How to stay organised.

Why??

Staying organised has to be one of the most annoyingly important things that people should do, but we all know that we aren't as organised as we should be.

So I thought that it would be a good idea to share my tips in 5 easy steps So that you can stay organised in an easy way.

Step 1:

Get hold of a planner - this will be your life saver. But having a planner it will allow you to visually see what you have to do and then the satisfaction of ticking off your tasks. I for one understand the struggle that comes with trying to keep a planner up to date. However you just have to keep persevering and after about a week you get into a rhythm and it becomes second nature.

Step 2:

Colourful pens are a blessing. These will come hand-in-hand with your planner. I remember reading a few years ago that colour improves memory by 70% (and that must be true because I read that a good 6/7 years ago).

Step 3:
Sticky notes are a recent addition to my organisation tricks. They are just so helpful and portable! Portable being the major factor as you can stick them anywhere around the house so that you can see it and it will instantly remind you that you need to do something! However just do not do what I did and put it somewhere where it can easily drop and get lost!

Step 4:
Now this step can just be your whole trick if you prefer. Notice boards (or cork boards) are actually very spacious, even the smaller ones, as you can put as much on them or as little. Although if I were you I would make sure that you try not to overlap your notes and documents onto the notice board too much, otherwise then you will more than likely cover something important and then when you take things down you will find it and then it's too late.

Step 5:
LAST STEP!! This is actually a multipurpose step, flash cards are amazing for revision and for keeping organised! Now your probably thinking "No they aren't they are just for studying!" And that is true they are, but you can also use them to keep yourself organised. If you a reading a book for school/University/work then you can use the flash cards as a book mark then when you have finished your page, chapter, etc. then you can pick it up look at it and then you will be reminded. Flash cards are also more durable then sticky notes and they can stand up better - also not leaving a sticky residue when you peel them off.

I really hope that this helps you to stay more organised and I'm sure that you can all do a better job than me!

I hope that you are all well and are enjoying your day.

KatieE

University advice.

Yikes!!

Hang on!!! Do not panic, I repeat do not panic!

University may appear to be a scary time of your life; however it is not really that scary. Yes there are some aspects that make University seem like a frightening time:

1. You move away from home.

2. You are now in charge of your health.

3. You have rent to pay.

4. You have a lot more homework, essays, exams to do.

5. You have to be careful with your money.

6. Will you get on with your flatmates?

Okay! So maybe there is actually a reason to be nervous, but let me tell you as someone who has gone through the whole University thing and come out with a degree it is possible! So let's take a deep breath and I will do my best to break down what you can expect from University and some tips that will/can make it a lot easier to prepare for it.

What to take with you:

You will need to take the obvious essentials

• Plates and bowls - obviously.
• Cutlery - however chose your favourite, then put some nail varnish on them all to identify yours further from one of your flatmates.
• A door stopper - this might appear a stupid thing to take with you, but especially on the first day if you have your door open then your house mates will see that you are friendly and they are then more likely to then converse with you.
• Toiletries - nothing worse than forgetting them!
• Your laptop - unless you want to write 2000 word essays by hand.
• Printer - I know it is expensive but it will save you so much money if you have your own instead of spending 10p a page in the library.
• Lamp - I do believe that some University rooms come with a lamp, but more often then not there will only be one, so it is better to have another that can then go next to your bed.
• Multi-plug - these are so useful! It makes life easier if there is only one set of plugs and you have multiple things to plug in.
• Glass container - this is a weird one, on a University campus there is normally a launderette therefore if you have a glass container (or something similar) then you can save spare change to use to pay for your washing and drying.

 What to expect:

When you move in you will go to a separate building to collect your key, now pay attention because this is really important! make sure you do not leave your key in your room after Fresher's Week, because you will be charged after that for being locked out. Lectures will not be easy - but then again it is the last stage towards your education, what do you expect?

Social life:

Getting along with your flatmates is essential; however also having a social life outside of your flat is a big part of University as well. You can do that by attending the Serendipity, which is a fair that showcases all the different society (or clubs) of that University. It is a good way to join a society that you are used to: e.g. netball, football, dance, etc. 

University is not the easiest ride of your life, but it will allow you to make some new friends and memories that will stay with you throughout your life. If you decide that you want to continue your education by going to University you will really appreciate your degree once you have got it.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you have had a lovely day.

KatieE.

Back to school advice.

That time already!!!

The three words that everyone dreads to hear!

There really is nothing to worry about when it comes to school. I am not just saying this because I have finished and do not have to go through the whole back to school anymore - FINALLY! - but I am saying this as it really is true.

When people think of school they have two perceptions

1. It is utter hell and they feel as though they are being punished by their parents.

2. It is so scary that you spend the week before schools starts again panicking about everything.

When in actual fact, yes high school is a big place but once you have been there for a week, maybe two, it really is not that big any more. The teachers that are there are just trying to help you prepare for the next stage of your education or to go into the workplace. I will admit that there are some that are make it appear that they are just picking on you - but when you think about it, that can even happen in the workplace and they are subconsciously training you for how to behave if that happens and what you should and should not do.

The week before

The week before school begins again has to be the worse, you have become used to the late nights and late wake ups - some of us not even waking up until the afternoon. However when it comes to the first week of school I suggest that you set an alarm for an earlier time then you would wake up. If you wake up at 2pm set your alarm for 10am then when you have to wake up even earlier than that for the first week of school it won't be as much of a shock to the system. 

Another bit of advice I have is to just practice writing again - I know if sounds stupid but trust me, after having such a long break from writing one on paper it feels so weird to go back to it, so if you practice then when you get back you won't get home look at your work and then find you can't read any of it.

Another plus of the week before school starts is to start actually thinking of what you are going to do for school lunches. Now obviously some of us will go for the option of getting lunch at school. But for those of us who do not feel comfortable with that idea then take the week before to come up with some simple lunch ideas that you would be happy to take and eat at school. (If you would like me to write a post on some school lunch ideas then comment below and I'm sure I can come up with some for you). 

The last piece of advice that I can give to you for when you have to go back to school is to simply take a deep breathe and just think the quicker you start school, the quicker it will be for you to get half-term holidays, bank holidays and the Christmas holidays. 

School really is not that bad, especially when you above a group of friends to help you get through the day. I'm sure that all of you starting school will be fine and will soon start to think "why was I worrying so much?" Trust me I did that every year throughout high school.

I hope that this has helped put your mind at ease and you have a lovely day.

KatieE.