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Spring Cleaning Tips for College Students!

Mar 02, 2020

Set Aside a Day.

I’m not kidding. If you want to clean your entire space, set aside a day for it. If you get done early, then you have the rest of the day free, but there’s nothing worse than starting a large cleaning project and having to leave it. Chances are, you’ll never find the motivation to begin again once you drop it. 

Make a Donation Pile.

As you begin to clean, you’ll definitely find items that you haven’t used or worn in months, maybe even years. If you haven’t used something in a year, it’s time for it to go. Setting up a donation pile even before you clean is a great reminder that you don’t have to hold onto all this stuff. And, the less stuff we have, the less we have to clean; so, donating is always a great idea.

Make a Shopping List.

The other thing to set up before you begin is a shopping list. This may seem odd, but as you clean, I’m sure you’ll find instances of “Oh, wow, I’ve been using paper napkins from the dining hall to blow my nose for the past three months... Maybe it’s time to buy some Kleenex,” or “I’ve been washing my face with body wash for a while now... It’s time to get some face wash.” Keep this list to essential things; this isn’t a shopping list for all the non-essentials. Additionally, if you don’t have any basic cleaning supplies, it might be important to get any supplies you may need to wash dishes, do laundry, clean windows, and dust surfaces.

Pump the Jams!

Cleaning always goes by quicker with music, and I find it to be more enjoyable that way. So, turn on your tunes, and blast them loud. 

Tidy Your Room

If you haven’t already gotten the mounds of dirty clothes off your floor, now would be the time. The easiest way to tidy a room is to make sure everything has a place. Once everything has a place to go, tidying your room will be a breeze. Dirty laundry goes in the laundry hamper, extra pens and pencils go in the container on the desk, snack bags go on the shelf in the pantry, and so on.

Start with Laundry

The first order of business is always to start loads of laundry. Gather all your dirty clothes, and don’t forget to grab your bath towels, hand towels, bathrobe, and bedsheets. College students often forget to wash these, but they should be washed at least once a month. Start your first load of laundry once your room is clean but before you start anything else. If you live in an apartment complex or a dorm, washers are often shared, which means starting laundry early will help you get ahead. Don’t forget to set a timer to remind you when it’s done!

Top to Bottom

When I was taught to deep clean, I was always taught to start from the top and move towards the bottom. Especially when you’re dusting, the dust will fall of shelves and you don’t want to vacuum three times. So, start in one space and then commit to cleaning it, top to bottom. Take everything off the surface that you’re cleaning, clean the surface, wipe down all the things you’re putting back on the surface, and then set them all back in their place. As you clean, I’m sure you’ll find other mini-cleaning projects – don’t be afraid to tackle them in the process! Just remember to always come back to the top to bottom cleaning.

Deep cleaning is the only time you’ll move things, so move some furniture! Take everything out from under your bed and wipe it all down. Reorganize hidden spaces like this. Vacuum under the furniture while it’s moved but leave the big vacuuming for the end.

Washing Windows and Mirrors

People often forget about the windows and mirrors in their space, but these need to be cleaned, too. Windex works the best for that non-streaky finish. Get all the fingerprints off!

Daunting Dishes

Dishes can happen whenever works for you in this process. If you’ve picked the space of your kitchen area doing dishes will be a major part of that. Hopefully, when you tidied your space, you found all the dirty dishes you need to do. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with a pile at the end.

Vacuuming and Area Rugs

Vacuuming your floor and cleaning your rugs should be one of the last steps. Hopefully, you’ve cleaned everything else and you’re feeling great. Before you begin, check to see if your vacuum needs a new bag and that all the bristles are clean underneath the vacuum. If the bag is full and the bristles are stuck together with hair and debris, your vacuum won’t work as well. Once you check that, vacuum in a distinct pattern so you don’t miss any spots. A lot of people would take the easy way out and leave the rugs on the ground, but I say take the rugs outside!! Hang them up somewhere and beat the hell out of them with a broom, a baseball bat, or whatever works for you. Rugs hold tons of dirt and even vacuuming doesn’t do the same job as a good beat down. While the rug is hanging, vacuum under where it would be, and then bring it back in, reposition it, and vacuum it again. This will get rid of any last dirt that hung onto your rug.

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor

You’ve done it! You’ve spring cleaned better than you’ve ever spring cleaned before. Once you’re done, open a window, shower off all the grime you’ve just accumulated on your body, and relax knowing that everything around you is so clean. College students don’t often take the time to clean their space, and spring break gives you that extra bit of time to tackle it. Now that your room is clean, you can enjoy your break more fully and be better equipped to finish off your year strong. Happy Spring Cleaning, everyone!

