Here’s a list of the apps that I feel are the most useful for college students. Enjoy!

Quizlet. For all of your flashcard needs, Quizlet is the best. I’m sure that you’ve all heard of it, so download it. It has the feature to test you on the words that you put into it.

Tapingo. If your school is set up with this company, it’s the best thing in the world. You can skip the lines and order your food ahead of time from the dining places on campus. They also partner with other places around the city to give you more dining options.

GroupMe. Ever try to set up a group chat with someone who doesn’t have an iPhone? It’s really hard to do because nobody can ever leave if they want to. GroupMe is a great alternative and I’ve used it for everything from friend group chats to group chats for group projects.

Uber/Lyft. Now, we can all admit college involves quite a bit of going out and drinking. Be safe and get a lift from someone when you don’t have a DD. These apps have very reasonable rates and they will even drive you to and from the airport if you need to go home and you live out of state.

BookScouter. If you’re looking to sell your textbooks, this app is great to find you the best selling price from several different sources. I’ve used it for 3 semesters now, and I swear by it. Your payment can either be through PayPal or a Live Check through the mail, but that way takes WAY longer so I would suggest PayPal.

Flipboard. Flipboard is the perfect place to get all the news that you want from any of your favorite topics. You can even block out stuff that you don’t want to see by choosing exactly what you do want to see. For example, I barely see anything bad on my news feed anymore, only stuff that interests me or is really important.

Headspace. If you don’t know how to meditate, you should try out this app to get a little bit of “head space”. It’s so helpful with your stress levels.

Achievement. You get points for every step you take a day, and after 10,000 points you can redeem it for $10. It does take a while to get your $10 but it can’t hurt.

Venmo. Ever owe someone money but have no cash? It is rare for someone to carry cash now, and Venmo is great for getting money or giving money quick and efficiently.

Mint. This is a free budgeting app that can hook up to all of your financial accounts. I absolutely love it.

SworkIt. Need to work out but don’t want to go to the gym? SworkIt has many  little workouts that will be useful for a busy college student.

XMind. This is a mindmap service for your phone or iPad. It is very useful for making quick mindmaps while you’re studying.

Google Drive. Keep all of your documents together on this cloud service. I love Google Drive for all of my notes.

Hope all of these help you in your college journey!

Let me know if you have any other suggestions for apps, I’d love to hear them!

Stay Golden,

Emily

 

So… my spring break just ended and let me tell you, it was REALLY nice. I spent half of the time at home with my family and half of the time at the beach (as I’m sure you’ve picked up, I LOVE THE BEACH). Anyways, it was really nice to get away from the stress of pharmacy school for a little while. I really enjoyed my time with my family. It’s literally the best. I’ve missed them so much since I’ve moved into my apartment, and I’m so glad to get times like this with them.

Spending time with my family is one of the things that I find most relaxing and makes me the happiest. I know that I’m going to be one of those moms that always brings the kids over for Sunday dinner at the grandparents’ house. I couldn’t live without my family.

I can’t wait for what the rest of the semester has in store for me. So far, I’ve been doing pretty well. This was a much-needed break to get myself back into the mind frame that I can do this. I’ve been pretty stressed lately, and being away from school for a little while brought back some much-needed motivation to make it through the rest of the semester.

I’ve been getting really sick lately because of the stress of school. It really sucks tbh. I just can’t wait to be done with the next 3 years of hard work so that I can get on to what I’ve wanted to do essentially for as long as I can remember.

In the coming weeks, there is a lot of stuff going on. I’m planning a hiking trip with my family, going to 2 formals, having spa days with friends, and preparing for the rest of my weekly exams as well as finals.

I’m going to be a busy girl, but it’s time to get started on the rest of the semester. Here’s to finishing my first year of Pharmacy School off strong.

Stay Golden,

Emily

 

 

If you’re an overachiever like me, burnout is probably your middle name. I’ve always put too much on my plate and it is really really hard to get yourself to breathe and take a step back. Here’s what has been working for me this semester on how to avoid burning out (especially in Pharmacy School).

Learn when to say yes and when to say no. I mean it. I’m an overachiever so I know how hard it is to say no to things that you want to do (or other people want you to do). It’s important to prioritize important things above others. This way, you make sure you don’t burn out. Say no to the things that aren’t important in growing you as a person, making you happy, and your career.

Pamper yourself. Okay, so I had to throw this one in. I absolutely LOVE a pamper night. My favorite thing to do after a long day is have a relaxing bubble bath and put on a face mask. It is so relaxing and honestly, it’s one of the main things that help me avoid burnout.

Do things that you enjoy and remember to take breaks. It is OKAY to take breaks. It is OKAY to go hang out with friends. It is OKAY to do something fun. You will not survive college without burnout if you do not do things that you enjoy.

