After a long semester at school, it’s important to reward yourself! Congratulations! You did it! Class after class, roommate drama after drama, and somehow you made it out alive. It’s almost hard to believe that a whole semester passed. Now it’s summer and you have a few choices. You can either spend the next few months “winding down” and rejuvenating. Or, you take a breather, rest up, and spend your summer working, saving up, or getting ready for the next semester—trust me, it will be here before you know it!
So how do you decide when break time is over? You survived your classes and a break is obviously in order. You need to veg out and watch a little tv, raid the fridge and see your friends. But when should you roll out of bed and get back to business? And how can you make the best of summer, combining the best of both worlds—fun and productivity?
I have a mental checklist to keep my summer moving. It keeps me honest and helps remind me that even though I would love to spend every waking hour sun bathing by the pool, it might not be the most practical thing for me!
I would recommend making a list of the different things you want to accomplish this summer—think of it as a bucket list of sorts. It will help you prioritize and highlight the areas you need to focus on this summer.
You don’t have to follow this list, but here are a few ideas.
Do something for yourself. I call this the “Pool time regime”. My guilty summer pleasure is hanging out at the pool. It gives me a chance to relax, gather my thoughts, and of course, soak up a few rays! (Don’t forget your SPF!) Your summer getaway doesn’t have to involve water, in fact, you don’t have to getaway at all! Just make sure to schedule a little time for yourself so you can regroup and recharge from the semester.
Next, get a job. It can be painting, or mowing the lawn. You can sell lemonade, or ice cream. Be a lifeguard, sell shoes. Whatever it is, just do it. Summer is a great time to relax, but no one needs THAT much time to do nothing. Dust off your resume, put on something nice and go searching. Maybe you want to do an internship, or a co-op. Or maybe you want to stay low-key—I’m not joking, a lemonade stand in the right climate has huge potential! Just make sure you don’t spend all summer trying to perfect a body imprint on your couch. A part time job will give you the freedom to make your own money, stay busy during the day, and if you’re lucky—time off at night to hang out with you friends and family! It doesn’t sound thrilling, I know, but it really shouldn’t be optional. Future employers will look at your resume—if not this summer, then soon. They will ask you about the gaps in employment and you might want to prepare a better answer than, “well I felt like the pool was more fun!”, I wanted to try that, but everyone advised me against it so I’m passing the memo on to you!
Third on your bucket list: Family Time! I don’t know about you, but I miss my family a lot during the year. I decided to go out of state for college. I only go home a few times a year. When summer rolls around I’m thrilled to see my family! It can seem boring going home—You’re in college now, obviously a “real” adult! But don’t take these brief visits for granted. Before you know it you will be a senior in college ready to move out on your own and all you’ll want is a home cooked meal and fresh laundry. It may knock you down a few pegs on the freedom ladder when you go home for summer—yes, now you have to actually let your mom know you won’t be home until 2 A.M.! But, enjoy it while you can.
The last tidbit of advice I have for you to keep your summer feeling great is to work out. Don’t let the hot weather and smaller clothes fool you. You still have to keep moving and stay active if you want to stay in shape. Make sure you are drinking water and getting enough exercise. It will make you happy and keep you feeling good. Summer tends to be a “lazy” season for some college co-eds, don’t let that be you! Play outside, take a walk, jump rope, or swim laps! Staying active will not only benefit your body, but will keep on track for when school starts up again.
Summer will come and go before you know it! Make sure you are keeping busy and doing more than just watching summer reruns. If you stay busy and make the most of your time off, you may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish!
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Prealgebra
In the blink of an eye we went from January to April. Now, on the brink of yet another summer, college co-eds everywhere are forced to take a long, hard look in the mirror and face the facts. Winter is over, spring sprang, and now summer is staring us dead in the face.
We can’t cover up with coats, or blame the “post spring break” lull for the dust settling on our dumbbells! Second semester is not only in full swing, but sadly folks (or happily for some), we have a few shorts weeks left to wrap up another term. So how are you going to get into tip top shape in time to hit the beach? (Or pool, or puddle, or however you are planning to stay cool this summer…)
This time of year isn’t so much about losing weight as it is about feeling great and being confident. It can be difficult for some to slip out of the sweats and feel comfortable wearing shorts and breaking out the flip-flops. Of course, that excludes the brave young men who wear shorts year round—rain, sleet, snow or sun.
To make the transition from shy in sweats, to confident in whatever you wear, it might be time for a workout shift! If you’re anything like me, after your spring break routine paid off, you took a little break. You indulged in a few sweets, and decided to take a few days off from the gym. A few days turned into a week, and a week turned into a few more. How did I justify not going? Well, isn’t it obvious? It was all too easy to excuse away the laziness… “I’m tired, I’m busy, I have sooo much work, I’ll go tomorrow, I walked around campus A LOT today, etc”. The excuses could go on forever. But all that stops now.
