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Posted by
yanti on Wednesday, April 15, 2015
It's no secret that there is often a huge disconnect between intelligence and grades. Even the most brilliant people can have a tough time with doing well in school. This is because earning good grades requires focus, hard work, listening, organization, and planning...
Which are things that professors can't necessarily teach.
If you check out my About page, you'll see that over the course of my college career, I improved my GPA from a 2.4 to a 4.0. How? Well, once I realized that sitting in class and hoping the information would automatically sink in wouldn't work, I actually started to develop small systems for everything I did (including making myself pay attention during class)!
Here are some of my fave tips for staying on track!
1. Go to Class
This should be so easy and obvious. I was always shocked to see the class size double on exam days! Like, "Where the heck did all these people come from?". Just put that time into your planner, set it aside, and go. If you have a small enough class, your professor may even give extra credit for perfect attendance!
YAY for getting extra points for doing the right thing!
2. Do Your Reading
This is definitely one of those things I had to "teach" myself to do. When I first started college, I NEVER read before class. I just assumed I would learn all I needed from the lectures. And honestly, every teacher has a different style, so sometimes you can get away with only studying from your notes.
BUT if they tell you to read, just READ (aka skim).
3. Plan your Time
This is what I preach time and time again when people ask for college advice (or basically anything in life). Plan. Plan. Plan. Plan to study. Plan to read. Plan times to go out. Plan workout time. Plan time for doing laundry. Do fewer things. Plan them out. And stick to your schedule!
4. Read the Directions
You know that saying "the devil is in the details"? As far as I'm concerned, that was invented by a college student who lost points for using the wrong sized font on a paper. I highlight every single direction on the syllabus, then mark it out once I complete it. These are EXACTLY where your points come from so follow them precisely!
Most of earning good grades is just about following directions and staying organized! So, if you didn't make great grades last year or semester, no worries! Just follow these tips, use your planner, and try your best! Professors notice when you work hard and they'll be more willing to help you out when you need it!
And even though good grades are certainly a great goal, remember that it's C's that get degrees!
And that degree is the real goal :)
What tips do you have for improving grades? How do you keep yourself organized during the semester?
Posted by
yanti on Sunday, April 12, 2015
Simple yet satisfying. A perfect side dish and replacement for rice, I served mine with pork adobo, sprinkled it with sesame seeds, wow it was so good.
Ingredients:1 kilo baby potatoes ( wash very well)1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons fresh rosemarysalt and pepper to taste
Procedure:1. Sprinkle the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper then add the rosemary.2. Preheat the oven at 210C then put the potatoes in a baking pan then roast for 20 minutes or until done.3. Serve and enjoy.
More about → Roasted Baby Potato
Posted by
yanti on Saturday, April 11, 2015
Haha, I used to avoid those cooking game show type things on the Food Network or Cooking Channel (cupcake wars just gives me anxiety), but after participating in the first Chopped at Home challenge, I find myself watching the show on occasion. The last one I saw had viewers vote for the basket ingredients which included cow eyeballs! Ick!
Luckily, the at home challenge has much more forgiving ingredients. This time it is Mexican blend shredded cheese, chicken tenders, salsa, and couscous. All ingredients the average home cook has used before and almost make sense together. I love Mexican food, so the Mexican cheese blend round sounds delicious!
If you have never had couscous before, it is kind of like quinoa. I used to cook with it a lot more as a rice substitute before quinoa became so popular as a super food edging out some of the shelf space at grocery stores couscous once occupied. You can get different sized couscous, pea-sized to itty bitty grain size.
I was in the mood for some enchiladas, so this dish could easily be wrapped up in tortillas and baked for 20-25 minutes instead. But this way, we are cutting the carbs and attempting an artsy presentation that is really easy. Word of caution, you could use four pots/pans for this dish (which sounds like a cleaning nightmare to me)... Or you could use two and have to be watching things a little more attentively. Read all if the directions before starting the recipe (best practice for any recipe). :)
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Posted by
yanti on Thursday, April 9, 2015
We went to Four String brewery and taproom the other night after enjoying several of their beers around town. The location is a little hard to find, off of Fifth in Grandview behind the B Dubs... And even then... There really isn't much signage. You feel like you're walking into someone's house with the screen door.
