How I Study

Hello! Last week I published a post on my top 8 study tips. So, I thought I would follow that up with a post about how I personally study. As I said last week, what works for my may not work for you. But, for those of you who never studied in high school and need some ideas to get them kick-started in their college studying endeavors, look no further! So, I now present how I study:

• I got to class. What a shock! I put a lot of emphasis on this in my study tips post, but yes, I do practice what I preach. 
• I print out the power points. Especially for my bio class where its practically required, I print out the power point before class so I can spend more time listening and not furiously writing down everything on the slide. This also gives me the opportunity to write comments on diagrams and such. 
• I listen to classical music while I study. Personally, I cannot stand silence, especially while I'm studying. If I am studying, and my dorm is quite, it actually distracts me. So, heres what I do: I listen to the "Intense Studying" playlist on Spotify. It is 14 and a half hours of instrumental, classical music. While I feel a bit like I'm sitting in Panera, it does help me concentrate and focus.
• I keep a planner. Again, I put some focus on this last week, but seriously guys, I cannot tell you how much my planner helps me. I will easily forget about a 10-point assignment for english, or about a 1-page paper for psychology, but when I look at my planner, I am constantly reminded. I have developed a great system that works so well for me.
• I write my big due dates in the month view and the week view. ie. exams, big papers, big group projects, etc.
• I write everything down. Easy 10-point assignment not due until next week? Write it down. 25-point biology assignment that requires a trip to the museum? Write it down. Ballet class? Write it down. Study date with my lab partner? Write it down. 
• I schedule study time. For example, tomorrow after my last class, I am scheduled to work on my bio lab report for an hour and this weekend I am scheduled to start studying for my chemistry lab final for an hour.
• I color code with highlighters. Any time I am scheduling to work on psych or have a psych deadline, I highlight it in purple. Any time I am working on whatever English paper I have due next, I highlight it in orange. Every class has a color. Everything gets highlights in the right color.

A semi-blurry pic of a week in my Lilly Pulitzer planner. 

• I keep my desk organized. I'm a big organization person, so this is a big one for me. Everything has a place. Everything is in that place. I have desk organizers that I use to organize my supplies and I have magazine holder that organize my notebooks, lab books, and the textbooks that fit. I try to keep my desk cleaned off at all times, but sometimes I slack. Overall, my desk is kept pretty clean, neat and organized.

My clean, for now, desk. 

• I take notes. Again, this is something I highlighted last week. But taking good notes is important. My note-taking method changes depending on the class. In psych, I take notes on my computer. In bio, I print off the power points. In chem, I take a notebook and many colored pens to class. 
• I review my notes. For my bio notes, I review them on tuesday and thursdays (the days I don't have that class). I review my psych notes on the weekends and before quizzes. When I'm studying for my psych exams, I write out my notes and highlight the most important parts. When I'm studying for my bio exams, I turn the power points into written note form. 
• I have found what works best when studying for exams. For each subject, I have a routine when I study for that exam.
• Psych: I write out my typed notes and go over them with a highlighter. I use blue for definitions, green for important ideas and purple for other important ideas that have lists. I also have my book open while I'm doing this just incase there's something that I don't completely understand. Then I type up an outline for each chapter. Then I make notecards for the important definitions. 
• Biology: I write out the power points and go over them with the same high lighter system. I type of the notes. I type up an outline. I make flashcards of the important definitions and ideas. I make sure that I understand and can replicate all of the diagrams and figures. 
• Chem: I re-write my notes into a different notebook. I re-work the example problems the professor did in class. I work the extra example problems he gives us. I work the problems from last year's exam.
• I study in advance. Or rather, I try. Sometimes I get busy and don't start studying for my Wednesday exam until Sunday, but I've only had to pull 1 all-nighter this year, so it seems to be going smoothly. 

So, that's about it. If you have any questions about how I do things, feel free to ask below :) Until next time, my lovelies...

