This past weekend was amazing. Not only did I meet people from all around Europe (and more), I practiced my Italian, finished one of my books, and found a few bars and cafes here in Urbino that I feel at least one will become my "spot”—take that as you will. I feel as if my time here is going by slowly, but also quickly, as I do so much in one day. Sunday was my first “do nothing” day, which seems counterintuitive to anyone studying abroad, but those types of days are crucial to avoiding burnout. Yes, I want to experience all that I can, but self-care is one thing that I am prioritizing this year, so I am making sure that I have downtime. I’m an introverted extrovert, so I rely on recharge days to get back the steam that I burned out by socializing.

Anywho, let’s talk about what I’ve been getting into.

Thursday

Thursday was a great day—er, let’s actually say Thursday night. In the daytime, I had my Italian and Mobile Photojournalism class. Cool—it’s class. We’re in college, so this is normal and nothing major came out of it. But when the evening hit (around 10 pm), three of the girls here with me and our Italian “advisor” (we don’t really have a title for her) had a girls night out. The first place we went to was called The Underground. It was a really nice place with great music (Audrey and I were ready to get up and dance, but that’d’ve been to American, lol), awesome drinks, and interesting people. My intention was to get a beer, but I ended up splitting both a Sex on the Beach and a Jamaica Julep with McKenna; both drinks tasted fruity and dangerous (because you really can’t taste the alcohol, especially in the last one).


We stayed at The Underground for a long time. It was really loud with the music, but it was a great time. A guy from Naples kept coming over and saying “Cheers” to us, which was hilarious. Alessia (our Italian advisor) called that he was from Naples before he told us. It was his dialect, which I can’t wait to be able to distinguish between. Anyways, the guy eventually sat down and started talking to us. He was fun to talk to, but he was definitely sly. (This is when we learned the Italian word “furbo.”)

After we left to The Underground, we went to a caffè called Caffè Del Sole. It is a really artsy place where artists and poets normally go. Alessia asked us if we wanted to take a shot, and that’s where I learned that Keglevich’s Strawberry Vodka doesn’t taste like vodka at all, and I can learn to like the stuff again. After four of us took our shots, we noticed that Alessia still had hers, and as she slowly sipped it, she said, “I don’t do shots.” Well, that’s fun. At this caffe, we met this older man whose name is either Yadel or Marchegiano—he wasn’t really sure. He really enjoyed speaking with us in English, but only if we talked slower.

Friday

I woke up on Friday knowing that the day was going to be bad. I was irritated, a migraine was coming on, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong was, indeed, going wrong. Friday was also our first esame italiano (Italian exam). Despite my irritation for the day, I felt confident about the exam because I’d been studying so much. By this point, I had ordered food in Italian, gotten lost in Italy, and made a decent schedule for myself in this Italian town, so yeah, my confidence was high. But I was also really nervous because taking an exam with a new professor is always anxiety inducing. I like knowing what kind of questions to expect and what to study for the exam. Luckily, I can say that I passed my exam with a 48/50.

Later Friday night, I just stayed in. It was a rainy night (and oh my gosh, the roads are slippery here when it’s rainy), so I slept some, read, and did laundry. The laundry part was pretty funny considering that I did it in a bidet (a toilet/sink in European bathrooms where you wash up in). Since we do not use ours, we dedicated ours for laundry since we still have no idea where the laundry room is. It was a very interesting experience, indeed.

Saturday

Saturday morning through afternoon was pretty relaxed.  It was a really snowy day, so I wasn’t that motivated to go out. I slept most of the day and finished up my book (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi). The same three girls and I went to go get pizza for lunch, and it. was. heavenly. I enjoyed it so much. That evening (around 7 pm), our group of 12 went to the Erasmus event, which is basically a bunch of European students that exchange at other European universities. We were invited because our professor (Dennis Chamberlin) knew the daughter of the woman over the event. So that was a really awesome way for us to meet more international students! It was also pretty cool that this event was held at the same caffe some of us visited a couple of days before: Caffè Del Sole.


At the event, we were able to aperitivo, which is a really cool way to say free food with drinks. There were students mostly from Italy, but also various Asian countries, Ireland, and Spanish-speaking countries. We were the only Americans invited, so of course we felt special (lol). During our time there, I learned that Italians think that country music is the favorite genre of most Americans (of course I love it, which is all that matters really); I also learned that I suck at foosball. (Sorry, Katlyn!)

During this event, the Erasmus team planned a couple of games with randomly created teams. I had two other Americans on my team (Ryan and Kennedy), on Italian, two guys from Vietnam, and on Irishman. The organizers stressed how important it was to have at least one person who could speak Italian on our team; I later realized why. Literally every clue was in Italian. This made a lot of sense when we later figured out all of our clues were in Italian. Our first job was to find the Erasmus flag. Unfortunately for our team, ours was hidden under the snow, by a bench. There was no way we would have found that. Next, we had to create the ESN sign with our bodies. Our final task was to find a pub, called Bosom. They ordered everyone shots there (I honestly was not expecting that). We spent the rest of our night there, dancing, talking, and having a good time.

We’ve all been there: you’re finally arrived at the airport with a carry-on, a bag for check-in, and a personal item. Everything is all packed and secured. Walking up to the check-in counter, you have your ID or passport ready. When you go to put your check-in bag on the scale, you’re confident (or blissfully unaware) that your bag is below the maximum allowed weight of 50 lbs. But wait—oh crap, that can’t be right! 50.5 lbs. 55 lbs. 62.5. Okay, this is getting ridiculous now. 