Once inside, there is seating for about 20. A bar with six stools and a few tables. You actually walk through the brewing area and keg storage on your way to the bathroom. Several of the fermenting tanks are actually formally dairy farm storage. You can get flights or pints, both reasonably priced, or take away a few six packs. We went to try the new Suncaster summer wheat ale recently released and also found out they were on their last keg of vanilla porter (my favorite!), so I had to have a pint!
The bartender was super friendly especially since it was not very busy for a Saturday night. With such a small space, it was cozy and we ended up talking to a couple visiting Columbus on a self-guided brewery tour.
Four String's taproom has 6-8 of their beers on tap and is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Happy hour is 4:00pm to 7:00pm where pints are only $3. This cozy environment and friendly people make you feel at home. We'll definitely be going back!
More about → Four String Brewery (Grandview) Review
Posted by
yanti on Monday, April 6, 2015
On our way to Franklin Park Conservatory we search on UrbanSpoon for some options to eat in Bexley. We're always looking for new things to try, so when Zoe Cafe came up and we had never heard of it, we decided to give it a try. It is located on Main Street kind of across from Cafe Istanbul... you should probably type it in your GPS because they don't have a sign on their building yet, just an easel. The outside looks very modern and I remember driving by it while they were building wondering what was opening.
We were definitely surprised walking in since we weren't sure what to expect. Lots of wood, cork, and mason jars... very trendy. I think they were still trying together a few things figured out as their espresso menu wasn't fully vetted out. However, they had a great menu of very reasonably priced sandwiches and appetizers. Probably the best thing, though, which it wasn't warm enough to utilize yet is that the full bar had both inside and outside seating! Just pull open the mini garage doors and the bartenders are at your service from the patio and outdoor barstools!
I got the shaved turkey club and my husband got the pulled pork sandwich, both were very good. We are excited to come back again when it is warm enough to sit at the outdoor bar, but will probably have to wait in line for those coveted barstools. :)
Posted by
yanti on Sunday, April 5, 2015
I don't know about you but I tend to get a little obsessive when it comes to any kind of big school project. I absolutely despise leaving things "undone" (unless leaving my clean clothes in the dryer for 3 days counts... because I really love to do that).
(If you're really struggling, check out this post, too: Project Get Your Time Back)
Today's goal is this: Let the perfectionism go. Let it goooooo.And even though I know that finishing big projects will always take multiple steps, that I-literally-have-to-walk-out-the-door-right-now-or-I'm-going-to-be-late-AND-look-like-a-hot-mess feeling still sneaks up on me from time to time!
Because this was such a huge problem for me in undergrad, I needed to develop a way to protect myself from my own obsessive working habits! After some research and trial and error and crying, here are the 3 strategies that have proven to work the best for me:
Set working times Classes, meetings, practices, and study groups have a starting time and a stopping time. So why wouldn't you utilize this for schoolwork at home, too? Lately, I've been using 2 hour increments to work on different tasks and it's been pretty beneficial to my productivity!
But maybe you don't have 2 hours (finishing grad school left me a LOT of extra time)! Maybe you just have 30 minutes here and there. So use that! Tell yourself "from 7:00-7:30, I'm going to work on ___". Starting and STOPPING times are definitely your friends!
Give yourself permission to stopThis is the whole reason that the stopping time exists! Perfectionism can run free when you let go of your awareness of time. If you're reading over that paper for the 14th time or spending 20+ minutes rearranging a coffee table, it may be time to move on!
If you haven't yet, check out this post on Clear to Neutral! This has been one of the best ways for me to increase productivity and clear my mind after working on things! Plus, it makes it easier for you to pick up where you left off the next time you work on this project!
Use a timerUsing a timer keeps me from getting stuck on and obsessing over one single assignment. Usually, if I have a lot to do, I break it into very small tasks. Then I set a timer for 10-30 minutes (depending on the task). When the timer goes off, I switch to a different small task.
This allows me to schedule and focus consistent and equal amounts of time and energy on each subject! It's probably natural for us to get a little perfectionistic (especially if there is a presentation involved). But in order to feel balanced, we need to equally balance our time!
