Things I've learned while being in university..

As I'm finally coming across my last year of university, there are a couple tips and tricks I've learned throughout the years! I figured I'd share these things, because they may actually be quite helpful if you're in your first year, or entering university soon. Here goes.

GO TO ALL OF YOUR CLASSES
I know a lot of people can succeed without going to all of their classes, but in my experience skipping class is never worth it. It helps keep you on track, and prevents you from having to waste time catching up later. Even if you barely take notes (because lectures may be posted online or something) it's still worth going and taking in information, that way when you're studying it doesn't seem like you're learning everything for the first time.

TALK TO YOUR PROFS OR TAs
Classes are huge. They're not gonna know you unless you introduce yourself. Someone once told me of a rule she had where she came up with 3 questions a week, one for her prof and two for her TA. It helped a lot because it forced her to know the material enough to form questions and she learned things by discussing with profs and TAs. On top of that, she actually go to know them because she was always talking to them. Aside from this, I would recommend talking to them about every assignment, project, paper, to make sure you're on the right track. Remember you're paying these people, they're there to answer your questions.

GET INVOLVED
I found that I learned a lot more about life outside of the classroom than inside. I would recommend only choosing two things to be involved in, especially if you're going to be working as well. I always tended to overload myself..which ended up sometimes negatively affecting school. But if you only choose two things, then you're able to stay organized while still getting involved and not overwhelming yourself. 

USE AN AGENDA
I seriously don't know how people function without one. It's the best way to know exactly what's going on on day. You can organize your due dates, parties, events, daily tasks - and in my opinion it works better than any online program or app. I also recommend colour coding things, so it's easier to differentiate when you're looking at your week overall.

GET PROPER SLEEP
I know I've talked about this in another post before, but it's so important for university. University students never get enough sleep and it's horrible for your brain! It also sucks to stay up late doing work only to miss your morning classes. If you get into the habit of waking up early everyday you're less likely to waste time sleeping in until 2:00PM everyday.

DON'T CRAM!
Don't leave ANYTHING to the last minute..and I mean ANYTHING. Whether it's a paper, making a banner for an event or studying for an exam..THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY! Cramming never helps, and the more you push things to the next week, and the next week - the less time you have to actually get it done! As long as you prioritize you'll always have time to do fun stuff and you won't be stressed out!

STUDY IN GROUPS
Even if you ultimately study better on your own, at least go to some group study sessions before you start studying. You'll always learn new things or maybe reiterate things that you forgot about! I always try to find a group of responsible friends and summarize readings/lectures before the exam, that way it's less work but you have all the info at your fingertips! I find that talking about things really helps you remember them as well. You're all in this together after all! 

MAKE FRIENDS
You are the company that you keep. Don't be one of those people who goes to class and goes home. UNIVERSITY IS AN EXPERIENCE! Have fun! Work hard and party harder! Your friends will enrich your university experience, and it's always nice to have people who are going through the same things as you. Make memories! 

These are things I just thought of off the top of my head but I'm sure I'll think of some more soon. ENJOY! :)

xx,

Shiv

Outfit of the day!

HI LOVES!

So I've been wanting to do Outfit of the Day posts for a while, I finally decided to start! Here's what I'm wearing her!

TOP:

Blue Long Sleeved Shirt - TNA

BOTTOM:

Gray Tights - TNA

ACCESSORIES:

Rose Gold Watch - Micheal Kors 

Infinity Scarf - H&M

Silver Ring - Swarovski

SHOES:

Cowboy Boots - SPRING

Stylenotes:

I was in a comfy mood today! Hence all the TNA haha. As a style note, I LOVE COWBOY BOOTS! I honestly wear them all the time with any outfit, I think it adds texture and style to any plain outfit. As well, this scarf from H&M is awesome because it's SO BIG! You can double it up so it fits tighter around your neck as well but I love it long and hanging in front of my shirt, it adds a nice layer to the outfit. 

Scarves are honestly my favourite accessory for fall, I feel like my outfits are so plain without them! And they're such an easy way to add a pop of colour to any outfit.

What's your favourite fall accessory?

Little things you can do to be healthier..

I've noticed little tips and tricks I've heard from people over the last little while, of ways that you can be healthier by changing small things about your lifestyle. So before I forget I figured I should share them with you all!

10 things I try to remind myself:

1. DRINK WATER ONLY - Stop ordering pop when you go to restaurants and ask for some water! Even fruit juices have a lot of sugar in them most of the time, so ensure you're getting your 8 glasses of water a day!

2. WALK MORE - If you're gong somewhere that is seriously only a 10 min walk away, DON'T DRIVE YOU LAZYBUM, WALK! Adding more physical activity in your day does wonders to keep you from getting tired fast. The more active you are now, the more active you'll be ABLE to be later on in life. (PS. Use the stairs too, not the elevator!)

3. EAT HEALTHY SNACKS - Instead of picking up pringles or chocolate, eat crackers and cheese or veggies and dip! They are so much healthier for you, and they can help you ensure you're getting your daily doses of veggies or carbs!

4. EAT SMALLER PORTIONS - Having 5 or 6 smaller meals a day is actually healthier than having 3 big meals for the day. Try it!