1. Don’t panic 

2. Try to rearrange items in your luggage

3. Start purging

4. Bring someone with you to the airport

Traveling abroad is a beautiful luxury that not everyone is able to afford. We're told that there is nothing better than hopping on a plane, a train, a boat, or in a car and just...going. But how can we do that when traveling is getting significantly more expensive? The idea sounds good, but it's not very realistic when of us are in debt or working our arses off to live a simple life. But what if I told you that you don't have to be rich to travel? What if I told you that all you need is to be strategic? It's okay if you don't believe me -- see it yourself. I am going to share with you all five ways to travel on a limited budget, whether that's abroad or domestically.

1. Staycation

One of the biggest ways to experience travel while saving money is to participate in a staycation. What is a staycation? It's when you stay local while vacationing. This could mean traveling to a metro-city for the weekend or renting an Airbnb for the weekend. These types of trips can encourage you to really get to know where you live. After all, how many of you can say that you have experienced what tourists come to town for? We get a bit lazy and take our cities for granted. Let's change that by treating out hometowns or metro-cities like you would if you were to fly half-way across the world.

This option is particularly convenient for college students. I know that we all want to go far, but realistically, our schedules don't allow for that. Now, you can travel an hour or so away, relax like you're in Bali or ski like you're on the Alps, and make it back to campus in enough time for your 8 am class on Monday.

2. Join a Student Travel Organization

I wish I would have known about this nifty tip when I first studied abroad. Joining student travel sites provides you with discounts and savings that can make an unaffordable trip become...well, affordable! This time around, I am a member of STA Travel, which is awesome for getting huge discounts on adventures, travel methods, lodging, and even little things like food (or big, if you're a foodie like me!) With this, I also got the ISIC (International Student Identity Card) through MYSTA, which also provides discounts. Their new app allows you to browse by location, and you can see all the potential savings. Note that this card is only available for full-time students.

3. Travel Solo

Solo travel is a pretty popular option that young women are taking advantage of nowadays. If you want your adventures to stay budget-friendly, going away by yourself is a great choice. You can focus on what activities you want to do, and not feel FOMO or like you're being judged by your companion for skipping out on other, costly options. When it is just you, you don't have as much pressure to partake in things that might bankrupt you. And if you are still feeling unsure about whether traveling alone is for you (whether it's because of potential dangers or simply because you like having company too much), there are plenty of websites that cater to solo travelers. You can meet up with others whenever you want, but don't have to worry about not being able to do your own thing if you want.

4. I'm Feeling Lucky with Google Flights

Google Flights offers a pretty sweet opportunity for those who want to travel with a budget. I'm not sure how often it is used, but it can definitely allow you to travel cheaply. How sway? You go to their website, set a maximum price that you are willing to pay, and the app will gather all affordable flights for you. You can also filter your flights even more by interests (e.g. shopping, architecture, or nightlife), airlines (because Delta is my go-to), times (red eyes tend to be cheaper), stops (you can save some bucks with layovers), and the flight length. This is a very comprehensive app that works for you and your budget.

P.S. Make sure that when it comes time to select dates, change it from 'specific' to 'flexible'; you will still have the option to choose which month you'd like to travel in, but the less locked down on dates you are, the more likely you can catch a good travel deal! (Google Flights will also let you choose whether you want a weekend trip, weeklong trip, or two-week trip, even with flexible dates!)

It's been three months since I have become a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. We are the FIRST Latina sorority. Despite myself not being Latinx, I chose my sisterhood based on its priorities and the genuine comaraderie I saw amongst sisters as well as their devotion to academics. Lambda Ladies are go-getters, who don't let barriers keep them from pursuing their passions and making a name for themselves. Lambda Ladies fight for our communities and speaks up for the unheard. We are Latin by tradition, not by definition.

Okay, that was my basic spiel about my sorority. But why did I decide to join a sorority at all? Once upon a time, I was severely anti-Greek. I did not dislike Greek life; I just didn't see myself actually partaking in it. There was so much required to be a member; it wasn't simply a sisterhood or brotherhood that you party, gossip, and have exciting adventures with (thanks movies for giving off this false perception). You have to put in work. That sounds like I am lazy, but I promise I'm not. It's when I am putting in work that I thrive the most, actually. With working hard, I have learned how to prioritize and identify what is best for me to pursue. Before last semster, I knew that I was not ready to commit myself to all the duties of Greekdom. I was just figuring out college life and finding an understanding of myself. I knew that if I did join a sorority, it wouldn't be for the letters. It'd be because I felt passionate and true about its mission.

So what the heck happened?

I met my mentor, Susan, in Connect 4 during my first year at Iowa State. When we first met, I found out that she is a founding sister of Zeta Gamma Chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha.

For those who aren't Greek, sororities and fraternities break off into chapters. For example, Alpha Chapter (the first, "The Motherland") of LTA was established at Kean University. Zeta Gamma Chapter is also LTA, but it was established at Iowa State University. These are different chapters of the same organization.

Susan and I spent our lunch talking, and she started to talk to me about her sisterhood. I was really impressed because of their contribution to the community, so our conversation delved deeper into what LTA was really about. I was new to learning about Greek life, especially the Multicultural Greek Council.  After about a thirty minute (quite conveneient) PowerPoint about LTA, I was really excited and thought that if I were to ever join a sorority, I would probably go burgundy and gray. Nevertheless, I did not pursue it at the time because of what I said earlier: I wasn't ready to commit myself. If I went for it, I wanted to go for it wholeheartedly.


