3 WAYS TO MAKE A BUSY COLLEGE LIFE EASIER

My name is Bayli and I am a student attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This year is my 3^rdand probably one of my busiest and exciting. Anybody every wonder how hard college is going to be? If you’ll have time for friends and fun on top of full time schoolwork? Ever wonder if you will need a job once you start college and get stressed about how little free time you might have? Well, I can tell you I sure did! So I made a list of ways to make a busy college life easier, fun, and overall more successful.

1.   PRIORITIZE

What is more important? Getting that studying done or watching the next episode of "The Walking Dead"?  Pick and choose what needs to be done and do it. The quicker you are done, the more time you will have to do some fun things like ice skating, sledding, rock or ice climbing, and watching Netflix.

 

  

2.   THINK POSITIVE AND POSITIVE THINGS WILL HAPPEN!

Be optimistic! When things seem like they are tumbling down around you, know that life goes on and tomorrow is just another day. I almost always have to remind myself of this slogan every week I have a test. 

3.   MAKE TIME FOR FUN ADVENTURES

Life can’t all be classes, studying and sleep! Make time for the adventures. Hang out with your friends for a couple hours on the weekend. Socialization is key to having a successful college career. Go for a long walk to clear your mind. In Fairbanks I tend to go to The Crepery downtown or cross country ski trails on campus.

 

A College Students Guide to Shopping Online

As a college student living in Fairbanks, Alaska you often find yourself shopping at the same stores since there is not a lot of, affordable, options located in town. So here are some tips for shopping at online stores without breaking the bank.

1) UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS is a great resource for any college student. All you have to do is sign up, for free, with your university email which will give you discounts to a lot of stores; some discounts are even up to 50% off!

2) Fabletics

Fabletics is a subscription based site that offers full workout outfits at reasonable prices. You do have to sign up in order to purchase from the site, but when you do, for right now, your first outfit is only $15. Make sure you check out the How It Works page on the site before signing up to see if its right for you.

3) Amazon Prime Student



I'm sure by this point everyone reading this already knows about Amazon and Amazon Prime so I'll skip on a description. Amazon Prime Student, however, is great if you're trying to save money but want the benefits of prime. You get your first 6 months free of charge and after that you only pay 50% of a regular Prime membership!

4) Google Chrome Extension




For those of you who don't know about Chrome extensions, they are small software programs that enhance the functionality of the browser. One of my favorites is called Honey. This particular extension scours the internet for any and all active discount codes when you visit any online store. It tells you the number of codes, how long they have been active, and what the chance is that it will work for you. It has definitely helped me out a couple of times.

5) The Internet!

Lastly, there is always the internet itself! I had no idea that you could get discounted car insurance, cell phone plans, and even restaurant discounts. There are a bunch of different sites that list the many discounts available to student, it all depends on what you search for. Here are some that I found for you: 60 Awesome Student Discounts, 100+ Stores That Give Students Discounts, 101 Student Discounts.

I hope this blog proved helpful for all of you out there who need it and good luck shopping!

Spooooky

Growing up in Fairbanks, I definitely developed a unique attitude towards fall/winter. Seeing the northern lights is a common thing, I'm not too afraid of being confronted by a thousand pound moose, and autumn only lasts but a few weeks. I grew up used to the idea of walking to and from school in the dark all winter. I grew up having to plug the car in just so it'll start when it gets cold. I grew up having to design Halloween costumes to go over snow suits and boots because you knew there would be snow on the ground.


This last week was Halloween. It was a spooky time around campus. Because this year Halloween was on a Monday, it was actually celebrated the whole weekend. For the few days proceeding the holiday, you could find dinosaurs, fairies, pirates, knights, angels, Freddy Krueger, and other creepy things all over campus. There were fun activities going on at the Wood Center, the dorms halls, and office buildings. The Admissions office had a costume pot luck party in the lobby Signer's hall for a few minutes before getting back to work. Most everyone in our office dressed as our favorite literary characters.

