My Monday Morning Ritual

Happy Monday! I've decided it's time everyone stops beating up on Monday - just because it's the first day of the week and the end of the weekend doesn't mean it's all bad! It also means a fresh start and an opportunity to get ahead of all your work for the week!

In order to show you how awesome Monday's can be, I'm going to share my Monday Morning Ritual with you (:

Step 1: Wake Up! Every Monday I try to wake up around 8 AM. I know it sounds early but rarely do I go to bed super late on Sunday and if I wake up early, I feel less rushed getting ready.

Step 2: Caffinate! I get up and make myself a cup of coffee. Another perk of my 8 AM wake up call is that I can actually sit down and enjoy my cup of coffee in a real mug and listen to Spotify's Morning Acoustic. There is no better way to start your week! 

Check out the playlist here!

Step 3: Get ready! By 8:45, I try to be up and in the shower. I always put together a decent outfit for Mondays. Ditch the yoga pants (or running shorts) and put on a pair of jeans if nothing else! You'll feel so much more productive. 

Step 4: Plan your week! After I'm ready (and usually while on my second cup of coffee), I sit down and look at my planner and map out my week. What nights do I have meetings? When am I going to the gym? What tests do I have? Once I know the big things I have to get done in the week, I make a list of all the little things that have to be done by Friday. Then I know what to work on when I have some free time. 

Step 5: Make lunch! Shame on me but I'm not a breakfast eater but I always take my lunch to campus on Mondays. I have a long (3 and a half hour) break between my classes and I try to always go to the library to get started on the small tasks that I have to do. When I take my lunch, I don't feel tempted to procrastinate and go find food else where in places I know I'll run into sisters. 

Step 6: Go to class! Your first class on Monday is always the hardest class to get to because it marks the official end to the weekend but once you make it, your other ones are easier to get to. 

How do you do Monday mornings? We'd love to hear in the comments! 

Start the Semester Strong

Well first semester has come and gone and we are officially done with those classes - thank goodness! I know one of the biggest goals for this semester for many people is to maintain grades better than we did last semester. I have a few tips for to help kick off the semester!

During the first week of classes, go ahead a print off your syllabi for the semester and mark all of the important dates that your teacher gives you or really any dates your teacher gives you into your planner. Don't have a calendar? Utilize the calendar associated with your school's email address.

Bookmark the websites you will use most in the semester for completing school work and un-bookmark sites like Pinterest and Facebook. If nothing else, this helps you stop procrastinating by reminding you of homework regardless of the temptation of other internet sites.

Look at your class schedule and figure out where you have breaks to make it to the library to study. When you make the habit of heading to the library now, it makes it so much easier to wander that way when you feel unmotivated to get there.

Good luck in your classes! What are you taking this semester?

5 Things to Look Forward to Over Thanksgiving Break

I don't know about you but this week before Thanksgiving feels like the longest week of the semester. Some would argue that the week before the end of the semester is worse but honestly, we have finals so I don't think it even compares to this week where you don't feel productive at all.

One thing that almost always helps me get through long days or long weeks are things to look forward to! Here are the top 5 things (though there are countless more) that I am looking forward to next week.

1. Seeing my family. I haven't been home since the beginning of August and let me tell you that it is so incredibly rough. I have plans to shop with my sister, catch up on favorite TV shows with my dad and my mom and I are hair salon bound the day I get home.

2. Catching up with old friends. My two closest friends go to a different school and while we try to see each other during the semester, somehow our schedules never seem to align. I use my week home for Thanksgiving to spend time with people I love. 

3. Going shopping on Black Friday. For those of you that don't know, the shopping in Statesboro is essentially obsolete. I can't wait to take advantage of my mall back home to find a dress or two for winter date nights and a few comfy power outfits for finals.

4. Eating all the incredible food. It's Thanksgiving. Enough said. 

5. Saying no to school work. Now unfortunately, I will have to do a little bit of studying for finals but I am looking forward to vegging out instead of blistering my fingers in the library. Hello Netflix, here I come. 

How to Cope with a Terrible Schedule

It happens to the best of us...

We get excited to register for class and have the perfect schedule and then... Bam! The class is full before you even get a chance to sign up.

You wind up with 8 AM Chemistry followed by 9 AM Calculus and so on.

You have a terrible schedule and you just do not know how you will deal with it! Take it from us, it is do-able! [after 3 semesters of 8 AMs, I know what I am talking about] With these few tips you can survive the "semester schedule from Hell"

Tip 1: Take a deep breath and tell yourself it is going to be fine!

Tip 2: Create a rewards program for yourself! Each week you survive, treat yourself to a mini shopping spree or nice dinner!

Tip 3: Write out all your classes in an agenda and take note of all the free time you have! Take advantage of this free time by working out, meeting friends, or even catching up on some reading. You will soon feel grateful for the free time you have!

Tip 4: Find a person, notebook, wall that will listen to you complain. Then, take a few moments to just get all your complaints out. Having a few minutes of "pity-me" time can do wonders. Just make sure to limit your self pity to one thirty minute session a week and then follow with a self motivating session!

Tip 5: Remember, it is only 5 months and then you have a whole new schedule!

We promise that following these steps will help you cope with your schedule and if you need a little more help, just refer yourself to Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream!