Best Packing List For College!

Going off to college is a huge, exciting change! There is so much happening, sometimes you dont even know where to start! I know I definitely overpacked when I left for school and my poor parents had to help me move all of it around! Here, i want to share with you what is essential for you to bring to college and some insights that will help make packing a whole lot easier! We will talk about whats good to pack by area, like bedroom, closet, kitchen, desk, bathroom, backpack, and car. Lets go!

Lets start with items for your bedroom…

BEDROOM

Bedding for a Twin or Twin XL bed. Check with your housing/apartment complex to see which they provide. Twin XL and Twin beds are very different, one sheet will not fit the other! Twin XL’s are a bit longer but thats about it. Consider the average weather while you will be there. If its sunny and 85 all the time, you don’t want to bulk up on blankets. If its going to be snowing and cold 80% of your time there, bring more blankets or get a very cozy comforter and material that will hold heat better, like flannel.

• Comforter- I thought I had bought a twin comforter but it ended up being a queen, so I could have totally brought my blanket from home. I love being wrapped up so I was okay with the extra blanketness!
• Sheets. Heres a 5 piece bed set from Amazon
• Pillows (sleeping and maybe decorative, 1 or 2)
• Pillowcases
• Bed topper- Super important if you want to save your back and actually sleep well! Get a 1 inch mattress topper, preferably memory foam. Anything over 1 inch is even better! This will help your quality of sleep and comfort so much because some beds are old or indestructible. These are not synonymous with comfort. Trust me on this one. Here is Amazons choice for a bed topper
• Small fluffy/fuzzy rug to make your small space a bit more homey and comfy. Sheepskin rug from Amazon
• Bed risers- Sold at Walmart for pretty cheap. most complexes wont let you take cinderblocks in to raise your bed. Helps with increasing storage room. Round hole bed risers found here
• Underbed storage- If you choose to put your bed on risers you’ll have more room to store things. May have to buy after you raise your bed to see what will fit. May be a cloth zip up box or plastic bins. Varies according to storage space available under your bed! Best Seller on Amazon right here
• Wax warmer and/or essential oil diffuser- I love the sound of the diffuser at night and usually they change colors which is super relaxing at night! Wax warmers are also super fun and are perfect to get the right vibe and feel in your personal space!

Got this lil dude at Walmart for super cheap. Very sturdy when plugged into the wall and has a nice glow. Sure to make any small space nice and cozy and smelling wonderful!

Bought this at a wax warmer and diffuser outlet in Provo UT, same suppliers to Walmart. Changes colors and speed settings. Very homey and has relaxing sound when turned on. Perfect for making your apartment home!

All purchased at Walmart, Definitely under 10$ each! Super fun and cute pillows to make your space fun and comfy. The emoji pillows are also the best road trip pillows!

Now lets talk about your closet!

Closet space is going to be extremely different everywhere! The main thing I would rely on though is that there will probably be few to no drawers space. Mostly hanging and shelves. To me, that means little privacy if you are sharing a room! So here are a few tips:

CLOSET

• Plastic three drawer organizer- very prominent at Target and Walmart. Some are extra wide and low, some are tall and skinny. Lots of options for your space. Buy when you get to your apartment. Easy to store undies, bras, socks, and more personal clothing and care items. Buy more than one too!
• Thin plastic hangers- You want to utilize your hanging space as much as possible, so the thinner the hanger, the more clothing you can cram on the rack! Hangers with plastic nubs on the shoulders or velvet hangers work well to not have clothing slip off. TJ Maxx, Ross are the best place Ive seen for selection of thin hangers. Find velvet hangers here
• Shoe storage- Find a place to put your shoes! In such a small place that you share it will get messy! No one wants your shoes by the door either, so they have to go in your small room. Find hanging shoe storage for your door or get a rack that will fit in on the floor somewhere.
• Laundry hamper- make it multipurpose for a hamper and a carrier to the laundry room and back. And durable. Mine fell apart in 3 weeks. Lame. Heres a plastic collapsible basket and here is a cute fabric one that will both work perfectly!
• Jewelry organizer
• Duffel bag- for packing, easily collapsable and wont take up space afterward.

Kitchen and cooking packing…. This one is difficult.

