Happy Halloween from Pakkits!

                                                 Happy Halloween form Pakkits!

Halloween on a college campus can be one of the highlights of fall semester. Without a great costume, however, what's a college student to do?

If you're like most college students who are already overburdened with obligations, you probably waited until the last minute to figure out what to be for Halloween. Luckily, there are several great ideas that can be done at the last minute -- and without spending too much money.

Dress As Your Roommate

This should be done kindly, of course, and is even better if you both go together while dressed as each other. Simply borrow your roommate's clothes and an accessory or two, vamp it up a bit, and off you go. (Women: Is your roommate into bags? Grab several of her faves and head out. Men: Does your roommate always wear sports shirts? Put on several and show them off during the evening, perhaps rotating them as the night goes on.) It should go without saying, of course, that you'll need your roommate's permission and that you should be sensitive of hurting any feelings. But if you're both into it, it can be a fast costume fix.

Go to a Thrift Store

Thrift stores have all kinds of great finds throughout the year -- but especially at Halloween. Grab some funky clothes; grab some fancy clothes; grab some clothes from a decade or two ago. But grab all you want and don't worry about spending too much.

Go as a Group

If you're going out with a group of friends, work together to find a costume. You can dress like the cast from a recent movie, flight attendants and pilots, or even the members of whatever girl or boy band is currently hot. Because you'll be going as a group, you won't need as many accessories as you would if you were responsible for your own attire.

Dress as a College-Aged Character from a Movie

Whether or not you ever thought about it as such, you have an entire room full of college-student props. Vamp it up and go as a college-aged character from a movie. It can be a classic or whatever is current. Either way, it's an easy fix to not having a costume handy.

How do you Study?

Let's say someone gives you a phone number. But you don't have anything to write it down with. How are you going to remember it?

Your answer to this question can actually shed some insight on what your most effective studying technique is. Let's break it down by the three most common responses:

1.  You repeat the phone # out loud until you memorize it     

If this was your answer, you may be an auditory learner. This means that you remember things better if you hear them and follow spoken instructions better than written ones. Here are some helpful studying techniques for the auditory learner:

     - Read and repeat important points out loud.
     - Learn from lectures and tapes.
     - Discuss concepts with other people

2.   You picture it in your head

If you selected this answer, you may be a visual learner. This means you learn best from reading or watching. You may remember things better by picturing or writing them out. Here are some useful studying techniques for the visual learner:

     - Draw out diagrams or charts
     - Organize, highlight, color-code notes
     - Visualize words or info to be memorized

3. You "write" the phone # out with your finger on your hand or a surface

Finally, if you selected this answer, you may be a tactile learner. This means that you grasp knowledge best through hand's-on learning. You may enjoy puzzles and can often assemble things without instruction. Here are some great studying techniques for the tactile learner:

     - Use computers and hands on study-aids
     - Learn by role-playing scenarios and practicing
     - Memorize topics while walking or exercising



There's no right or wrong way to study, everyone uses different techniques and they work! But if you find yourself struggling or use techniques that aren't giving you the best results, try to identify what type of learner you are. Consider the techniques and habits that correspond with your most effective learning style. Then try adopting them into your future studies. You could see some positive results!

Be sure to leave a comment and let us know what type of learner you are!

Managing your stress

Tests, studying, and deadlines all add stress to your life. Decisions, learning, choices, and freedom are all great - but they all come with responsibility. Developing strategies to take care of yourself overall will also help you better handle stress.

Stress management quick tips

1. Assess

Take control of the situation in your mind and figure out where the stress is coming from. Choose to deal with the situation in a positive way; make a plan.

2. Imagine and seek success

It is important to keep your thoughts positive, calm, and confident. If you are feeling low, surround yourself with upbeat people.

3. Exercise

Building up your body's endurance helps you fight stress.

4. Laugh

When you smile, you release endorphins - your body's natural "happy drug". The more endorphins, the less chance for stress to take over.

5. Sleep

Fatigue slows your ability to deal well with stressful situations.

6. Eat right

Choose fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and low-fat protein, going easy on junk and high-sugar foods. This way you'll avoid sugar highs and lows and the mood swing that follow.

7. Take time out to rejuvenate yourself: relax, renew, and enjoy

Plan fun into your day.

 

8. Seek support from other people

Talking to others or seeking advice from family, friends, a counselor, or your advisor can often help you clear your mind, sort things out, and help you make better decisions. Don't be afraid to reach out.