November Ipsy Bag Review

Happy Thursday my lovelies! We are almost done with the week AND one week from today, I will be stuffing my face with delicious food surrounded by my favorite members of my family. 

So, here is what I have for you today: my November Ipsy bag review. For those of you who don't know Ipsy is a great beauty subscription website where you pay $10 a month and get a goody bag of beauty products. They have a general sample of items each month, but they personalize each bag. For example, my first month (Sept 2014) I got this AH-MA-ZING Avon Big & Daring volumizing mascara. I LOVE it! But my best friend's roommate didn't get that in her Ipsy bag. Plus, each month you get a super cute little bag. 

This November bag is my third bag, and so far, the products have been pretty hit-and-miss. My first month I got the wonderful Avon mascara I mentioned, and I also got a finishing powder from Be A Bombshell Cosmetics, and I use that every day. It is a godsend! I love it so much! But there was a hand cream in that one that I think smells like old ladies. My second bag went over a little better, I got this absolutely wonderful Ayres body butter with jasmine and rosemary oil. It smells absolutely wonderful and is so nice to my hands. And the liquid eye liner I got that month is pretty great. 

So, finally, this month. This month's bag is super cute. Its all glitter with a pink zipper. However, I was a little disappointed with the contents of this month's bag.

Product 1: Marc Anthony True Professionals Oil of Morocco Argon Oil Hair Spray.
This is a sulfate free, fast drying, extra hold, volume hair spray. I love it! It doesn't have that hair spray smell and it doesn't come out super liquid-y like a lot of there hair sprays do, it feels more like air. But it does its job as a hair spray. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't need like a super strong hold, but a more relaxed hold. It's fairly inexpensive. A can is on;y $8.99 from Walgreens, (find it here) And for good hair spray, I don't think that's too pricey.

Product 2: Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion by SeaRx
Okay, I love this! It has a super great, fresh smell. I love the formula, its thin but not oily. (Sorry guys, not a lot to say about this one other than I like it.) Brand wise, its a little pricey for me, so I probably won't be purchasing it in the future, but I loved the sample and you can get it here.

P.S. My feet are dead asleep. Agh!!

Product 3: Bye Bye Under Eye (R) Concealer by it Cosmetics
This is a full coverage, anti-aging, waterproof concealer. And is stamped as one of their Best Sellers on their website and I don't doubt that it is, but I have a very mixed review. When I first put it on, I thought, "Oh my god. What am I putting on my poor face?" It was super cake-y and thick almost hard to blend. After working with it a little bit, it got easier to move around and blend. And once it dried, it didn't feel heavy on my face and it actually did a really good job of concealing my under-eye circles. A small amount does go a very long way. And maybe by the time i've gone through the ravel-size tube I was given I can decide if I want to purchase it. (which you can do here) For now, I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Product 4: Ultra Olive Pencil Eyeliner by Starlooks
Okay, I am not much of an eye liner person in the first place, mostly because I kind of suck at it, and partly because it just doesn't look uber awesome on me. I'm more of a mascara girl. And truthfully, I'm super unlikely to ever use this guy because he is not only olive green, but sparkly. But for the sake of my review, I have used him once. It glided on pretty smoothly for a pencil, however, it also came right off with a q-tip, leaving nothing behind. So, if you're looking for a long-wearing pencil, I would not recommend this. Other, than that, I don't have much to say. If you're interested, you can find it here.

Product 5: Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter by J. Cats Beauty
Looking at the shade, I was a little excited to try this out. And one thing I love about Ipsy is that you fill out your skin type information and thats one way they personalize your stuff. And I have no idea how to pick out lip colors for myself, so I feel like Ipsy does that for me. So, I was super excited for this. It ended up being the only product I was disappointed by. As a stain it works really well, so well that I advise you to be careful! But I was very disappointed with the shade. In the tube its a raspberry color, but when applied, its a strawberry color. There is just too much of a difference if you ask me. And I don't think it looked very good on. So, I would not recommend this. But, if you are interested, you can get it here. 