I kept in touch with Susan because she is an awesome person, and I was inspired by her. She was majoring in Public Relations, so she was vital in helping me learn more about the industry and the possibilities I could have down that route. Occasionally she would bring up LTA, but she never made it a big deal about it. (Later on, she told me that she wanted me to find my own way there; if it was meant to be, it'd happen. Subtle....which is not like Susan at all, so this is funny in hindsight.)

It was not until Fall 2017 that I made up my mind: I wanted to go Greek. I was ready to pursue something that meant a lot to me, and I wanted to have a sisterhood. At this time, I was also the PR Chair for the Black Student Alliance, and one of my sisters was on the board as well. I talked to her about my interest, and she was beyond elated! She invited me to LTA's Open Espresso, which is basically an informational about the sorority. From then on out, it was fair game. I was all in.

A couple months later, I was officially a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha. I am the Duece of El Naciemento de Una Nueva Era, and am lucky to have two other line sisters who crossed with me. The process was definitely difficult, but do I regret it? No. I am SO proud to have my letters and be able to show the world what sisters of LTA can do.

I have always found it funny how college students talk about being broke so much, yet it seems like they're the main ones traveling for spring break. Before I became a college student, I thought that this was impossible, and these people who were complaining were lying about something. Were they even really broke? Or did they photoshop themselves somewhere? Because how are you traveling - and why are you spending all the money that you have - if you are so broke? But now that I am a college student, I see the truth. You CAN travel abroad (or around the country) with limited funding. It's all about working the system and finding the best programs/funding opportunities for you!

1. Study Abroad with Your College (Short, Semester, or Year)

This option is the most expensive on this list, but it's probably much cheaper than you going abroad by yourself! When you decide to study abroad with your college, you open yourself up to many grants and scholarships that can help fund your trip. Keep in mind the type of program you choose, however, as some have strict itineraries, whereas others are free-as-you-please. 

2. National Student Exchange

I will be participating in NSE next Spring semester (2018). You'll be able to catch me in the US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas! (Fun, right?) The aspect that I love most about the National Student Exchange is how you can either pay your regular school tuition and room + board, or your host college's tuition and room + board. In my case, I will be paying the USVI, which works out perfectly because it's a bit cheaper than Iowa State. 

3. Spring Break Programs

Going abroad (or, in general) during Spring Break may seem like it'd be completely unaffordable; however, that's not true. If you choose a program (either through your school or a completely separate trip), you will receive some type of discount compared to doing it alone due to it's all-inclusivity. Student City is a great place to check out future trips and prices.

4. Go With Friends + Split Everything

When I went to Chicago for a weekend, my friends and I split literally everything: hotel costs, gas, food, drinks, etc. This helped everyone financially; at the end, I spent less than $100 dollars for an entire weekend in Chicago. If you are going abroad, however, the only separate price that you would have to foot would be airfare. 

There is so much that I want to tell you right now. 

• You're beautiful.
• Your skin is beautiful.
• You're not beautiful "for a dark skin girl."
• You do not need to stay out of the sun this summer. 
• You do not need to be afraid to get darker this summer.
• You do not need to lighten your skin.

I know that all of this was sudden, but I am so overcome with emotions that I did not want to fester any longer. Dark skin should be embraced, yet, in society, it's not (or it goes to the other extreme by becoming a fetish). Once upon a time, I disliked my beautiful chocolate arms; I wondered why I had long, sun-kissed legs seemed less feminine because of its muscular structure; I didn't understand that my natural skin was a super long kiss from the sun. Dark skin was never considered "exotic," circa the desire of "foreign girls" a couple years ago. Everyone seemingly wanted a thick redbone. It was always team light skin versus team dark skin -- I'll leave you to figure out who naturally came out on top. Dark skin was not something to be desired.

But it's time. It's time that dark skin starts being appreciated for its innate beauty. There is no competition between skin tones; all tones have their own beauty. I need you to understand that you do not need skin lightening cream; what you need to do is hold your head up, take care of your beautiful glow, and not let society knock you down. I do not want you to shed a tear over the dark skin that God bestowed upon you. Do not let a foolish guy (or girl) let you think that you are beautiful in spite of your skin. You are beautiful because of it. I'm talking about the beautiful cocoa brown, the gorgeous honey nut, the deep, warm black. 

You beautiful chocolate girls and women, embrace your skin. After all, you only have one. Do not tolerate colorism; stand up for what you believe in. Never let your head fall, gorgeous. This self-confidence has to become the norm. I do not want my heart to break for any more little girls who grow up with a distaste for their own skin.

Celebrating birthdays is one of my favorite thing to do. I enjoy getting together with friends and creating memories. The fun seemingly triples when you go away to college. But the kicker here is that many people believe you can only have fun when you're 21-years old or have a fake I.D. I'm here to tell you that that's not true! I do not have a fake I.D. because I am a horrible liar. And I am only about to be 19-years old, so no bars or clubs for me. But there are some awesome ways to celebrate that do not require you to be of legal drinking age (in the US). 

1. Go to a hookah bar. 

I know that not everyone enjoys smoking. I am not the biggest fan either; I seldom go. But flavored tobacco is literally a great thing. Getting some friends together to go to a hookah (or chicha) bar, listen to great music, and have nice conversations is the ultimate time! I celebrated one of my best friend's birthday like this; I also went to celebrate my roommate's birthday.

2. Go to an escape room.

First of all, do not wait until your birthday to do this because escape rooms are great. But, if you must, definitely go to celebrate your birthday. Escape rooms force you and your fellow escapees to work together, and it's really fun to do. My friends and I recently did the kidnapping escape room at Breakout Des Moines.

