Hi guys! So, it’s getting to that point in the summer where back to school ads appear left and right. While the mention of the dreaded “H” word (homework, obviously) may make some stomachs turn, I’m here to help you stay positive during the year! Read on to learn how!

The most important thing to remember is that you are lucky enough to go to school and get an education, as some people do not even have that luxury. I understand, however, the struggle that school brings daily. You can make it a more enjoyable experience by doing the following…

• Find Your Squad

Your social life at school is almost as important as your education. Finding the right group of friends can help eliminate some of the stress that comes with the school year. They can help lift you up when you need it and bring some much needed fun. I love the saying, “your vibe attracts your tribe”. Embrace who you are and the right people will click and bring out the best in you.

• Avoid Drama

This is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT things to keep in mind (especially in middle and high school). If you see drama, do your best to stay away. It’s not cool to talk about people behind their backs if you wouldn’t say it to their face. Be nice to everyone and you’ll avoid issues!

• Join a Sport or Club

Though I’m not an athlete, many of my friends are and have met great people through sports. For me, I can say that being in chorus and drama club is amazing. It is a wonderful thing to bond with people over common interests and a great way to make new friends! Joining a team or club is a distraction from the monotony of everyday school and a great getaway where you can have fun doing what you love to do!

• Take Caution With Romance

High school is a time where many people start dating. While that’s perfectly fine, I advise you to be careful because lots of drama can occur with love lives. Personally, I recommend spending time with your good friends (male and female) instead of worrying about boyfriends/girlfriends. It will make all the difference.

• Go to Events Like Homecoming or Prom

I’ve seen some of my friends opt out of going to school dances because they don’t have a date or they don’t think it will be fun. You don’t have to have a date!! Go with your friends and take lots of pictures. If you go in with a positive mindset, you are sure to have a good time. You may not want to go now, but you might regret it later. Memories are made at dances so it’s really important to take it all in.

• Find Classes You Enjoy

True, not all of your classes are going to be super enjoyable. Personally, I would rather drink pickle juice everyday for the rest of my life than do math. Try to pick classes you like and get the most out of them. Come to class with an open mind and learn as much as you can.

• Find Your Style

High school is a period of self discovery. Finding your style is a super fun thing to do during the school year. Experiment and see what you like. You need to own it and disregard how other people judge you. P.S. If you want a back to school style guide let me know in the comments or on my instagram 🙂

• Make The Most of Group Projects

I will be the first one to say: GROUP. PROJECTS. SUCK. I prefer doing the work myself rather than having to rely on others who may not want to do the work or I have to re-do something that was not quite to the high standards I tend to set for myself. Listen to each other. Be patient with each other. If you use each person’s strengths, it will strengthen the overall project. Then all will be well and much less stressful.

• Enjoy The Weekends

You don’t necessarily have to go to a giant party every weekend. Spending quality time with friends when you wouldn’t normally be able to talk during school is a wonderful thing. You can go out to brunch or chill and have a movie marathon; whatever makes you happy and relaxed. The best thing is enjoying each others company.

When do you start school? Let me know in the comments below. Have an amazing year!

xo, Liv

 

Hey guys! Finals can be a stressful time for any student, but never fear! I’m bringing you the ultimate survival guide. And look on the bright side, summer is coming! I’m so excited to be planning new posts for you all. I have put together these tips, tricks, and life hacks to help my fellow scholars prepare. I hope you find this post useful, let’s go ahead and get started!

1. Study Space

During finals week, it is totally important to find a good place to study. I do not recommend your bedroom, there are just way too many distractions. I usually prefer to study at the library, or my spare room, somewhere quiet where I can focus and not watch TV  (tempting as it is to finish season 3 of Pretty Little Liars).