I noticed some common costume components you can expect to see each year, like wigs, capes, and makeup. But I also noticed there were a lot of onesies this year. I wore a ninja turtle onesie with an orange bandanna (but was late for the group pic), there were a few superheroes, and I saw a few leopard print onesies on people also donning face paint whiskers throughout the day. Sometimes in college you need to dress up nicely for a presentation, and others you can get away with wearing a onesie all day and stay nice and cozy. All of this goes to show that just because you're an adult now and are in college, you certainly don't have to stop having fun and enjoying the festivities around the holidays. Keep being spooky!

Ten Quotes That Get Me Through the Day!

Here are some of my favorite quotes that help me get through my roughest days!

Major Changes

And while there are academic advisers for specific majors and concentrations, there are also advisers who can counsel students who aren’t yet sure what their passions are. They can also give aptitude tests based off of personality traits and likes versus dislikes which are wonderful resources for finding potential career and life interests.

Growing up is all about making decisions. Each year that we grow, we are faced with more serious decisions and maybe a little less guidance as those we love give us more leeway to develop our own thoughts and reasoning. College provides even more difficult decisions to be made. Where to go and what to major in. Maybe you aren't even sure of what to major in. And if so, that is okay my friend. It is actually very common! That is the supreme question of college right; what are you going to do with your life? And sometimes we just don’t know yet. Perhaps it sounds really neat to be a professor but it also sounds amazing to be an astronaut, a police officer, a cardiologist, and an actor who sings on Broadway during free-time.

Whatever we decide to do, we want to be passionate, right? There are so many options.... And so little time. (Okay so four years time, but it is ideal to choose early!) Going to university opens many doors to do whatever we set our hearts and our minds to; but what if we just aren’t sure what our hearts and our minds are called to do?

 It can be extremely overwhelming, exciting, and lots of crazy all at once. And that my friend, is the beauty of it! We are so lucky to be able to choose what we want to be and do with our lives! There are many parts of the world where people cannot yet do this. But even so, it CAN be quite overwhelming.

That is why I want to stress the importance of becoming familiar with your academic advisers early; whose jobs it is to help students realize their passions and potential and who also love doing so! Whether becoming familiar with an adviser in high school or meeting with one in college; it can be extremely helpful and motivating to have someone advocating for your future.

A few other great recommendations are taking a gap year. This is actually very popular in Europe and becoming more popular each year here in the US! Did you know that the First Daughter Malia Obama is currently taking a gap year? It's a great way to work in different fields or save up money to go travel the world for a few months. A lot of grown-ups may say that taking a gap year contributes negatively towards going back to university but data actually shows that students who have taken a gap year tend to graduate with higher GPA averages and also that 90% of students who took a gap year returned to college within a year. For more information, I would recommend checking out this link: http://americangap.org/data-benefits.php.

Another possible idea is to job shadow. Perhaps try going to local businesses and asking to shadow to see what a day in the life of different careers is really like! Job shadowing is popular for health science majors but can be done in all sorts of different career fields. Even if a career field completely disinterests you; at least you know what you wouldn't want to end up doing/majoring in. And sometimes that is more important than knowing what you do want to do!

Can you think of any other ideas of how to discover what you really want to major in? There are countless!

Change of Scenery

I'm a military brat, I've moved many-a times in my life. Not as many as a lot of people I have known but every 3-5 years I've moved to a different place. When my parents came to Alaska, about 8 years ago now, they knew they had found their home. I felt differently. I love it here, I have so many great memories and have met some of my favorite people here and I am extremely grateful to have had been able to experience this truly unique place.

But I have to be honest with myself, this is not where I want to stay forever. I need a change of scenery. I'm not used to being in one place for so long. Yes, I have gotten out a couple of times to visit family, which I am not turning my nose up at in no way. I even got to go to England for a week when I was 14. But it was not enough, I wonder if it'll ever be enough. Has being a military brat conditioned me to have to soak up newness like a sponge? Or would I have been this way anyway? My parents seem so happy to be home and stay here whereas I feel like I'm sometimes drowning in the same old things. Traveling isn't impossible, I know that. There are plenty of resources on campus regarding just that, a whole office dedicated to getting out of here for a while. But I feel stuck, I feel that studying away isn't the best option for me at this point. I'm too adamant about graduating in Spring of 2018 that I don't want to do something that might jeopardize that. So I'm considering just waiting until graduate school to leave the state. I'm just afraid. I'm afraid of waiting and waiting and never leaving.