Thats all I have for you today. Let me know what you guys think of your November Ipsy bags. We're almost through the week guys. We can do it! Everything should be linked above, if its not, just let me know and I will fix it! I highly recommend Ipsy if you like subscription boxes. And plus, every month, it comes in a bright, shiny pink envelope. Who doesn't love getting that in the mail? Have a good weekend guys! Until next time, my lovelies...

About Time for a Study Tips Post

Good morning, my lovely snow flakes. The beautiful Oxford campus of Miami University got its first layer of snow yesterday, and it is absolutely picturesque. For those of you who have snow, I hope you can enjoy it and aren't too bitter about it. And for those of you who do not, your time will come (unless you live in Florida, or something) 

But anyway, I don't know about you guys, but in the months before college, I combed Pinterest for any kind of useful college pin. Whether it was dorm decorating tips, or studying tips, or dorm organization hacks, or a what to pack/buy checklist, or just funny jokes about college, if it was a descent pin, it made it onto my college board. My board has now accumulated something like 230 pins. So, I thought I would make a pin-worthy (hopefully) college post of my own. Here it is: Study Tips As Told By Shelby.

Study Tip #1: Get a planner/agenda.
What ever you want to call it, get one. I sincerely do not know what I would do without my Lilly Pulitzer planner. I have the size large, and I absolutely love it. It goes everywhere with me, even to ballet. I use it to remind myself of study dates, of due dates and to schedule specific study time. I also color code with highlighters for each class. This thing is my child! Without it, I would be a hot mess.

Study Tip #2: Go to class.
Go to class. Plain and simple. Undoubtedly, you are paying a good chunk of change to attend your chosen university, so don't be a bone head. Go to class. Not going to class is the same thing as throwing your money at nothing. If you don't go to class, you miss important information. When you miss important information, you can't study properly. When you can't study properly, you can't pass your exams. When you can't pass you exams, you can't pass you classes. When you can't pass your class, you fail out of college. When you fail out of college, you end up living at home and working at McDonalds. When you live at home and work at McDonalds then you end up hating your life. And then I will say, "see, don't you wish you went to class back in college." So, go to class.

Study Tip #3: Notes.
NOTES! NOTES! NOTES! Can you guess what this one is about? (Chuckles quietly) But seriously, guys, notes are so important. This goes hand in hand with going to class. Please go to class. Go to class and take notes. More times than not, professors will say things in class that will be on the exam, but aren't in your textbook. If you don't take good notes, learn. Look online, ask a friend, ask you professor. Do whatever you need to do to take the best notes for you. (Side bar: The best notes for your neighbor are not always the best notes for you.) point: Notes are important. Take them. Review them. Love them.

Study Tip #4: Make use of your time.
This one is important. You aren't in high school anymore, you can't just get up, go to classes and not do anything until you're completely done for the day. That 35 minutes in-between two classes? Use it to go over notes. That pesky 2 hours in-between chem and bio (a personal example) I use it to be productive. Sometimes I clean, sometimes I study, sometimes I eat, sometimes I do all three. And don't think you have to go back to your dorm when you have a gap. If the library is closer than your dorm, then go study at the library, they aren't as busy in the middle of the day anyway. If your library isn't that close. Go to a dinning hall, find a table, grab some food and study. The point? Use your in-between time wisely. Don't just sit on your computer watching Netflix waiting for your next class to start.

Study Tip #5: Find a study buddy.
This is something that I just discovered this past week, and I'm grateful I did, but I wish I had found it out a few months ago. But hey, learning process, right? Anyways, find someone to study with. Your roommate, your lab partner, the girl who you chit-chat with in class, someone, anyone. People are resources. You'll be better off learning this as early as possible. So, book a study room or find a quiet corner of a restaurant, grab your study buddy and make use of each other. 

