Why I Joined Alpha Phi Omega

Coming into college, I was as frazzled as any other freshman. I had moved a lot in my life so I had become accustomed to having to make new friends. But college is different, because everyone is trying to make new friends. In the first few weeks, or even months, of college, you meet a ton of people you call friends. People on your floor, in your classes, you sign up for 1001 clubs at your campus club extravaganza (campusfest as we call it here), and your Facebook blows up with friend requests and your twitter following doubles.

I was one of those people. My freshman year roommate was random, but we clicked super well, and were instantly great friends, and I don't think I would've made it freshman year without her. My best friend from high school also went to college with me (not on purpose though), but I was looking for something more; sisterhood. Yes, my APO journey begins when I rushed a sorority.

I'll save the details, because that's another story all together. But my freshman year put me in a dark place. I didn't find the sisterhood I had hoped for, and had been through a lot in my personal life. I felt hopeless and homeless going into my sophomore year, because although it was a rough sisterhood, I still knew I could knock on the door to my sorority house and my sisters would be there for me, even if they didn't like me.

But, I had heard about APO, and figured it was my only option; once being initiated into a Panhel sorority, you couldn't join another, and to be honest, I didn't want to.

So I went to my first recruitment event; which was desserts with APO. Classic, really, and always my favorite event. As soon as I walked in, I felt a sense of belonging, as if this is where I needed to be. I looked around the room at the diversity of people, tall and short, boy and girl, different races and religions, all laughing and legitimately enjoying being with one another. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I had never seen anything like it. And I haven't since. Thinking about it now, I'm tearing up, because I knew at that moment I had found my true home. After the initial presentation of what the requirements are, all that, some brothers shared stories of APO, and I was jealous of the experiences they had all had already, while I felt as though I was already wasting my time in college. I left that room that night feeling something I hadn't felt before, true brotherhood and as I would later learn and appreciate as a historian, I was surrounded by men and women that had a passion to change the world.

Now, Alpha Phi Omega is a coed service fraternity, with it's legacy being built on our founder's idea that war is not the answer to the problem, and it is important to hold its members on a high standard of manhood, serving the world and bringing peace to all. It sounds super dramatic, but I tried to sum up a lot about our founding very quickly. Up until pledging, I had never done a lick of community service. I participated in Dance Marathon my freshman year, standing for 32 hours, but that was it. In my 19 years alive, I had only done 32 hours of service, which looking back now absolutely astonishes me. Why you may ask? Because APO instilled a passion for service in me. Like about 80% of people that join, my main reason for joining was friendship. I never imagined the love of service it would should me I had. Two things really stuck with me my first semester, and truly solidified why APO was the place me. 

First, every semester we hold an event called Rockathon, where for 12 hours a day for three days, we sit in rocking chairs and collect money for an organization. How do we pick the organization? Brothers present organizations near and dear to their heart, and the chapter decides, and the orgs are almost always organizations that aren't well known, for example, in the past we've raised money for our local domestic violence shelter, the local humane society, ALS, and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. My first semester, however, we were raising money for Baskets for Care, an organization that puts together baskets for those going through chemo for breast cancer, and I was so moved because I lost my mother to breast cancer. Then, in November, right before initiation,  participated in my first Relay for Life, which is put on by the college, but is also one of the fraternity's national partners. Since, as I said, I lost my mother to breast cancer, I was distraught, crying hysterically and not able to contain my composure. That night, brothers held me, cried with me, and walked with me, being there for me in ways no one else had been. They shared the pain with me, and I never experienced anything like that before. To this day, it is my favorite memory of APO.

Alongside service, leadership is another cardinal principle of Alpha Phi Omega. I'm not a natural leader. so I didn't think about being in a position in the chapter. There were 100 brothers, all much more qualified than me. I had ran for positions in my pledge class and didn't win, so I assumed it was destiny and figured I'd play my role as an active, since we have a common saying, "you don't have to have a position to be a leader." However, my passion for APO pushed me to run for pledge ed after my second semester. I've already told the story, so I'll spare the details, but after losing twice, I won on my third try. Recruiting, educating, and helping 41 pledges with two other girls was so hard, so much more rewarding, and taught me so much about myself and who I am as a leader. It gave me invaluable leadership skills, like teamwork, patience, delegating, how to deal with criticism, time management, the list really goes on and on and on and on and on. These are skills I only learned because of APO; no other organization could provide me with the position and opportunity. My recent trip to Pittsburgh for the national conference gave me so much advice about how to handle life post-graduation. How to help my career path, how to network, how to perfect my resume, interview tips, again, the list goes on and on. APO constantly offers opportunies at multiple levels that I have taken advantage of on how to become the leader I want to be. This semester even, I'll be earning my LEADS certificate, which offers 5 leadership courses on conflict management, finding your leadership style, event planning, and so much more.

