University: What to Pack

The summer before first year I tried to find everything I could about going away for University and what it was really like. I wanted advice and I wanted the perspective of a real girl, some who actually was going through University at the time. It was hard to find, sure many magazines give advice but none of it seemed real or relatable. Here is my list of what I think is needed for University. It is not a  100% comprehensive list but it should help get you started with the basics. 

BED

alarm clock, bed sheets , Comforter

 BED SHEETS (2 SETS) - A lot of universities have XL twin beds. Make sure you double check this before you by your sheets.

 DUVET/ COMFORTER -Your bed will not only be the place you sleep in university, it will also function as a desk, a kitchen table and a sofa. You will eat, sleep, study and socialize on your bed so I suggest getting a darker colour duvet as light ones tend to get dirty fast.  

 PILLOW (X2)

 ALARM CLOCK - I like having a alarm clock/ ipod dock combo. It saves space and allows me to wake up to my music in the morning.

 MATTRESS PAD - Makes the bed SO much more comfy.

 EXTRA BLANKET

DESK

Laptop. lamp. usb. stapler, calculator, tape dispenser. power cord. notebooks.

•  LAPTOP  
• CHARGER
• CASE
• ETHERNET CABLE
• PRINTER 
• INK 
• CABLE 
• PAPER
• POWER BAR - I found my power bar very helpful. I used it to plug in all my electronics/chargers at my desk. Its a great way to maximize your outlets.
• EXTENSION CORD - Some outlets were in very inconvenient locations. A extension cord was helpful to make them a bit more accessible.   
• DESK LAMP - My desk in first year had a light built in, but I often found it wasn't enough and needed an extra lamp. I also liked being able to have a light next to my bed on a nigh stand.
• USB KEY
• BINDERS
• NOTEBOOKS 
• PENCIL CASE - and everything that you need in it. 
• TAPE 
• SCISSORS 
• STAPLER 

BATH 

robe. towels. flip flops. shower caddy. 

•  SHOWER CADDY - Makes taking all your stuff to the shower a lot easier, you do after all only have 2 hands.
• TOILETRIES 
• BATH ROBE -  Great for walking to and from communal shower.
• HAIR DRYER / STRAIGHTENER 
• FLIP FLOPS - communal showers. Enough said.
• TOWELS 
• BATH (X3)
• HAND (X2)

• FACE (X2) 

• DINE






Mini Fridge. Kettle. Travel Mug. Dishes

•  DISHES 
• BOWL (X2)
• PLATES (X2) 
• MUG (X2) 
• GLASS (X2) 
• CUTLERY  
• TUPPERWARE - Great for storing extra food, bringing a snack to class or saving food from the caf.
• TRAVEL MUG
• DISH SOAP AND SPONG 
• KETTLE - I loved being able to make my own tea and occasionally soups.
• MINI FRIDGE  - I loved having some food on hand at all times. I drink a TON of milk and loved being able to keep it in my room and have cereal at all hours. Its also great for drinks and some fruits and veggies.
• SNACK FOODS 

 LAUNDRY

Laundry basket. Hangers. Drying Rack.

•  LAUNDRY BASKET 
• LAUNDRY DETERGENT 
• HANGERS -  most closets don't come with hangers. They are often things that are over looked and you are left with out hangers. *packing tip* If you are driving to your new school, rather than taking all your clothes off their hangers simply bunch them together with an elastic band and put inside a garment bag (or garbage bag with a hole). Makes moving in a lot easier.
• DRYING RACK -  great for those clothes that you don't put in the dryer.

  WEAR

Rain Boots.

•   RAIN BOOTS - A good pair of rain boots keeps your feet dry through the rainy season and into the slushy season. Your feet will thank you.
•   SLIPPERS - Rez is your home. But the caf workers don't love when you go down in your socks.
•   PURSES 
•   JEWELRY 
•   CLOTHES 
•   BATHING SUIT 
•   EXTRA SOCKS AND UNDERWEAR
•   FORMAL OUTFIT - There is usually at least one more formal event in Rez. Generally this is something you can take up after Thanksgiving break. But its a good idea to have something, just in case. You never know when you might have a job interview or a club event.

OTHER

Backpack. Umbrella. Camera. 

•  CAMERA  - Document all your amazing memories and all your new friends.
• FIRST AID KIT -   It will come in handy and don't forget things like your medications.
• UMBRELLA -   There is nothing worse then walking to class in the rain. Make sure you get a good, durable umbrella. Mine has turned inside out on me more times then I'd care to share. Quite embarrassing.
• BACK PACK 
• CLEANING SUPPLIES 
• LYSOL WIPES 
• STORAGE CONTAINERS 
• PHOTOS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS 
• MIRROR - makes it easier to get ready in your room. I kept one at my desk for putting make up on in the mornings.

DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE PACKING HERE. 

Make sure to check out your university's website as they often have a list of what they provide in the rooms for you and what you should and should not bring with you.
I hope this was helpful,
Jaclyn

Disclaimer: Everything that I have shared is my own advice and experience. It is limited and is solely based on my experience and I am by no means an expert. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me. Once again these are my own personal experiences that I am sharing, so please keep that in mind.