3. Go to a BYOB or 18+ Club.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) parties or clubs are generally 18 and older, so this is perfect for those under 18 who still want t have a good time partying. After all, you don't need booze to have a good time!

4. Have a dorm/apartment party.

Some of the best parties I went to were in dorms. While you have to be careful not to be overzealous and loud, inviting friends over, turning on some music, and creating your own party can be great. If you have a larger dorm, invite more people and make it into a true college party!  Sound off in the comments how you celebrated your birthday in college! I want to hear all about it.

Time management and organization are two of the most important skills that you can have in college. Not only will they prepare you for your ultimate, full-time position, but they will also allow your time in college to go by smoothly with as less stress possible. I have touched on how I use Trello to stay organized; the Pomodoro technique is also something that I swear by. Now, I want to talk to all of you future (and current) college students about how to maximize your college schedule to stay on track for graduation and to keep your stress levels down.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to choosing college classes. It is important to know which classes are required and which ones are electives. You should also know whether you plan to study abroad (or do a program similar to National Student Exchange) during your college tenure. Another important factor is your class standing - are you considered a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior? Lastly, think about what your preferences are as far as morning, afternoon, or evening courses.

1. Are you a morning person? Night owl?

In high school, I had no choice but to get to school at 8 a.m. every weekday. This forced me to get used to the morning time; I had to learn how to be productive at such an early time. My first semester in college, I decided to take a lot of morning courses. (Because why not? I'm was used to them!) That was the worse mistake of my life. There is definitely a difference between morning classes in high school and morning college classes. I learned from my mistakes and took late morning courses this past spring semester. 
Knowing whether you prefer morning classes or night classes will require complete honesty from yourself. If you were forced into morning classes in high school, yet secretly (or maybe not so secretly) hated it, do not trick yourself into doing the same in college. While you will not always be able to choose later classes, I would not purposefully select AM ones. The same goes for later courses. I strongly dislike any classes after 3 p.m. (How does this work, you ask, if I also hate morning courses? Great question - I plan, plan, plan.) Because of this, I try to select late-morning to late-afternoon courses. 

2. What is your class standing [by credits]?

The more credits you have, the higher your class standing. Use this to your benefit! As soon as you are able to register for classes, you want to jump online and do so, so that you do not miss out on a class because it becomes full. I had the privilege of being assigned the very first day of registration (for seniors), even though I was a freshman. This was because of my scholarship, which I am grateful for!
In this step, you want to make a contingency schedule and select additional courses that you wouldn't mind taking if you do not get your first choices. The more credits you have, the quicker you get to choose your classes. This sucks for the younger classes because classes are typically capped at a certain number. At Iowa State, psychology classes fill up extremely fast, so I have a lot of friends who had to choose an alternate. 

3. Schedule in meal breaks

You may be wondering why meal time is something you have to schedule. I'll tell you why: you will get sick. If you schedule classes back-to-back and do not appropriately plan to eat, you will not be able to focus in class because you're so hungry. This is the absolute worst feeling! So make sure to take the time to schedule time between courses to grab some lunch (or dinner, if you have later classes). I never regret doing this. If you must, grab food for lunch the night before or get up early to stop by a convenience store on campus! 

4. Check Ratemyprofessor

Or, talk to other students in your college that may have taken the class before. It's important to figure out the history of a professor. While Ratemyprofessor is not the end-all-be-all, it is a great indicator for how you will like or do in a course. If you find out a professor typically has a negative rating and you would prefer not to risk it, look for other course sections and times. 

5. Know what's required and what's optional

Certain courses for certain majors are not elective; you have to take them. It's important from the get-go to know when you plan to take these. Required courses are traditionally prerequisites to one another; for example, you have to take a math before an economics or accounting course, or an English class before a creative writing course. It all depends on your college's requirements. Once you plan when you will take the required courses, you will be able to start choosing electives. 

6. Choose days that work best for you

Would you prefer Monday, Wednesday, and Friday courses? Or Tuesday and Thursday? It's pretty great when you can take a couple of days off, but just know that this isn't frequent. Also, note that professors will sometimes cancel classes on Fridays, so some MWF courses will turn into MW courses. 

Code-switching happens so often that it's impossible to list all the situations that it occurs. One of the most common occurrences is when someone switches from speaking professionally on the phone to colloquially talking when they hang up. I remember laughing at my mom all the time when I was younger; she was a code-switching queen! At the time, however, I was unaware of the term. Who could've known that this was an actual phenomenon versus something moms just did? I mean, what the heck is a code and why are we switching it?
So, I've given you all the intro to code-switching; I've said the word a helluva lot, but I haven't told you what code-switching actually is. Like the example showcases above, when you code-switch, you change your behavior and speech (among other identifiers) based on your surroundings, who you're talking with, and your comfort level. When I speak about it, I am traditionally referring to how people of color have to code-switch between various communities. That's not the only type of code-switching, however; it can be as minor as speaking multiple languages or certain phrases you'd use with a particular group. Gene Demby sums up code-switching:

"Many of us subtly, reflexively change the way we express ourselves all the time. We're hos-scotching between different cultural and linguistic spaces and different parts of our own identities -- sometimes within a single interaction."