We are tired, we are overworked, and we all know we’re ready for a little fun in the sun. So ease into fitness slow and steady—it will pay off in the long run. We all know how exercise lifts our spirits and can put us in a good mood. It’s a double win. You can kick start your fitness, and round out the semester feeling and looking great—who knows, it could even help you focus and prepare for your finals!
Here are a few easy suggestions on how to get moving and get active!
First, consider investing in a pedometer. I swear by mine and use it everyday to track the amount of steps I’m taking. It’s amazing to see how active (or inactive, cough, cough) you can be in just one day! A good goal, and one I’ve seen in various ads and fitness campaigns, is 10,000 steps. You can go higher or lower, run them or walk them, but either way you get yourself moving and compete against your worst excuses. You won’t be able to say you moved around when you really didn’t! Talk about accountability! Pedometers can range from simple to superstar. And lucky for us college kids, there are pedometers out there for every budget and price point!
My second and slightly smaller fitness tip is drinking water. Before spring break I was basking in H2O and drinking every drop I could get my hands on. For lent and the Easter season I did my best to stay away from soda, but once spring break and Easter came and went, I somehow cuddled up once again to my favorite physician, Dr. Pepper. But if you want to drop the sluggish feelings, and constant need for naps, I would trade your 20oz of fizz for some much needed water. Carry a water bottle to class and challenge yourself to drink so many bottles a day—my goal is at least 5! Your skin will thank you and your energy is sure to pick up. Plus there is something so refreshing and clear about water. There definitely won’t be any guilty conscious feelings after you indulge in a little H2O!
Whether your gym savvy, or scared to get on a treadmill, summer fitness isn’t something you need to shy away from. Make a commitment to get back to your fit and ready ways—either by hitting the weights, running in the sun, or just getting off your tush and getting a few much needed, and craved steps in for the day!
-RingQueen
Summer is nearly upon us, meaning the box office will be jam packed with new releases. After a long day of interning or on a not-so-beachy weekend, here are some must-see movies to pass the summer days away (and spend some of that hard-earned cash!).
1. The Avengers
Is anybody not excited to see this film, set to release on May 4th? Honestly, what more can you want? We get some dreamy actors, like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth, a creepy bad guy trying to take over the world, and a ton of action. It’s the summer’s ultimate must-see!
2. The Amazing Spiderman
This movie makes Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman look lame. In a re-make of the series, adorable off-screen couple Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield work to save the world from an evil lizard man. At the very least, you should check out this flick on July 3rd to see which Spidey you prefer.
3. The Dark Knight Rises
Yet another comic book hero making the list, but you all know you’re dying to see this one! Christian Bale takes on Batman for his final film of the trilogy, facing Bane (played by Tom Hardy) and a new identity as the enemy of Gotham City after he took the blame for Two Face’s Crime. Christopher Nolan surely has another epic film on his hands, hitting theaters July 20th.
4. Prometheus
Prometheus is for those of you looking for a new, chilling alien flick. A team of explorers, including Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace, find clues to the origins of mankind that leads them to a race to save Earth. Legendary Ridley Scott directs what looks to be one of the most intense, jaw dropping, action packed movies of the summer. Find Prometheus in theaters near you on June 8th.
5. Brave
Looking for some animated fun? Brave is Pixar’s latest masterpiece, following the story of Princess Merida whose bravery and profound archery skills (like Katniss Everdeen!) are the only hope to break her kingdom’s curse. This redheaded heroine is sure to capture our hearts. Brave comes to theaters on June 22nd.
6. Dark Shadows
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have teamed up again for a vampire movie that has nothing to do with Twilight. Barnabas Collins, a man turned into an imprisoned vampire by a jealous witch seeking his love, is finally set free into the 1970s. While the witch continues to vie for his affections, Barnabas must protect his family against her evil ways. Catch this flick on May 11th!
7. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Did you know the 16th President of the United States found vampires lurking around and took it upon himself to hunt them down? Another film by Tim Burton, we’ll surely see good old Abe in a new light with some magical twists and turns. See history like never before on June 22nd.
8. Men in Black III
Ten years later and we have a new installment! This 3-D alien loving flick will bring Will Smith to the past looking for his beloved side kick, Agent K, who mysteriously disappears/dies. New weapons, new aliens, and the same old mind swiping will be a nice blast to the past, coming to you on May 25th.
9. Snow White and the Huntsman
Sure it’s not original, but it looks much better than its counterpart Mirror Mirror. Charlize Theron takes center stage as the evil queen, who hires huntsman Chris Hemsworth to get Kristen Stewart’s heart so she can live forever. Before you know it, there’s a crazy war scene going on. This is definitely more intense than the cartoon. You can see it June 1st.
10. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
A more original movie, a couple desperate for a child buries a box in their backyard with wishes of an infant. Presto, Timothy Green is born, and since he sprouts out of the earth, it’s pretty much guaranteed this movie will be full of magic and weird happenings. Learn about Timothy on August 15th.