2. Healthy Snacks

I also think snacks during study time are very important because, let’s be real, nobody can pass them up. I found that dark chocolate (vegan of course), blueberries, and nuts are fantastic for your brain. Chewing mint gum can help you improve your concentration. You may want to fill up on caffeine for those all-nighters, but I suggest you stay away from it. Fight the urge, as it is a stimulant which causes harmful effects to your body. I was a green tea fanatic last year but the caffeine made me sick to my stomach, and if you have finals coming up, you want to be at your absolute best!

3. Use a Planner

I also recommend using a planner during finals week so that you can keep track  of all your due dates & days and times of tests. Using a color-code system is a great way to know which assignments are from specific classes. It’s effective and vibrant at the same time! I also like to make sure that when I’m studying, I’m keeping my area organized because I get really stressed out if the space is messy. Wherever I go for studying, I make sure my textbooks are all in one pile, and I only have one open at a time. Additionally, I keep my pens and pencils organized just to help me not get stressed out.

4. Comfy Outfit

Wearing a comfy outfit while I’m studying is helpful also. While typically, I’m not a big advocate for sweats, finals week is a rare exception.

5. Turn Off Distractions

While you are studying, you want to make sure that you’re not scrolling through social media on your phone or listening to music because these things are just distracting. I really like listening to music when I’m studying, but when it comes to finals, I really just have to buckle down, take the headphones off, and not jam out to the Hamilton soundtrack. I get super distracted and wind up spending more time having dance parties with myself than hitting the books.

6. Use Apps to Study

I like to use study apps during finals to help me organize and concentrate better. Create practice problems, quizzes and study guides prior to the tests. I have the Quizlet app, (probably my most used app for school), which is so handy for making flashcards without wasting paper or wasting valuable time. Having organized materials will help you answer questions quickly and effectively.

7. Take Time to Relax

I like to do things to help me relax during finals week. Things like going on hikes, doing yoga, or anything other than studying, really helps me to just not be too stressed out and get a little break. It’s definitely important to do so you don’t get over-stressed, which happens to me a lot of the time.

8. Sleep Well!

My last tip for finals is to get enough sleep. I like to stop studying and turn off my phone an hour before bedtime. This calms me down from all of the knowledge I’ve been cramming into my brain throughout the day. I also like to spray my room with lavender spray. Lavender is super relaxing and helps me fall asleep faster.

I hope you guys found this useful! Let me know in the comments down below if you guys try out any of these tips or tricks that I mentioned. Good Luck!

See you guys in my next post!

xo, Liv

Thank you Mother Nature! Snow is finally on the ground and it looks like winter! I’ve decided to take full advantage of this beautiful weather and you can too! Here are some ways to have fun in the snow…

1. Have a snowball fight – get a bunch of your friends together, make teams, and have at it!
2. Make a snowman – Do you want to build a snowman? Despite the overplayed Frozen song, building a snowman is so much fun to do and an awesome way to unleash your creativity!
3. Make snow angels – if you’re willing to get a little cold, snow angels are a lot of fun to do, especially if the snow is fresh and soft!
4. Go cross-country skiing – I did this with my girl scout troop many years ago and had a blast! Cross country skiing is a great alternative for people who are a little hesitant to ski down steep slopes but still love to take in the winter scenery.
5. Build a snow fort – unleash the inner child inside of you and make your own epic igloo!
6. Sledding – find a hill close to you & go for it! (side note: know how to steer so you don’t crash into any trees!)
7. Have a photo shoot – these are fun at any time of the year, but in the winter especially the snow makes for a gorgeous backdrop!

Happy winter everyone!

xo, Liv

P.S. Photo credits to my extremely talented friend Alex!