It's interesting when you really stop to reflect. Why do people code-switch and when do they primarily do it? On behalf of the black community, I can list a lot of events that we code-switch; for other communities, there are similar and additional events. Let's see:

• Taking a phone call from a family member or friend at work
• Going into a predominately white community
• Talking to a boss
• Speaking with anyone in authority
• Playing with babies, puppies, or kittens
• Going abroad to a country with a different language

These are not super obvious situations that one would expect code-switching to be occurring, but it is! Now, the lingering question is why anyone would do it? There are many reasons...

1. To feel more comfortable in a situation

I would not feel comfortable speaking with a potential employer like I would with my friends. This is a typical example of code-switching; everyone does it, whether its concious or not. 

2. To blend in more

As a person of color, I already stick out like a sore thumb. While I have been told that I am "the whitest black girl," that does not mean that I do not have traits and identifiers that are traditionally seen in the black community, such as slang and mannerisms. When I am around non-POC, I find myself switching how I talk about by limiting my slang usage, and my demeanor changes. 

3. To explain a thought or complete a sentence

I remember when I came back from Germany, I ridiculously forgot some English words, so I tended to speak Denglish whenever I couldn't remember a word in English. There are also words in German that do not translate to or cannot be described in English. 

4. To be secretive

One of my friends began to learn Italian in order to speak with her roommate in public and keep others out of the loop. I love it when people do this! My roommate and I did it sometimes because we both speak a bit of German. You can also see this when accents come out; sometimes thicker accents confuse or make understanding someone harder.

To read up more on code-switching, here are a few credible sources that I found helpful:

• Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch by Matt Thompson
• Why Do People Code-switch: A Sociolinguistic Approach by Walid Rihane
• Bilingual Language Mixing: Why Do Bilinguals Code-Switch? by Roberto R. Heredia and Jeanette Altarriba
• Code-switching: How Black to Be by R.L.G. 

My first-year as an undergraduate student is officially complete. If I were to rate the year, I would give it an 8 out of 10. I gained leadership roles; I changed my major twice (but am officially in love with what it is now); I gained friends and am learning how to maintain healthy relationships; self-care has become a top priority of mine. It's nice to finally be able to just breathe without the added stress of homework, exams, group projects, and other extracurricular activities. But the thing is, I wasn't super stressed this past semester with the aforementioned. First semester - yeah, I was new and learning, so I got stressed out easily. Second semester was fairly easier because I had a pattern going PLUS I learned a new time management/procrastination/organization technique. Well, it's not a technique, per say. It's more of an app/website that saved my frickin' butt. 
Let me introduce you to Trello. I talked about it in this post about completing online courses. I promised to update you all on how it worked throughout the semester, and the update is finally here! Trello saved my but. Multiple times. First, let me explain how it works. Trello is an online management system (that's free, might I add, with the option to upgrade) that also has applications for mobile devices. You are able to create as many boards as you want, and subsequently as many lists within those boards as you want. The great thing about these lists is that you can add many cards with deadlines, links, attached documents or photos, additional members, labels, comments, and even checklists if there are multiple things to be done for a card. For the deadlines, Trello will send you reminders (urgent or simply "coming up"); once a deadline has past and you check it off, you can archive the card, which makes staying organized super easy! Now, for you all who may prefer to look at your assignments in a calendar format, Trello also gives you that option (but you have to add a deadline to the card you want to show up). 
Other amenities of Trello are the customization options that you have. There are pretty backgrounds that you can make use of, in addition to Power Ups, which are basically connected apps that you can use. 

How I Used Trello for College 

First of all, I create a new board called "College." I wanted to separate my personal life from my university life. That not only lets me stay more organized and have fewer lists per board, it also allows me to have individual calendars. Under my college board, I created a new list for each of my courses. At the beginning of the semester, I had 6 courses; now, I have finished quite a few, so many are archived, hence the 3 that's left.

I switched each list's name to the name of the perspective course. Within each list, I added a card with all of the professor's information (name, email, phone number) and attached the syllabus. This was very important for me to be able to do because I hate having to locate each syllabus if I need it. Trello makes it very convenient for me to have it all in one location for easy access. Next, I went through each syllabus and created corresponding cards for every assignment, project, and exam due throughout the semester. I color coded my labels so that I knew exams were yellow, homework was blue, group projects were red, etc. I always added the due date! (Using Trello for college would be pointless if you didn't, in my opinion. Due dates are your savior and prevents any "I forgot" comments.)

Throughout the semester, as I finished each assignment, I checked off that I finished the card and archived it. This allows me to visually see how much more work I have to do before I am done with the class. I also enjoyed looking at the calendar because I can see all that's due in a week. Once I was completely done with a class, I archived the entire list. Out of sight, out of mind, I say!  Do you use organization systems for college? Have you ever used Trello?
*None of this post is sponsored. I just really like Trello, so I'm singing its praises!

College can last however long you want it to (or are able to afford, financially; and if you're like the vast majority of college students, this is seemingly the most difficult challenge of getting an education). Traditionally, students graduate in four years; however, it's becoming more common for students to stay for a fifth year. If you're like me, that's something you kind of want to avoid. Mo' money, mo' problems, unfortunately, and I don't want a fifth year to give them to me. Plus, after four years, I am pretty sure that I'll be anxious to graduate and move on from college. To make sure that I stay on the right path to graduate in four years, my advisers and professors urged (and even created an assignment) me to make a Four Year Graduation Plan. 
This plan should be made as soon as possible, and yes, that goes for freshmen and all undecided majors. I made mine only a few weeks into my first semester as a first-year student. The great thing about making this graduation plan is that it's super easy to make, and you will be extremely grateful for it in the long run when you are trying to figure out what classes you still need to take, any prerequisites, etc. And don't worry! Making the plan will be easy (albeit a bit lengthy as you try to be as detailed as you can). 