Study Tip #6: Know how YOU study.
As I said earlier, the best notes for you aren't always the best notes for someone else. This goes for study methods too. The best way that you study for your exams isn't always the best way someone else does. So, learn what works best for you. If its rewriting your notes multiple times, if its reading every word of the text book, if its teaching an imaginary person your material, if its flashcards, whatever it is, find it. 

Study Tip #7: Download SelfControl (Macs only)
Sorry, PC users, this one is only for Macs. the SelfControl App is a wonderful tool. Its free and super easy to use. It keeps you from flipping onto Facebook or perusing Pinterest or wandering around twitter. Just download it, its such a help!

Study Tip #8: Study in advance.
Read: "Study in moderation." I'm sure you've all heard that all nighters are bad for you. While they do work occasionally, an all-nighter is not the best way to get things done. So, here's the best way:
1. Review a little at a time. Read over your notes every night. 
2. Make sure you understand things. When you go over things early, it gives you the chance to ask questions. Don't understand something? Thats okay, just ask. 
3. Review in chunks. On the weekends, go over everything you learned that week. Again, make sure you understand everything.
The point? You will remember things better if you look at them every day. so: Review. Review. Review.

Alright, my darlings. That's all I have for you today. Got some great study tips of your own? Comment them below for others to see and use! Until next time, my lovelies...

10 Commandments of Being A Lady

Happy November, my lovelies! Wow! It is cold! And it snowed last night (here in Oxford). If that's not the mark of a going to be cold winter, then I don't know what is. Well, the reasoning behind tonight's post: I was scrolling through Tumblr and saw 2 different posts and thought I would combine their ideas. So I give you the 10 Commandments of Being A Lady.

1. Make peace with your past. This is important. It is something that you have to just do. Your past is always going to be there. Realize that you can't change it and learn from it. Because otherwise, you're always going to be tripping on what's behind you and you'll never be able to see what's right in front of you.

2. Call your family members, especially on their birthdays. Take the time out of your day to remind them that you do love them because they are your family. It may be annoying, they may talk your ear off about things that don't matter, like the neighbors new lawn mower, but suck it up because it is polite.

3. Learn to be a big girl and get over it. This one is a biggy and kind of fits in with number 1. Sometimes waiting for an apology is just a waste of time and energy. So, learn to accept the apology you never got. Learn to just let things go. It will make your life easier.

4. Learn to say you're sorry. When you've make a mistake, own up to it. However, don't apologize for things that you shouldn't. Like being you. But when it is something that deserves an apology, deal with the consequences and say it.

5. Learn to make at least 1 signature dish. And the same goes with drinks. Have at least 1 dinner dish that you can make. No matter if you are hosting or asked to bring a dish somewhere, you shouldn't have to pick up something pre-made if you can help it. And for drinks, know how to make your favorite drink. You should know how to mix you're own drinks. (Now, I'm not suggesting you all go to bar tending school, just don't have to rely on other people)

6. Never disparage another women for her life choices. This is important because it is all about respect. Never, ever discourage or put down a women because she chose her family over her career or visa vera. That is her choice and you need to respect it, as she should respect yours. 

7. Have at least one business/professional outfit. You can never go wrong with have a universal blazer and pencil skirt. You never know when you'll need it. 

8. Learn to wear a smile. When you don't feel well, when you're falling apart inside, when you didn't get enough sleep, have a smile on your face. There is a time and a place to break down or to sit on the couch with sweats and a tub of ice cream. There are times when you all you want to do is stay home, but you have to go to work or you have to go to class. When those time hit, walk with a smile. And on the other hand, no one likes a resting bitch face.

9. Say "please" and "thank you." This should be a universal rule for everyone, no matter what. Don't be that girl that asks someone to do something without saying "please." Or has someone do them a favor and not say "thank you." It's polite. It shows that you have manners. It shows that you care about people.

10. Wear your heels with a smile. You chose to wear them, do not complain. Plain and simple.