I'm afraid of not doing anything and getting stuck. More than that, I'm afraid of disappointing myself again with the hopes of leaving this place for a while. This summer, I was so excited to book a trip to Ireland for the the 2017 Spring Break but was sadly unable to go do to financial difficulties. I was so upset by this, I am now afraid to plan to leave out of fear that the plan will unravel and my hopes will be dashed once again. But still, I am trying to remain hopeful. I'm trying, very cautiously, to plan to visit my best friend in New York City. I'm trying to be smart about it now. I'm looking for flights, preparing where I'm going to stay and even planning on what exactly to do while in the big apple. I know that I can't plan it down to a "t" and ultimately life it going to alter the plan but I think I am ready for that. All I know is that I need a change, change of scenery, a new adventure even if it's just for a little while. Sometimes you just have to get away.

Boulderween and Rock Climbing and Outdoor Adventures!

This Halloween weekend my friends and I went to a program put on by Outdoor Adventures in the Student Recreation Center (SRC). It was called Boulderween (clever right?).  They decked the bouldering wall out in neon tape of all different colors. They had face paint that glowed and a costume contest! My friend in the pizza onesie won the contest by a thundering applause from the crowd.

If you want to see some cool footage of it, please visit the Nanook Tales channel on youtube! Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/PyOV_EqW7Ec

Outdoor Adventures is a university program that gets students outside and active. They operate the rock wall inside the SRC and the ice climbing wall on campus! Both are really great activities for students to have. You don’t have to know how to rock climb to try it out either! Outdoor Adventures also puts on camping, Hiking mountaineering, skiing/snowboarding, and rafting trips. They have gear for rent including snowboards/skis, tents and backpacks.

As a student attending UAF I am so grateful to have this resource on campus! I advise that you check out their website or ask any of the ambassadors if you have any questions.

https://uaf.edu/draw/outdoor-adventures/

My Trip to Alaska

I moved to Fairbanks from Chicago in the summer of 2015.  I decided to take the scenic drive rather than flying up here.  Here are a few pictures from my journey.





Car Henge in Nebraska 



Hot Springs, South Dakota



Bike Pile in South Dakota



Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota

Devil's Tower in Wyoming

Crossing into Canada!



Banff, Alberta

Beaver Lodge, Alberta



The Alaska Highway!



Bison in British Columbia



Porcupine in Yukon



Sign Post Forest in Yukon



Frantic Follies show in Whitehorse



I made it to Alaska!

11 reasons why you should consider living with your parents after high school

So you’ve graduated high school, huge kudos. I bet you’re wondering: What is the next step? Of course if you’ve arrived here and you’re reading this you want to go to college, but do you necessarily need to move out to do so? There is a huge misconception that after you graduate high school it is ideal to move into the dorms or have everything figured out for yourself financially but I’m here to debunk the myths. Believe it or not some college students still live at home and there is no real reason why you can’t keep that option open. Sure the dorm life is great, you have more access to other students, social events; the complete college experience however, commuting doesn’t necessarily  mean you're missing out, you are just experiencing college differently. Which is okay, every educational journey is supposed to be unique in the first place so remember to keep your eyes and options open.

1. It’s cheaper
1. because who doesn’t want to save money when you know just how expensive school can be.

2. Free and Faster Wi-Fi
1. There are hundreds of students logged onto your school wifi everyday, not only is it a little less secure than the one at home, the things you access should be filtered because you are accessing a public network anyways.
3. Less Food Expense
1. Food will be cheaper because even if you chip into buying it you won't spend nearly as much money as you would be feeding yourself. Plus don't forget those home cooked meals won't be too far from reach.

4. You have time to manage your finances
1. It is a little hard to understand the inner working of finances fresh out of high school especially when scary words like credit, student loans and taxes are talk amongst your fellow classmates, because your folks will be there to advise you along the way it will be a lot easier to turn to them to learn how to apply for funding and learn how to budget your money than it will someone who is your age with probably the same concerns that you currently have.
5. You can have a pet
1. Ever had to spot at home? Save yourself the peace of mind and your pet the separation anxiety, you might be busy but at least your furry friend will be close by when you are in need of comfort.

