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.

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.

What's in a name?

Creating a name for your brand and product can be a difficult task. When our team was brainstorming about names to represent our student kits, we wanted to come up with a name that was short, catchy and original. After floating around many ideas, we arrived at "Pakkit". The name came from the idea of a Packed Kit, which was essentially what we were offering students. Everyone liked the name and it became the brand name of our product.

credit: OnlineDegree.org

The name may sound strange to people who haven't read this blog. It may not make a whole lot of sense. But we're okay with that! We wanted to think outside the box and come up with a fun name. We've seen companies select questionable names and become very successful. I mean, what does an apple have to do with computers? Now it makes so much sense, they make the computers glow on the back! A name can seem strange at first, but based on what the name carries, it can develop a completely different image, story, set of values. That is why we selected Pakkits, and we're going to stick with it!

Last but not least, we've got to discuss the rooster in the room. Or in this case on the page. I'm sure you've noticed that handsome rooster perched at the top of this page. Well we're proud to announce that he is the new mascot for Pakkits! Why did we select a rooster? Well when you think of a rooster, what comes to mind? That shout they do every single morning sounds kind of like it's saying "Pakkits". I guess you might have to use your imagination. But the rooster does represent something. The rooster wakes up at dawn every morning and delivers a shout to start the day. This reminds us of the rise and grind style of students everywhere who get up every morning and go to school, working hard and completing all their assignments. So we wanted to create a fun mascot that also had a deeper meaning.

                                                                      Credit: Wikipedia




What do you think of our name?
What do you think of our mascot?
Do they mean something to you?

We'd love to hear your opinion!