Let me say this first. You don’t need as much as you think you do when it comes to packing your cooking items! And you don’t need to buy it all brand new either. Or all of it before you leave even, because you can acquire more items as you advance as a single student cooking for yourself. I bought a lot of things new to go to school and i regret some of that. Some things i thrifted too, and i was super happy with that! One thing to remember is that your items will be in a community living area of the kitchen, so if you don’t want your things to get snagged, don’t bring quality items and don’t bring items that look like what everyone else has. If you thrift items, you can easily customize them without fear of ruining a more expensive item. Let me show you what I did…

KITCHEN

• Cutlery- I thrifted some cute forks, knives, and spoons and then personalized them by spray painting the ends of each of the handles with colors I liked, and finished with a clear coat. I had unique cutlery that I liked and no one would get it mixed up with mine!
• Rice cooker- super easy and convenient. Rice is cheap too when you’re a college student on a budget.
• Mini Crockpot/Slow cooker- I LOVED my slow cooker! I would throw in some frozen chicken breasts and broth and come home a few hours later to a nice little home cooked meal! It was seriously so easy. Since the pot was smaller, it made it easy to not cook too much food for one person, it had just the right portions for a meal and some leftovers. Little prep for very yummy food. Heres a cute small one
• One good sized pot- You really don’t need more than 1 medium-large pot
• One multipurpose pan- a pan with high sides makes for a small pot and large pan. Still make pancakes but still warm up some sauce if needed!
• Strainer/Colander- you’ll be eatin’ a lotta pasta honey!
• One large measuring cup- a Pyrex measuring cup that holds two or three cups total with markings.It cuts down on space as opposed to stacking cups.
• 4 Corelle plates- These are very common at the thrift store! I happened to get mine at Walmart because my mom told me to get them because they are very durable, perfect for a mobile and not gentle college life.
• Cups-find cute ones at the thrift store or wait to acquire some at school
• Small plastic cutting board- sanitary no matter what you are cutting and requires no care. OXO is a good brand and has a great one here
• One or two good cutting knives- 1 big, one small. One smooth, one serrated. Here is a super bright and colorful set
• Dish towels- find a unique pattern you like. TJ Maxx or Ross are a good choice to pick from. “What the fork is for dinner” towel set!

Still hvae the same Walmart pot that I had while on campus. used it for everything while cooking! Hot chocolate, pasta, sauce, rice pudding, ramen noodles, soup…. All of it!

Now for some study and desk tips.

DESK

• Printer- I hated using school printing and I had my own printer. Best thing ever. Heres the same one I took to school with me
• Favorite pens and pencils- Don’t go for cheap exactly here, find what you like and buy it. You’ll be writing a lot so its okay!
• 3 hole punch
• 5 subject notebook- I started using these because each class doesn’t need a separate notebook and I took less notes than I thought I would. I took about 4 or 5 classes too so it worked out.
• Laptop
• Laptop case- snap on case for Mac AND a soft sleeve for transport in your backpack! If you have a PC a soft sleeve will do great. It will extend the life of your laptop a long time. Heres the same one I have on my computer now.
• Bluetooth mouse for laptop
• Sheet protectors
• Nice resume paper- if you plan on applying for jobs.
• printer paper
• college ruled notebook paper
• tape
• stapler
• blue tacky gum- hanging up pictures in your dorm
• white toothpaste- fill in holes in your walls left from tack holes
• 2nd computer monitor- if you’re using excel or Photoshop or any big, in depth programs, you can hook up your laptop to it for more monitor space.
• Desk top lamp- preferably with different light settings for different times of day while studying.
• Noise cancelling headphones- drown out noise from roomies and rock out 🙂 Amazon has great inexpensive options, they don’t NEED to be Beats!

I bought a laptop cover and keyboard sleeve for less than 20$ on Amazon and its working amazing to keep my new laptop from getting scratched! Super easy and cheap addition to make your electronics last longer and hold up well. Apple products re very customizable externally.

BACKPACK

• GET A NICE DURABLE BACKPACK OR BAG

Ive had this backpack since sophomore year of highschool (2011) so over seven years! Its gone all around the world with me and still works perfectly. Absolutely no holes or rips or anything. Could probably need a good hose down and wash but its good to go!

Thats all I have to say about that. Don’t want it falling apart and don’t want to have to buy another bag while out there and you don’t have much money. Jansport with a leather bottom was the best for me. Amazon has a lot of amazing options too. Heres the Jansport options

CAR

If you are taking a car to school, how exciting!! Not everyone gets to do that so that is amazing! Heres a few things that are a must to have in your car/for your car.

• JUMPER CABLES- put them in your car NOW!! Your car will die at the most unexpected time and someone else may not have them. Buy some now and put them in the car trunk.
• Car air freshener. Buy a few trees from Walmart or get a small container that fits in a cupholder, poke some hole sin the lid and place a few wax melts on the inside. When the car warms up it will melt the wax and your car will be smelling wonderful!
• Outdoor blanket- might want to go for a picnic or sit outside and it good to have if you have to stay in your car for whatever reason.
• Extra water and snacks- if you go on a little trip and are stuck in traffic, you’ll have some backup supplies!
• Extra charging cable for phone- cable and cigarette lighter insert.
• Flashlight
• Hand Sanitizer
• Extra things you forget all the time! Personal for you- me, I have lotion, chapstick, mints, pads and tampons, car charger, pen, sunglasses. Just some ideas.