Our last, but certainly not least, principle is friendship. Thinking about what to write, so many memories filled my mind, and I could talk about APO for hours, but I could talk about the friendships I've made in APO for days. I don't know where to end, but I know where to begin; my family. My big, my littles, my grandlittles, and now, my great grandlittle, are all the most wonderful women in the world. Being with them puts me in my happy place, and they are my inspiration. They're my best friends, and they all have a special place in my heart (hi best damn fam I love you all xoxo). Every time our family grows, I feel more love for a girl I didn't know existed a few months before, and thoughts about how APO brought all of them into my life overwhelms me every time. I could go on forever about my family, because they mean so much to me. However, it's the little fellowships that mean the most. The impromptu times with brothers in dorms, the library, the ice cream parlor, someone's apartment, mostly the office, that truly make your APO experience. I tried to think of some examples, but I had a hard time narrowing down. My favorite in the past year, though, was at nationals. Five of us and two alumni ended up chatting for quite a few hours in the hotel, while we caught them up on what was happening on campus and in the chapter, they told us stories of their time in APO and at BG that had our jaws on the floor. There was the time at a conference at University of Dayton where our chapter led all the brothers in attendance, schools from all over Ohio, to dance and spend hours getting to know each other, having dance battles and making memories. I couldn't tell me how many hours I spent on the fourth floor of the union, just stopping by the office to see people, and ended up spending my whole afternoon laughing and conversing with brothers. Do I even have to mention all the grown up fun we have together?  In my 4 years in APO I've met hundreds of people, all of them leaving a last impression on me. Our chapter has regularly 130-150 people, all willing to help you out whenever you need it, all of whom you can talk to about anything, go to them with your problem, and they'll be there for you. It's a truly spectacular thing to be a part of.

Alpha Phi Omega is unique experience, truly. For me, it pulled me out of my dark place and put me on a path I never dreamed of, granting me with opportunities of a lifetime you'll never find anywhere else. I wish everyone could pledge APO, because everyone has something to gain from it. A popular saying when I joined was "come for the friends, stay for the service." On top of all the amazing people you'll meet, APO strives to build you and make you the best a person can be, providing you with the tools you need to grow as a person, and in turn, making you a person with the drive to make a difference. Your letters make you a better person, a better friend, a servant leader, a person that the rest of the world will look to as someone who change the world. APO is for everyone, and building a strong brotherhood is what we are all about. 

Letters today, leaders tomorrow, brothers forever.

If you are a BG student, and are interested in pledging, here are our events for spring 2017 semester:

With the pain of 2016 behind us and five days deep into 2017, people everywhere are signing up for LA Fitness, trading in those empty calorie beers for clear liquor and locking away twinkies and cheetos until at least February 1st, while the rest of us have whole heartedly given up the idea of New Year's Resolutions completely. I mean, I already disappoint my family by being in college five years, why disappoint myself by failing to lose those freshman 15 I swore I'd lose January 1st 2014, 4 months of mondo and steak escape deep into sophomore year? Although I am happy to announce I did keep my resolution for 2016 - to maintain my bushy and unruly eyebrows - (seriously, what am I going to do when thick eyebrows go out of style? Or thick thighs, for that matte?) so maybe not all resolutions are a total loss.

Halfway through that paragraph I lost sight of what was happening, I'll be first admit it. What I'm getting at, though, is that New Year's Resolutions are a thing of the past. They're rarely kept, and usually unattainable (see 2016's New Year's Resolution's blogpost for more. [Or don't, I'm just here to please the 500 of you that have stuck around through my on an off posting. Shout out to Nay Nay and Diego, I know you're reading this.]) It seems to me the best thing you can do, is make little changes this year that will either set you on course for a great year, or hopefully become healthy habits that will follow you throughout 2017, and even into 2018. 

1. Purge your social media

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with accepting the fact that Melissa from biology in high school posts too many annoying pictures of her engagement ring, maybe one day that'll be you when you stop sitting in bed, eating pizza and watching the Office for the 2349 time and proudly announcing you're in the bad guy house (where my slytherins at?!) and finally find a man (or woman) who will agree to move to Florida with you just to go to Disneyworld every Saturday. But for now, the thought of this girl you haven't talked to since 2010 just irritates you more than anything. So, why not just unfriend her?

For younger generations, i.e. millennials, Facebook has really become obsolete. Personally I only get on when I see a notification from my frat, and I don't even have messenger. That's why, when you decide to clean out your friends list, no one will really notice, so don't worry about offending anyone. Now, if uncle Jim-Bob posts too much about dear old Putin - I mean, Trump - just hide his posts. It's not childish, it's not immature, if you don't like you, you're in control of your own social media platforms, all of them. Unfollow people on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever you use. 

2. Purge your social life

I am lucky enough to have avoided drama since my sorority days. Not saying my sorority was the center of my drama, but, it was. I'm not putting down sororities, because sororities are really truly fabulous, but mine was seeping with mean girls and drama. After essentially cutting my ties, on purpose or just unfortunately becoming distant, with many sisters I surrounded myself with, I noticed how better my life turned out. Ever since, I refuse to surround myself with people that pull me down, create a constant negative energy, enthrall me in never ending drama, etc etc. If you're in the situation where you find yourself constantly trying to justify why it's ok to be friends with someone that puts you in constantly unideal situations, it's your right to cut ties. Delete numbers, stop going to get drinks or dinner, whatever it is. You come first, and the company you keep impacts your habits, energy, health, and well-being. Stop making excuses for their bad behavior and just be done with them. That includes David from Tinder - block him. You're not a bootycall.

