December 2013 by Tote Media

Jessica Adnani Founder of Personalized Solutions

Issue No. 4 December 2013

CONTENTS Editor’s Note

Beauty Bar

Winter Essentials

Lauren’s 10 Essential MustHave Items for College

Year in Review

Chic Finds

The Intern Diaries

She’s Got Game

10 Ways to Conquer Time Management

Up Close & Personal

Beauty Product Breakdown

Darling DIY’s

Study Guide

Entertainment

Crafting Memoirs

Love & Relationships

The Freshman Files

Recent Grad

EDITOR’S NOTE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I love this time of the year. Peppermint coffees, dresses paired with patterned tights, lights strung up all throughout town. It’s magical. There’s something very special about it. My mood changes; I feel like anything is possible. Bad days are whisked away with holiday movies. Good days are amplified with friends and holiday decorating. I love this time of the year so much that I’ve star ted the magic early. I found my Christmas dress in October (and on sale!). It’s the perfect mix of velvet, silk, and intricate pattern. I’ve been itching since the day after Halloween to put up the Christmas tree (although I did manage to wait until mid-November). I even started listening to Christmas music earlier than usual. Each year I feel like the holiday cheer comes and goes, like a strong gust of wind. So why not make it last? And yes, I know most of you are probably thinking, She’s worse than the depar tment stores and their early Christmas ads. But I can’t help it! To be honest, wanting a little extra magic this time of the year was harvested from spending five years in college. This time last year I was thinking about finals. Christmas shopping was a luxury! The stress of studying made me feel guilty for wanting to take a break to do holiday activities with my friends. If you’re feeling that way, not to worry! We’ve filled this issue with a comprehensive finals guide, a holiday shopping guide, and a few extra DIYs (perfect for taking a break from studying and checking off a holiday gift for a loved one). So take a deep breath and breathe in the cold, brisk air— it’s the air of magic, after all.

Shelby Newsome Founder & Editor-In-Chief

OUR

Caro Romero Graphic Designer

Rachel Parker Photographer

Colleen Kochesfahani Elaina Clarke Managing Editor Marketing Director and Vice President

Leanne Rowe Beauty Expert

Katie Lemon Writer

TEAM

Eva Niessner Writer

Would you like to contribute to Tote? Contact Shelby at shelby@totemag.com Caitlin Farley Writer

Caroline Cassard Writer

Samantha Iacia Writer

CONTRIBUTORS tote

BEAUTY BAR

DEFINING Text: Leanne Rowe This month I want to talk about something a little different than hair and make-up. I want to talk about self-image; how we perceive ourselves as young women. I’m going to share my very personal journey and struggle with self-image with the hope that I can inspire other young women to feel beautiful. Imagine a tall girl with knobby knees, long, skinny arms, pale skin and freckles across her nose and cheeks. She has chin length brown hair and let’s not forget about the braces and Harry Potter like glasses. This was me in 6th grade. Other girls were star ting to wear bras, make-up and straighten their hair. If I wore a bra it would've ended up by my chin the first time I lifted my arms considering I had nothing to fill it out and keep it in place! This was the start of my negative self-image. I came home from school crying almost every day throughout middle school due to the constant teasing. Other girls would make sure I knew my pants were two 6

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inches too short by asking me if I was "ready for the flood". I can’t help that I am tall and my mom has the tendency to shrink my pants in the wash! Tall girls—you know how hard it is to find long enough pants, and how devastating it is when they end up turning into capris in the dryer. In 7th grade, girls started going to the tanning bed. Since my mother did not allow that, I tried to cover my freckles and pale skin with bronzer…lots and lots of bronzer. I soon found out that wasn't the best idea when a girl came up to me at the lunch table, swiped her finger down my cheek, then laughed with all her friends at the sparkly orange residue on her finger. Seriously, who would do that? Since I grew so rapidly when I was young, it caused a large amount of back problems resulting in horrible posture. All throughout middle school I was called a "hunch back". No one knew part of my bad posture was due to scoliosis and weak muscles. As I entered high school, the teasing continued

