Ending The Year Off Right

The end of the school year is fast approaching... Everyone keeps asking me how many weeks are left. Honestly, I don't even want to think about that at the moment! I still have 2 papers to write, 1 midterm, 1 presentation,  and 2 hours of research participation to do - and that's just before exams!
Around this time people really start feeling run down, exhausted, and ready for summer... Unfortunately, it's not time to pack away the books just yet - for now we just gotta keep on working, and get through the next 2 months.
Here's a few tips to make the last part of the year a success!

1. Don't Start Slacking
Because it's getting towards the end of the year, people are starting to slack. I've noticed other people doing it, and I've seen it a bit in myself! Right now is the time to work harder, and get things done. Papers will be due soon, and exams sneak up faster than you think. I know it's hard with no motivation, but dont slack off yet, you can get through this!

2. Start Thinking About Exams
My exams start about the second week into April, and while that seems pretty far away - in reality it's not! Even if you're just looking at your notes for 30 minutes a day, it's better than leaving it all until the last minute. Start organizing your notes, print off practice tests, and make sure you have everything you need to study and ace your exams!

3. Think About Your Summer Job
While it's not directly related to school, it's still a big thing that you have to worry about! In the midst of preparing for exams and writing papers, make sure that if you're looking to get a job in the summer, you start looking ASAP. Summer jobs go fast and if you want a good one it's best to start looking early.

4. Talk To An Academic Adviser 
If you're not quite sure as to what you have to take for next year, if you have questions about your program, or if you just want to make sure that you're prepared - then go see your academic adviser. They will make sure that you're on the right track for everything, and if you're not, then they'll help you make sure everything is in order.

5. Know When Move Out Day Is
If you're living in residence, or renting a place, make sure you know what day you need to be out by. For my school, if you're not out of your room on time then you're charge $100 for each additional day that you have to stay. Since most of us are broke students, make sure you know the dates and times that you have to do things by. Make sure that you have transportation to go home as well! It might even be helpful to start moving things home now - if you know you're not going to need something for the rest of the year and you're taking a trip home, it could be a good idea to bring it home as well.

6. Don't Forget To Still Have Fun
While I keep saying to make sure that you're on top of your studies, also make sure that that's not the only thing that you're doing! Put some time aside to have a little fun! St. Patty's day, anyone? If it's your first year like me, then make the best of it and do all of those things that you keep meaning to do before your freshman year is over.

Anyway, that's it for now! I need to go try and make a dent in my pile of homework.
Stay smart and make the best out of the end of the year! :)

Dorm Room Workout

Today's post is going to really relate to the title of the blog - surviving the freshman 15. My roommate and I recently decided that we were going to try and get in shape, so we started doing this workout called the 30 day shred. Before I actually talk about this, I just really want to stress the idea that doing this isn't about losing weight and getting skinnier - but getting healthy. A lot of people confuse the two, but there is definitely a difference. You can have a super skinny person that is completely unhealthy, just as you can have a bigger person who is 100% healthy. The idea behind us doing this is to try and kinda of counteract all of the bad stuff that we are forced to eat the the cafeteria.
Anways, the 30 Day Shred is a really great workout for a number of different reasons.

1. It requires minimal equipment. In the video the people use light hand weights, but if you're not quite up to that yet, my roommate and I started by just using water bottles instead.
2. You don't need a lot of room. Our double room is extremely tiny, but we still have enough room for both of us to do it at the same time. Even if you're pressed for space, you can still do it.
3. It gives you alternative ways to do the moves. Throughout the video it'll show you two different ways to do most of the moves, one person will be doing the advanced version, while another will be doing an easier version. You can mix the two together, or just stick with one - it all depends on your level.
4. It only takes about 30 minutes. Personally, I find it really hard to try to fit in time to work out into my schedule. What makes this video great is the fact that you can do the warm up, exercise, as well as the cool down stretches all within 30 minutes.
5. It mixes different kinds of exercises. Instead of just giving you a strength workout, this combines cardio as well as abs to give you optimum results.
6. It starts easy then builds up. The idea of the 30 day shred is that there are three different levels to it. You start out on the first, which you do for 10 days, then move on to the second, which you for for 10 days as well. Lastly, you do level three for the last 10 days. Each level gets progressively harder, but it doesn't do so in an outrageous way.

Really, the workout isn't that bad... And that's coming from me. I'm a total workout wimp, I can't even run for 5 minutes without feeling like i'm going to pass out.
I just thought I'd share this with everyone. If you have any question about it, feel free to send me a message.
Also, if you want to download the videos for it - leave a message and I can send you the link where you can download it for free :)

Have a nice day!