-ToonyToon
I’m reading New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2010
Tired of drinking on home turf? Looking for a last blow-out with your college buddies before you all go off your separate ways? Plan a road trip! There is nothing like being piled into a car rubbing elbows synching bathroom breaks and sharing moon pies to form familial bonds. You’ll thank me later when you’ve got a full mailbox at Christmastime. In this blog post I’ll talk about the major source of your budget drain, gas, how to make sure you’re still friends at the end (hint, it’s odor-related), and do a quick highlight of a trip planner I found helpful to plan my last epic cross-country trip.
Nothing digital going on here, folks. 250,000 miles and still going strong!
Gas
If your car isn’t digital…
You can be allergic to math and figure out your gas mileage with this link. http://www.milesgallon.com/. Google Maps will tell you your miles, highball the average gas prices, and you will have a gas budget and a cushion.
If you have a smart phone, and you’re not already using the www.gasbuddy.com app, do it. GasBuddy relies on its user hive to report gas prices to help you find the cheapest spot to fill up. It’s a pain-free way to save money on gas. I use it all the time and it’s saved me up to 25¢ a gallon.
To save even more money on gas, there’s a methodology to up your gas mileage called “hypermiling,” the efficacy of which you will only know if you know your gas mileage, which handily, you have already calculated. Some of the concepts are basic, like accelerating slowly after stops, one will make you look silly–turning your car off at red lights. Overinflating tires, another concept of hypermiling, is probably dangerous. I don’t recommend it. Using cruise control to accelerate and decelerate was the most helpful tip I gleaned from my research. The precise and slow incremental changes will increase your gas mileage, and it’s not a pain in the ass on the highway. Hypermiling’s not for everyone but if you’re on a budget, have a full car and a lot of luggage dragging your car down, it might be worth looking into.
Febreeze
You will not be showering regularly, full car, hot summer, you do the math.
Trip Planners:
Though not without their faults, enumerated here: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/travelplanning/userguidefree.htm, these planners have their place. They definitely help with the planning phase and any spontaneous stops that might happen on the way. I mapped my route on TripTik and it looks like this:
This particular route starts in NYC, loops to Las Vegas for the epic Electric Daisy Festival (300 electronica acts and a carnival in one? Yes, please!), swings back through my hometown and drops off friends in Kentucky to ultimately culminate back in NY. This part of the planner isn’t particularly impressive since Google Maps can do the same thing, but the next tab over, Places, I did find impressive. AAA has a huge database of restaurants, hotels, gas stations, campgrounds, events, bars, playhouses, art galleries, etc., and they give away their program for free.
What I love the most about this is it’s like getting the town guides you see in hotels, all in one place with no pamphlets, and you’re never surprised by prices in restaurants. Free Wi-fi is everywhere now (McDonald’s, Starbucks, hotel lobbies) so this ends up being decently mobile even if you’re camping out.
I hope this helps! Be safe, and take lots of pictures!
WonderBread
I’m reading Abnormal Psychology
Moving back in with your parents sucks. After moving into my freshman dorm and gaining a new found sense of freedom, I took a blood oath to never move back home. I did well in school so I’d be able to get a good paying job right out of college. I did so well in fact that I graduated a semester earlier than most of my friends. When I moved back home to start my job search, my best friends still had leases throughout the summer; meaning that I would be forced to live with my parents for two months.
If you find yourself in a similar situation this summer or next semester, here are a few tips in order to peacefully coexist with your parental unit:
1. Volunteer for household chores and yard work
The best thing you can do to keep your parents off your back is to volunteer for the stuff they don’t want to do. If your dad is bitching about the yard needing to be mowed, go ahead and cut it for him while he’s at work. If your mom says that the kitchen floor is filthy, mop it for her. These small acts of kindness go a long way; you’re parents will definitely paint you in a better light. Instead of calling you a lazy bum, they might help you pay the deposit on a new place of your own!
2. Do your own laundry
You don’t necessarily have to paint the entire house or build a new deck to show your parents you can pull your own weight. The easiest way to avoid domestic conflict is to do your own laundry. Your mother wiped your ass as an infant and cleaned the grass stains out of your jeans as a toddler, cleaning up after you has definitely lost its luster. If you really want to impress the folks, do their laundry while your at it.
3. Buy your own groceries
I’m not saying that you should purchase ALL of your own groceries. Free food is probably one of the ONLY perks to living with your parents. I do recommend that you buy all of your own booze. Mom might buy your favorite frozen pizza, but she won’t buy your favorite brand of tequila.
4. Eat at the dinner table
We never ate at the dinner table growing up; I always ate in front of the TV in the living room. If you really want to thank your parents for a home cooked meal, propose that you all sit at the dinner table. You can play video games and ignore your parents all day long if you have a healthy conversation at supper.
5. If you’re looking for a job, keep your parents updated with your progress
Most people are forced to move back home for financial reasons. If you are in between jobs or just starting to look, keep your folks in the loop with your progress. I know job hunting is very frustrating, but try to apply for new positions every week. Your parents will inevitably ask you about it, so you might as well be proactive and be one step ahead of them.
Fox
I’m reading Business Law Today