and my posture started to get worse, along with my diminishing self-confidence and self-image. Like many teenagers, I also started getting acne in high school. Even though most people have struggled with acne in their life, mine was getting worse with time and I was self-conscious about it. Therefore, I piled on the makeup to hide it all. Around sophomore and junior year, a lot of girls’ bodies star ted to change. They star ted getting curves; you know, boobs and a butt. Unfortunately, my body missed the memo. I still looked like a beanpole with my scrawny legs. I’m sure some girls would say I shouldn't complain about this, but I hated my awkward body! I hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror. Early into my senior year I finally put on some weight due to a break up from a very unhealthy relationship. In this relationship I was brainwashed into believing so many things at such a young age. I had a misconstrued idea of what "love"

beauty was. He had a "type," and I went out of my way to make sure I matched it. After a couple years I finally realized I needed to get out of that relationship. He didn't make that easy for me, but it needed to be done. Girls, sometimes you need to just end things for the betterment of your own life. However, when I did put on that small amount of weight, I started to panic and went to the gym every day. I’m not saying going to the gym every day is a bad thing, but I was par tially doing it because I wasn't used to seeing myself with that extra 20 pounds or so, and instead of seeing it as healthy weight, I saw it as "fat.”

In high school I also started dying my hair blonde and going to the tanning bed. I became obsessed with tanning, to the point I had to go everyday because I was so afraid of being pale. Sometimes I would even go twice a day. In hindsight, I do not recommend this. We all know the dangers of skin cancer and I am lucky that I kicked that habit. Everyone has different skin types and it’s ok to be the pale girl at prom!

This is Snowy

This is me at my senior prom

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BEAUTY BAR The summer before college I star ted taking medication for post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. Although they seemed to be helping, I still did not improve. I became more unhappy with my self-image and relapsed into self-harm; something I had started during the unhealthy relationship I was previously involved in. I had no choice but to leave college if I wanted to get better and work on my personal well-being. When I came home from college it was rough. I was sent to therapy and was put on different medications.

feel good about myself without needing medication and without someone telling me how to feel. So I stopped both. At first, everything went downhill and I relapsed into self-harm for the second time. But I wasn't going to let this define me, I was determined to change how I perceived myself and learn to not care so much about what others think.

“

Therapy and medications seemed to help, but I was still picking myself apart every time I looked in the mirror. Comparing myself to women I would see in magazines, picking out all my flaws. I desperately wanted to feel "normal" and beautiful, but I didn’t truly know what either one of those things were. Society has put in our mind that in order to be a beautiful woman you have to have a perfect body, perfect skin, no wrinkles, no cellulite, no blemishes, be constantly happy and always smiling. So in my mind, I guess that’s what I thought "normal" and beautiful was; but I soon learned differently. I was sick of going to therapy and sick of relying on medication to get through the day. I wanted to 8

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I WAS DETERMINED TO CHANGE HOW I PERCEIVED MYSELF AND LEARN TO NOT CARE SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK.

”

When struggling with anything in your life, I recommend finding something that can be a positive outlet. My outlet was horseback riding. At the time, I was working at a barn helping exercise horses —creatures I have loved for years. While I was working there, I came across an extraordinary horse named Snowy. We formed an instant bond and I knew she was exactly what I needed. Horses have the power to heal, and somehow Snowy knew that's what I needed. She taught me patience, strength and most impor tantly, to never give up. She was there on my good days and my bad days, but loved me

no matter what. I was getting stronger with each day and was determined to love myself the way Snowy loved me. I started to accept my flaws and embrace whom I was. I am now properly dealing with the stresses in my life and I am stronger and happier than I have ever been. My self-image has improved tremendously, although I still have to remind myself to not compare myself to others each day. I have learned to embrace my skin for the way it is and haven't been to the tanning bed in months. I also have formed some very strong relationships with important people in my life. I cannot stress enough the impor tance of surrounding yourself with good, positive people who believe in you and encourage you. Get out of the toxic relationships; they are just holding you back from reaching your true potential. Keep in mind, there is no such thing as normal. Be yourself, because no one can be you. Normal is just average… and who'd want to be that? So what really is beauty? Through my journey I learned that beauty is not the color of your skin or hair, or the shape of your body. Beauty isn't being flawless, because our flaws are what make us unique. True beauty is on the inside. A beautiful woman is a strong woman; the one who has faced adversity and overcame