Along with all these practical packing ideas, Id also encourage you to find a couple items that are YOU to take with you that can help you have fun, be a conversation starter, and help you make friends. For example, I brought a volleyball, a longboard, and a horse head mask to college so I could have fun with others, have some me time, and have a funny thing to talk about and mess around with, with my roomies and friends. Don’t forget to be yourself at school and also create yourself to be who you want to be!

There! Thats the list! As I said before, this is a list for things you might not think about when packing up for school. It’s not a complete comprehensive list, but it will get you going and give you some tips on where to start! Keep in mind your climate and your amenities included in your living situation and try to keep it minimal and frugal. Have a great time at college and make the most of it!

Please comment any other suggestions you may have from your own experience or anything major that you think was left out of this article. I would love to make sure its all on here! Share this post with a friend or family member who is going away to school, or a parent thats helping pack a kid up! Thanks for reading!

 

 

Deconstruct a Video

Today I wanted to “deconstruct” a video to show how there is so much thought put into social media and online video content. The video I will be talking about is on this page by Womens Health. It is an article about the benefits of taking BCAA’s as a supplement while training. The video is halfway down the page and talks about how to read nutrition labels on the foods that we buy.

Strengths and Design: The first thing I noticed was that the video definitely uses the rule of thirds in the layout of the video. The text in each shot takes up about two thirds of the frame, either horizontal or vertical, and the visuals takes up the last one third. Another strength in the video is that there is a lot free flowing white space. There are not blocked corners and the background seems to flow nicely without being choppy. The color scheme is very integrated and simple as well which adds to its appeal. The video is very informative and supplements what the reader is already looking at in the article.

Weaknesses: One thing I noticed that is a little odd is that the video is about food and health but the colors in the video are not complimentary to that. Blue is not a great color to incorporate into food related subjects because its not an appetizing color. From our human instincts, if you were to come across something edible that is blue, it most likely has gone bad, like meat or mold. I think the video could have had more red, green, and yellow in it so that it seemed to be more food related when first looking at it. McDonalds does this, everything is red and yellow, reminding us of warm yummy food. I do understand that the video is about food labels so its not QUITE about food but its close enough. Appetizing colors could pop up when giving an example of healthy foods and labels that go along with them.

The video is trying to show off quick information about reading nutrition labels so that you can benefit for your health. I think the clean design and the uniform color scheme adds to this idea of being neat and clean about your health. The main thing that will show that this video is successful is how many views there are on the article and how many times it has been shared on social media. Since it is an in house video and not published on Youtube or social media its kind of hard to determine that.

Overall I thought this was a really cute video and one I enjoyed watching through to the end. I think its a great example of a native video for a health and fitness website, it holds some great ideas.

Deconstruct an Article Promotion

Today I wanted to talk about article promotion and show you a great example I have seen on Instagram. Article promotions are like the only links I will click on these days! I don’t mind reading articles about things I am interested in, but as soon as it hits to an advertisement or learn more tab, I am OUT!

So the great example of article promotion I wanted to share is by a company called “HudaBeauty” run by beauty pro Huda Kattan. She is the face of her brand and is recognized by makeup lovers all over the world. And I mean all over the world for a reason because she promotes her makeup tips and tricks as well as products in English and Arabic, so she has a pretty far reach in the market. I love watching her Youtube videos and seeing her articles promotion posts on Snapchat, she does a wonderful job in directing traffic to her website. She gives off a genuine feel in all that she posts. She also promotes her makeup tricks through her Instagram. Most of her posts are showing off other peoples work with her products but occasionally she will post her video of a tutorial or a makeup swatch or how a new product works. She then will put the link to that expanded post for her website in her biography link in her Insta profile. This is just the nature of Instagram that live links can only be put in the profile section, not the actual post itself. So here is here latest post about How To Clean False Lashes

As you can see, she posted the How To video and the link is inherently bio. When you click the link it follows to her website where the original post is. Heres the link if you want to check it out followed by the site screenshots. HudaBeauty

So I think she did a great job with promoting her Instagram and website. The Instagram video is in her site article and the Instagram page links to her article. I would say her social media channels are all interwoven and that is really important. That is definitely a strength in how HudaBeauty shares their posts. Her image is consistent across the two sites. She keeps her color scheme of black white and pink with Huda Kattan being the main person. Some weaknesses I see are that the posts is pretty short on the website. I think there is more info about how to clean the lashes in the video than the actual article so its almost redundant to have a whole other article about it on the website. I think the fact that her article is short could be a strength and a weakness. I know I like her other articles because they are short and to the point and not painfully long or repetitive, thats why I like reading them. In this case though, the video has more info than the actual article. When posting a video in an article I think the article should expand on what is shown or talked about in the video so that they are complimentary. I also like that on her site there are relevant related articles suggested on the sidebar and at the end. There are no ads for random clickbait sites and I really appreciate that. I also don’t know if this is a strength or weakness but I think it is strange that the title of the article is different on the site than what the title of the video is on Instagram? Like shouldn’t they be the same? What are your thoughts on that?

