April Report Card

In a way it seems like April just started, but at the same time the beginning of April seems like such a long time ago. Today I am linking up with Kelli from BlimeyCow and She Learns as She Goes. If you missed it, at the beginning of April I posted about my goals for the month and now that April is over it is time to tell you guys about how I did on my goals. The post is here if you missed it.

Finish Second Semester: B+

I almost made my goal of 70's in my computer science. Only one of my courses was below 70. I did make my goal of 60's in my geography. This semester was really tough, and I'm really proud of how well I did.

Spring Clean: A

I got my cleaning done! It didn't even take that long.

Sleep: C

I have been having trouble sleeping lately, so I didn't do as well on this, but I did make an effort.

Book G License Appointment: A+

I booked and paid for my appointment, I may have to reschedule it, but I did book it.

Read at least one book: A+

I finished the first Harry Potter book. And I am hooked on the second one, it feels good to read for fun again.

Keep up to date with Bible readings and devotions: C-

I didn’t do so well with this. I really tried. I kept up to date with my devotions but not my bible reading plan. This is going to be a continuing goal next month.

Get Outside: B-

I did get outside more then I usually do, but not as much as I was hoping to. I'm going to work on this next month as well.

Overall Grade: B-

I think I did okay on my goals this month. I actually really like writing down my goals. It really helps me to get things done. I am so looking forward to May. Make sure to check out Kelli's blog!

Happy Birthday to me

Yesterday was my Birthday! I am now 19, which means I can buy cigarettes and alcohol where I'm from. I'm not going to buy any, but it does make me feel more like an adult. I got to go to church, hang out with my family and Andrew. I had a really good day. Also, I got photoshop! I'm super excited to try it out, and hopefully I can learn enough about it to do cool things with my pictures. Anyways, I just thought I would share that with you guys.

Also, coming up this week I will be posting my April Report Card, May Goals, Current Favourites, and Weekly University Advice. Just thought I would let you guys know.

Modest is Hottest

Have you ever heard the saying "Modest is Hottest"? I've heard it many times. It's a cool saying, but it's hard to put into practice. I don't know about you but I find it so difficult to find shorts that are long enough, shirts that are high enough and still look decently nice. I like my shorts to be knee length and my shirts to be a decent height.

My camp has fairly strict rules about modesty, and I think I do an okay job of following them, but it's extremely difficult to find clothes that follow the rules. Shorts that are knee length are really hard to come by, and when I do find them often they are too expensive. I don't know about you, but $50 for a pair of shorts seems ridiculous. I look at the short shorts and they are only $10. I get so frustrated when trying to find clothes that fit, are modest, look nice and aren't too pricey. Does anyone else have this problem?

Another issue I have is that I'm really self conscious. I usually don't feel good about the way I look. So even if I felt like I could dress immodestly, I probably wouldn't because I'm so self conscious of my body. I know this is a bad thing, and I am trying to work on the image I have of myself. It's a really hard thing to get passed though.

Do you have these problems? Where do you like to shop for clothes? Any suggestions on dressing modestly? 

Advice On: Organizing Course Work

Hey Everyone! This week's university advice is on organizing all of your coursework. This includes notes, assignments, and anything else that you have for your classes.

Of course there are many ways to do this; this is just the way that works best for me.

I organize my work in binders. One binder per class. I put a label on each binder with the course code, the class name and the semester in which the class takes place. These binders have dividers in them to organize notes, assignments, readings, tests and any other categories. I keep these binders on my shelf.

I don't usually take any of these binders to class with me; instead I take this binder which temporarily stores my work. 

This binder has extra paper for taking notes along with dividers for each class so I don't get notes mixed up. I sort out the notes once this binder gets full. This works really nicely for me because I don't have to drag around a super heavy backpack with all my binders, textbooks, and laptop. Instead I just take the one binder, the minimum number of textbooks (I try to pick light ones to take with me) and my laptop. I realized quickly that bringing all of my textbooks with me was really heavy and I never ended up getting that much done anyways.

I type some of my notes; it really depends on the class. If I do type my notes I organize them in folders.