3. Clean your space, and keep it clean.

It's worth noting at this moment I have 3 piles of dirty clothes, with another in the wash. All the blankets from my bed are on the floor and my desk is cluttered with makeup brushes and makeup products. After 2 weeks of visiting family and a conference. my room is destroyed. But there's no better feeling than getting it all nice and clean. But the problem isn't so much cleaning it, but keeping it clean. I have discovered a few things I can do that helps me, like keeping my dirty clothes hamper outside of my closet so I'll actually throw clothes in it, creating more storage to store things like books, movies, and pictures, and tucking my blankets under the mattress so it's harder for me to make a mess of my bedding while I sleep, and easier and quicker to make in the morning. I will also clean out my closet and drawers every so often, donating clothes I don't need to putting up clothes not fit for the season, like flip flops in winter and boots in summer. For any space you have, the initial cleaning is half the battle. Finding organizational methods and cleaning habits really help keep things clean and uncluttered. I'm a big believer that if your important spaces are clean. it makes everything in your life easier.

4. Do Good

Would this be a blog spot without me throwing in community service? No, no it wouldn't. Volunteers have generated BILLIONS of dollars worth of volunteer work the past few years, and donating your time is the most rewarding thing you can do. It doesn't have to be big, if you're strapped for time; write cards to sick children in hospitals, spend a few hours at your food bank on a Saturday morning, or just shoveling snow for your elderly neighbor. I think it;s incredibly important to take some time to give back to your community, it helps give you a new perspective on what others go through, will make you feel like an incredible person, and really light a spark in you to want to change the world. In a time with a lot of discrimination, tension, and just general not niceness, lending a helping hand benefits all parties involved.

5. Start a book and/or TV series

Currently, I'm on a Harry Potter kick. I went through books 1-7, the Cursed Child, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them way too quickly.  For brief periods of time, I'm able to escape my problems and worries here in the muggle world and place myself in a world of amazing heroes, enchanting scenery and mind blowing character developments. I'm about to start the Inheritance Cycle for the 100th time, because it's a world where dragons roam and brave men are fighting off the evils of the world.

I tend to have rather dorky taste in books, but that's because I love magic and far away places where the hero always wins. What I want to get across is that books and shows let us temporarily be somewhere else, ease our minds with what is troubling us and see that happy endings do exist (just don't watch Breaking Bad), and giving us something to look forward to when you're sitting at your 9 to 5 or struggling to finish that 10 page research paper. Invest in something that takes your mind somewhere else, when you need to get away from the stress that overwhelms you,

6. Find a new hobby

Or, rekindle an old hobby that has fallen to the wayside. The point is, it's important to take some you time this year. We run ourselves ragged and it's not healthy. Hobbies let us express ourselves in ways we want and gives us the release we need. I'm an incredibly creative person, and am always looking for new ways to express myself in an artsy way. I've moved away from crafting, and started to take an interest in photography and aesthetics. Every person is different, and it's ok to not really know what a good hobby for you is. Try new things until you find something that makes you feel happy and gives you something to look forward to every day, week, or month.

7. Break one bad habit and start one new healthy habit

Someone much smarter than me researched it takes three weeks to make or beak a habit. 21 days of consistent work may seem like a lot, but to stop eating fast food, quit smoking, to start drinking more water or getting to bed at a decent time, is a small price to pay. It's also a great time to grab your best friend and do it together, to keep each other on track and hold each other accountable. It's ok to have days where you fall off the wagon, the important thing is to get up and get back on!

8. Take lazy days

What's the common theme here? Take time to take care of yourself. Every now and then, call in sick to work, skip your Monday classes, and amerce yourself in things that you love and make you happy. Work on that hobby, read that book, watch that show, drop a bath bomb in the tub and soak, it;s important to understand that it's ok to take you time every now and then. Life is fast and if you don't take the time to slow down sometimes you'll run yourself into the ground.

9. Make a memory jar, mood board, or keep a journal.

I think everyone needs a creative outlet, even if you aren't artsy. We all have a little Bob Ross or Andy Warhol in us. Make a memory jar by simply taking a mason jar, and filling it up with quotes, pictures, or memories showcasing what happened throughout the years. Bullet journals are amazing too, and totally personal. If that's too much, many stores sell journals that give you a prompt to write everyday,

10. Celebrate little victories

Little victories are as important as big victories. Glorify when you've worked out every day this week, or you took all the steps you needed. Splurge on something when you finally paid off all your bills. Milestones are milestones, and they're something to celebrate.

11. Be more positive

A bad day doesn't make it a bad life. No matter how many things go wrong, it's crucial to look for those little rays of sunshine; you have shelter, air in your lungs, someone that loves you, or whatever you need to realize that whatever you're going through may be bad, but there's always something good, too. The glass may be half empty, but it can be refilled, right? I'm a pessimist, and I love to make positive quotes as my screen on my phone and laptop, write them on sticky notes to stick around my room, and write a happy quote on every page in my planner. 

Make this year your best year yet! I hope this helps, and that you are able to take at least one thing from this! It's ok not to set a New Year's Resolution, and it's ok to set one. No matter what happens this year, you are in charge of your life, and you can take control of it. 