Set reasonable goals and stick to them. You can’t expect yourself to stick to goals that are unreasonable. Also, you need to make sure that your goals are focused.

Take a break from social media. I’m not saying every day, but it will definitely be a good idea to take a break from social media. It’s crazy how much a social media cleanse will help your mental health. I’ve done two so far.

Stay organized. Organization is the key to success in all areas of your life. Keeping an organized life means keeping an organized mind.

Do something to free your mind every day. This can be anything. Journalling, meditation, devotion, etc. Personally, I like to write down 3 good things about the day. This helps me stay thankful for everything good that is happening in my life and try to stop worrying about what isn’t going so well. I think it helps a lot, at least it helps me.

Stay Golden,

Emily

 

Here are just a few things that your college student would love to see come in the mail. I know if they’re anything like me, getting packages is one of the highlights of your day, always.

Letters- There’s nothing better than getting mail, and it doesn’t have to be anything big to mean the world to your student. The times that I have gotten letters and cards in the mail have always brought a smile to my face when I was having a hard day.

Homemade Food- Whether you cook or bake, or someone close to you does, try to make it a habit to send these little treats to your student or even just sending them back with the treats when they return to school after a break.

Hobby Materials- A lot of college students get crafty when they are stressed, but not everyone is that way. If you know your college student’s hobbies (i.e. working on puzzles, painting, coloring, playing sports), send them a little care package of things to help them pursue these things.

Flowers/ Fruit Baskets- There are so many different companies nowadays that deliver these kinds of things, so hopefully you will find one that is decently priced. If not, it’s okay, it’s the thought that counts.

Stickers/ Car & Laptop Decals- SO many of my friends love stickers and decals. We are constantly on RedBubble looking at all of the decals that we wish we could fill our laptop with. I know they would love to get a few of these in the mail from someone who cares about them, and they are pretty cheap.

Gift Cards- If there is a restaurant close by that they have been just raving about, see if you can get a gift card to it and send it their way. It would give them an opportunity to eat something other than campus food, and they’d be thinking about you the whole time.

Books- If your student loves to read, get them a book or two that they have been dying to try out, but if reading isn’t their favorite thing… maybe send a few inspirational books their way. I know for us 20-something females out there, there are PLENTY of options to choose from and I’m sure your college student hasn’t read them all.

Socks- Come on, all of our feet get cold, and we secretly (or not so secretly) LOVE us some socks. Fuzzy, designed, or just plain white… send us some socks and we will love them.

Seasonal Decor- Halloween, Christmas, Valentines… There are way more holidays than this, but here are just a few that you can send small decorations for. There’s nothing like coming back to a dorm/apartment that is decorated with decor sent by the ones you love.

Snacks- GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. Let me tell you, I wish every season was girl scout season. They would make a fortune off of me alone, and quite frankly… I wouldn’t even complain. I love getting snacks from my parents. They always send me back to school with something tasty.

Sickness Kits- As college students, we are sicker than most. We are in close proximity to each other so often and it is just going to happen. If we are sick, send us a sick care package with our go-to medications and remedies… maybe throw in a cute get well soon card to make our day better.

Beauty & Wellness Kits- This kinda goes with the sickness kit, but this one is geared to general wellness. Do they need a relaxing day? Send them a face mask that they absolutely adore.

Really… anything that gets your student feeling that you care enough to just send them a little something goes a long way.

Stay Golden,

Emily

 

 

If I were a college professor…

I would grade in a timely fashion. This means exams would be graded within 2 days of the students taking them. Papers would be graded in a week. Quizzes within a day. Homework within a day. As a college student, I know how stressful it is to wait for your grades. If I assign it to get done, I should make time to grade it.

I would create study guides. Study guides are VERY helpful for students. No, it would not be the exact questions from the exam, but it would help them determine what concepts are important for the exam and what would not be. The information on the exam would reflect the information on the study guide… that’s only fair.

I would have test reviews. As a college student myself, I know that setting aside a review day before an exam is VERY helpful. It refreshes a student’s knowledge.

I would have grades be more than just exams. So many people are terrible test takers. I would have participation grades, quizzes, and homework in order to supplement the student’s grades.

I would give “make up” exams. Now, this may be a little controversial, but I think it would be great. As I stated before, so many students cannot take tests well. So… if the student requests it (and they have to request it) I would allow them a retake. However, the test would not be on paper. They would have to schedule an appointment with me and they would discuss the topics that were on the exam with me. If they showed that they understood the material, I would add half of their missed points to their exam. I mean, I know grades are important to a lot of students, and if they really did understand the material, why punish them?

 And I would CARE. The fact that so many of my college professors have been caring has helped me so much throughout my college experience. I mean… if you can tell that they care about you as a person, it’s so much easier to come to them with a question or to learn from them.

This is what I would do if I was a college professor since I’ve been in the students’ shoes.

As Always…

Stay Golden,

Emily