Thanks for reading and hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration for your next round of article promotion posting! Thoughts and comments are welcome below!

Deconstruct a Brand

Bath and Body Works is a great brand! It’s the spot you want to avoid walking by at the mall with your wife because this store just draws all women into it.

So to talk about the brand…

Some of the brands strengths are that their logo and design is instantly recognizable. They have a blue plaid print bag that all purchases go home in with pink text of the company’s name. This is shown in their Facebook profile picture. The pink text keeps it fun and girly and like its a special purchase. The plaid is recognizable, I think it gives it a “country” down to earth feel also that older women can identify with as well as young girls too. The blue plaid is a refreshing color, a universally liked color, and reaches across ages.

Bath and Body Works is also very consistent across their social media channels. Facebook and Instagram are the most impressive. Their photography is similar if not the same photos ( this could be a strength or weakness, depending on how you look at it ) and they keep their fun and special feeling in both social media platforms

 

Some of the brand weaknesses are that their content is not too varied across their social media accounts. I think that their pink square with text is a little outdated, the text is kind of old. It could be updated to be more modern.

I think the composition of most of their posts on social media have great composition and grid use. The two posts above from FB and Insta have an organized layout, their colors are great on the eyes and unified. It looks like the perfumes are lain out in a diamond array on a grid, so that is great. I think there could be more contrast in their photos, the colors are starting to blend together a bit. There is an obvious color scheme in their recent photo series, pastels and jewel tones in girly colors like blue and pink and purple.

Anyway, i think Bath and Body does a great job unifying their social media and their posts. I think their logo could be updated, as they are updating the design of many of their fragrances and lotions and the years go on. I think they could have more variety in their posts across their channels and still keep them unified. But they do an amazing job showcasing their product and creating an inviting and fun aura around what they sell.

My Social Media Manifesto

Social Media is undeniably a part of all our lives. There’s no getting around it. Even if you yourself do not have social media accounts, the people around you do. Your granddaughter is probably checking her Instagram right now. Your mom is posting about how proud she is of you on Facebook as we speak. Your friend just accepted a friend request from a mutual coworker. You are reading this on this type of social media right now.

So now I have some questions for you… Have you ever thought about how we all interact on social media? Did you ever think to have a plan for how you would act as you surfed the internet? I think if we all had structure to our interactions online, and really thought about how we would contribute, and what our beliefs are about social media and the internet, many things would change. We would see more personal updates from family, we would see more support from friends and family. We would connect more easily with those with whom we have not spoken to in a few years. Fewer hurtful words would be said. Going online would not be as much of a waste of time. You may not have concerns with some of these things, and that’s fine, but I have seen how I could improve my social media persona. I have also been asked to write about this subject for a class but I think it goes deeper than that.

Today, I want MY personal manifesto for social media to be known. It is rudimentary but I know it will help me think about how I interact with you and others online in public internet spaces. If you stop to take time and do something similar I believe you will definitely benefit for the better.

To start off…

My Beliefs:

On social media, I should…

• Be real- I don’t want to portray something that I am not. I want to share my victories and some sorrows.
• Positive- Even when I share content that is serious or negative, I want to point it to a higher ground, see the light in the darkness at some point.
• Fun- I am a funny person! I love making people laugh!
• Worry-Free- I promise not to over-advertise personal ventures or repost too often or spam out my feed. That’s a no-no
• A Way To Reach Out- I want to use my accounts to reach out to old friends better, people  have not talked to in a few years.

My Goals:

I want to…

• Post at least Bi-Monthly
• Uplift others
• Make my content/posts useful
• Connect personally with friends and family better
• Make it personal- I want to put my heart into whatever I put out for others to see and read.

Wisdom:

I have had a few years on social media. I know what I like to see and I know what I don’t. I don’t think my preferences are too different than others. Fewer ads, less reposted memes and gifs, more real updates from real people about real life, and good friends who are always still there for you. Be the kind of social media contributor that you like and see in others! Social media can have a huge impact especially since it is becoming ever more prevalent in our daily lives. Choose Wisely.

These are a few values I have thought about and believe will help guide my interactions and  hope it has given you something to think about as well. Thanks for the read and see you soon!