re getting super in depth cards. AND you won’t stress out three days before a test because you literally are making 20-40 cards max. Boom. OH and when I say “detailed” I mean, keep the cards straight and to the point so you can easily remember the answer, but make multiple flashcards on one topic- i.e., “Hemoglobin (flip) retains oxygen in a RBC blah blah blah” and on a separate flashcards “Hemoglobin carries ____ iron” you get the point.
Number 3: Study. do it. just get it out of the way. it takes 30 minutes. just do it. I promise you that you will stress so much less when a test is coming up. It just takes 30 minutes to relieve yourself of the sleep you should be getting pre-exam.
Lastly, you’re in college. Enjoy yourself responsibly. If you gotta test on wednesday, treat yo self to thirsty thursdays (if you’re into that. I prob would be rewarding myself with netflix, but I’m a homebody. No judgement if you are tho, let urself goooo).
Oh and if my grammar and punctuation sucks, it’s because I wrote this post in 10 mins and I have like 59 things due next week and pRIOritieZ k byeeeee
I get asked pretty frequently to do a “favorites” type post, so I thought I’d do just that! I’ll just go in order of application.
Body
St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea lotion. I have super sensitive skin, so this stuff is perfect for me. I especially love to use this after I’ve shaved. I think the shea really helps to calm my skin! Also, I love the smell and it the price is right!
St. Ives Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer. I am totally not endorsed by St. Ives, I’ve just been loving their products recently! I literally don’t know what made me pick this up! I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to spend a whole bunch of money and I was out of facial moisturizer. Regardless, I love how quickly it absorbs and the texture of my skin after!
Makeup
Physician’s Formula Argan Wear Oil. I just dab a little under my eyes and around my nose and mouth. I wouldn’t recommend this for people with oily skin, but it adds a silky texture to my skin that I don’t know how I lived without before. It’s kind of like a smoothing primer, but I can’t say that it helps makeup stay on longer. I just feel like it creates an amazing base for concealer!
Garnier BB Cream. I absolutely love the coverage and consistency of this. I will say that it tends to oxidize throughout the day, but it’s fine with me. I think this is a staple in my collection, especially since I’m not a huge fan of wearing heavy foundation. For the record, I do love this 10x more than my Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation, and this is a fraction of the price!
Lets face it– there is nothing easy about “self love.” There is one simple truth to us all: we are all insecure individuals. This may seem hard to believe considering society today portrays beauty via Photoshop. In reality, even the models upon glossy GUESS ads are insecure. The difference between us and models is that (even Victoria’s Secret Angels) are ridiculed. If their body parts are not thin, thick, tan, toned, flawless, or blemish free… they are openly criticized. Models are barely even looked at as human beings, as they are basically a product to big companies. Now, I understand that many people go through criticism and bullying on a daily basis, but I am here to tell you that you are beautiful. You will not look like you stepped out of a magazine… because there is no such thing as a person following you around with a airbrush tab to eliminate your flaws in real life. But, real life is what makes us beautiful. Our flaws, our capacity to love, to think, to hope… Is that not beautiful? Marilyn Monroe had a mole on her face and she had been thought of as an icon of beauty for decades. A flaw that had become one of her trademarks. The question you must ask yourself… what is my flaw biggest flaw and how does it make me beautiful?
I, personally, have always hated my teeth! I also tend to exaggerate A LOT and I wear my heart on my sleeve. Do you not think I am aware of these flaws? The real question for you, my reader, is… do you really think that something as simple as being overweight, having crooked or yellow teeth, or having a bad hair day could even mask your true beauty?
Not to mention, you are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14. It is so important to remember than God made you in his image. God formed every aspect with you with his loving hands. Every trait of your being was created to make you into who you are. Is it not beautiful that He wrapped you in his love so you would come into this world with the capacity to love like him? Is it not beautiful that he created you knowing you will sin, but gives you the opportunity to be forgiven? Is it not enough that every ounce of your being was created to do good, beautiful things with your life? He loves you with every sin, mistake, and flaw.
It is important to remember that someone loves you, and this makes you more beautiful than any trait you could posses. Whether it’s friends, family, or others you hold dear; you will always be held close to the heart. Love is the greatest and most powerful form of beauty there is. Love isbeauty.
