{Study Time}

The best tea in the whole world!

Finals week is almost here, and so it's time to get studying! (Or, in my case, procrastinating just a little bit longer by creating this post!) But really though, I have an eight page paper due mid-week, and I got started early so all I have left is a conclusion and editing! However, I'm still working on study guides for my other class. And I have work every day - yikes!

So, here is my advice for this finals weekend: 

1. Get started, NOW, if you haven't already. 

That way you can take a few breaks so your brain is not fried on Monday morning. 

2. If you are able, get into a STUDY GROUP. 

They don't always work, but when they do, you end up with multiple ideas and people who got the notes that you missed. Study groups have the potential to be super helpful.

3. Take BREAKS.

Your brain needs them. Trust me, you want to be able to take twenty minutes here and there. And that leads me to...

4. GET SOME SLEEP.

All of the studying in the world does not do anything if you can't stay awake during the final.

Coffee and the occasional energy drink are fine sometimes, but you should not be guzzling them for weeks on end. Do yourself and your grades a favor and get to bed.

5. BREATHE and FOLLOW YOUR GUT.

When you actually get into your finals this week, just breathe. Stressing yourself out entirely will likely make your mind go blank. And if you do not know the answers to every question, that is okay. Just follow what your gut is telling you - it is usually right in testing situations. And if you are in an essay-type test situation, just try your best. It's much better than putting down nothing. 

Good luck on Finals!

You will pull through!

xoxo

{Week of Thanks} Coffee

So close! Only two letters off this time!

With Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, I thought I would take this week to talk about the things that I am thankful for. 

Today, I am thankful for coffee 

(even though the people at Peet's and Starbucks always spell my name wrong). 

It has been a very stressful quarter for me, the last few weeks especially, and I have two long weeks coming up (two papers, one of which is 8 pages, and finals.... do not a happy blogger make.) The  only things that will be getting me through these next few weeks are coffee, determination, the thought of a winter break, and more coffee. 

Seriously, coffee is my savior right now.

What are you thankful for today?

xoxo

Quote of the Week 11/19/2013

"I realized this week that I cannot do it all. So I will choose to do what I can, fabulously." -Clinton Kelly

These past few weeks have been tough: I have attempted to be a good student in classes that are not of much interest to me, I work my butt off at the preschool, and I still want some semblance of a social life, although making out-of-class friends has still not happened, really. I have been in a rut, and it's not like me at all. So I am taking some advice from Clinton Kelly, and realizing that I really cannot do it all. There are so many precious hours in a day, and I should not waste the precious hours of my life doing things that I hate. 

So I am choosing a different path for myself. 

It will be different and semi-unconventional, but that's fine with me because it is my life. 

You only get one, so live it in a way that makes you happy.

xoxo

Quote of the Week 10/21/2013

"Not all those who wander are lost."

 -J.R.R. Tolkien

 I have been a bit MIA lately, and it's not just been on here; school had me completely stressed and it was horrible. I was on the verge of just dropping out entirely. However, I talked to a friend who has been through this before and she told me to look over all of the majors my school has to offer, pick out a few, and she will help me decide on one. Unfortunately, while I loved learning Italian at my community college, it did not translate well at university: the language is all-of-a-sudden way beyond my grasp. 

Anywho, I'm wandering right now... I thought I was lost, beyond help; it was just the situation I was in. I let it take over my life when in reality, it is one small part of my life. So that is my advice this week: step back from a problem that has you entirely stressed, and ask yourself if this is really going to matter in the grand scheme of your life story? Sometimes it is, and I'm sorry for those times, but they make us stronger. But other times, you will come to realize it's not that important. 

It's okay to wander. 

xoxo

First Day(s) of Classes

Last week, my classes began! We only have ten short weeks to learn all that we need to, so I have been reading like mad and trying my best to stay focused. There is a lot of coffee in me at almost all hours of the day.

I have found that success in my classes also has to do with something else: how I present myself. I am a firm believer in dressing for success. When I wear yoga pants and a sweatshirt, all I want to do in class is snooze. And with professors who call on me (supposedly at random) often, I cannot afford to snooze in class. So I will dress for class, even jeans will do, and down some coffee.

And study until I can keep my eyes open no longer.

 

What do you do for success in class?

 

xoxo

Fall Fashion Essentials

With Autumn approaching rapidly, I thought that I would make a list of my personal fall fashion staples, and as summer continues and fall grows near, I'll expand on each of the "essentials" below:

• Cardigans, both lightweight and heavier fabrics for when it's closer to winter
• Button down shirts (white, chambray/light blue, striped, etc.)
• Flannel button downs (great for layering!)
• Black leggings
• Boatneck shirts
• Cable knit sweaters
• Dark wash jeans
• Knee-length skirts for layering
• Tights and knee-high socks
• Scarves. And lots of them. I adore scarves. 
• Riding boots and ankle booties, preferably in cognac brown, but black will do!
• Wellies, preferably colorful! (My favorite pair are red, white, and blue, striped). 
• Ballet flats in black, brown, and a bright color.
• Skinny belts for belting in cardigans, high-waisted skirts or dresses!

What are you stocking up on this Fall? What are your Fall fashion essentials?

xoxo,

Caryn Elizabeth

My Wishlist: Back to School Edition

As August has just begun, so has the back-to-school shopping season. It's one of my favorite times of year. This is because, in true nerdy fashion, I love to shop for office supplies. And a first-day-of-class outfit. I think it's very important to be prepared and well-dressed for your first day of classes. For some, classes start very soon, or by the end of the month. I don't start until the end of September, and I can't wait! So, here is my back to school wishlist for this autumn:

Back to School Wishlist 2013 by darlingdreamer featuring flat shoes

TOMS flat shoes / Satchel style handbag / Infinity scarf / Monogrammed Acrylic Pencil Cup / #ThingsWeLove Pencil Set / Brave New World / May Designs / Lollia - Wish

What is on your wishlist this back-to-school-year?

xoxo,

Caryn Elizabeth

Wow, what a weekend!

So, last Friday was my new university's orientation for transfer students, and while I was expecting to meet a ton of new people, I really didn't meet many people, and besides running into them on campus, I doubt that I'll see any of them again. I may have met more people had I not gone to the wrong major's advising meeting in the morning. -sigh-

So, apparently at my new school, there is a difference between Italian Studies (my major) and Italian language studies (apparently not my major)... So I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day long, thinking I was taking all of the wrong classes, only to find out from one of the student volunteers that I was doing all of the wrong advising all day. 

Luckily, I was sent to the literature and history departments before they left (I cut it really close) so I have all of my classes for this quarter, but I have no idea how to get around school (there's buses to take you around campus, but which one do I take? When do they run?) or which college is which. So things are going to be pretty confusing for the first week or two. 

My mom came for the weekend, though, so I got to spend time with her and my doggies. We went on a nice morning walk on the beach pictured above, and then a friend from home came to visit. The three of us shared the best cupcakes in the world and then went to see the Conjuring.

Rotten Tomatoes

The Conjuring started off alright, particularly since the doll pictured above was involved in the beginning of the film, and the doll alone is just freaky. However, toward the middle of the movie, I thought it was just going to be another mediocre horror movie. It started to move really slowly and went for a lot of cheap scares that just weren't scary. But then, at the end of the movie, things looked up. It got pretty frightening - there were a few laughable moments, but overall, they put together a horror film that was better than I'd seen in a long while. 

Enjoy what's left of the weekend! 

xoxo, 

Caryn Elizabeth