Original Article: https://www.hercampus.com/school/du/guide-spring-cleaning-college-students

How to Throw the Best Friendsgiving without Mom's help!

Oct 23, 2019

One of the biggest challenges to any student who has gone away to college is not having the ability to spend the holiday season with your family. As much as you miss family dinner and bickering with your siblings and trying to explain your major to your grandma, we have a solution for homesickness. Have a Friendsgiving feast instead! Even if you are lucky enough to go home this fall, T-day is just around the corner so grab your friends and start planning with these simple tips for hosting your very first Friendsgiving!

Be Prepared

Plan ahead! There is nothing worse than having people over and running out of food and drinks. Start by creating a guest list and find out who's coming, plan a menu, look up easy recipes (we’ve included one below!) before going to the store and make sure there is plenty of eco-friendly tupperware options. You’re going to want to have lots of easy snacks like chips and dips scattered around while waiting for dinner to be served. It is also essential to plan ahead for the oven. Different dishes require different temperatures, and you don’t want the Thanksgiving turkey to be under-cooked because Karen needed to heat up the green bean casserole! 

Delegate the Menu 

You don’t have to do it all alone! Once you’ve come up with a basic menu, start a group chat and ask your guests to bring their favorite Thanksgiving dish. Friends who have food allergies and dietary restrictions should be asked to bring a dish that is safe for them to eat. Cooking is more fun when not alone, so ask your closest friend or roommate to be around before people show up and have them cook with you! To make sure there aren’t any duplicates, present the group with a signup sheet. As much as we like mashed potatoes, you don’t want to have 5 potato dishes and no pumpkin pie! 

Set the Mood

Etsy and Pinterest have changed the game when it comes to decor and activities. Look up DIY placemats, centerpieces, paper invites, and Thanksgiving mad-libs for each seat. A pumpkin spice candle will really make it feel like fall. Get all the roommates together for a craft day a few days ahead of time so you’re not leaving it all to one day. If you’re on a tight budget, The Dollar Tree has some great candles, napkins, and fall wreaths for, you guessed it, a dollar. A few after-dinner games can really make it a night to remember and can create turkey day traditions! 

Mulled Apple Cider to Brag to Your Mom About

INGREDIENTS

8 cups unpasteurized apple cider

A 3-inch cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1 orange, peeled and sliced crosswise

A 2-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices

In a large saucepan combine the cider, cinnamon stick, cloves, the orange, and the ginger and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a heat-proof pitcher and serve the mulled cider warm. To keep warm throughout the evening, pour the cider in a crockpot or instant pot and keep on medium temperature. 

Eat breakfast that day, make sure you stay hydrated throughout and enjoy an amazing Friendsgiving feast!

Midterms are Here, Have no Fear!

Oct 09, 2019

It’s October Panthers! The excitement of a new school year is over, that backpack you bought has finally worn in, and you can feel fall in the air! Actually, this is Atlanta, so it’s still hot and humid but the rest of the country is talking about pumpkin spice lattes and plaid scarves, so we will take their word for it. But with fall comes...MIDTERMS. You’ll get your first taste of how your professors like to grade, and you’ll really test the effects caffeine has on your ability to stay awake studying. Here are some of our best tips and tricks to pass that midterm (and eventually finals!) this semester. 

Notes, Notes, and Notes!

First and foremost, take good notes! These are the best references for when you are looking back over the material of the year thus far. A good trick to remember is to write it down versus taking notes via your laptop. Computers can be distracting and recent studies have shown that when you physically write things down, you have a stronger conceptual understanding of the material and are more likely to remember what you are learning. In addition to taking good notes, save all your tests and handouts from your professor. This is usually where they pull test questions from! 

Make a Plan

Before diving into your notes and books, make a plan! Time block your schedule, look up study groups and library hours, and prioritize your weakest areas first. Students who make study plans end up spending less time studying, and doing better on exams and papers than those who go at it without structure. Study groups are a great resource and help with staying focused. Other students will most likely share their notes and their own tricks for getting through this stressful week!

Variety and Breaks are Key

Now that you have a plan and all your notes in front of you, take a break! You are more likely to stay focused with a few breaks scattered throughout your week. Remember that food is fuel and will keep your brain and body from feeling sluggish. Change it up by asking a friend to quiz you or turn your notes into a song or rhyme. If you are burnt out from proofreading your term paper, change the font to something wacky and increase the size and you will trick your brain into reading something new. Taking a break to work out also stimulates brain function, so hit the gym and the books! 

Test anxiety is the real deal, so follow these steps to help ease your stress. Get lots of sleep, stay positive and hydrated, and you’ll do great Panthers!