Clocky & Tocky - runaway robotic alarms

For many sleepy head(s) like you and me, it's hard to get out of bed & wake up in the morning. This is especially true for college age users, where we might have a hang over from last night party, or just staying up late to finish a school project report.

This is where Clocky & Tocky come to the rescue, to ensure that we "zombies" can have an "unforgettable" wake up call & make it to class or work on time. Gauri Nanda is the creator and home the following robotic alarms:
1. Clocky - the cute runaway clock that resemble a piggy on wheel.
2. Tocky - interactive alarm that roll away, jumping, dancing and play mp3 music to wake ya up!



When it's time to "rise and shine," Clocky will activate the alarm, and ready to runaway from you. In order to escape from the bugging noise (which can wake up your next door neighbor), user(s) will be force to get out of bed half asleep and chase after the smart piggy that try to escape from their reach. Clocky is designed to recognized obstacles, which enable the device to make random turns and run around the house. Its average price is around $39 to $59.



Tocky is a little hyper-active alien, that love to jump, and roll around (dancing) along with your favorite mp3 music to wake you up. Tocky can record up to 2 hours of mp3 music and 6 hours of voice messages. Now, there shouldn't be excuses for showing up late or over-sleeping.

Turn your ZZZ's into AAA's

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get between 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night. Studies have shown that getting consistent sleep each night can regulate mood and is related to learning and memory functions. It may also be a critical factor in overall health, weight and energy level.

Sleep Tips

Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule. Even on weekends!

Make sure your sleep environment helps you get the rest that you need: cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions.

Use your bed only for sleep and sex. Studying or watching TV should be taken out of your sleep environment.

Exercise regularly. Try and finish your exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Avoid caffeine close to bedtime.

Napping Tips

Did you know that taking a 20-30 minute nap could improve your academic performance? Follow the tips below and you will be on your way to success!

Limit your nap to 20-30 minutes. This will boost your alertness, productivity and concentration.

Set an alarm to wake you up in 20-30 minutes.

Nap in the late morning or early afternoon. If you nap late in the day you may disrupt your nighttime sleep.

Minimize sleep distractions with a dark and quiet place to nap. Use an eyeshade and earplugs.

5 Tips to Help Students Master Time!

Procrastination- it's a word college students know all to well! It's easy to get side tracked or distracted. That is why managing time is so important. We'll be able to make better decisions and get more done! Remember, each day you fall behind makes it that much harder to catch up!

A clock can be a painful reminder that our work is not going to complete itself!

The key is to plan ahead. Here are some useful tips for making the most of time:

1. Create a List-    Write down everything you need to do. From assignments to personal stuff.   Organize it by when you need to get it done. Dates, Times Etc.

2. Determine the Importance of Each Item-    Somethings are more urgent than others. When you're creating your list of tasks, make a system that shows which things have more priorities and needs to get done now or soon.

3. Number Your Items-   Based on your priorities, designate numbers that show how urgent your tasks are. For example, 1 could represent a very important task, where as 3 and 4 could represent low priority tasks.

4. Scheduling-   Keep track of your priorities. Look ahead at what you have coming. Make sure you have time to get things done. And as new tasks come up in the future, make sure you write them down and identify the priority of them. Based on that you can determine how much flexibility you have to get it done.

5.  Now Get it Done-   This was inevitable. You've gotta put your plans into action. And make sure that you take care of the priority sooner rather than later. That way they don't become a headache for you later on!

Pakkits: The Logo

Our logo has definitely raised some eyebrows. It is a rooster. We came to this conclusion based on a couple of traits.

1. When you say "Pakkits" in a funny accent, it sort of sounds like a rooster.

2. Roosters represent the early rise and grind of the day, usually associated with school. 

Our mascot however remains nameless. We'd like to change that. If you have any interesting ideas for a great mascot name please comment below. Be creative!

Geek Pak - Office Supplies for All Occasions

According to a new survey of over 1000 workers by staffing firm Adecco, a majority of Americans (57%) admit they judge coworkers by how clean or dirty they keep their work-spaces (Forbes, 2012). 