I’m sorry I’ve been so MIA these past few weeks! If you’re in college or have been through it, I’m sure you understand.
As many of you know, college classes began for me a couple weeks ago. I thought it would be fun to share with you my experience and overall opinion of my first week of class and compare it to the midterm and last term!
My first week was a little overwhelming, but manageable. I find that I am a self motivated person, so I think I won’t have any real issues making decent grades. Here’s the catch: I have no idea how to work BlackBoard. If you don’t know, BB is where all of your online classes are hosted and a lot of your real classes put assignments on there as well. It’s basically like Facebook for college that is a ton less user friendly. I exaggerated, I’m able to turn in my assignments, but I have to click on 80 different tabs just to find where I need to go.
I love my schedule and how much free time (ehem, I mean time that I spend cramming for Anatomy and Physiology) I have. I’m not completely sure why I thought signing up for 8am classes were a good idea, but oh well.
Considering it is now week 3, I’m proud to say I have maintained a 4.0 GPA. Lol. I know that pretty much doesn’t count for anything this early in the semester but WHO CARES? NOT ME!
That’s pretty much it. I’ve been swamped and everytime I get a chance to take a breather, I end up remembering I have grown up responsibilities to take care of.. like laundry. Womp.
And for anyone asking, Jake is also enjoying his first few weeks of class!
Thank you for those of you who sent me some sweet emails to check on me. I really appreciate your support and they were really uplifting!
Hopefully I’ve gotten back on the right track and I can upload some posts and videos more frequently! I’ve missed writing.
And below, I throw it back to graduation… That’s my brother and sister-in-law!
Hey guys!
I just wanted to take the time to shoutout one of my biggest role models, my sister-in-law. Brooke has been there through the good and bad for my brother as well as my sister (Melanie) and I. I say with great happiness that she has finally taken her brilliant ideas to the internet! You have no idea how happy I am for this, since she is so talented and her work deserves to be noticed. Not only that, but I know she’s going to be an amazing and dedicated blogger, so it’s really nice to have someone in my family to share what I love to do. She’s pretty awesome, and you’ll love her right away– that’s a promise!
Her blog is Everything Brooke and she just opened it up a few days ago!
Needless to say, Brooke is awesome and I’m so grateful for the support she’s given my family and I, so this is my opportunity to support her!
To start off, I just want to thank Jelenah for nominating me for these three amazing awards. I’m so honored to be chosen by one of my favorite bloggers for this! Not only is she one of my good friends on WP, she also makes it a point to be super supportive of my blog, and that’s something I can’t be grateful enough for. I wanted to add that her blog is amazing– as she puts everything she has into her posts. I really recommend you check out her blog!
First, I am very grateful to receive the Premio Dardis award!
This was a complete surprise to me. Not once did I think I’d receive recognition for something this profound, since it really demonstrates an open minded individual. I like to try my best to keep an open mind, but this really was an honor for me.
This is what the award is about:
The Premio Dardos Award exists to acknowledge the values that every blogger shows in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.
The rules are the following:
Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
Pass the award on to other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
Nominations will be at the end
The second award I was nominated for is the Beauty Blogger Award.
These are the rules:
State the name of the blogger that nominated you.
Answer the questions you were given.
Nominate 10 people whose blog is about beauty or fashion.
Make 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
Let the bloggers know that you nominated them.
Questions:
You step into Sephora/drugstore, what section (brand/makeup item) do you rush for?Most Likely Urban Decay or L’Oreal!
What is your favorite to summer makeup product? Mary Kay CC Cream
What is on your summer beauty product wishlist? I’d like to try Yves Saint Laurent All-In-One BB Skin Tone Corrector
What is a makeup product/trend you are looking forward to for the fall? I feel like I may attempt the nude lip trend. It’s been going on for ages, but I never could get it right! One more shot, I guess!
If you had your own beauty line that consisted of one beauty product, which product would it be (i.e., lipstick, nail polish, foundation, blush, perfume, etc)? I’d say perfume. I think perfume is so delicate!
What is your favorite summer-fall transition nail polish color?I’d like to go for a nice crimson this fall.
What is your favorite summer pedicure color? French Mani. I find it looks best on my toes!
Summer eye shadows, shimmer or matte? MATTE!