For example:

In my documents folder on my computer I have a folder called University of Guelph. Inside that folder I have a folder called First Year. Inside that folder I have a folder for each of my classes. And inside those folders I have folders for notes, assignments, and anything else needed for the course. This is where I save my documents. 

I know it's confusing, but I find it super helpful to separate things into folders. It saves me so much time when I'm trying to find something.

If you are typing your notes make sure you back them up on to another computer. You don't want to lose those notes that you so carefully took!

Anyways, that’s how I organize my course work. I hope it helps you out.

How do you organize your course work?

Leave A Comment!

Why "Camp Girl"

Showing off my "guns".
 I chose this picture because I'm wearing my staff sweater in it, excuse the silly face.

I have started this post so many times. I thought it would be simple, you know, telling about the place you love the most. However I have found that this proved to be an extremely difficult task. Where do I start? How do I sum up my camp experiences in a meaningful way without rambling on for pages and pages. I have decided that today I will sit down and fully write this post. I am super excited about it. Here it goes.

I chose the title "Camp Girl in the Real World" mainly because of my experience at camp. Camp is a place where you can be silly, and act like a kid, no matter what your age. At camp, you get to be around other Christians who genuinely care about you. The friendships you make at summer camp are so special. Something about working together in an environment without cellphones, facebook, or video games makes you grow so much closer to the people around you.

I have been going to Camp Cherith for 11 years. First as a camper, then as a staff in training and then as staff. I remember I first wanted to go because of the horses. I came back for 6 years because of the activities and the fun staff.  In my last year as a camper my cabin leader encouraged me to take the Camper In Leadership Training program (CILT). So I did. Camp Cherith has an amazing training program. During the course of 5 weeks at camp, 6 at-home bible studies and 1 week internship I learned so much about myself, my relationship with God and how to lead a cabin. I made amazing friends.

CILT was when my relationship with God got real. I started reading my bible more, I prayed more. I understood why it was important. I am so glad I went through the program. CILT was when I made my faith my own. I wanted to go to church; I didn't feel like my parents were forcing me anymore. 

When I became staff I made so many more friends, I loved helping in the kitchen, being a cabin leader and teaching activities. Camp taught me how to be a really great leader. I loved being able to sing silly songs, play fun games and teach my campers more about Jesus. It was challenging, some of my cabins were really difficult. But looking back on it I realize how much I learned from those difficulties.

I haven't been able to work at camp over the summer the past two years, but I have helped out on weekends. And I write letters to my friends who are up at camp. I love camp so much, it completely changed my life. Being in the "real world" is difficult, it's so easy to be a Christian at camp. I remember the fall after my first summer as staff was so difficult. I hated being away from camp. It was all I thought about but then I realized; the real world isn't bad at all. I've made friends at school and university who are just as awesome as the people at camp. I go to church and learn about God. The real world will never be the same as camp, but I have realized that it isn't terrible.

So that’s why the title of this blog is "Camp Girl in the Real World". I love camp. It's probably one of my favourite places to be.

Have you gone to summer camp? What was your experience like?

An Alphabet of Memories

Hey everyone. As some of you may know, Andrew's Birthday was on Monday. He is officially 20! I thought I would share with you part of the gift I made for him. Finding homemade things to make for a boyfriend can be really difficult. Here is one idea I came up with.

It's a flipbook of the alphabet, and every letter has a memory associated with it. For example A represents when we taught air rifelry together.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Here are some pictures from the process.

This was extremely fun to put together. 

Do you like getting home made gifts? what are some of your favourite gifts you have received?

Current Favourites

Do you ever just have one of those days where you keep doing silly things? Well I've had a couple days like that in a row. Yesterday I tried to make coffee without coffee grounds-it didn't work out so well. Today I went out the door without shoes on and wondered what felt different. Oh well. Here are my current favourites this week:

1) Sleeping

I've been pretty tired recently. I think university really drained my energy but I haven't noticed it until now.

2) Minecraft 

I'm currently working on a castle with guest bedrooms. It's super exciting, or at least I find it exciting.

3) My clean car!