“

it. A beautiful woman is a happy woman, a confident woman, but one who knows that it is ok to have a good cry sometimes. A beautiful woman is someone who brings out the best in others, respects herself and values her morals. If you feel beautiful on the inside, it'll show on the outside. How do you do that? Stop being your own worst critic. The lines around your mouth or eyes represent each smile you gave or received over the years. Your post baby body represents that beautiful little boy or girl you

brought into this world, so don't be so quick to get rid of it. If your body is not the perfect size 4, who cares? As long as you are healthy and happy with your body then that is all that matters. We all have heard it before: size is just a number. If you have acne, don't look at it as such a horrible thing. It’s actually a sign of your body releasing stress and toxins. It may seem like the end of the world in high school when you break out right before picture day, but with time your skin will find that healthy balance. And although I, as a cosmetologist,

love make-up, please don’t hide behind it! Make-up is there to emphasize your natural beauty, but you have to be satisfied with whom you are underneath of that. Every time you look in the mirror tell yourself you're beautiful and believe it! Lastly, something I cannot stress enough, stop putting yourself down and stop putting other women down. As women we need to be advocates for each other. We need to recognize that we all come from different walks of life. We are all our own kind of beautiful, so let’s embrace it.

AS WOMEN WE NEED TO BE ADVOCATES FOR EACH OTHER. WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE. WE ARE ALL OUR OWN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL, SO LET’S EMBRACE IT.

”

This is me now, happy and healthy tote

WINTER ESSENTIALS

BEAUTY BUYS 3 2

8 7

1. Stila Artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature Palette Set, $185, Urban Outfitters 2. Spotted Heart Cosmetic Brush Set, $4.80, Forever 21 3. Rock This Nail File, $6, mark. 4. Snowman Bath Bomb, $5.95, Lush 5. Butter London Scrubbers 2 in 1 Remover & Nail Prep Pads, $10, Ulta 6. 5g Mineral Eye Shadow in Icy Blue, $5.72, Etsy 7. Emergency Mascara Pouch, $15, MCA Store 8. Kevyn Aucoin The Elegant Lip Gloss in Molasses, $27, Barneys

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TECH TOYS 7

5 2

1. Touchscreen Crayon Stylus, $18, C. Wonder 2. Driftwood iDock, $98, Anthropologie 3. Coach Legacy North/South Universal Case in Leather, $40.60, Macy’s 4. Tech Candy Jet Set Collection, $33, Amazon 5. Wide-Angle 35mm Camera, $35, Poketo 6. Printed iPad Cover, $58, Free People 7. White It’s Bonus Time Battery Extender (iPhone 5/5S/5C), $41.99, Tech Candy

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0 1 S ’ N E LAUR L A I T N ESSE E V A H MUST R O F S ITEM E G E L L CO a u re Guest blogger L

n Harper

n State University en (P e at u ad gr e As a colleg inor French & /M m is al rn u Jo . e ’09 | B.A here to reinforce th am I , s) ie d u St e on h e best Francop y living some of th tl en rr cu re u’ yo at fact th al l k now that it’s e W . fe li r u yo f o n ye ars lthy balance betwee ea h a d n fi to e iv at imper al life, but it’s also ci so a d an s ie d u st your have d while doing it! I o go ok lo to t n ta impor al must-have items ti n se es 10 of st li a ng, created lligent, hard-worki te in , d te ca ti is h p so for the an. Cheers to you om w ge lle co n fu flirty and and enjoy!

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#1 nglass u S e y E t a C r e p Su

$160, Ralph Lauren

g all-nighter studyin an d lle u p u yo r e th Whe to maintain your t an rt o p im â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it g, or partyin at lus, sunglasses be P y. it in in m fe ss le time r any day! applying conceale

#2 S ex y E c o T r a ve l M u g $26.95, Aquaovo

ass, save When rushing to cl e Earth with time, money and th travel mug! this chic beverage

In Your Suite k s a M e y E s m a e Dr Modcloth

d your insomniac Between exams an hours of sleep in 8 g in tt ge , e at m m roo is cute sleep mask th h it W . ty ri ra a college is tty lashes, you can re p h it w d re e id ro emb and truly be a shut out the world sleeping beauty. tote

#4 d Fle u r o f E n g l a n Belted Kimono

$500, Farfetch

Dry T

between—you Single, taken or in n to lounge in a don’t need a reaso hing a chapter is n fi ile h w e b ro sultry Study in style. in your textbook.

