Moving Out: Cleaning up your dorm room

Campus Collegiate: Home and Living

Finals are over, the stress has left your body and you are ready to go home and not move from the  couch for approximately 3 months. That is until you look around and realize that your room is still filled with all the miscellaneous junk you collected this year and you don't know where to begin packing. No worries because, as always, I'm here with some tips to help you get all moved out and on with your summer. I got inspiration from quite a few sites but the one that I liked the best was from Youngadults.about.com. My tips are below and they are very close to home because I am currently working on packing up myself since I move out next Thursday.

1. Actually throw things away.

This is the hardest tip for me personally because I save anything and everything I can. I have a whole desk drawer of cards, notes, tickets, programs, pamphlets and so much more. The hardest part of moving out for me is cleaning out this drawer. I know deep inside that it is necessary because f I did manage to bring it all home I would have nowhere to put it. Throwing away the things in your room that you know you'll never use again is the easiest way to rid yourself of clutter and make it so you have a lot less to pack up.

2. Sell your books.

I recommend keeping books from your major that you think you'll be able to use later. You should take all of your other books to the bookstore at your college and try to get at least a few dollars. The other tip for selling books that some people do not know about is shipping them to Amazon. All you have to do is acquire a box to put the books in (which is usually very easy to get from someone in your dorm at this time of year) and print a shipping code and tape it to the box. The code makes it is absolutely free to ship your books to them and a lot of time they give you more money than you could otherwise get. Selling your books is a win-win because you'll get some money and you don't have so many heavy items weighing down your boxes.

3. Pack in items you already own.

Most of us don't realize how many storage units we already own in our room. If you don't, however, it is definitely time to invest. 

These bins are from Wal-Mart. You get two of them for $10.94 and they are well worth the investment. 

If you already have storage bins like I do, simply clean them out and get rid of the unnecessary items in them and add clothes and other items that you need to pack to them. This is the easiest way to kill two birds with one stone.

4. Fold those clothes up.

For me packing up my clothes is the biggest headache. As a girl, I do not care that my dorm room closet is laughably tiny and I still bring my whole wardrobe with me. This is great for fashion purposes, but not so much for moving out. I found a really great YouTube clip that shows how to fold various types of clothing so they are small and space saving. I highly encourage you to fold like this when packing up at the end of the year. It does take a little bit longer while folding, but it makes it so much easier than carrying bags upon bags of clothes down the stairs for hours. 

That's all I have for you. I know that packing and moving out is extremely stressful and I hope these four little tips make your life even a tad bit easier during this time of year. Just remember, this is the last step you have to take before you take your first step onto that sandy beach you've been dreaming of.

If you are a polar bear (I'm looking at you boys) please help the ladies take down their heavier items.

Jenna Danzig

Campus Collegiate

Finals Week: Organization

Campus Collegiate: Home and Living

It stresses you out, makes absolutely sure you are nice and sleep deprived, turns you into a zombie wearing clothes that you would never be caught dead in on a normal basis and basically turns you into a walking disaster.

That’s right…. it’s finals week.

I’m here with only four tips that will help you keep calm and make sure everything in your life is in tip-top shape to improve your study habits and get you prepared for those inevitable all-nighters.

1. Organize your notes.

Over the weeks that shiny folder has become full of miscellaneous clutter that is not helping you figure out exactly what the author meant in fill in cliché English book here. Clean up. Throw away anything that you don’t need and focus only on what is going to be on your final. Highlight key points, make flashcards, do anything and everything that you know will help you. This site has good tips on how to actually take notes, as well as organize them: http://www.brighthub.com/education/college/articles/67987.aspx.

I am partial to flashcards because I don’t retain information by simply reading it. A newer tool I have been utilizing is the “Droid Flashcard” app on my phone (free from the Market). I know that Apple has flashcard apps for the iPhone, but I haven’t used any personally because I have a Droid. If anyone knows of a good iPhone app, I would really appreciate a comment with one. On my app, I can type things up directly on my phone, but better yet, I can type everything I need on my computer and sync or send it to my phone. It is so much easier than writing out and carrying around a tower of index cards

2. Let in the light!

We all know that library’s are disgustingly crowded during finals week and finding a table to sprawl out on is almost as impossible as denying how unbelievably gorgeous Ryan Gosling is. Don’t fight the crowds and add another stressor to your life, just turn your room into a place you can actually get work done! Make sure you have lots of light on your desk. I found a nice lamp at Wal-Mart for only $6. I posted the link to it below. Don’t forget that they have price matching, so print this out and head to your local Wal-Mart for a cheap light source.