I cleaned out my car yesterday! It feels like I have a brand new car! I'm pretty proud of it.

4) White Dress-Ben Rector

I really like this song

5) Outdoors!

I went for a walk this morning to get my plate sticker renewed, it is so nice out! I think I might go for another walk later today.

What are your favourites this week?

Top Ten Best Things

This year I have been really struggling with managing stress. At times it seems like I'm having bad day, after bad day, after bad day. Sometimes it can be really difficult to have a good day or realize how much your really do have. Here is something I did for a little while to help me put things into perspective. The top ten best things that happened today. When I was having a bad day, I would write down the top ten best things that had happened in that day and I would send them to Andrew. This really helps me to put things into perspective. I'm still working on ways to manage stress and tiredness. I become really irritable when I don't have enough sleep or when I'm stressed. Now I had a really good day yesterday, but I thought I would write down the top ten best things that happened yesterday anyways.

Here are the top ten best things that happened yesterday:

1) I went to church

2) I got to see Andrew

3) I played minecraft (for hours)

4) I had McDonalds for lunch

5) I had dinner with my family

6) It was beautiful outside yesterday

7) I didn't have any homework or studying to do

8) I had fun hanging out with Andrew's family

9) I got to sleep in my own bed

10) I wrote a blog

What do you do to help yourself feel better after a bad day?

Advice On: Studying For Exams

Hey Everyone, Happy Thursday!

On Monday I finished my last exam of the semester (WOOT!) And I thought that it would be appropriate for me to share with you my tips on studying for exams. Exams can be a super stressful time, but if you stay organized (that seems to be a theme :P) you can make it though.

Here are the tips:

1) Re-read your notes.

And write down all of the things you don't know! I find writing things down helps me out so much. I like to read through my notes and textbook and write down all of the things that I have forgotten. Using different colours can also be super helpful!

2) Get organized before you start studying.

Get a snack, some water, all your books together. Put yourself in a quiet room and turn off everything that distracts you! (this can be super difficult) If you get yourself organized before hand, you'll already have everything you need in order to study, so you can't make excuses.

3) Make cue cards

I found this was super helpful, plus it allowed me to be a little bit creative. I got to use different colours and make them look pretty, and by writing the cue cards I was studying. And then by re reading the cue cards I was studying more!!

4) Give your brain breaks!

If you don't and you're like me your brain will get overwhelmed and your studying won't be effective. Take some small breaks every once in a while. (but not too many)

5) Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is really important. You don't want to be falling asleep during your exam! Go to bed at a decent time.

How do you study? What are your favourite ways of studying?

Good luck studying if you still have final exams!

DIY: You Have a Message

I love making Andrew little gifts. And he says that he likes them. Here is a little gift that I made for him recently which I found on Pinterest.

Things you will need:

-Black Pen (sharpie, or something similar, with a fine point)

-White Paint

-Red Pen

-Paper

-Glue

-Wooden Clothes Pin

How I Did It:

1) Open up your clothespin and trace around the top (where the message will be)

2) Cut around the traced part

3) Write your message in the middle (no to close to the edges though)

4) Carefully fold the paper in half

5) Pinch the folded part of the paper in the clothes pin so that the edges line up

6) Fold the sides down and glue them to the clothes pin

7) While it is drying, decorate your clothes pin however you please.

Leave a comment below if you have any questions! 

Our Story {Sarah's Side}

I thought that it would be interesting for Andrew and I to blog about how we started dating. Here is my view of the story:

Andrew and I met at camp in the summer of 2009. He taught me air rifelry while I was in the camper in leadership training program (CILT). I had a little crush on him during CILT but I thought that it probably wouldn't go anywhere. Summer ended and I went into grade 10, and throughout the whole year I knew that I liked Andrew but that I was not old enough or mature enough to date, so I tried to push those feelings down.

Staff training in 2010 begins, and I still have a crush on Andrew, but I didn't think he would ever like me back (I'm far to awkward and weird). Towards the end of the summer we ended up teaching activities together. This was fun but also was really awkward for me. I still did not think he liked me. Summer ended and Andrew asked for my cell phone number (which was normal, staff people keep in touch throughout the year).