Green Smoothie

 The thought of drinking spinach was just not appetizing to me. At all. However I kept seeing Green Smoothies (or Green Monsters) popping up everywhere. So I thought I should just get over the fear and give it a try.  It was surprisingly pretty amazing. I had seen a few different recipes online which were basically spinach, banana, honey and milk. The spinach does blend smoothly and you can hardly taste it however I am not a huge fan of just banana flavour in smoothies so I added some frozen mango and raspberries to mine as well as some greek yogurt. You couldn't even taste the spinach and the raspberries make the green colour go away.

 First blend a handful of spinach. I use my Magic Bullet to make smoothies and find adding a touch of milk helps the blending process. I then add about a 1/4 cup of greek yogurt, a banana and a touch of honey and blend until smooth.

 Add about a handful of frozen mango pieces and blend. Then add a handful of frozen raspberries (you can see the raspberries turning the smoothie back to its normal pink colour).  Finally I sometimes add some milk to bring the smoothie to a better consistency, sometimes the frozen fruit makes it really thick.

Enjoy! 

Have you ever tried a green smoothie before? What is your favourite combo? 

Jaclyn

University: What to Expect Part One

The summer before first year I tried to find everything I could about going away for University and what it was really like. I wanted advice and I wanted the perspective of a real girl, some who actually was going through University at the time. It was hard to find, sure many magazines give advice but none of it seemed real or relatable. I have decided to share some of my advice and experience here. It is limited and is solely based on my experience and I am by no means an expert. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me. Once again these are my own personal experiences that I am sharing, so please keep that in mind. 

Being Away From Home

Leaving home was both exciting and scary. I was excited to be off on my own and start this new chapter in my life. But it was the first time I would ever be away from my family for such an extended period of time. Would I get homesick? Would I hate it? Would I love it so much that I would never want to go home? To be honest depending on the day I would either be homesick or be having such a good time that I would forget about home for a while. I never hated it. But I did miss home.

I missed home cooked meals. Caf food got old fast. I missed my bed and having a room to myself. I missed my friends and family. I missed my dog.  BUT I loved my new friends. My new found independence. Most of my classes.  The freedom.

Being away from home is learning out to adapt, balance your time and do things for yourself.  Its a time to grow up, have fun, and really find out who you are as an individual away from those who know you best (or think they do). Embrace it and enjoy it. But if you do get homesick don't worry everyone does.

Rez Life

Living in Rez is an amazing once in a life time experience. Make the most of your time in Rez. Go to floor meetings, floor events and keep your door open as much as possible. My floor had an "open door" policy and it made the world of difference. It was so nice being able to drop in on friends on the floor and have other people drop in for a quick chat. Your floor is your family for the year. These are the people you will be living with for the next 8 months. Get to know them. Make new friends and take advantage of the fact that you are living right next door or down the hall from some of your best friends.

Sharing a room isn't always easy. Respect your roommate and set ground rules at the start. Talk about if you can study with music on, over night guest policies, sharing food/clothes/etc. It honestly will help in the long run, even if it is an awkward conversation at first. Remember that this is their living space too, so be polite and work out your issues together. You may have to compromise or give a little on some issue, but a happy roommate makes for a happy living situation. That being said, take advantage of when your roommate is in class and you have some spare time or if you know they go to the gym at a certain time every day. It is nice to have some alone time in your room in the craziness of always living with someone (or 40 other floor-mates). It is okay to need some time alone once in a while.  Living with someone for the first time and sharing a space can be scary but its also exciting. You will learn a lot about yourself in the process.

One of my favourite (and at times my least favourite) parts about living in rez was the Caf, just down stairs. You will quickly learn why they say its the Freshman 15. Food is available to you always (or almost always) and its not always the healthiest of food. Make wise choices and be creative with what the caf has to offer, I found that after the first few months the food rotation was starting to get repetitive. But I quickly learnt that my caf had a great sandwich bar where you could get grilled sandwiches and I loved making many different grilled creations and flat bread pesto pizzas.  Or the salad bar where you could create a different salad creation every day and if they were serving chicken (which they usually were) you could easily add that to your salad. The options are there, you just have to look.

High School Friends

People change. It is something you will come to realize quickly, if you haven't already. Since people change friendships change, for the better and often for the worse. I came from a small high school where everyone knew everyone (and basically everything about them) to a huge school with a TON of people. It was a huge change but many people from my high school went as well, however all of my really close friends went to other really far universities.  Don't be afraid to make new friends, and friends that are different from your group of high school friends. If you are at a school with a big group of people from your high school do keep in touch with them but don't forget to make other friends as well. There is a whole university of new people to meet and who knows who you haven't met yet. 

Keeping in touch with your close friends from home can often be harder then you think, even with Facebook, Skype and texting. Everyone is making new friends and everyone is busy with school. My advice is to do the best you can to keep in touch with those people who you want to keep in close contact with. I have a group of 3 or 4 friends from high school who I am constantly in contact with and other high school friends I talk to them mostly when we are all back home. Its a good balance that works well. Find what works for you and your friends. Remember you guys will see each other on breaks and during the summer and if you are missing them they are only a text away!

I hope you enjoyed the advice and found it helpful. I am currently working on Part  2.

Check back next week for What to Pack for University.

- Jaclyn