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!