Admittedly, it's hard for students or office workers to keep a clean desk, when you're pressing for exams, working on a research or returning customer's mailing requests. Below are some of the top common office supplies / clutters:

1. Papers: mails / documents / faxes / notebooks / textbooks / receipts
2. Other Office supplies: pens / staplers / scissors / glue ...etc
3. Electronics: computer / phone / cellphone / calculator / tablet / clock / mini fan or heater and other accessories...etc
4. Drinks: water bottle / coffee mug(s)
5. Food / snacks

If you have a small work-space, it's important to organize your stuff, in order to have a functional and effective work place. While some clutters can be organized or gotten rid off, most office staples are essential or simply "handy" to have. In this episode, Pakkits will introduce some gadgets that help user effective use their limited space while providing the same supports. 

1. USB Tape Dispenser: 
Reclaim your work station with this combination of tape dispenser (1'' roll) and four USB 2.0 ( three USB ports in the back and one USB port at the front).

2. Ultimate 5-in-1 Geek Pen: 
A pen for all occasions, which features 5 following options:

• Ballpoint Pen (replaceable)
• Stylus (for older PDAs & Nitendo DS) 
• Laser Pointer - press the top button
• Flashlight and UV Light - press bottom button
• Red / Blue Laser Pointer - for presentation

3. MP3 / Voice Recorder / USB Pen: 
This pen will be able to impress even high-end users. It features 512 MB to 4 GB of internal memory, and be able to store up to 32 hours digital voice record or MP3 music play back. This product is very handy for note taking purpose. 

Students can focus on listening to lectures and class participation, rather than busy writing down notes. Just play it back later and take notes at home. This pen will naturally fit in meeting, or client interview. Now, it's much more easier to remember what were discuss during a meeting and send out a company memo; or recall clients' names. 

Trying to join a club on campus?

Are you trying to join a club on campus? How about a club that allows you to learn everything there is about networking and marketing? The American Marketing Association (AMA) is just right for you then. The AMA meets every other wednesday at Cal State Fullerton with guest speakers, networking opportunities, workshops, and social events. On October 3rd the AMA had a great opportunity of meeting The Attic's marketing director, Nicholas You. The AMA hosted an awesome night in which Nick shared his experiences with the Attic as well as offering some helpful advice that can help grow and develop brands. Nick was a very down to earth and humble person, taking time to answer everyone's questions in the room. He even stayed after a bit to converse with many of his peers and offer even more advice If you guys get a chance make sure to check out one of nick's other ventures, Made Next. Overall it was an amazing experience, learning and conversing with someone you look up to.

Tips to Surviing Midterms

Tips to Surviving Midterms

      1. Schedule your time: It sounds simple enough right? Get a calendar and right stuff down. Well it’s a little more in depth than that. Let me tell you a true reality…multitasking is over rated! Use a planner or even a virtual calendar such as Google calendar to map out your time. Schedule specific finite time for each activity including: homework, studying and don’t forget to schedule breaks and free time. Scheduling a 20 minute break in between 1 hour sprints instead of studying is a great way to break up your time and stay on task.

  2. Move to a better space: Sometime is just too hard to study at home. There are a million and one distractions and of course other things you’d rather be doing. Go to a local coffee shop and get comfortable. Having a defined period away from your normal environment. This will help you dedicate finite time to get stuff done.

3. Prioritize: Most student make the mistake of doing the easy stuff first then putting the harder stuff off until later. The reality here…you will run out of time and you will be stressed. Do your hardest assignments first and get them out of the way. You’ll be surprised by the fact that you are much less stressed out by the end of your homework or study session and the quality of your work will be higher. In fact you might have time left over. We spend all spend a lot of time hemming and hawing over just getting started. If you know exactly what you have to do you can down to business get the hard stuff out of the way and possibly even be left with some free time.

4. Stay healthy: Students often times forget to take care of themselves during busy stressful times. Get at least 7 hours of sleep. You’re no go with only 2 hours of sleep. Plan ahead and put time in your schedule for sleep too! Don’t overload on junk. Too much sugar especially low glycemic carbohydrates have been proven to lower your brain function. Don’t overload on caffeine and energy drinks. It’s not worth it! The more you consume the more you need. Try drinking green tea instead. Also try upping your vegetable and raw food intake. You will be shocked at home much energy you get from raw food, it can even be more than that cup of coffee with no crash later…really! Take Vitamin C and a Vitamin B complex. Vitamin C improves oxygen flow to the brain and reduces stress. Vitamin B’s are also proven to restore you energy levels and relieve stress.