Midterms. The very word sends a shiver through any high schooler’s spine. But with these tips, you’re sure to breeze through them without too much pain. Read on…

Tips ~

1. Be Prepared!! – This tip may seem extremely obvious, but midterms are not something you can cram for. Start studying in advance so you can avoid the stress that comes with cramming.
2. Organize – Using an agenda to plan out what subjects you will study each day makes it so much easier. In addition, making sure you have all the necessary study materials available saves you some hassle. Having an organized space helps you concentrate!
3. Highlight – Highlighters will be your best friend while you study. Seriously. When studying, annotate your notes. Color coding important information makes your brain remember that information better. With that in mind, make sure to only highlight IMPORTANT information. Highlighting an entire paragraph won’t do you much good!
4. Block Out Distractions – It’s difficult, but turning off your cell phone will keep you focused.
5. Reward Yourself – Taking a break once in a while is healthy. After a decent amount of studying, allow yourself 10 minutes of social media or a snack. Make sure to set a timer to keep yourself on track.
6. Stay Active – Sitting at a desk for hours on end is nearly impossible. Every hour or so, get up and do a quick 5 to 10 minute exercise before getting back to work.
7. Your Future – Be sure to keep in mind that in high school, things really count. Doing well in school will set you up for a successful future.

Hacks ~

1. Maintain good posture while studying. Having good posture will help you be more efficient and awake.
2. Designate a specific type of music to each subject. For example, listen to classical music while studying math, indie while studying english & rap while studying history. *if listening to music while studying distracts you, don’t do it!*
3. Chew gum, it helps to process facts.
4. Let your hair down while you are studying to prevent headaches!

Good luck! You got this!

xo, Liv

Scrolling through Instagram on New Years Day is basically just scrolling through a sea of pictures captioned, “new year, new me”. *rolls eyes* Don’t get me wrong, I think the new year is the perfect time to set goals and resolutions, but you shouldn’t feel the need to completely reinvent yourself. Setting realistic goals takes some thought, but it’s not hard to do. Here’s some ideas…

1. Exercise Daily – doing a little bit of exercise each day will be much more beneficial than doing an overload of exercise in one day.
2. Eat Healthier – making gradual changes to your diet will help you feel better!
3. Make New Friends – this year, get outside your comfort zone and meet new people, you might be surprised at who you connect with!
4. Accept Others – restraining judgement and being more accepting will help you keep an open mind.
5. Compliment of The Day – giving someone a compliment each day will not only make that person happy, it’ll make you happy too!
6. Aim For Better Grades – winter break is coming to an end, and midterms are coming up. Now is the time to work hard. You got this!
7. Study Frequently – this will de-stress you and reduce the number of cram sessions before an exam.
8. Save – saving money for things you really want is more important than spending it on temporary things.
9. Travel to New Places – this winter, I’m going to Canada, and I’m headed for the Catskills when summer rolls around. Travel experiences are so much fun and the memories will last a lifetime.
10. Drink Water – 8 glasses a day sounds tough, but the benefits will be amazing.
11. Spend More Time With Family – family is forever, after all.
12. PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE – it’s hard, I get it. This is an era where everything is digitally shared. But take a break, detach, and think about what’s really important.
13. Stay organized – 2016 is going to be the year of organization for me. I am a naturally scatterbrained person, but this year, I vow to be more organized in my everyday life.
14. Make Decisions – I am also a very indecisive person. Learning how to say yes or no is a skill that I am going to fine tune this year.
15. Try new things – again, getting outside your comfort zone is healthy. Whether it’s a new food, experience, or hobby, embrace it and see what unfolds.
16. Become More Confident – My confidence level has risen this past year, but in 2016 I expect even more growth in myself.
17. Be Appreciative – Think about everything you have and take nothing for granted.
18. Be your own “goals” – instead of focusing on what other people are doing, achieve what you want to do.
19. Instead of thinking “new year, new me” try “new year, revised me” – you don’t need to change who you are. Simply think about the things you want to improve upon, and make that improvement happen.
20. Be happy with yourself by the end of 2016 – The ultimate resolution is to make lifestyle changes that will satisfy you by this time next year. This is your year. Make it a great one.

It is my hope that you all have a wonderful 2016. Happy New Year!

xo, Liv