How I Set Up My Planner

Planner is lyfe. 

But really. I absolutely love my planner, and I don't know how I managed to keep my life together but I started keeping one. There's a huge community of people that really get into decorating their planners. I tried that, and it took too much from my organization, so that I can't really touch on. But I will show you how I set my planner in a simple but efficient fashion, and also the different kinds of planners and how you can find your best one.

Types of Planners

There are SO many types of planners for different lifestyles; planners for moms, planners for college students, planner for high schoolers, etc. Since I am a blog geared more toward the college student, I will be explaining planners that college students would find most helpful, although these can be used for anyone, really.

The day planner. These planners list out your days with hour increments. Most usually go from 7am - 8pm, Monday-Sunday. Some have a monthly/weekly view, some don't. These are for really busy people, because you can plan your day hour by hour.

Here's the DayMinder from Target the cheaper alternative, and the DayTimer, a pretty customized but more expensive option.

The vertical planner. Really, I don't know what else to call this. It's a monthly and weekly view planner, but the week is set up vertically, balled "morning" "afternoon" and "night." These are used a lot by people who really love to decorate planners, because a lot of shops on Etsy sell stickers that let you personalize it. It's also used by many bloggers and YouTubers for that same reason. The most popular is the Erin Condren LifePlanner, but it is pretty pricey. 

The horizontal planner. Again, I don't know what else to call this. It's pretty much the standard planner, and can have a weekly/monthly or just monthly view. These are the most diverse kind of planners, I think, because it can come in all sizes, colors, and varieties. Last year I used a Lilly Pulitzer Planner, but I got a Sugar Paper Planner. The Lilly planner is pretty expensive, but any agenda at Target or Walmart will run about 10$, maybe more maybe less.

You can always personalize a planner on Paper Source. I've never done this, because I never needed to, but I do know people that have them and love them. These are for people that are extremely particular about how they plan.

How I Set Up My Planner

Since I haven't gotten any of my syllabuses yet, I have to show you pictures from my planner last year. I tweaked a bit what I will be doing for my planner this year, but it's pretty similar.

Whenever I buy my planner, I look for three things; a monthly and weekly view, spiral bound, and the weekly views are horizontal without any hours.

Overall Set up:

1. I color code EVERYTHING. Each class I use a specific color (pink, purple, green,light blue, red) and highlighters that almost match, since they don't make red highlighters I use red pen and yellow highlight. Whatever color I assign to my class, I use for my both my planner and notes. It's really helpful in keeping me organized, and also when I'm taking notes it helps me remember better, since color is helpful in retaining information. I generally use my least favorite class on my favorite color, too, because I love using that color, I will take more notes and write more down so I can see the color more. It's a weird tidbit but it helps me a lot.

2. For other activities, like school events or fraternity events, I always use the same color: orange for school events, and dark blue for APhiO events, If there's a coffee date or something small and social, I just use black ink, because there's only so many pen colors in the world.

3. I use a lot of post it notes for my planners. Target has really cute ones for $1 in the dollar section, along with post it flags. Whenever I run out of room in my monthly or weekly section, I will use a small post it to write more down. I also use it to make lists so I can move it around if I need to. Lastly, I use Post It brand large lined post its in my weekly view so I can take notes at my chapter; dates of fellowship events, times I signed up to help with service events, things like that. It's so I'm not wasting time flipping through my planner to find a certain date to write things down. I will copy it down in my planner when I get home from chapter.

4. By no means do I decorate my planner extensively, but there are a few things I like to do. I put my monogram on the front from an Etsy shop called IHeartHoundstooth, and I just love having my monogram on things. Since I have a white planner with gold polka dots this year, I ordered a mint monogram and I'm so ready for it to come in. I also will get cheap stickers for holidays; valentine's day, Christmas, 4th of July, etc. just to spice it up. Lastly, I use a bookmark that I made from a jumbo paper clip, and I hot glued a paper bow on it I got from hobby lobby.

Monthly View Set Up:

I use my monthly view for my important dates, because it's what I can look at it and see all of my due dates and how far away, or close, they are.

1. Whenever I get my syllabuses, the first thing I do is find all of my quiz dates, exam dates, paper due dates, project due dates, and other due dates, and write them in my monthly view. Like I said earlier, it helps me visually see how far away those are and plan accordingly. For exams, paper due dates, and project due dates, I highlight. By all means, quizzes are important, but not as important as the other things. 

2. I never write down that I have chapter at 8:15 on Sundays, because it's ingrained in my brain. But sometimes we have to move it, and when we do, I write it in the monthly view. Since I glance at my monthly view everyday, it's something that I just remember after looking at it all week.

3. I will also write down the home football and hockey games. I like hockey a lot more, but in case I ever feel in the mood for a football game, I have it written down. Along with that, I have big events the school is hosting, like homecoming, parents weekend, or sibs n kids.

4. For bills, I write down what it is on a post it flag and stick in on the date it's due. I put it on a post it note so I throw it away when it's paid. I don't really like to be reminded I'm an adult with bills.

I always suggest making your monthly view for the most important things. You can see it all at once and know how long you have to plan for it.