 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Architect-Lamp-Black/16533259

3. Smell the success.

The sense of smell is a very powerful thing. For finals week, it can even calm you down. Lavender has been proven to have an aromatherapy effect that calms your senses. Don’t burn incense and set off the fire alarm (making you a dorm of enemies) and instead buy a Glade Plugin. I went with the Lavender and Vanilla one for the week. You can, again, go to Wal-Mart and get the Plugin with two scented oil refills for only $4.88. I highly recommend this one.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Glade-Plugins-2-Lavender-Vanilla-Refills-Scented-Oil-1.42-fl-oz/11046027 

4. Hear the triumph.

Show those tests that you deserve a 3.5 GPA this semester and study while listening to classical music. We've all heard that classical music can help, but is this true? Here is one study from the University of Nebraska at Omaha that claims classical music can help while studying: http://music.arts.usf.edu/rpme/effects.htm. There are countless classical music stations on free music site Pandora. I always study while listening to Pandora’s  Classical Music Medley station. 

Use these four tips and just remember, it’s only a test! You’ll be home soon enough, eating homemade food and playing with your dog (or cat or fish). Take it one day at a time and you’ll make it through. I promise.

Jenna Danzig

Campus Collegiate

Date Night Fashion

The hard part’s over; you have a date for tomorrow night. Time to sit back, relax and fantasize about how wonderful your evening is going to be. You’re in bliss until the pit in your stomach presents itself, your palms get clammy, your heartbeat starts quickening and a sense of panic begins to set in. You have $20 in your wallet and nothing to wear tomorrow.

Well with twenty dollars you can get easily yourself a manicure, a new outfit and maybe some accessories.

1. The first thing you should try to complete that perfect ensemble is to simply dress up what you already own. We all have those pieces that end up hidden in the depths of the underworld that is our closet that we forgot about months ago. It's time to dig them out and shake off the dust. Now that it's spring it's the perfect opportunity, not to mention that it's prime sundress weather.

Take this belt for example: 

You can get it at Wet Seal  for only $6.99. I am partial to buying accessories for one-time events, rather than a whole new getup because you can wear them numerous times with different pieces and they'll always look fresh and different.

2. Even though you own plenty of outfits, none seem fitting enough for this night. If you simply insist that you can not find a single decent piece of fabric in your possession, there are plenty of cheap options for you. I took a trip to my local Goodwill in Harrisonburg, VA and, to be honest, I was deeply worried about what I would find. To my delight I came across found two dresses that I would actually wear.

This little black dress was made of a tight fitting fabric and came with a built-in bra and pockets.

                                 

The hot pink A-line dress is flattering on every body type and flowed perfectly on my short frame.

 

 
The best thing about these two cute little numbers is the fact that they were only $4 each. If that's not shopping on a college budget, I don't know what is.

3. So now that your clothing is all set I did mention something about a manicure. The newest fad in the nail world are the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips. I am personally obsessed with them. They are $8.50 at Wal-Mart, which may sound expensive, but I challenge you to find a nail studio that will give you a manicure for anything less than $10.
         
These strips come in over 30 colors and styles and I am willing to try them all. One of my favorites is the "Laced Up" pattern.

For this week I went with "Bling it On" which is one of the girliest patterns to choose from, being filled entirely with hot pink glitter.

They've been on for five days now and only one has chipped a little by my cuticle. The kits come with a file, buffer and all the tools to put the strips on, which is actually very simple with the help of the instructions. The only recommendation I would add is to add a top coat of clear polish to ensure that they last even a bit longer then the 10 days they claim to.

So like I promised a manicure and a new outfit or accessories for under $20 to get you ready for that certain someone (who, by the way, should like you no matter what you're wearing).

If anyone knows of any other cheap stores or websites to find some outfits, comment below because I would love to hear them.

Now get out there and have a fantastic night.

Jenna Danzig
Campus Collegiate