Spra

$39, O

Honest absolut fabulou use thi me lat

#5 i Pa d A i r

from $499, Apple

Facebook and stay e at d p u s, te o n e Tak d convenient an ic ch is th h it w organized at’s perfect for th ry o ss ce ac le ab port -go. the student on-the

u E x fo l i a t i n g S c r

$19.50, Clinique

ight away Wash the day or n -to-be-true with this too-good exfoliating scrub. 14

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#8 P i n k u rB e a t s by Dr. Dre re $99.95, Beats by D

ced listening to While going unnoti stand out and music … why not get noticed!

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and be Carry your books ying a yourself without sa stomizable word with this cu tote bag.

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e’s tly, sometimes ther wer and tely no time to sho hair… usly blow dry your d thank is dry shampoo an ter.

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Rouge Allure nse Luminous Inte assion P n i r u lo o C p i L $34, Chanel

by thousands While surrounded u must establish yo ts en d u st er th o f o a confident yourself and make is classic shade of th r ea W t. en em at st and shine the s u p m ca n o k ic st red lip otlight on you! sp d ve er es -d ch u m

Lauren Harper is an actress and founder of Los Angeles–based lifestyle blog, The Party For One. Of

ficial Site

uren’s Blog

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WINTER ESSENTIALS

FASHION FRENZY 3 5

6 1

1. Pinch Provisions Stud Muffin Minimergency Kit, $15, Shopbop 2. Freeform Drusy & Brass Ring, $68, Leif 3. Navy Sorceress Cuff, $34, BaubleBar 4. Studded Sweater Hat, $48, Fossil 5. Cushion Cut Pave Sparkler Earringsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;18k Rose Gold, $36, JewelSugar 6. Smiling Cat Flats, $29.99, Daily Look 7. Xhilaration Juniors Heart Intarsia Sweater in Teal, $22.99, Target 8. J Brand 620 Photo Ready Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans, $220, Net-A-Porter

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DORM DECOR 1 6 7

8 2 3

1. Fox Love Tea Towel, $36, Coral & Tusk 2. Great Rose Quartz Candle Holder, $14.95, Keep 3. Motivational Print by Happy Letter Shop, $22, Etsy 4. Shaker-style Tea Box in Oak, $85, Studio KotoKoto 5. Luminous Dots Pillow, $58, Anthropologie 6. Butterfly Wall Hangers by Burwood, $7.95, Etsy 7. The Emily + Meritt Bunny Alarm Clock in Sky Blue, $59, PBteen 8. Gold-Dipped Playing Cards, $18, Anthropologie

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Text: Caitlin Farley

JANUARY

Justin Timberlake hints at return to music

San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Don’t think we forgot the halftime enter tainment, though. Beyoncé took the stage in a powerful performance as she brought back Destiny’s Child for a song.

MARCH

Oz the Great and Powerful

Photo via The Celebrity Cafe

It was January 10th when the former boy band member/actor/newlywed posted a new video. He was seen walking into a recording studio with headphones and said only two words, “I’m ready.”

FEBRUARY

Super Bowl XLVII Photo via Hollywood Reporter

Photo via Fanpop

Have you ever met a person who didn’t know about The Wizard of Oz? Us either. Disney’s highly anticipated film hit the big screen with some of today’s hottest actors (James Franco, Mila Kunis, Joey King, and Michelle Williams) and answers the question we’ve been dying to know… why is the wicked witch green?

APRIL

Luke Bryan sheds tears on stage

With a pre-season record of 10-6, the Baltimore Ravens knocked out the competition to claim the title of World Champions after their win against the

Photo via NY Daily News

MAY

An American classic takes on the big screen

Photo via Chud

REVIEW

This booty shaking country star cried on national television when he was announced as Enter tainer of the Year at the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards. It’s okay Luke, we’d be happy to lend a shoulder.

No man could do more justice for the character of Jay Gatsby than Leonardo DiCaprio. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel has sold more than 25 million copies since its release in 1925, making it a contender for “Greatest American Novel.” Despite the pressure, the Baz Luhrmann pulls you in to the 1920s and won’t let you go.