Weekly View

1. Like my monthly view, when I get my syllabus I write down all my homework. It can take a few hours, but I know I won't have to worry about it afterwards. In college, most homework involves reading, but this is when I'll also write down quizzes I have coming up. 

2. I organize my weekly view by writing each class the day I have it. For example, I have 4 classes Monday; sociology, psyc, and two criminal justice class. When I put them in my notebook, I call them by the class, but abbreviated. For exmaple, since I have 2 criminal justice class, I write one as sem (senior seminar) and ins (institutional and community correction). I really just abbreviate it however I feel like. And all of this is all done in my color coding system, my class and assignment.

3. Along with monthly view, I also write down on the day when my due dates or exam dates are. I will also write down everyday that it's coming up the week before in that class section. My freshman and beginning of my sophomore year it happened too many times I wouldn't pay attention to dates, and now, I do what I can to make sure I'm not missing any dates, or scrambling at the last minute to get stuff done.

4. Whenever I sign up for something in APhiO, I write it down in the weekly view. If I sign up for a service event, fellowship event, or anything like that. 

5. I have the unfortunate luck of having 4 classes on one day most of the time. So whenever I run out of room on a day, I just take a small sticky note and write down any of the above on it. Next I explain how I explain how I use sticky notes for list, but I only use small sticky notes for this purpose.

6. Ok more sticky notes! And lists! Both of which I love. Every night, I make a list of what I need to do the next day on a sticky note. I will stick it on the next day (ie sticky notes of Monday go on Tuesday's day) so it won't interfere with what I'm seeing that day. As I do it, I check it off, and throw it away. On Sunday nights, I make a list of the week, which I stick on the page I'm not currently using (either Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday if it's Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday, and vice verse), again so it doesn't interfere with my exact day. Like I said earlier, I take my chapter notes on a post it that I keep posted on Sunday.

7. Lastly, this is where I keep all my social events, small things like "coffee with little," or "lunch with Keely." I will also write down group meetings or organization related meetings, the day we are meeting and when/where. 

Planners are the best way to keep yourself organized. So, go to Target, buy a cute planner, and help keep yourself on track. Feel free to set it up however you'd like, or copy exactly what I do, whatever helps you stay on track. 

How to Stay Organized for School

I've found out that organization is like some supreme subculture on the internet that I have completely submerged myself in. Organization not only helps me keep my anxiety under control, it helps me keep my life in check, and honestly, it's so fun and is another way for me to be creative. So besides helping you stay on top of assignments and responsibilities, it also let's you take something you need and make it your own. 
Organization is something that can be as simple as you'd like, and is based completely on how you are as person. As I've gone through college I've progressed into organization all aspects of my life, which, like I said earlier, has helped me so much with my anxiety.
So whether you are a beginner organizer or a pro, I have some tips to help you stay organized and successful this semester.
First, it's incredibly important that you have somewhere to write down all your due dates, or other important dates. The best way is a planner (which I will be showing how I organize my planner this week), a desk calendar, a dry erase board, an app on your phone, or maybe all the above. There are some people that do much better with paper, and others who are better with keeping things on their phone. Either way, it's important to have one place to input all your responsibilities and to dos, because there is no way you can remember all the things you need to do.
Second,  you need a place to keep all your notes and papers. I will admit I use to have a bad habit of shoving things into my notebook and planner. But I decided to invest in a file folder and WOW it has done me wonders. I kept exams, labs, handouts, and even my syllabuses in it. It was thin and I could easily carry it around with me. Likewise, I had one large notebook for note taking. I know a lot of people use this, using a 5 subject spiral bound notebook. It's great because it keeps all your notes in one place, there's no worry you'll grab the wrong notebook running to class, and it's good to study between classes, because you have all your notes in one place. But I do suggest the Five Star Flex Notebinder. My roommate used this, and last spring I got one, and although it's pricey, it's a great investment. It's a binder and spiral in one, because it's not bulky and hard like a binder, but it has 3 rings which allow you to easily move papers around. I can't recommend this enough.
Third, keeps things together. Have a backpack and pencil case that you carry around on campus. I know this sounds like common sense, but I do frequently see people walking around campus just carrying their books. When you have one place to keep everything, you won't be losing anything or leaving anything anywhere. It's important to keep these things clean. all too often I just leave gum wrappers or shoved papers in there and it got me in the habit or doing the same with all my work. Maybe at the end of the week on Sunday night go through and clean it all out. It'll keep it clean but you may also find some papers you need and forgot to file away!
Fourth, keep your desk and workspace clean and organized. I often say that if something is dirty, I can't focus and I'm stressed out until it's back in order, and my desk is no different. I spend a lot of time at my desk, and it's an important part of my room. Having trash, papers, school work, cups, whatever, cluttered all over your work around makes it hard to concentrate. Along with keeping it clean, make it cute, but functional! Make a whiteboard out of a picture frame or wrap some fabric around a corkboard and hang it up above your desk, it'll keep your organized as well as give it some creative flare.
Fifth, if you do your work on a computer, organize your files. you do it however you'd like, but I will tell you my way that helps me best: To begin, I have a folder with the semester and year on it, ie "fall 2012," "spring 2013," "fall 2013," so I know the semester. inside that, I make a folder for the class, not the name but the index number, like "CRJU 2200," "PSYC 3040," "DHS 3000." Different schools use different abbreviations, but I know what each one means - crju means criminal justice, psyc means psychology, and dhs means research methods. Inside the class folder, I will make folders depending on the classwork. For example, for my psyc 3040 class, I had five folders, because I had five tasks; "case studies," "book questions," "final paper," "resources," "group case studies." So for example, for Monday's we would have to read the chapter and answer the book questions, and turn it in electronically. For Wednesday classes, we had to read 2 case studies and ask three questions for each. Then, twice a semester, a group for have to present a case, so in that folder, I kept all that material. If you take class notes on your computer, the best method would be to start a new document every time, and title the notes the date and subject matter. Feel free to set it up however works best for you, though.
Six, plan your days ahead of time. Especially if you are not a morning person. On Sunday night, sit down and figure out what you need to do during the week; pay rent, return a library book, start your sociology project, and make your list in your planner. Then, figure out what you need to do Monday; read pages 340-390, do your geology quiz, book a room for your sorority, etc. Then, each night, make your list of what you need to do the next day and put it in your planner. It will help you sleep better, because you aren't thinking about what needs to get done, and also you won't have to wake up earlier in the morning to figure it out. 
Seven, post it notes are your BFF. My freshman year roommate had this ingenues idea for writing down her assignments for the week on sticky notes assigned for each day, and hung them up on her desk (the desks in our dorm had large hutches on top with a ledge that make it perfect to see). If you refuse to use a planner, this is your next best option. It's also great to write a quick note to stick on your laptop, planner, or bathroom mirror if you are in a hurry and remember something, I also use them to make lists to stick in my planner, and I had a pad of lined post it notes I stick in my planner to take notes in my fraternity's chapter meetings.