School started and one day (I can't remember exactly when) Andrew started texting me. We kept texting pretty much every day, and then one Saturday Andrew asked me if I wanted to come to the fair with him. Of course I said yes! I went to the fair with him and his friend Alex (I would later find out that Alex knew that Andrew liked me and purposefully tried to make us feel awkward, it worked). I had a great time. I wrote in my journal later that week "I had a blast. After he (Andrew) drove me home and walked me to the door. J (I literally drew a happy face) I kind of like him. A lot."

We went bowling together once in between the fair and me going to his youth group. He high fived me in between every single shot. I creamed Andrew.

October came around and we had been texting a lot and I kindof thought that he might like me but I was not sure at all. On October 21st (according to my journal) I went to Andrews youth group for the first time. It was tons of fun. When we were driving home, Andrew blurted out that he liked me. Here is what I wrote in my journal, "We were driving back and we had just pulled in front of my house and he said 'I had a really great time tonight' and I said 'Yeah, me too.' And then he said 'I really like you'". I think Andrew was surprised that he had said it out loud. He said that he hadn't really planned anything else to said and that we could talk about it some other time.

That other time was after his youth group the next week. He said that he wanted to date me but he wanted to ask my dad's permission first. (isn’t he the sweetest!) Unfortunately my dad was away for work until that Sunday, so he wouldn't be able to ask until then.

The next day (October 29th) Andrew came to my youth group because my youth group was going to a corn maze. Andrew's superb navigation skills kept us from getting lost.  My friends made him feel awkward (as all friends would). We hung out and talked until my curfew.

Sunday (October 31st) rolled around and Andrew invited me to go to his youth group for Trick or Eats (that’s where you go trick or treating, but for canned food instead of candy, and you donate the food to the food bank). Andrew came early to ask my dad's permission. My dad said yes and on the way to youth Andrew asked me if I would go out with him. Of course I said yes!

And the rest is history :)

Our Story {Andrew's Side}

So Sarah asked me to write a blog post about my version of how we started dating.I thought this would be easy but in reality it has been really really hard...

I met Sarah at camp and got to know her as a fellow camp person and Christian, I feel that camp is a great place to meet people as it means that you both have the similar priorities in life (also they have seen you first thing in the morning so she knows I look like a roadkilled wombat first thing in the morning) . Sarah and I became friends over the summers that we were at camp together and as it turned out lived very close to each other, about a fifteen minute drive. As the summer wore on I began to like Sarah quite a bit and was very disappointed that she would not be up week seven. So on the Saturday of the sixth week before she left I gave her my cell number, not a big deal I know but easily the most nerve wracking thing all summer which seeing as I make myself physically sick with worry before meeting the kids on Sundays means I was pretty nervous. We started texting fairly frequently and talking on facebook, I realized that we got along really well and that she was a really great person.