JUNE

Flying Wallenda walks across the Grand Canyon

Photo via Fox News

YEAR IN

Just a day after one of our writers visited Grand Canyon National Park, high wire ar tist Nik Wallenda walked across the canyon on a 2 inch wide wire with no safety net. The event was broadcast live, and America held their breath as Wallenda battled fierce winds and an unsteady cable.

JULY

A prince is born!

SEPTEMBER 2013 Emmys

NOVEMBER Catching Fire

Photo via Handbag

Photo via Hollywood Reporter

AUGUST

OCTOBER

Red Sox win Photo via Cache.Boston.com

*NSYNC reunites!

Photo via My Hunger Games

She won an Oscar earlier in the year for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, and Jennifer Lawrence won’t stop capturing our hear ts. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemswor th were as hunky as usual, and don’t forget that newcomer Sam Claflin.

DECEMBER…

Photo via Akamaihd

After constant baby watch, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton gave bir th to a baby boy. Prince George was born July 22nd to a very happy William and Kate.

Neil Patrick Harris hosted this year’s Emmys with a little help from the ghosts of hosts past. “Modern Family” and “Breaking Bad” both took home awards. Many viewers were left surprised at shows that went home empty handed. Jane Lynch also took a minute to speak on Cory Monteith’s behalf, and as always, a tribute to those lost was shared.

Photo via Billboard

It’s safe to say there was more than one topic of conversation that came out of this year’s Video Music Awards, but there is no denying *NSYNC’s return to the stage was the best part of the night. Justin, JC, Lance, Joey, and Chris broke twitter during Justin’s performance as he was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

It was April 15th when the nation was shocked and devastated by the Boston marathon bombing, but the Red Sox did the city proud when they defeated the Saint Louis Cardinals in game 6 at Fenway Park. It had been 95 years since the Red Sox last won the World Series at home, and the city went wild.

Well, we’re still waiting for that New Years performers list, but who knows, in the entertainment industry, December could go to anyone!

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WINTER ESSENTIALS

SCHOOL SUPPLIES 4

2 3 1

8 5

1. Terrarium Notepad, $8.99, Spotted Moth 2. Desk Bunny Scissors & Clips Set, $29.94, Bloomsbury &co 3. Kikkerland Retro Pens, $13.25, All Modern 4. Leather Dog Desk Organizer, $49.95, Crate & Barrel 5. Ryan Gosling Notebook, $10.62, Etsy 6. Half-Circle Backpack in Small Squares, $91, Kate Spade Saturday 7. The Bex Rhino DĂŠcor Table Top Paper Weight in Gold Resin, $19.99, White Faux Taxidermy 8. Galsford Pencil Case, $19.50, Jack Wills

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FESTIVE FINDS 1 5

4 7

1. Snowball Belle Mittens, $34.99, ModCloth 2. Antler to Your Questions Ring, $14.99, ModCloth 3. Black and White Snowburst Holiday Phone Case Phone Cover, $17, Etsy 4. Toast Flats, $228, Kate Spade 5. Celebrate All Holiday Card, $5.25, Urban Outfitters 6. Wooden Tree, $16, Urban Outfitters 7. Wilbury Animal Ornament, $18 8. Champagne Is Always The Answer Coasters, $18, Cin Cin Vintage

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chic finds tote

Vis i

Thrift store owner Christina Fitzgerald opens up about her and her sister Farahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shop Navette, located in historic Annapolis, Maryland.

vetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web a N

1. How did you get the idea to start up Navette?

I've been slowly preparing myself to star t a business since I was very young—probably at age 10 or so (I'm now 30). I remember babysitting and working as soon as I was legally able. Saving most of my money for one day. I didn't know for what, but I was always good with money and knew I could live within my means day to day if I was able to build something

in the future. I've always admired entrepreneurs and enjoyed creative fields. I love design. Moved to NYC after school at UMD College Park in 2005, worked my way up with a small fashion label called Vena Cava as their first employee, and after five years, was ready to move on. I took some freelance jobs, did the cliched but necessary soul-searching, and just realized I was ready to go back to my roots a bit, work with my sister, and since I'd always loved collecting clothing and thrifting, this