And there you have it! Seven tips to stay organized for college. A common theme in my blogs is to invest in a planner, so stay tuned for my next blog where I go over some planner options, and how I organize my own planner!

How to Prepare for Second Semester

College kids across the nation have spent the past two weeks without pants on, lying in bed binge watching Netflix, refusing to check fall semester's grades and denying the fact that spring semester is fast approaching. 

Me. Too.

But the great thing about a new semester is the opportunity to pull yourself up by the bootstraps, put what happened last semester behind you, and try again.

I want to help get you off to the right start, with some tips and tricks I've researched and done myself, to help make it a successful semester.

Find a Hobby

I decided to start my blog because it is my creative outlet, it's how I destress, and makes me feel like I have one aspect of my life I can control. I don't get many views per day, 30-40 maybe, but I don't do it for the views, I do it for me. So when you are going into a new semester, you need to have an outlet planned already. It doesn't have to be a new hobby, it can be a passion you have you let taper off that you want to pick back up, or it can be something completely new. College is so stressful, and with our generation being constantly bashed for being sensitive, we can often feel as though we have no way out. If you are really suffering from any external or internal issues from your stress, you do need to see someone, but you can also find a hobby. Anyone can do this. It can be anything, too. You can write, work out, paint, or, I highly suggest, starting a blog about what you love. Ultimately, you need to find something that will let your emotions run wild in any way you want, so when school becomes too much, you know you have something to turn to.

Get Into Your Routine Now

I've spent most of break staying up until the wee hours of the morning, but I have 9:30 classes Monday-Friday on the horizon. Staying up late and having early classes are very obviously two things that don't go together. The best way to make sure you aren't struggling to get into your routine the first week or two of school, start now. This can just mean going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, but I would even go as far as to play our the whole routine. For example, if you do a full face of makeup, take a shower and do your hair, or just throw on some cloths and run out the door before your classes, then do that. What I do in the morning depends solely on which day of the week it is, because some days I have one class, but on Monday I go from 9 am to 9 pm. Instead, I practice going to bed early, wake up, and make sure I can wash my face, do my hair, and get dressed by 9 am, in time to catch the bus to go to class.

Plan Your Routine for the Semester

You have your class schedule for the upcoming semester, so it's time to set up a tentative schedule for the week. It will change, of course, but having an idea for the first couple weeks so you don't run around blindly. For example, I want to start working out next semester. I have my class schedule, along with my other things that happen every week; chapter on Sunday, things like that. So I have planned out to work out every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30pm because my classes are over, I have nothing else to do, and free parking starts at 7:30pm. Fridays, I have my workout scheduled for noon because that's when I'll be out of class. I have my study times set up between my class, because I have large gaps in my classes, and my laundry scheduled on Tuesday or Thursday because I only have one class. Although I know this will change, and own't be the same every week, it makes me feel a lot less anxious knowing I have some more structure.

Get New School Supplies

What is it with that rejuvenating feeling you get when you get some new school supplies? No matter how old you are, what grade you are in, or even if you aren't in school, there is no better feeling then opening a new pack of pens. There's also always that puzzling moment when you find out you managed to lose every single pencil you had bought in August. In college, supplies aren't expensive. So if you lost all your stuff from fall semester, or you just want to change it up, go to Target and pick up some stuff. I especially recommend getting a planner. If you've always had one, it's probably time for a new one, unless you use the 18 month planners. I will go into detail in my next blog about using your planner, but it is a great investment,

Clean Up Your Space

With a week left until class start, take a day to deep clean. Organize your closet, clean out under your bed, vacuum and shampoo your carpet, clean out your desk, anything that needs some attention. If you're anything like me, a cluttered room clutters your mind. Whenever my room gets dirty and cluttered throughout the semester, I stress out until it's clean and organized again. Going into your semester stress-free, it's important to make sure your room is not only clean, but organized too. 