Then came the Fergus Fall Fair, I was supposed to be going with my best-friend Alex, spur of the moment I invited Sarah and asked if she wanted to come. I drove to pick her up and somehow ended up on the wrong street but the right number, I confidently walked up and knocked on the door, to my dismay a guy who had definitely had a few drinks opened the door with a couple days worth of stubble wearing a muscle shirt and track pants, I mumbled asking if Sarah was home and he started laughing and told me I must have the wrong house. I have very rarely been so happy to have gone to the wrong house. Sarah came and we awkwardly talked and walked around the fair with my friends (if any of my friends are reading this now, YOU GUYS ARE HUGE PUTZES!!!!!!) my friends did everything possible to make me feel awkward and they succeeded. After this Sarah and I did fun things like go bowling (I absolutely creamed her no matter what she says) and went to my youth group, I would drive her and we would talk all the way from Elmira to Fergus and back. At this point I was crazy about her and was terrified that she didn't like me.Then one night we were parked out front of her house talking and she was saying something (to this day I have no idea what it was) and all I could think about was how much I liked her and wanted to tell her. As I was thinking this I suddenly realized that she had stopped talking and was looking at me, I came to the realization that I had told her I liked her and hadn't even meant to it just slipped out. There was a moment of stunned silence and Sarah told me that she liked me too. Now that was a great relief, I felt great but then I realized that I hadn't thought of what to do next. I didn't know what to do so we just talked about dating and I asked if she wanted a relationship. I told her she could think about it for a week she didn't need to tell me right then. The next week I picked her up and we went to youth and had fun, and as I drove her home, just as we were getting to Church and Arthur's lights, right by the Vacuum and Electrical place I asked her if she wanted a relationship and she said yes. We both felt that I should ask her parents, her Dad at the time was away for work in Boston and wouldn't be home for a while yet. The next day I went to the corn maze with Sarah's church and had a wonderful time even though I was terrified meeting her friends (I was also terrified that they would get us so lost in that corn maze that even I wouldn't be able to get them out). As it turned out the next day was Halloween and my youth was going to be collecting food for the food bank. A couple hours before Sarah told me that her Dad was in town that night and I would be able to ask him then. Now I was wearing a Moses costume that night when I went over and was terrified of meeting her parents. When I got there I took off my Moses costume, prayed for courage at the steering wheel of my car and went to the door. Her parents told me that they were okay with it and we talked for a little bit and all I can remember is a goofy smile that I was trying to keep off my face for the rest of the conversation. We talked about respect and they were very kind to me for which I am very thankful. I remember leaving for Trick or Eats smiling from ear to ear, we were driving down Arthur Street towards Alma, just before the bends when we officially started dating. I'm sorry that this took so long, I don't mean to ramble, I have been blessed dating Sarah for the past two and a half years and look forward to the future.

Cheers,

Andrew/Stripes

Current Favourites

I am officially done my first year of university. It feels so great! This year (well 8 months technically) has been such a learning experience. Here are my current favourites this week!

1) Minecraft

I got minecraft once I got home from my exam. I am so excited. I'm still getting the hang of it but so far I love it!

2) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I finished the first Harry Potter book and now I'm on to the second book! I just started, but I am so excited to continue.

3) The world's smallest jigsaw puzzle

I got this from my parents a while ago. I haven't started this yet, but I'm planning to either later today or this week. It's so tiny!

4) Playing Xbox with my brother

Now that I'm done school I can spend time with my brother playing xbox. I'm not very good, but I really like being with my brother.

5) Rain

Now, rain isn't always a good thing. But a few days ago there was an ice storm, and it took down a few trees. So I'm just glad it's not ice anymore.

What are your current favourites?

Dating Tip: Skype Dates

So I am in no way an expert on dating. But I do have almost 2 and a half years of experience. Today I'm going to share with you my tips for skype dates.

Skype dates can be really fun and a way to still see your significant other when you are apart, but I have also found that it can be hard to find things to talk about sometimes and skype is definitely not the same as face-to-face interaction.

Here are some things that can make skype dates super fun!

Play the questions game!

The questions game is where you ask and answer questions back and forth. These can be a serious or random as you can come up with. You may even learn something about the other person that you wouldn't expect.

Some examples:

If you could be any animal, what one would you be and why?

What's your favourite colour?

What are you most proud of?

What's your favourite cheesy pick up line?

Play Games together!

You can download these games for free to play together on skype. Andrew and I especially like to play connect four, battleship, tic tac toe and paint. But we don't just paint, we play pictionary! It's actually really fun. I am a terrible drawer though. Here is a pictionary word generator that I use when I'm stuck for what to draw.

Talk

Make a cup of tea or hot chocolate and have a simple date. Ask each other about how their day went, tell each other jokes. List the top 10 best things that happened to you today.

Send each other funny things!

I love sending Andrew funny memes and videos that I find. And it's always fun to make each other laugh.

Anyways, hopefully these give you some ideas. What are your favourite things to talk about on skype dates? 

A Day in the Life

I was really stuck on what to write about today. So I decided to write about what I did. Here are some of the things I did. Well, I did these things on Thursday, but I already posted on Thursday, so I'm posting it today! (Complicated, I know)

Here are some Pictures from my day

I slept in! (Until 9:15ish)

I read my book! (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- I'm totally hooked)

I studied for my exam! (Intermediate programming. I am totally ready for this)

I hung out with my brother! (He got the day off because of the freezing rain)

I spent a lot of time on stumble upon (I got an account earlier this week, I am also totally hooked!)

