Day in the life of...

I thought it would be fun to post what a typical day looks like for me as a University Student.  This is what my day typically looked like as a second year science student.

7:30 AM 

Alarm goes off. I hit snooze a couple of times, finally get out of bed and hit the shower. Put on my make-up, check the weather and get dressed for the day.  Eat breakfast (usually either cereal or toast nothing too fancy) and throw together a salad for lunch if I am going to be on campus all day. I finish packing my bag and pour my tea into my travel mug before I head out the door. 

9:00 AM 

Leave the house and head to meet my friend to walk to our first class of the day together. 

9:30 AM 

First class of the day. Its an hour long, but they pack a lot into that hour. Depending on the class I either use my computer to take notes, or I print them out the night before. 

10:30 AM

I have a half hour break before my next class. Generally I use this time to eat a snack, check my emails, or call my mom. Then I head out to my next class since its in a different building.

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

My next class is an hour and half, its my business course, one of my electives.  Then I have two more science courses back to back with my business class. We get 10 minutes between classes to get to each one. 

2:00 PM 

If I haven't eaten yet, I will finish my lunch then either head home or to the library to study depending on how much work I have. Generally if I have actual work to do like assignments or practice problems I will do those at home. If it is serious studying or I find I haven't been able to focus well lately then I will head to the library or somewhere quiet on campus to study.  I also either make dinner at home or buy dinner on campus before I head out to my night class. 

6:00 PM 

I head back to campus (if I went home) to my night lab. It is scheduled for three hours but I can usually get them done within 2 if I work efficiently. 

8:00 or 9:00 PM 

Once my lab is done, I head home for the night. Usually I am too tired at this point to do any more work for the night and will only do some if I have to. Usually I will relax and watch tv or hang out with friends. 

11:30 PM 

I gather my books that I will need for the next day onto the kitchen table. Shut down my computer and call it a night. 

Everyone's schedule is different and mine varies from day to day. This is the most typical day for me, and generally is what I experienced in first year as well. I try to schedule my classes so that I have fewer breaks between them or make them large enough breaks that I can get as much studying done as possible. However this does not always work out.  I also try my best to get a work out in here or there, but I don't feel too guilty if I don't as I am walking to and from class with a fairly heavy bag every day. 

What does your day typically look like? 

Jaclyn

Raspberry Scones

Lately I've had a thing for scones.  My friend and I have been going for tea every Tuesday at this cute little coffee shop in town and I alway get their strawberry scones. I started craving them today and just had to make them. Of course we didn't have an strawberries but I found some frozen raspberries in the freezer and decided to make raspberry scones instead. They were just as delicious.  I used this recipe. 

I liked that these scones had oats in them. It gave them a great texture. 

I used my stand mixer instead of a pastry blender (to be honest I don't know what that is). It seemed to work just fine. 

Raspberry Scone with a Honey Drizzle 

I cannot wait to have one with tea tomorrow morning for breakfast.

Raspberry Scones from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1 large egg

½ cup cold buttermilk

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Pinch of nutmeg

10 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, grated on a large grater or cut into small pieces

¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  

Combine the egg and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup.  Stir together; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.  Add the butter to the bowl and toss.  Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture so that the mixture is crumbly.  Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will be sticky).  Fold in the berries just until incorporated (be particularly gentle if using fresh berries).  Gently knead the dough 6-10 times, just until it comes together into a sticky dough.  Portion the dough out into 8-12 scones, depending on the size you prefer, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.  (A large dough scoop is a good tool, but not necessary.)  

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

University: What NOT 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. I gave you my suggested packing list two weeks ago here. This is my list of things you should leave at home when headed to University.

Pillow. Wall Flower. Candles. Owl. 

• stuffed animals - Some people do bring them, I think I brought one my first year. But leave the entire collection at home, remember your room isn't that big.
• books - leave your entire library at home. You will have a ton of reading do to for class and honestly probably won't get around to reading anything else, you will want to hang out with the people on your floor and in your building. If you must bring a couple but remember you are limited on space!
• your entire dvd collection - you probably wont watch them. You can watch a ton of stuff on your computer now a days and there really isn't that much room too store them.  Bring your favourites and rotate them through the year.
• decorative pillows - If you must, bring one, at most. They just get in the way and end up on the floor.
• kitchen appliances - most universities don't allow them usually for fire hazard reasons. Check with your university what they do and do not allow.
• t shirts - you will get more over sized unflattering t-shirts then you know what to do with. Trust me. I am pretty sure on the first day before I even got to my room I was given 3. And there were more given throughout the week.
• room decoration - they often have poster sales at the start of the year where you can get tons of cool posters, once you know where you would like to put them.
• sports equipment - unless you are on a varsity team or know for sure you are going to play I would wait on bring up all your sports equipment until you know if you are going to need it.
• tv and gaming system -chances are someone on your floor will bring them, and the floor lounge generally has a tv. Plus your computer is a great way to watch shows and movies.
• candles - most universities do not allow open flames in rez

Hope you found this list helpful. Remember you don't have a ton of room in Rez and if you live close enough you can always bring stuff up later or after Thanksgiving Weekend once you know how much space you really have. 

To see what to pack click here. 

- Jaclyn

University: What to Expect Part Two

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.

If you missed Part 1 click here!

Classes

You  have probably heard it before but I am going to say it again. University classes are very different from high school classes. Many of the first year classes are huge and depending on your school they can be upwards of 600 or 700 people. The professors do not know who you are and they will  not notice if you are not there. That being said, GO TO CLASS. Seriously. It is so easy to think you can miss a class here or there but the only person you are hurting by doing that is yourself.

Studying 

Find a study space that works for YOU.  I hate hate hate studying at the library. Many people think I am crazy but the main two libraries are either a) too busy b) too loud c) too quiet.  (Libraries have different floors depending on the need of the student, some are group study floors, others are silent floors). Personally in many of the libraries on campus I find them uncomfortable to study in. There is one smaller library that I do enjoy studying at since it is the right amount of noise for me to study effectively.  Remember libraries aren't the only place to study. Empty classrooms, coffee houses, or tables in hallways are all good options. Find a place that you are comfortable in.

Many of the first year exams (and second year for that matter) are multiple choice. You will learn to have a love hate relationship with them.  Multiple multiples are evil things that you have to learn to overcome (or at least I did). There is a bit of a learning curve with multiple choice, they are not everyone favourite that is for sure. One thing I found was I had to adjust my study habits and think more critically about the material then I had to in high school.

Clubs 

Your university will most likely have a Clubs Week. If it was anything like the one I went to in first year you will find it overwhelming. My advice is to join clubs that you are interested in but do not join too many. Often many of the clubs have pricey registration fees and you don't end up attending enough meetings to make it worth your while.
Clubs also allow you the opportunity to meet people who share your interests who you would not have met otherwise.  Take advantage of this, become friends with upper year students. Its a great way to receive advice about what courses you should take and are great sources of Used Textbooks.




Hope you found this series helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
-Jaclyn

Chevron Nails

I have a thing for painting my nails. I hate it when they are chipped and immediately have to redo them. I love trying new designs and usually do them free hand and get a little to ambitious. I however kind of like the way these turned out.  They aren't perfect but I love the colour combination of the grey (its more grey in real life), blue and white. 

 My tools

My first attempt at adding the pattern. 

My right hand of course is a bit messier. 

What is your favourite nail design right now?
Jaclyn

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