Syllabus Week Doesn't Exist

Let's be real, there's no such thing as syllabus week. It's a lie made up to make us think the first week is going to be easy. In reality,  you spend 20 minutes, if you're really lucky, talking about it the first class, the professor let's you go, and you have homework that night. More than likely you'll be taking notes 30 minutes into class. If you haven't figured it out yet, it's incredibly easy to fall behind in college. When your homework is to read, unlike high school, you need to read. So when you have this syllabus week mentality, you will fall behind, and spend the weeks until spring break struggling to catch back up. I spent many semesters doing this, and my junior year spring semester I made myself start my work my first week, and I'm so glad I did. Even take this week to get ahead if you are lucky enough to have a lax week.

Set Your Goals

A lot of blogs talk about setting your goals, but that's because it's important. Setting goals gives you motivation and makes you want to better yourself. So before the semester starts, set some goals you want to achieve. They don't have to necessarily be academic, it could be to join a new organization, or get more involved with one you are currently in. But write them down and stick them somewhere you'll see them everyday. 

As I said earlier, each semester will let you wipe the slate clean. Don't focus on how you did in the fall, just let it motivate you. 

How to Destress from Finals

Finals can break even the most emotionless of souls, forcing them onto their knees in a fit of tears and despair that could be considered the eighth wonder of the world, and it hasn't even started yet.

In recent years college students have reported record high stress levels, and it's only going to get worse. 

Like I've said before, above all else your mental health is the most important thing to focus on during finals week. Below are 25 ways to help deal with the stress of finals.

1. Take a walk

2. Take a nap

3. Listen to some music

4. Dance like no one is watching

5. Go have a drink at a bar. But don't get wasted, that'll only make you feel worse.

6. Have a spa night with your friends

7. Take a nap.

8. Play your favorite video game

9. Do some volunteer work. The humane society is always looking for cat cuddlers.

10. Have a movie night with your friends or significant other

11. Skype/call your friends or family 

12. Indulge in your favorite hobby.

13. Watch funny YouTube videoes

14. Play an instrument, if you know how to.

15. Get some coffee and read a book in your favorite coffee shop.

16. Look for activities hosted by your university. Many will host events to help Destress during finals. 

17. Surf the Internet. Or browse Pinterest. 

18. Retail therapy. My favorite, but don't go crazy and spend more than you have. 

19. Do some yoga or meditate
20, Take some Buzzfeed quizzes
21. Clean your room/batheoom/whatever is dirty
22. Take a shower and wash your face. Bonus points if you shave.
23. Cook a homemade meal.
24. Order some Chinese takeout.
25. Do something you've put off.

Don't put finals before you, everybody. College is hard, everyone understands that. Do what you need to do to keep yourself sane and healthy!

A Thank You Letter to my Pledges

To all my pledges,
In the Spring of 2014 I ran for pledge educator, and lost. A brother said to me, "don't get discouraged, you're still a great active brother and it's just not your time." So I ran again in the fall of 2014, I lost again, and it was even more devastating the second time. I never intended to run again, because I didn't want to face the let down of losing again. But the same brother and one more brother pushed me to do it. I was worried if I lost again, I would lose my APO spark ,and not want to be part of the chapter anymore. But I ran, and when the SAA came out and told the chapter that me, Jenna and Kayla won unanimously, all I could do was scream. I got lots of hugs that night, and the one brother that had been behind me the whole me the entire way said me "this is your time."
As soon as we won, the pledge eds got together and started work to make this be best semester of your life. All we wanted was to make sure you all felt right at home in Alpha Phi Omega, and would strive to be the brothers everyone would look up to. As you probably know, from day one we were stressed. It seemed that every move we made caused problems, nothing seemed to go right and no one seemed to be happy with what we were doing. But we kept going, because you were our only priority. After pledge ceremony, we were all so giddy about what a fantastic pledge class we had. We were so proud and overjoyed to have such great pledges. I looked forward to every single Monday night, to see all of you and know you more and more. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt like the parent to 41 college kids. I wanted to see you all succeed, I loved you all for who you were, and on top of it all, I was, and still am, so damn proud. 
Your pledging semester is hands down the hardest semester in your APO career. But every single one of you handled it like a boss. All the while I was going absolutely crazy. Things were piling up, more things were going wrong and it seemed like everyone was against us, except you. All the texts and conversation, all the facebook messages and written notes about how great we were doing, that our hard work never went unnoticed, and how lucky you all were to have us as pledge eds. I can't put into words how happy those made me, more than you all will ever know. 
It was you all the kept up my passion and morale for this position. Watching you all get initiated was one of the best moments of my life, and I have never been so overcome with happiness. Looking back on it, I'm so glad I lost, because this semester was my time. I wouldn't trade the experience you all have given me for the world, and with the semester ending and your first active semester beginning,  I have faith that you all will change this chapter for the better. There is no other group of fantastic men and women that I would want to have guided and taught, and learned from, than the pledge class of fall 2015. I may have been your pledge educator, but all taught me how to be a better brother, and how to not take life so seriously.
Love,
Samantha

