Back to School - Organization tips

It is once again the start of a new semester and that means getting our lives back together after the holiday vacation and having to be an adult again haha. Here is what I do to get organized at the start of every semester.

Source

1. Always have a planner. I have been preaching this since I started my blog. I feel like one of the most essential tools in staying organized is a planner. You can use a paper planner, which is what I prefer, or you can use the calendar on your phone, or the plethora of apps out there designed for saying organized and on track. I'm currently testing out a few.
      *Look at your planner every day. This is where a lot of people fail, a planner isn't of any use if you don't utilize it.

2. Have at least one tab, or folder, for each class. My personal preference for organizing papers or handouts is through the use of a good old 3-ring binder. But, I know many people prefer to just use notebooks and folders. Regardless, I think it is important to keep the handouts and notes for each class separate so that way everything is easy to find, and you aren't digging through a jumbled mess of papers later.
      *This being said, if you are using a binder, I would suggest keeping one of the in-binder hole punchers handy so that way you can hole punch everything on the spot.

3. Use the syllabus to your advantage. The first thing I always do at the start of the semester is go through and look at the due dates. Most professors put an assignment outline/calendar on the syllabus which, although is subject to change, is one of the best tools the teachers can give you. I always go through and write the deadlines in my planner so that way I have all my dates in one place and can be able to plan ahead.

4. Have the right tools. I usually always make sure I have a couple different color pens and highlighters. Also, make sure you go through your pens and make sure they all work because I have done this on the first day of school, going to use a highlighter and having it not work.

Hope these tips help, let me know what your back to school routine is.

Good luck,
Kimmie

Ramen, Paniq Room, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Getting Sick

I just got back from a mini vacation down in LA. I got to see my mom and sister, friends I hadn't seen in a long time, my high school teachers and co-workers from Northrop, went to my favorite restaurant, and was there for my friend Lelaina's 21st birthday.

It was a lot of fun and I was super excited that we got to go to Paniq Room. Essentially you are locked in a room with a theme and you have to solve clues and find the key to get out of the room within an hour. I thought I wasn't going to be good at it because typically I am not good at puzzles but I had the time of my life. I really encourage everyone to check it out. My best friend and I are wanting to go to the location in San Francisco. They did a segment about it the Hollywood one we went to on the news which you can check out below.

I am incredibly happy I got to see my mom because this was the first time I had gotten to see her since the end of June, and it is actually the longest I've ever gone without seeing her,my sister, or my aunt. We went to go see Star Wars together since my mom and sister hadn't seen it yet.

Also, my sister took me with her and her friend to go see Mystery Science Theater 3,000 doing commentary on the movie Starship Troopers. For those of you who were like me and have no clue what MST is, allow me to explain. Basically three guys watch a movie and will make funny comments throughout it as the movie is playing. I was laughing the whole time and they have a slew of movies that they have done this for.

I am glad though that I am back home with my kitties and my own bed. The annoying part is that I started coughing a lot yesterday and have had a killer sore throat since I woke up. But all in all it was a really fun 5 day vacation and I am so happy I got the week off work to relax.

I hope you all are doing well,
Kimmie

What's on my Mind - Free Write

Its 12:08 in the morning and I was sitting here thinking about what to write. I have a list of things I want to create posts on that pertain to my "blogging niche" college, life, makeup. But for some reason I couldn't think of anything, I was simply staring at a blank page. So I decided just to tell you what was on my mind, to just type and see what comes out.

Life scares me.  I am not at all good with change, and as I am coming up on what should be my last semester in community college, I am forced to face the inevitable changes that will take place in my life once more. I have placed my application for only one college, the one CSU closest to me, a risky move I know. But now that I have moved so far away from home, living in a new city and forced to start all over, I really don't want to relocate again. I'm scared that I won't be able to make new friends, that I'll be overwhelmed.

I feel so lost in my life right now. If you asked me what I wanted out of life a couple years ago, I could have easily told you where I wanted to go to college, grad school, what my majors would be, and what I wanted to do career wise and in Job's Daughters and in Demolay. But know I don't know. I feel like all my dreams have abandoned me. I still want to serve as Grand Bethel Girl to the state of California, but I feel like my chances are running out. My bethel is struggling to stay open and we haven't been pulled for a slot in quite a while.

I feel like I'm just drifting from day to day, surviving and trying to figure out where I stand. I feel like I am questioning everything in my life, wondering if I am doing the right thing? What choices should I make from here? Am I where I want to be? Where do I want to be? Thank God for my boyfriend being so understanding and always reassuring me, because we just hit three years, we have been fighting a bit recently due to how much stress we have both been under, and self conscious, anxious, able to jump to worst conclusion me, is even questioning our relationship thinking that "oh we are at the stage where most high school couples break up."

They all make it sound so easy when we are in high school. Go to college, graduate, get a job. No one ever tells you how to handle all the bumps in the road, the twists and turns, and the self doubt that gnaws at your mind. The world expects us to be so grown up and sure of ourselves, knowing what we want and how to successfully be an adult when, in many ways, we are still kids in our own rights. Figuring out the world, taking hesitant steps into adulthood, stumbling and falling. Someone should really write a manual for this insanity we call life.

Alright, well if you are still here reading this, I appreciate it. Sorry for any grammar errors, I was honestly just typing whatever came to mind. Let me know what content you guys would like me to post more of or if you have any suggestions for me. I hope you all have an amazing rest of your day/night and I wish you luck on your journey.

- Kimmie

Happy New Year!

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe night. I don't know about you, but I am incredibly happy 2015 is over. It was a very rough year for me with a lot of ups and downs and things going wrong. I am hoping things will just be ok for a while, or get better.

I don't want to focus on the negative things right now, instead, here are some of the good things that happened this year:
- Made new friends
- Moved to a new place
- Gotten mostly A's and B's in school
- Gotten better at makeup
- Celebrated my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend (and got a new years kiss)

I will be starting what should be my last semester in community college in two weeks and in the mean time, waiting to hear back from CSU Sacramento, fingers crossed! My goals for this year are just to work on myself and improve my state of living. Being more active with cleaning and exercising are at the top of the list along with doing well in school. I want to stop putting up with people who hurt me and remember that it is ok to be selfish when it comes to myself and that it is ok to put myself first.

I don't want to make and super specific or crazy difficult goals for this year, but I want to have just a few guidelines to work with. The only real specific goals I have are to read 20 books, and take some fun fitness classes like dance, because I have been wanting to do that for a while.

What are your new years goals? Let me know, and I wish you luck with them.

Take care,
<3 Kimmie