I read my Bible (Proverbs 12 - I chose verse 25 to write about today. Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.)

I made tea! (Carmel apple tea to be exact and I finished the last of it, which is good because I've had that tea for a long time)

I cuddled with my dog when the power went out. (It only went out for a few seconds, but it really freaked him out)

I showered

I made my bed (trust me, this is an accomplishment)

I booked my road test! (I have to take a road test to be able to drive with absolutely no restrictions and to not worry about getting my license taken away, and I have put it off far to long)

I took pictures

I relaxed

I had a nice dinner with my family

I skyped with Andrew (skype is a wonderful thing isn't it?)

I had a great day. Very productive, I feel good about my day, which doesn't happen often. How was your day?

Advice On: Buying Textbooks

So when I began university I knew it was going to be expensive. But what I didn't know was how you can save so much money on textbooks! I thought I would share what I figured out with you.

1) Buy Used!

You can get perfectly good textbooks used. If you don't mind a little highlighting and not looking absolutely brand new. I did this first semester, it’s a really good deal usually.

2) Compare bookstores

My University has two bookstores, the University bookstore and the coop bookstore. I found it really helpful to compare prices between the two before I bought my books. I did this online.

3) School classifieds

The University of Guelph has an online kijiji like website where students can sell and buy textbooks. I haven't used this one, but I know friends who have. Check and see if your school has one.

4) Amazon

This is the one I use. If you plan ahead, look up the textbook ISBN numbers online from your university bookstore and order them with plenty of time to spare, you can save HUNDREDS of dollars. I'm serious.

I hope this helps you. Obviously every person and school is different, so you have to figure out something that works for you. My advice is to shop around, compare websites and decide where the best option for you is. These are what work for me.

Hope it helps!

Happy Thursday!

Ps. I have a facebook page! Check it out maybe?

https://www.facebook.com/CampGirlInTheRealWorld

DIY Tea Cup Pin Cushion

Hey guys, I hope your day is going splendidly. I thought I would share with you one of my recent craft projects. I made this tea cup pin cushion that I saw on Pinterest a few months ago. It's pretty easy, Here is the original blog.

 Here is what you will need:
-Tea Cup
-Square of fabric (roughly 12" by 12")

-Elastic Band

-Stuffing (I used scraps from a tank top that I used for a dress)

The first thing you do is lay out your fabric (wrong side up):

Then, Place your stuffing in the middle:

Pull the edges towards the center and pull an elastic band around it. Then cut the edges down:

Flip it over and put it in the tea cup!

Finished Product!

You may want to hot glue your tea cup to its saucer, I didn't, but I think I might in the future.

Comment if you have questions, Let me know what you think!

Happy Wednesday!

Current Favourites

1) The Cuppow!

I've had this for a while, but it's still awesome and I want to share it with you. The cuppow is a lid that goes on a canning jar so you can drink out of it! It's pretty awesome. Here is where you can get one! I take my coffee to school in this and I made a sleeve for it because the glass gets pretty hot. I am hoping to make a new one over the summer and maybe even knit one.

2) Taylor Swift-RED

I love this CD. And I get to go to her concert in June! I'm so excited.

3) Kangaroo Water Bottle

My mom gave me this waterbottle for Valentines day. It's awesome. You press the button at the back to drink out of it and it doesn't spill everywhere!

4)Puns

I absolutely love puns. I think they are so funny.

Here are a few:

Never trust an atom. They make up everything!

Anything not related to elephants is irelephent.

How did the hipster burn his tongue? He drank his coffee before it was cool.

The church choir robes were too long and needed to be hymned.

He won the twister contest hands-down.

Some people take beautiful pictures and cut them into pieces. That's a puzzle to me.

5) New books!

My Harry Potter books came in the mail yesterday! I am so excited to read them!

Announcements!

Hey! Happy Monday!

I thought that today I would let you guys know about what I am currently working on (in terms of this blog)

1) Current favourites will be every Tuesday!

