Silly College Freshman..

This site has funny meme's regarding silly things that college freshman do. I'm sure we've all been in at least one of these situations! Take a look at these images and get a good chuckle, great way to procrastinate during your routine studying.

College Freshman Meme's

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees!

Growing up, our parents always reminded us about the importance of appreciating what we have and understanding how money comes and goes. As kids, everything is paid for, but we learn as we get older, we learned that money is not free. Not only do we need to earn it, but we also need to establish ways to save it and spend it more wisely.

Let's face it, College is expensive, and it doesn't help that tuition appears to keep rising each year. We can't do too muh about that, but we can become better at saving money by adopting some financial planning and management skills. Here are a few tips for how to manage money more wisely:

     -Make a routine of paying bills on time. If you have a job, work as many hours as you can to earn more money. If you owe money, create plans to repay debt and stick to them as if you are paying bills.

     -Make your money last. Create some goals, and limits in terms of how much you can spend per week. Don't allow yourself to be caught up in spending more money by going out at a restaurant or buying something at the mall if you know that you will be spending more money than you planned to.

     -Sometimes you may need to buy something, or go out and spend money. You're not just a robot going to school. So determine what you "want" and what may be more of a "need" for yourself. Prioritizing what things you want to spend your money, instead of spending it all around. People who make many impulsive purchases find it difficult saving money or even maintaining enough money to pay bills. Sometimes waiting and determining if you really need something will help you make better purchasing decisions.

     -Identify what you won't by. You may want these items but by identifying them early will keep you from spending money on them.

Budgeting: What is it?

    Budgeting is defined as the process of planning expenditures based on available money; basically a plan for how you will spend the money you have. Understanding how to deal with bills and spending wisely will go a long way.

To build a budget, you'll need to identify, how much money is coming and where its going.  You can organize your budget like this:

Expenses                                                                Per Year          Per Month

Gas                                                                         $2,040                   $170

Food                                                                        $360                      $30

Clothes                                                                    $250                        -



Remember, be real with your budget. Don't overstate what you will have. Also, pay attention to all the small purchases you make. They add up and cutting some coffee purchases here or some DVD's there could go a long way. We'll leave you with a insightful quote about spending:

"I have the greatest of all riches: that of not desiring them"
                                                                                           -Eleanora Duse

We all know college students have a strict budget. So we thought it'd be appropriate to ask ya'll what is your favorite budget friendly food. Here are our top three budget friendly meals:


3. Mac & Cheese: For this one, all you have to do is add milk and cook over a stove. Saves time, and cash.

2. Cereal: Any type of cereal is relatively cheap. Can utilize milk without the need to cook over a stove.

1. Ramen Noodles: This main course is by far the cheapest. However, you do need to use a microwave or stove to cook. No need to add anything other than what's in the package.

All of these are excellent choices, and offer good variety at a cheap cost. Most of all, it is convinient. Please comment about any of your favorite dishes!

Midterm Exam? Ways to improve your memory

Halloween is around the time where we're all bombarded with mid-term exam. After the exam, most of us begin to relax and slack off during the Thanksgiving weekend, only to come back to school and found out that the Final exam is 3 to 4 weeks away. 

Exam Strategy:

As college student (or even highschooler), we all experience the dread of upcoming pop quizzes, test, mid-term exam and final exam. Everyone has their own styles of learning; hence, the unique way to intake the data, memorize and interpret the information. This week, Pakkits team will discuss some exam strategy and tricks to help your memory last a bit longer - just enough for your VIP exam.

1. Plan ahead of time: 

            Okay, it's not exactly helpful if you don't even know "when" is your exam. Admittedly, we sometimes show up to class, not knowing there was a test or quiz waiting. Therefore, it's crucial to look up your syllabus and mark down the day you will have a quiz, or big exam. 

            Then, decide how long should you prepare for the exam. Depend on your study habits, some people study everyday while others wait till the last minutes. While we're not an advocate of the 2nd option, we do find ourselves cramping in the last second before the exam. There is a saying "Do as we say, not as we do." 

           
2. Priority your tasks and focus your attention
             If you're having more than one exam happen in the same week, it's best to create a schedule for each subject you'll be tested on. The schedule is created based on the following criteria:

1. Order of the exams: Generally speaking, we often study the subject that will be test first to the last one. 
2. Existing Knowledge: If there is a subject you're really good at (maybe you're just a natural); you might want to study it a bit later on even though it might be tested first. In the mean time, you should focus your energy to the subject you're weak at, since it will require more time for you to completely absorb the information. However, there are some who advocated otherwise; saying that you should study your favorite subject first and get it done with, then focus all of your energy on the remain weak subject. The first option is good for those who study everyday, and the 2nd option is more fitting for those who tend to study at the last minutes. 

3. Structure and organize your study
             If you do study everyday, it shouldn't be hard to create an exam study guide and summarize your knowledge. Again, if you don't, then you should go over your chapters and outline your "cheat sheet" few days before the exam. Apparently, 3 to 5 days ahead seem to be the magic number for late bloomer like us. Before or during the big day, few hours of last minute preparation should be sufficient. Again, if you're very confident about yourself, it might only take you 30 min to an hour for the review. For many others, we often spend over 2 to 3 hours prior to the exam.

4. Memorize Techniques
            One of our friends share a tip that she often use during the test, or class presentation - that keep her memory on track. She would assign the test subject (terminology, business concept, data / chart..etc) to an image (which is easy to remember or funny). Each image / character represent an important material concept that will be tested, or mention during the presentation. Then, she kinda write her own story inside her head, that allow the character / image come to live and interact (relate) with each other.
            It might sound complicate right now, but the idea is to attached an image or emotion to something you need to remember. For example, some students eat tangerine or smell the outer layer of the tangerine when they're studying for the test in Asia. When they are stuck at certain point during the test, the smell of tangerine aid them remember the materials, as the body's 5 senses remember stuff that we don't. Let us know how you study for your test and share your trick for memorization.

5. During the Exam
            A good way to start your day is to arrive at your class 10 to 15 minutes earlier, to adjust your setting to "test-mode." In addition, it gives you enough time to relax, communicate with your classmates, and perhaps enough time to run and buy your test material (scan-tron, pencil, eraser) if you don't already bring it.

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.