6. Free access to the washer and dryer
1. AND you can wash as much as you need without having to worry about someone else needing to use the washer.
7. There are snacks, and a lot of them

8. If you have to pay rent the price will be reduced
1. because well, they love you.
9. They have a furnished living space!
1. Although home décor shopping is totally fun you could probably save it until you’re a little older and established because what is better than being able to decorate your own apartment!
10. You won't have to say goodbye to half of your belongings.

11. You know your roommates

1. Even though parents can kind of be a drag you already know what to expect from them and their peeves, it's a lot easier than developing a fresh relationship with someone you don’t know too well.

Remember that no matter what you choose, commute, stay at home, or move into the dorms you are making a conscious adult decision. Be sure to explore your options and remember that there are plenty, no matter where you aim shoot straight and remember to keep your cool.

My Social and Non Social Life

It’s Friday night. I am sitting on the couch in my sweats watching Pulp Fiction, drinking lavender tea. I am exhausted from the week of school and have looked forward to shutting my brain off for the night. My sister calls me from Seattle, checking in on me and asking what I’m doing tonight. Watching Netflix of course! Her response is “oh! You are not going out and hanging with your friends?”

Why do we expect that college students “need” to go out to have a good time? I am perfectly content being alone. It’s not that I don’t love being with a group of people, such as dancing around the house and being the stereotypical 21-year-old. I love that, but not all the time. Unlike my sister who needs company 24/7, I am very satisfied being on my own on a Friday night. Or how about eating alone during lunch? Last week, I had my headphones in listening to The XX and my friend came over and looked extremely worried. “Why are you eating alone? Go sit other there with everyone else!” But I enjoy eating alone sometimes. I’m extremely busy during the week and it’s nice to have time to myself. It’s my way of recharging.  

Many people believe I’m an extrovert because I can be loud and outgoing. Although here’s a secret, I am an ambivert; meaning I share both introvert and extrovert qualities. An extrovert is someone who gains energy in their environment by socializing with people. An introvert finds this incredibly draining and is perfectly content being by themselves in a quiet area. There seems to be limited knowledge of the brain activity of an ambivert because it falls in the middle of the spectrum. You can read constant articles about how ambierts love balance and that they gain energy in multiple and different ways. Apparently ambiverts are the top candidates for being a salesman. They are social beings therefore have great people’s skills, yet are not overbearing and can read people very well because they understand different personality types. 

Being an ambivert, I would advise people, especially college students, to not let the stigma of staying in on Friday night be looked down upon. There is nothing wrong with doing what makes you happy and content. But that’s the great thing about being an ambivert, many different types of hobbies sound appealing! I can be around a large number of people at an event, or I will want to sit down in a coffee shop and read my favorite book.     

Making Yourself Dinner in College

Until I got to college, I didn’t realize how frustrating and time consuming deciding what to make for dinner and making dinner was. Props to my mom and dad for making dinner for my siblings and me.

I decided I was going to make one-pot chicken alfredo the other night… let me say first off that it was an adventure. Nothing gets your mind off homework like almost failing at cooking dinner.  I cooked the chicken, poured the chicken broth, and made the sauce. And you know how parmesan is a key ingredient to Alfredo…? Well I forgot that… The most important part!

By the end of the adventure I had sauce in my hair and flour all over the counter. I was supposed to use only one pot but the dishes were endless! It was actually quite comical. If I had my sister there to help I think there would have been a better outcome. The food was still great, so much more delicious than ramen, but it could have been better.

More planning should have definitely gone into this project so next time I make dinner I’ll think it all out before I start! Wish me luck tonight, I’m going to try tackling breaded chicken (and I’m horrible at cooking chicken, just ask my sister).

If you guys want to try making one-pot chicken alfredo here is a great recipe:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/19408_one_pot_chicken_alfredo/

Ps. Don't forget the parmesan!!