path made sense. I have a soft spot for historic Annapolis—I worked at a gelato shop downtown called Aromi D'Italia in my late teens. When my favorite storefront on Maryland Avenue was vacant, a popular buy-sell-trade clothing store on the street called Oliver's was closing, and my sister was familiar with the area due to working at Galway Bay (the local pub), all signs pointed to it. I'm pretty intuitive—it just felt right. Conception to lease signing took about a week. It was tote

a lightning strike, and my sister and I both had savings for necessary star t-up costs. We did it ourselves —we're proud of that. Navette has a grassroots feel, but I'm also able to bring consignment down from NYC, which we mix in with local consignment. I live in Brooklyn about 60 percent of the time. I have a passion for global design—I study how things are made. I love when things are made stateside or in Italy. I pay attention to materials, construction, and country of origin.

language, and this sounded like a girly play on the Naval Academy, which is down the street. It means little ship in French and is also my favorite cut of stone—a pointed oval. It also is used as the word "shuttle" in French and we move clothing back and for th between Annapolis and NYC.

4. What type of clothing do you carry?

there will always be blood, sweat, and tears. Getting people downtown and on our street is a big one. People sometimes forget about the historic district of Annapolis. We post some items on our Facebook page, which has been great for us. There's only one of an item, so checking back regularly is important. Consignment will always be hit or miss.

I'm lucky—we have ver y complimentar y skill sets and both trust and love each other. It would be totally foreign for me to even consider not sharing success with her. I want the world for her, sometimes more than I want it for myself. She's more detail oriented than I am—I'm better with general fashion knowledge, thinking forward with the brand, and coming up with short-range and long-range goals. I'm good with cash flow. I always know what needs to happen next in a business—I can do accounting in this very loose way in my head and don't even write things down. She knows you need to write things down. She's more organized. She's good with graphic design. She's more interested in store displays and windows. She's the nicest person I've ever met.

We carry women's clothing and accessories, on a consignment basis, mainly contemporary styles. Some fast fashion, some vintage, some mid-range, and some high-end lines. Priced to move—more like a Buffalo Exchange in NYC, for example. We don't want slow turnover to make a few extra dollars on something, though we do pay attention to second-hand markets like eBay and try to price a little below those. So we could have a 50's dress, a J Crew sailor stripe, an embroidered lace Anthropologie dress, and Dries Van Noten or Marni. It all kind of makes sense to us, though. We are the ones that edit and choose the consignment, so our tastes come to play. Though we do think about our market, obviously. There are many items in the store that aren't my taste and I'm okay with that. I sometimes even accept things for cer tain people. I'll think. Oh—Carrie will like this. Laura will like this. Jenny will like this. My sister is the same way. Their favorite brands, or colors, or styles. We discuss our regulars and include them. It's fun for us.

3. How did you come up with the name Navette?

5. What has been the biggest have your own thing. I work closely challenge for you? with my sister, my consigners, and

2. Why did you decide to go into business with your sister?

It made sense on a few accounts. I've always liked French design and 24

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Being patient. It takes time to build a business—you can't expect everything to happen immediately. There are so many exciting things we're planning for the future, but it takes time to generate the resources and move forward. So many little details and there's only two of us. Even with unlimited resources, it's dangerous to grow too quickly. You have to set yourself up for a sustainable trajectory or you'll have to scale back later—your company, your lifestyle, and your expectations. I'd rather grow at a reasonable pace. So much pain and dishonesty results from becoming too big to fail. You need to balance profits and ethics, always. The big boys can't always do that anymore—too many people have their hands in the pot. Suppor ting small business is so impor tant! It keeps a community thriving and honest. Finances. You will live lean for a while, and may never know exactly what you'll be making. Health care and benefits are an issue. Social life. It can feel isolating to

Oh, where to start? There are so many! Nothing insurmountable, but

our customers. I don't have an office with a bunch of coworkers

for happy hour. My friends don't always understand what I do. These are minor challenges, I admit, but still things that bother me occasionally.

6. What is the most rewarding part?

Autonomy. Having new projects to look forward to. The prospect of designing a line some day. Loving my customers and business partner. Recycling. Educating people on different lines. Having dibs on amazing collector's pieces. I bought a couple of old Issey Miyake pieces from a woman that lived in Japan in the 1990's. I try to save most things for our customers, but occasionally a piece will speak to me personally. There has to be some fun involved!