I like doing this. I especially like sharing little things with you that make me happy. So these will continue.

2) Advice On…

I am going to start posting weekly about what I've learned from university on Thursdays, hopefully they will help those of you that are thinking about university or are currently in university. These will go for at least a month, until I run out of things to talk about.  I am really excited about this.

3) Monthly goals and Report Cards

These will continue as well! I really like this; it kind of forces me to get things done.

Anyways, that’s kind of what I have planned so far. Of course there will be other things, but these are what you can expect on a regular basis. Also, Check out my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/CampGirlInTheRealWorld

Do you have any suggestions?

Leave a comment!

Reflections on First Year

Wow, Today is my last day of class in first year! This semester has been such a learning experience. I can't believe how much I have learned about myself. I knew when I went to University I would learn a lot, but I honestly did not think that the majority of what I learned would be about me. I learned how I need to study, how to organize my time and how to manage myself. I have learned a lot of lessons and I thought I would share with you my tips for first year students.  

1) Learn how to study.

I learned that keeping up with course work is so important. For me, having a quiet place to study was vital to me getting work done. Having any distractions makes it so hard to complete things quickly. Now, everyone is different of course, some people thrive in noisy environments, and that’s totally fine! You need to find something that works for you. This was probably the easiest lesson to figure out.

2) Develop a routine.

I had a bit of trouble with this at first. I would put off doing laundry and readings and then all of the sudden I had no clean clothes and tons of reading to do! I found it really beneficial to develop a routine for those week to week things (example, I do laundry on Tuesdays and Saturdays and I do one reading every week day). It can be hard to get into a routine, but once you do it is so helpful.

3) Take care of yourself!

This may seem obvious, but it was really tough for me. This was by far the hardest thing to learn, and I still haven't quite figured it out. I got caught up in school work so much sometimes I wasn't getting outside enough, eating healthy enough, drinking enough water. It actually made me more stressed. My advice is to make sure you are taking care of yourself. You are more important than your grades. Get outside, Read that book you've wanted to read, relax, take a bath, watch your favourite show, get away from your school work for a bit. (obviously don't procrastinate too much, but it is okay to take a break if you are too stressed out) Also make sure you're getting enough time with friends. I know it gets busy, but having friends to help you through it is SO wonderful.

4) Get Organized

Find a way to keep track of your assignments. Anyway that works for you. It could be a planner, to-do lists, calendar, whiteboard, anything! I find that writing things down into manageable chunks can be so helpful. Organize your notes, again, any way that works for you is a good way.

5) Don't leave things to the very last minute

This can be so stressful. I like to finish my assignments at least the weekend before they are due. I've left some to the last minute and it is NOT fun. My advice, just don't do it!

There you go! There are the lessons I learned from first year. First year can be such a challenge, I know, it's tough. But you can do it!

Are you going into University or College? What are you most nervous about? If you are past first year, what was the toughest lesson you learned?

Happy Friday!!

20 Fun Facts About Me!

20 Fun Facts About Me!

So I've been blogging for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it! I actually find it so de-stressing, so I'm planning on continuing! With that being said, I've decided to share with you some facts about me.

1. My name is Sarah
2. My birthday is April 28th and I am almost 19
3. I have a loving Mom, Dad and Younger (even though he is MUCH taller than me) Brother. They are amazing. Here they are!
   
   
   
   
   Sidenote-Stephen (my brother) has short hair now, this is an older picture
   
   
   
    I couldn't find a recent picture of all of them together, but they are all awesome 
4. Oh, and we have a dog. His name is Freddie! Here is a picture of him
   