Bold lip, or ‘my lips but better’ for everyday wear (name the corresponding lipstick color)? I may be boring… but chapstick. My lips are super sensitive and dry out in minutes! So neither haha.
What is your opinion on the strobing trend, and do you ‘participate’ in this trend? I like the glowy look, but I don’t prefer to look artificial, so I most likely won’t! I think it’s stunning on other people though.
Questions will be the same for my nominees!
Lastly, I’m thankful to receive the Versatile Blogger award!
Rules:
Acknowledge the person who nominated you by thanking them and posting a link to their blog.
Share 10 interesting things about yourself.
Nominate 10 more bloggers. (You may want to let them know that they have been nominated by commenting in one of their posts.)
Ten Things About Me:
I have two Pit Bull-Boxer mixes that are the sweetest dogs you will ever meet!
I have an Angora Rabbit named Waffle and a Calico cat named Smick!
Coffee isn’t a beverage to me. It’s a routine.
Most of my family is from Canada!
My favorite food is a burrito bowl from Chipotle! (FYI, I order a few extra tortillas. They normally just give them away… then I get 4 or 5 burritos for the price of ONE!)
I’m currently a Pre-Nursing Student
My favorite movie is Gran Torino
I used to want to be a mechanic like my dad!
My boyfriend is honestly my best friend.
I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters! (Including step family. I only have one brother and one sister from the same parents!)
So, I want to that Jelenah again for nominating me for these awards! You are so sweet and I think you deserved every single one of them.
As you may have noticed, I’ve had multiple posts mentioning Jake, my boyfriend. He’s actually my photographer and co-editor of this blog, and I thought this would be a fun way to introduce him.
I’m so thankful to have all 6’4″ of his love and cuteness. I’m so thankful for all the support he’s given me, despite the lack of support I’ve gotten from others. For the record, he has never given me an ounce of negative feedback and I’m so grateful to have him on the other side of the camera this time!
Just some background, we were high school sweethearts and are starting college (together!) next week. I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else, as we have a super healthy relationship. If you want to see more of Jake, or you want more elaboration on our relationship, just email me your request or comment down below!
Lastly, I want to add that this was Jake’s first time in front of the camera for a video, so he is a little shy and is normally a little more open.
So this quick post is just on how I like to study. Whether it’s a Bible study or just prep for a test, I find this method the best way to knock out any task.
I’m also going to link my favorite video on studying tips that are unique, and I often don’t use all of them. These are the methods that work best for me and are tried and true!
I am one of those people that used to be a slacker and then more recently (as in my junior year of high school… I’m now a college freshie) fell in love with education. This means, I’m going to give you the most effective, in my opinion, ways to help!
If you know me, you know I actually love to study. Something about the supplies and the smell of a fresh new textbook gets me all warm and fuzzy inside… which is so weird. It brings me to my first method though.
Pre-Study Preparation
Method 1 part A-
I find hyping up the study session really works to motivate me. I honestly lack motivation, so this is super important for me. It isn’t about just sitting down and then applying tips… you have to really want to do it in order to get productive. So, for me, school supplies and stationary gets me super excited. I KNOW I’M NOT ALONE! If you’re this type of person, here’s what I do. I get my absolute favorite pens out, I grab an adorable notebook (1,2), and I clear my desk of all the clutter. The excitement of using my favorite pens and a cute notebook keeps me motivated, while the empty workspace gives me a clear mind. This normally works for me for about a month until I have to buy new stationary to revamp the excitement, and that’s one of the best tips I have. Spoil yourself with this! It’ll give you a reason to want to study.
Part B-
If you don’t care much for stationary, just find a nice work space that is not your bed. NEVER study in your bed if you can help it! Once you have your clear workspace, grab your favortie snacks or candies and place them beside your text. I find this works better than if you were to place them on the text for milestones (like this) because first of all.. ew. If you’re using a used book or a school-distributed book… you’re putting someone’s dirty hands in your mouth. But secondly, it makes the actual text harder to read, and you may actually just skim through the text and not retain the information just to get to the candy.
If you like both methods, great! Do them both. The more you do to make yourself look forward to the session, the more likely you are to really spend time to retain the information.