5. STOP EATING OUT - Eating out once a week isn't a big deal, but every meal shouldn't be fast food or even restaurant food. Those foods usually have preservatives, are often fried in oil and tend to have lots of sugar! (Depending on what you're ordering of course). Eating home-cooked food is much healthier!

6. TAKE MULTIVITAMINS - My mum used to pound this into my head growing up, and I never listened to her, but now I really realize how important it is. Especially for girls. Taking a women's multivitamin can help with things like hair growth and estrogen levels. But even if you don't take a multivitamin, you can always take calcium, b12, iron pills - all important for staying alert and healthy! *You can get these all at a natural foods store.*

7. GET GOOD SLEEP - Your body is way more immune to sickness if it isn't rested. Sleeping well is also very important for brain functioning - your brain needs rest to work well! Also as a girl, changes in your sleep cycle can cause your menstrual cycle to be irregular. So be careful!

8. DO SMALL STRETCHES IN THE MORNING/BEFORE BED - This does wonders to wake you up, as well as help to exercise your muscles before you start your day, this way you're much less likely to have aches and pains, or pull something throughout the day!

9. BE POSITIVE - Happier are people are healthier people! It sounds crazy but it's true. Keep positive about tough situations. Negativity can put a lot of stress on the body and cause backaches, headaches, muscle pain, depression, loss of appetite..and a lot more. Don't worry, be happy!

10. DON'T EAT FOOD RIGHT BEFORE BED - It's hard, I know, especially when you're studying 'til 3:00AM, but there are lots of reasons this isn't good for you. Since you're obviously less active when you're sleeping, you're less likely to burn the calories you ate before you slept. So make sure you give yourself about 90 mins to digest your food properly before you go to bed!

I hope those tips can help you to stay a bit healthier in your day to day life! Again, I'm not perfect, I don't do these things everyday, but they are things I'm trying to implement every day - and they're EASY! So you should try too :) Hope you enjoyed this guys!

5 Things you don't know about ME!

5 THINGS, Feb 15 2010
I haven't posted in a while and I still have TONNES of ideas. I decided to make a post about things people don't know about me, 'cause I feel like there're a lot of things people don't know about me..SO HERE GOES:


1. I LOVE ANIMALS - I absolutely adore animals. Pets, wild animals..I just love em love em love em! (Re: Jessica Alba in Good Luck Chuck!) I love going to the zoo, and even just playing with my friend's pets, I feel such a connection to animals. I went to the everglades in Florida and honestly those crocodiles were amazing! I also went whale-watching in Quebec and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
2. I absolutely adore art. I could walk around a museum for hours talking about painting and colours and sculptures. I also have a huge amount of respect for artists (there are so many in the art program at Mac), because I realize what a huge talent it is and how creative they are. 
3. This one is kinda stupid..but I really hate it when my nails are not painted. I don't know why but when they're chipped, or ugly, or bare, it REALLY annoys me and I don't know why..I just don't feel "finished" unless my nails are done. 
4. I CANNOT, I repeat CANNOT eat pepper or anything spicy. Even the slightest bit of pepper will make my eyes water! - pathetic as a Caribbean I know..
5. Romantic comedies are my guilty pleasure. Yes..it's true..when i'm bored..I go on one of those million websites where you can download full HD quality movies..and I download romantic comedies..and NO I don't cry during them!


BUT ANYWHO: Speaking of the everglades made me realize I probably should have done a post about it..here are some awesome pictures I took of them when I was in Florida :)

My Pet Peeves!

Pet Peeves, Dec 18 2010
Let me tell you some things that HARDCORE annoy me:
1. people who don't say please and thank you
Maybe I was just brought up this way, but always freaking say please and thank you, it takes NOTHING out of you and it shows appreciation and gratitude. Who the hell raised you? No matter where you are, a restaurant, a customer service desk, on the bus, SAY IT it's common courtesy.
2. people who are 13+ and have grammar and spelling problems
I'm from Trinidad, and of course our dialect of English isn't perfect. However, when I came to Canada I went to school just like EVERYONE else and learned proper English just like ANYONE else. I don't understand when people my age don't know the difference between you're and your. ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS?! If someone who doesn't know the difference between they're and their ever calls someone else stupid I will kick them in the face. The next time I hear someone say "more easier" I'll purposely spill my hot chocolate on them.
3. competitive people
Why does everyone have to be so competitive these days? Why can't we all just pursue what we want in life and not worry about others? WHY!? Why do people feel the need to flaunt things in people's faces? GOOD FOR YOU, time for me to get back to my life.
4. people who judge situations without ANY previous knowledge
Who do you think you are? Actually, don't ASSume anything, because when it's explained you look like the idiot that jumps to conclusions. Why don't you hear/learn things from every angle then make your comments.
5. losing stuff 
I'm so careless. I always lose shit, and I'm trying to be way more careful about it. After losing my phone a couple times I realized how stupid it was. But even other things, i'm just like WHERE COULD IT HAVE GONE? so annoying.
6. stupid girls..just STUPID STUPID GIRLS
Where in the hell do you come from? Dress properly for the love of all that is holy. Try to do something that matters in the world, and stop being so dramatic. And beyond that, carry yourself appropriately and try with all your might to say something of SUBSTANCE, or I might have to shove you..just for fun.
**phew, that felt nice :)