I'm even using a timer RIGHT. NOW. because (surprise, surprise) I obsess over these posts, too. In fact, if you ever see a typo or a your/you're mixup on this blog, know that it was a small victory for me to say "this post is good enough, time to move on to something else"!
Need an anti-perfectionism affirmation? Here it is:I am going to concentrate on this for a designated amount of time. I will set a timer to keep myself moving through smaller tasks. At my stopping time, I will wrap up my work, clean up, and move on. Because I am awesome and I do not give into my OCD tendencies. Go. Me.
ALSO, it is important to follow through. Because you can say you're not crazy all you want. But in the end, you really have to act like you aren't either :)
What is the biggest thing that you obsess over? How do you make yourself calm down and move on? Do you have any strategies to add?
Posted by
yanti on Thursday, April 2, 2015
Mornings are tough. Can I get an Amen? But they're also a completely undeniable part of adult life (and college life. Sorry.) so ANYTIME that I hear some good advice on how to get going in the mornings, I listen intently! Recently, Kiki (aka my mom) shared her routine.
( Learn more about her and her crazy ways here: 10 Things I Learned from My Mom )
As she rambled through this routine while we sipped mimosas on Beale before a Memphis Tiger game, I was so impressed with just how much of a habit this was for her. She didn't once have to stop to think about what came next.
This was so much a part of her daily life that she almost seemed bored as she explained it to me. So, now she's here to share it with you! Take what you can from it, adapt it to work for you and your morning and start trying to build your own morning habit!
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By Michelle, Pen & Hive
You know how your morning gets away from youand by the time you get to school or work or the kids wake up it's just on for the rest of the day? Well, a few years ago I created a solution for that. It's a 15 minute morning routine that helps me feel that no matter what else happens I've done some really good stuff for myself before I even sit down for coffee.
The reason for this little routine is that just as bad things like smoking or drinking diet soda are bad for you over time (the key word is cumulative) good things in small doses over a long period are also going to pay off.
Here's the 15 minute breakdown:
- I have dogs so the minute my feet hit the floor I go into the kitchen and feed them.
- While they eat I brush my teeth, wash my face, and moisturize. Use a moisturizer with a sunscreen. 30 years from now you'll be so glad you did!
- Back to the kitchen to let them out, then I drink 16 oz.of filtered water and take my daily vitamins.
- I start the coffee maker (doing it before now or having it ready when I get up means I might skip the next step).
- While the coffee is brewing (notice I set myself up to be hanging around waiting for the coffee) I do a 7 minute yoga/stretch routine that I've developed over the years. The point of it is to stretch out all the big muscle groups and flood my body with oxygen which helps me wake up.
- While stretching and breathing I do not think about my day. I take deep breaths and think how grateful I am that I can move.
- Now the coffee is done. I let the dogs in, pour my coffee and head to a cozy chair to work a quick crossword puzzle to wake up my brain and read something spiritual to get centered for the day.
- I don't finish the puzzle or the reading within the 15 minutes but the point is to get there. Once you are there with your coffee or tea and a few quiet minutes to yourself you can spend as much or as little time as you need.
(You can also use this time to pray, meditate, say your affirmations or whatever makes you feel centered.)
By the time you finish your coffee or tea you are hydrated, oxygenated, energized, and ready to face your day!
I do this every single day. A couple of years ago I got a chance to test it during a difficult time. Because it was a habit I did this routine on autopilot once I got up. Some days hold exciting and fun things you look forward to. You'll be in a better frame of mind to enjoy them if you jump-start your day. Make your routine a habit and all you have to do is put your feet on the floor. Then you find yourself doing the next thing and the next thing and so on.
You may not be able to face your whole day but you can face the first 15 minutes. It's much easier if you have a plan in place. After this you are ready to go about your morning by having breakfast, checking your calendar, and getting ready. And just preparing to be fabulous and amazing for the rest of the day!
Do you have a morning routine? Have you developed a way to feel focused (instead of flustered) in the mornings? If you�re having trouble getting started in the mornings, do you think that any of these tips could help YOU?