1. Add all of your general education credits.

General education credits are the easiest because it relates to students who have declared a major and those who are undecided. They're also the easiest to place in your four year plan. Most of the time, students like to get their gen eds out of the way; however, you have to consider various things, such as what you plan to do during your time in college, such as studying abroad or doing a national student exchange. If you are, then it'd probably be best to save your general education credits until then simply because they're the easiest to transfer back to your home school. Major-specific courses tend to get a little testing when trying to transfer back, so I'd personally save those for when I'm on campus (or take it online, if possible). 

2. What prerequisites are there?

It's extremely important to know whether there are prerequisites for courses that you want to take. There is nothing worse than going to register for a class and getting told that you cannot because you haven't taken a required course (or worse, simply getting booted out of the class without any warning). The worst part about that is that some colleges allow you to register for the class (with or without the prerequisite completed), and you'll only get booted from the course during the first week of class by the professor. So do yourself a favor and write down all prereqs for the courses you are planning to take.

3. Can you save money? Take summer courses!

A lot of people think about college as Fall and Spring terms, but there's one more that is important to think about; Summer Term. Do not hesitate to skip out on taking a course during the fall or spring term at your college, so that you can instead save money and take the same course (or equivalent) at a community college during the summer. Mark this down in your four year plan so that you will not be confused and know what your plan is. 

4. Create using any method.

I've made a four year plan on Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as Google Sheets. On Excel or in Sheets, I can easily set up my rows and columns with each year, semester, as well as classes that I want to take (both require and electives). Microsoft Word isn't hard to use as well because of how easy it is to add a graphs, graphics, and organize to your liking. The only disadvantage to Word is how it lacks automation. All of these programs allow up to you to make your four year plan however creative or simple as you'd like it; you have the ability to color-code, star, filter, and more.  

Freebie time!

Because I want to help you all get going with your four year plan, I created a freebie template for you all. I organized it with color-coding and categories. You have full customization with your courses, course ID #, degree requirement (general ed, major requirement, electives, etc), # of credits, prerequisites, and which semester you plan to take the class. Everything is manual (sorry! no automation this time); however, the document is extremely easy to edit. To go ahead and download, click the following to go to Dropbox.

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities that a student can choose to attend in the United States. Some are two-year institutions; others are 4-years; there are also public and private institutions to choose from. I happen to attend Iowa State University, a public 4-year institution in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State was not my first choice; it was my second. But if you were to ask me whether I regret choosing ISU (because I did get accepted into my first choice, which was the University of Central Florida), I would say no with no hesitation. I chose my adventure.

1. Majors Galore

When I originally began to look at colleges, I chose Iowa State because of the vast amount of majors and minors available to study. Anybody who knows me (and maybe even those who don't) knows that I am super indecisive. This means that whatever university I ever considered attending needed to give me options as far as what I could study; a few majors that I considered once upon a time include the following: veterinary medicine, graphic design, interior design, architecture, journalism, and criminal justice. Iowa State provides all of the above, plus more. After all, I am currently double majoring in Event and Hospitality Management and considering minoring in Public Relations.

2. Campus Clubs & Student Organizations

Another reason why I ultimately chose Iowa State is the amount of extracurricular activities, clubs and organizations available for me to become involved in. I was not a super involved person in high school, but I knew that I wanted to be once I attended university. Even if I ended up not participating in anything, I wanted it to be because I chose not to - not because I didn't have the chance to. I am a member of the general assembly for the Black Student Alliance, Society for the Advancement of Gender Equity, Womyn of Colour Network, Connect 4, and the Historian for the Freshmen Action Team (umbrella-ed under BSA). I tried out Develop, which is a photo club, and a couple of other clubs; however, my schedule doesn't really permit me to participate in so many.

3. The Campus is Beautiful

Iowa State University's campus is breathtaking. It was actually named the fifth most beautiful campus by Buzzfeed in 2015. Every campus tour that I went on was rainy. RAINY. Yet I still fell in love with the school. Now that I am a student, I have had the opportunity to see the campus in rain and shine (no snow, yet!), and I still cannot believe that my campus is so gorgeous. There are little pathways that boast the beauty of the campus; the architecture makes my heart happy.

4. Iowa Charm

Lastly, the students, faculty, and staff are friendly! I've been told before that what people consider southern charm is how Iowa really is. I am not surprised. While not everyone might be super open, and some may be downright rude, but the majority will make you glad that you chose ISU. 

Michigan, oh Michigan, how I love thee. As I get closer and closer to moving away from my home state, my love for it continues to grow. Once upon a time, if you would have asked me where I would prefer to live, my answer would've been, "Anywhere but Michigan." But now my answer would completely change. The mitten state is not only where I was born and raised, it is also where I have learned more about myself and my history, where I have met some of the greatest people, and where I will always have roots. This state is beautiful. We have The Great Lakes, Mackinaw Island, the city that embodies Christmas year round, and delicious cherries! 
Yes, Michigan's weather is confusing (what do you want? two or four seasons, man, make up your mind already!). Yes, there are things about Michigan that I'd change if I could. But there is nothing that makes me happier than saying that I am a Michigander (and better yet, a Detroiter). I'll say it loud and proud.  
There are a lot of itineraries floating around when it comes to visiting cities in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula (UP). You'll find some for Munising, Grand Rapids, Mackinaw, and Houghton. I highly recommend that you check those cities out; you'll find amazing waterfalls, historical sites, camping sites, lighthouses, and more. It's a real sight to see. But there is another side of the state that is commonly forgotten about when writing about places to visit during a trip to Michigan (unless you're a huge sports fan). I'm talking about cities like Detroit, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Royal Oak, Farmington, Frankenmuth, and Lansing. So, because of the lack of guides for places such as these, I figured I would share with you all where I would take you if you were to visit Michigan. Here's my guide for Detroit, which was named #9 on the New York Times' list of places to visit in 2017. (Watch out for future guides for Metro Detroit cities!) 