Tips on Studying for Finals

This is it folks. The dreaded finals week. Since we are halfway into dead week, hopefully most of you are unlike me and have started studying for your finals and as I'm sure you already know, multiple sessions of short studies help you learn much more than trying to cram the night before or the day of. So based on 3 and a half years of college experience, science, and pinterest, I've complied 8 tips to help you ace your finals

Get Comfortable

Now, I've been told (by my eye doctor nonetheless) to actually make yourself uncomfortable while studying so that you won't get tired. I tried this multiple times and it was an awful idea. If you wear uncomfortable clothes and sit in an uncomfortable position, you will not be able to focus, and all you will focus on is how uncomfortable you are. Personally, I love my leggings and oversized sweatshirts, and wear them on a daily basis, but it's also how I'm most comfortable when I study, if I were to wear jeans or tshirts I would lose my mind. I also can't sit on the floor, in a bean bag, etc. I have to be at a least desk. So find how you are most comfortable and that's when you'll be your most productive.

Find What's Best for You

I put this next because it fits hands in hand with the idea of being comfortable. There are two parts of this. First, it is finding where you study best. It could be in the library on campus, your student union, in your room at your desk, the kitchen table, in your bed -- there is something where you are most productive. I have to be on the quiet floor in my library, or if they are closed, my desk in my room (though not ideal). If you already know where that place is, you're halfway there. If not, it's important to find this place, because your productivity and motivation will go up. Second, you need to find how you learn best. There's a lot of ways, including flashcards, copying notes, reading your textbook, a combination of some, the list goes on. Some ways may take longer than others, but if you are studying in a way that doesn't work for you, it's a waste of time. This is something that takes time. I didn't discover how I learn best until the end of my first semester sophomore year. But it is crucial to your college career to learn how you study best. Once you have found your best place to study and how you study best, your studying will become easier and more effective.

Move Around

I have this amazing ability to fall asleep wherever I am. Folks I've fallen asleep on gravel and concrete, so falling asleep at my desk is a piece of cake. Actually, just like week I did just that and awoke 2 hours later with Zira cuddled up on the base of my neck. College kids somehow manage to function 32 hours on 2 cans of red bull and a cup of coffee. But when we crash, we crash hard. So don't fall asleep while studying! Get up and move around! Stretch, go to the bathroom, whatever you want to do, but just don't stay sitting just studying for hours on end. You will also start to lose your focus if you just sit there for too long, and once you lose that, you're pretty fucked.

Take Breaks

This goes with moving around. It's important to take breaks every 15-20 minutes or so. Not the long 2 hour - 2 week long breaks, but spent a few minutes on your phone, twitter, insta, to give your mind a break from calculus or geology. You're going to get burnt out very quickly if you try to study for 2 hours straight.

Write Things Our Instead of Typing

According to scientists, you will retain information when you write it down instead of typing it. This may be a tip to carry into your note taking if you take notes via laptop. To begin, laptops can be so distracting. I've rarely taken notes on my laptop because I know I will get distracted, I even distracted when the girl that sits in from of me in Geology online shops or is on pinterest the whole time. Second, although you will memorize better, you will not be able to conceptualize as well, and in college, most professors will get you on your ability to conceptualize than how well you remember. When it comes to applying that to studying, here are a few ways: First, if there is a study guide, write it out by hand instead of downloading it on a word document and filling it out. Write down the question and the answer, I do this and it has saved my ass. Second, a good way to study if paraphrasing your notes. So, if you are paraphrasing your notes from your laptop, write them down instead (if you are paraphrasing from written notes, you are already probably doing this.). Lastly, if you are someone that takes notes from the book, just highlight the book and write down the important things.

Chew Gun and Write in Color

Two things I have always heard is chew gum while studying, and chew the same gum during the exam, as your brain will link the two together and you will preform better. I can't really attest to this because the only time I don't have gum in my mouth is when I'm sleeping or eating, so I can't see a difference. Another thing I've heard is to take notes and write in color. I color coordinate my life, all my subjects are assigned a certain color. This is suppose to help keep your brain focused and help you remember things. Personally I couldn't imagine my life without my colored pens and highlighters.

DO NOT CRAM

I said it once and I'll say it again; DO NOT CRAM. Staying up all night before will only make you tired and you won't remember anything. You will learn a lot better by studying in small increments for a period of time before. 

Get Rest, Understand You Mental Health is Most Important

Above all else, you need to remember that your mental health and well being are the most important thing. Trying to cram for your exams, studying for hours on end and constantly stressing over your finals will wear you down. Almost all campuses offer a counseling center with the fee included in your tuition. There are also many articles you can find online that will give you pointers on how to deal with your stress and anxiety in a healthy way. It's also important to get you sleep, at least 8 hours a night. Sleep helps you function better, helps you keep your focus, and will feel refreshed and motivated to study. 

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final stop before Christmas break. So go out with a bang and show those finals who's boss!