1. I am currently working on my undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph.
2. My program is Bachelor of Computing with a Major in Software Engineering and a Minor in Geography (with COOP) I am about to complete my first year and I LOVE it.
3. I can solve a rubik's cube in 46.98 seconds
4. I own 10 different rubik's cubes. And a rubik's cube mug, and speakers, and a onesie, I have lots of rubik's cube things.
5. My camp name is Rubik's(shocking right?)
6. I am both a coffee and tea person.
7. My all time favourite CD is Newsboys Huston We Are Go- Live. I never get tired of it.
8. My favourite Dessert is Cheesecake.
9. My favourite fruit is raspberries
10. My favourite colour is Yellow
11. I love camp, outdoors
12. My favourite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6
13. My favourite chapter of the bible is Esther.
14. I love reading, baking, taking pictures, sewing, crafts, looking/dreaming about weddings, and blogging.
15. My favourite books are by Melody Carlson
16. I love watching proposal videos on youtube. This one is my favourite:

A Jar of Dates

Hey everyone! I though today I would share with you one of the things Andrew and I have done together. I saw this Idea on Pinterest a while ago (shocker) and Andrew and I decided to make it. All you need is a jar, popsicle sticks (possibly colour coded) and something to write with.

The basic idea is that you write down one date idea on each stick and when you're stuck for an idea for a date, you pick one out at random and do it. We colour coded ours based on price. Yellow and red ones can be done with less than 20 dollars and blue and green ones are over 20 dollars.

Here is how ours turned out!

Someone's excited.

This idea is good, it gets you thinking of things to do if you are stuck in a rut. The only problem I've noticed is that I'm not always in the mood to do what's on the stick. Usually I might be too tired or just not in the best mood. Something I recommend would be to pick the date out of the jar ahead of time, so you can have time to prepare and look forward to it.  It was fun to create the jar, and we have done most of the ideas, even if we haven't picked them out.

Do you have a date jar? What are your favourite date ideas?

Current Favourites

1) My new tea and coffee!

My parents got me some really awesome tea and coffee for Easter. I got Movie Night tea, which had popped popcorn in it! It's really awesome. I also got Sweet dreams tea, which I haven't tried yet but I'm really looking forward to. And my parents also got me Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee! Which is my favourite kind of coffee to make at home, It smells so good!

2) The Piano Guys-All of Me

I think the piano guys are amazing. Their music is so beautiful and this is by far my favourite song by them. It gives me chills.

3) printf("Almost done my second semester in computing!\n");

I couldn't resist putting a code snip-it up. I am 4 days and 4 assignments and 5 exams away from being done this semester. SO EXCITED.

4) The Office

The Office is one of my favourite shows. It is so funny and can always make me laugh when I'm feeling sad. My all time favourite episode is "Stress Relief".

5) The Birds in the morning

I love that the birds are chirping in the morning now. It means that warmer weather is almost here! Walking around campus hearing the birds and not freezing is such a good feeling.

What are some of your favourite things this week?

April Goals

I've mentioned Kelli from blimeycow in a post before, and every month she posts her goals for the month and then at the end of the month she evaluates herself and gives herself a report card. I thought I would try it this month.

Here are my April Goals!

1) Finish Second Semester

I would like to do this with at least 60% in my geography courses and 70% in my computer science courses. This is what's required in order for me to stay in co-op. Obviously I will aim to get a little higher, but I will be happy with just 60's and 70's.

2) Spring Clean

Matilda (my 2007 Nissan Versa) has gotten really dirty over the past two semesters. I hope to clean out my car inside, including vacuuming, washing the windows, and dusting everything. During the semester my room has been neglected. I really need to clean it and put everything where it belongs.

3) Sleep

I haven't been sleeping well the past few months. I'm finding that it is making me extra irritable. I need to get more sleep

4) Book my G license appointment

I've been putting off doing this, but this summer I need to get this done so that I won't have to worry about it during the school year.

5) Read at least 1 book

I'm hoping to read the Harry Potter series (shocker I know, I have never read them) and I'm hoping to finish the first one this month.

6) Keep up to date with bible reading and devotions

I've started a devotion book with Andrew (well, different books, but they are related) and I want to keep on track and not miss any days this month. I also want to read my bible more (I've really fallen behind on this) and my goal is to do the SOAP Bible reading plan at least 5 days a week in April.

7) Get Outside!

I'd like to get into the habit of walking more, or biking or being more active. At least 3 times a week. I find it really relaxes me and helps me de-stress. I really should do it more.

Do you have any resolutions this month?

Happy Monday!