Detroit Riverwalk  

I would take you to the Riverwalk in Downtown Detroit. It provides the perfect view of Windsor, Ontario; during the summer months, you will see a carnival, fireworks at times, and a beautiful skyline, which is pretty nice. I mean, how many other places in America can you see what's happening over in Canada while still in the US? Very few. Aside from the gorgeous view of Canada and the Detroit River, there are tons of shops, restaurants, bars, and museums nearby. The Renaissance Center (General Motor's headquarter) is also right behind the boardwalk, so it's very convenient if you have to use the restroom, are hungry (there is an entire food court available as well as some more expensive dining choices), or want to meet with Santa during the holiday season.   There are also a ton of festivals and events going on at the Riverwalk. It's really fun! There is always live music, the Detroit Princess to ride, water jetting out of the sidewalk, sometimes booths (like during a culture festival), and during RiverDays, there are boats to climb on, carnival rides, fireworks, and Husky dogs (Winter Blast). Depending on what time of year it is, Downtown Detroit provides an abundance of activities to participate in. So, if you are planning on coming to Michigan, do some research and take your pick! 

Mexican Town

I love Mexican Town! This area is full of delicious food and an entirely different culture than the one found primarily in Detroit and its metropolitan areas. The part that I'd like to dwell on is the food, though. Trust. Me. If you come to Michigan, please do yourself a favor and visit Mexican Town. When you go there, I highly recommend Xochimilco as your first restaurant to eat at. It is my favorite restaurant, and I am putting it against all other restaurants, whether it's American, Chinese, Italian, or Greek. I highly recommend that you eat a bunch of their free chips and spicy salsa, and then buy the beef burritos with cheese on top and double rice. As for drinks, because I am a minor I stick to the Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, which I absolutely love.
After you leave Xochimilco, make your way down one block (by foot) and taste your way through La Gloria Bakery. They have delicious bread and little treats that you do not want to miss out on. Yum. Then, and I apologize for having you walk so much, walk back down a block and to the antique shop next to Xochi's (Xochi's Mexican Imports). GO IN THERE.  You will be able to find some really cute and unique Mexican antiques.
Now - and this is if you would like the genuine Mexican and not Americanized food that Mexican Town can provide - drive to Mexican Town bakery on Vernor's Hwy (a street over from Xochi's) and eat one of their sweets. You'll thank me. I ordered my cake from them for my 16th birthday, and I honestly had never had a cake so delicious. And if you get hungry again, try one of the most authentic and delicious Mexican restaurants down there: Taqueria El Rey. Their chicken tacos are a God-send! Plus, their tacos start at only $1.50 (corn shell - highly recommended over flour); however, they are cash-only! 

Greek Town

While you are here, you definitely need to go to Astoria Pastry Shop (also available in Royal Oak, but this one is the first and best) and Pizza Papalis. They are both on the same block, so it'll be really easy to hop from one to the other (NO EXCUSES). The best order is probably Pizza Papalis and then Astoria's because the latter is a desert shop. At Pizza Papalis, I always order their lasagna with extra cheese and sauce; my sister orders their pizza, which, I cannot deny, is mouthwateringly delicious.
After you leave Pizza Papalis, head on over to your right and into the doors of Astoria, a Michigan-based pastry shop. They sell treats like Baklava, Macaroons, Danishes, Cupcakes, Cannolis, and Cookies. (Menu - note that not everything is available) Whenever I go, I head straight towards the Nutella Macaroons. Oh god. Imagine taking a bite and having your eyes roll to the back of your head from the savory taste. I'm telling you, buy that darn macaroon. You can thank me later.

The DeQuindre Cut

If you are into photography like me, then this will be your urban heaven! The DeQuindre Cut is a 1.15-mile area that is popular among photographers in the city. There are walls full of graffiti, bicycle paths, and space for the casual jogger/pedestrian. You will also find little work-out areas throughout the cut as well as some lovely greenery.

In the summer of 2014, I was a temporary undergraduate at Stanford University for 8-weeks. I took Interpersonal Relations (Sociology), Personality Psychology, Zumba, and Asana Yoga. For all of these courses, I earned 8 college credits. That was pretty impressive to do as a rising junior in high school. Not everybody gets the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school. I wish that it would be easier (and cheaper), but alas, it's not. But do not get disappointed if you haven't yet: it's one-hundred percent possible to do. My family could not afford to pay my summer college tuition, but I found a way to still go. Today, I am going to tell you how you can earn college credit (for cheap or free) while you are still in high school.