Method 2
This one is really simple. Grab your favorite drink from Starbucks (or Dunkin’ Donuts if you’re into that) and take it to your study session. If noise doesn’t bother you, you could even study at your own Starbucks. Actually, there’s a 2 story Starbucks in Charlottesville, VA (home of UVa CAVS! WA HOO WA!) That has a study nook that is SILENT. I fell in love! This way you could buy yourself a cakepop for every large task you complete (calorie overload but WHO CAREZ, CUZ EDUCATSHUN). However, if you’re not fortunate enough to have a quiet Starbucks… I wouldn’t completely recommend sitting down. Just hit up the drive thru!
Method 3
Lastly, if you’re at home to study, light a candle! And no, you may not burn your favorite Leaves or Mahogany Teakwood from B&BW. Try some new, unfamiliar scent! First off, you may find a scent that just knocks Mahogany Teakwood off the shelf (who am I kidding? Not possible?) but more importantly, I read that studying around unfamiliar scents or tastes can stimulate a part of your mind that allows the information you’re taking in to be retained along with the scent/ taste. If you’re in a dorm room that allows wax warmers, I totally recommend Scentsy warmers and waxes. Seriously, I have a million and one of them. (I currently don’t have a consultant. My mom used to sell, but if you happen to be a Scentsy consultant, email me and I’ll link you as well as purchase my products through you!)
The Study Session
First tip: put your phone on do not disturb and away from you. I know it’s painful, but it’s the most effective way to actually get things done.
Method 1:
BEEMINDER! This website just helps a ton to keep you focused with multiple methods that may work for you. (I’m not sponsored. I totally love this site!) More information will be mentioned in the video below.
Method 2:
Setting 45 minute timers (or however long to fit the task) with 10 minute breaks in between. This is a pretty basic tool, but this is where it gets really intense. Take a sheet of paper and every time your mind wanders, add it to the paper. At first you probably will need more than one page, but this allows you to tackle the urgent tasks during your break, and even pinpoint exactly what to take care of before going into your session. Most times, it’ll be stuff like “check phone. check phone. call grandma. check phone. pizza? check phone.” So you’d most likely call your grandmother and check your phone during your break.
Method 3:
Association. This works best for vocabulary or terminology in my opinion. For example, I used this in high school when I took Health Science 2 and wrote, for example, “mandible” on a note and stuck it to my tooth paste because your mandible is your jaw. It helped a ton.
Those were my top 3 ways to tackle study sessions. In my opinion, it’s all about how you feel when you go into the session. Most of the actual tips for studying I got below in the video! Hope you enjoyed!
Hey y’all. Yet another serious post… sorry! Today I wanted to talk about something that really has haunted me throughout my life, and I hope I can reach someone’s heart with this. Throughout my life, there has been a huge mix of Atheist and Christian influence in my life. For example, my mother and father are both Christians, but they divorced when I was younger and they both remarried people who don’t choose to follow Christ. Now, I want to say that I’m not resentful of their decision in any way. This just highlights my point that it shouldn’t effect your relationship with Christ, or whoever you worship for that matter. In my case, criticism is something wish I could say didn’t occur. If my mother and I would steadily go to church, it caused issues. Nevertheless we did, but eventually the disagreement got to the point where I was at a crossroad. Either I could worship at home and keep peace, or go to church and keep fighting. I want to add that I still to this day try to show Christ’s love to him. I love him tremendously as if we was my father, and I want you all to know that the way he feels about religion has barely an effect on our relationship as a whole. Regardless, I chose to keep peace and worship at home. God wants us to devote our time to him, and that’s what I try to do. I know some may have a differing opinion similar to that of Daniel in the Lions Den, where I should defeat all doubt of Christ no matter the consequence- and I agree. I could fight. But I won’t… because I’m not Daniel. I’m Stephanie. And I worship the Lord Relentlessly, peacefully, and whole-heartedly. I dedicate the same, even more, time to him as I would in church. I recommend a few things if you find yourself in a situation like this.
Devote every ounce of time you can to the Lord, no matter the circumstance.
The Bible is personal love letters from God himself to you. They are meant to speak to you in more ways that comprehensible. Cherish these words.
Whether you choose peace or not, show the love of Christ to those who has unending love to even those who can’t understand it.
It’s okay if you are in this situation. Some people aren’t able to wrap their minds around the Love of our God. That’s why it is so important to be God’s servant and express love to those who don’t understand. Even if it’s hard, don’t be resentful. Just love them.
carolina coquette 