My Story

I learned about the Joyce Ivy Foundation from my counselor in my sophomore year of high school. She was very adamant about me applying to become a Joyce Ivy Scholar. The Joyce Ivy Foundation is a non-profit committed to the academic excellence and leadership development of young ladies from the Midwest (and some Southern states). They award the scholars who are accepted into the foundation scholarships to attend an Ivy League University during the summer. 
During the winter, before the application was due, I was very pumped about applying. My best friend and I were both going to do it, and we were going to apply for 1) Emory in Georgia, 2) Barnard in New York, and 3) Stanford. That was the order, too. We wrote our papers, had our counselor review it and got our recommendations. But this was the point where I started to feel defeat before I even submitted anything. (Crazy, right?) I think it was the pressure of competition. Well, not true competition as in sports, but the competition of getting this well-known and respected award. When we had our counselor review our papers, hearing her praise my friend's paper and "meh" mine was very disappointing. I've never been one for constructive criticism. Over time, I have progressively gotten better (thank you Architecture class + reviews), but at that time, I felt shot down. 
I kind of gave up on applying to the foundation after that. I was not motivated, and I figured if my counselor didn't like my paper, then there is no way that Joyce Ivy will. My mom kept motivating me to get back at it. She didn't want me to give up before I even applied. Now, I see what she was saying. You'll never know if you will get something if you don't even put in the effort to try. So, I eventually conceded and reviewed my paper. I revised my paper a little bit. I finally submitted the application.   About a month or so later (in March), I received the "Welcome + Congratulations" e-mail from Joyce Ivy Foundation. I was beyond ecstatic! But I still didn't know whether I was admitted to the university of my choice, which was Stanford. It was a wild ride trying to decide which university to apply to, but something in my heart told me to choose Stanford. Not only had I been begging my parents (for years) to take me to California, but I also knew about Stanford's Grade A reputation and heard about their gorgeous campus. (I now know about Emory and Barnard, but I hadn't at that point in time.)
It took Stanford a little bit into April (during Spring Break) to respond. There was a lot of communication and faxing certain documents (which was a hassle because I was in Tennessee on break at Westgate Resorts) on both ends. But after all of that was done, two days before my family and I left Tennessee, my dad got the e-mail about me being admitted to Stanford's Summer College. I also learned that I was awarded the other half of money to be able to attend the summer college. So, in the end, I was awarded two scholarships to attend Stanford, and the transportation was all-inclusive (Joyce Ivy also gave us $75 per week in spending money).

Do Your Research

There is nothing worse than someone who wants everything but refuses to put in the footwork. Getting things is not a walk in a park. You have to apply. You have to inquire. You have to be willing to lose just a little bit of sleep working on that essay. It's all a process. The first step of that process is finding out what the heck you want to do. Do you want to earn college credit? Study abroad? Go to a camp? Google is your best friend in this step. You can easily type in "summer college" or "earn college credit in high school." Find the program that you are most interested in. Read as much as possible about them. How much is the tuition? How long is the program? (Funny story: I did not know that Stanford was for 8-weeks when I applied. I found out at the last moment hahah.) Is it a residential program or a day program? Get the basics, and the next step will...well, it'll still be harder, but at least you'll know what you need.

Find Out Your Money Situation

When I say money situation, I mean are you going to be able to foot the bill or will you need a scholarship (or three) just to attend? Estimate how much money you'll need per week and see if it'll be feasible for your family. Joyce Ivy gave me $75/week, and my family chipped in $25/week to give me  a total of $100/week. Now, let me tell you, that was chump change in California. Everything cost: the Caltrain, shopping bags (if you - like me - forgot your reusable bags at the dorm), JAMBA JUICE. Well, the latter was more of my addiction than a necessity, but hey, it is what it is. 
And while you figure out the money situation, be honest with yourself. If you agree that $40 per week will be enough (which it might be; however, if it's your first time somewhere, then you might feel a little touristy and that's more money), then do not be angry if your parents say no to more.

 Apply for the Program's Financial Aid

Applying to Stanford's financial  aid program is what helped me go. If I had to rely only on Joyce Ivy for money, then I probably (like, 100%) would not have been able to go. To get aid, the program may require more financial information to be submitted and possibly one or two more essays.

Dual Enrollment

If you can, try dual enrollment during the school year, which is typically free. You can take interesting courses while getting college credit. However, do your research on this, too! Some colleges may not accept dual enrollment college credit if you take it on your high school's campus. Some colleges simply may not accept it at all.  Regardless, taking dual enrollment will help you get a feel for certain courses and may introduce you to a path you may have never thought of before.

Traveling is an experience all of itself. There is aplenty of sights to see, food to taste, and people to meet. However, what you cannot bank on without open arms and an open mind is experience. Experience comes from the nitty-gritty, unexpected moments and lessons that one can get from traveling. One of my favorite ways to garner a bit of experience is to stay in a hostel. For those of you who are unaware, a hostel is a cheap place (similar to a hotel) that allows you to stay and share a room with other [same-gendered] people for a night or however long you plan to stay. It is a pretty cool way to meet people from all over the world.

One of my favorite hostels that I have ever stayed in was in Frankfurt, Germany. Of course, I am a bit biased because of the people that I spent time with there, and it was also the last place I stayed at in Germany; however, it was great! They had an enlarged map with pins in each place that someone came from. It was cool to see where past or present guests of the hostel came from. The common area stayed open until about 2 AM. The architecture was pretty awesome! And they had free WiFi and computers (!), which was important for me to contact people because I had no data plan in Germany at that time. Aside from those things, I cannot really speak as to how sleeping overnight went because I never went to sleep that one night we stayed there; a couple of new friends and I stayed up, drank, and talked the whole night until we had to go to the airport. Great memories, guys.

Anyways, considering the fact that I may not have already convinced you to stay in a hostel by now, here are just a couple of reasons why you should:

1. All of the Peeps

2. You Save Loot

3. Live More Like a Native

4. Best Way to Stay Connected & Unconnected

5. Food