7. What advice do you have for college girls who want to follow their dreams?

Be realistic. You'll quickly hate something you love if it forces you

to starve. I've always enjoyed painting and reading but I don't consider it a tragedy that it's not my income source. I think it's bad advice to tell people that their passion and their job should be the same thing. It takes time and experience to generate more income, more autonomy, more work/life balance, and more respect in any field. I've been in this industry for over a decade, more or less. So as long as you like the general path you're on, you're okay. Get comfortable with grey area—work shouldn't be something you always love or always hate. Life is mainly grey area. I think that's beautiful. Save money. Say no to a round of drinks at the bar and put that money away. Make little sacrifices and live on a budget. It gives you breathing room for later. Keep yourself open to opportunities and curious. Try to solve problems. Look

for inefficiencies in the world. Be kind to people—make their lives easier and more pleasant. Learn from your mistakes—especially romantically or you're setting yourself up for a life of pain. Choose suppor tive and honest friends and partners—people of character. Listen.Take time for yourself. Read. Some recommendations: Gift from the Sea, The Master and Margarita, Jane Eyre, The Woman in White. I love gothic fiction; I love philosophy; I love dystopian futures; I love seeing the world through someone else's perspective—in another time, another body, another place, maybe even another realm. Practice flow activities—it's important to not always be thinking, and especially not always be thinking about yourself. It's totally possible to be both dreamy and practical! tote

INTERN DIARIES

THE RACHEL ZOE PROJECT… IRL Text: Shelby Newsome Twenty-year-old Catherine Gabel, a journalism and digital media major at Marquette University, experienced a paramount internship this past summer. She transplanted from Wisconsin to California to become a product development intern for Rachel Zoe. Read on for her sublime accounts of a once in a lifetime internship.

great learning opportunity. But not only that, behind her is this amazing team of people who At Rachel Zoe I was a product are just brilliant like Mandana development intern so I got Dayani and even her other to work hand in hand with her associates—Lauren Blakely collection. So basically I did and Marisa Runyon. They’re all everything from assisting so brilliant so it’s awesome to around the office to finding just learn from all of them. inspiration in photos for the new collection and worked on What was the best a summer long project.

Where did you live in California while interning?

What was it like to intern with someone who is so well-known in the fashion industry?

What was the biggest take away from this experience?

Tell us about your internship?

Rachel has been one of my fashion inspirations since I was really young, when her show first came out and even before that. So being around someone that is as talented as her was incredible and such a 26

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part?

I guess to move to California, which is just incredibly surreal. Being around people, not only in the office, like Rachel, but in L.A. was insane. But in the office, getting to work with her collection was incredible because it’s beautiful and seeing just the in’s and out’s of Rachel’s life. I felt like I was on the Rachel Zoe Project. I was actually inside the T.V. show which was crazy.

I lived in a frat house. So I lived in a frat house at UFC and then interned for Rachel in West Hollywood. So I felt like Hannah Montana. I would wake up in a frat house and then go to this glamorous internship.

I really just learned how to work as a team member. Everyone in the office is equal. They treated all their interns like an equal member. I got to really work on stuff that they’ll use in their collection. The biggest take away was, it was really impor tant to know,

that your hard work and dedication to an internship does not go unseen. So it was pretty awesome because at the end of my summer internship I got to go to fashion week with them two weeks later. It was good to know that my internship work didn’t go unnoticed.

internship project a week early. Getting that ready because I was showing my presentation, which was my idea of a fall merchandising plan, to the entire Rachel Zoe product development team. So I had to make it look great; I had to have good ideas. That was a little intense.

back from Cosmopolitan. Be persistent. Every day of work show up with a smile and a great attitude and know that ever ything you do from getting coffee to sending in a project you did for them isn’t going unnoticed.

Any hectic situations What’s your advice or tight deadlines for college girls who you had to deal with? are going through the The craziest deadline that I internship process? ever had was my internship project and I, at last minute, decided to go home a week early. So I had to do my

For those who are applying: don’t give up. My first internship, I applied to 37 internships my freshman year and heard tote

SHE’S GOT

GAME Text: Shelby Newsome

Have you thought about joining a spor ts team? Pro/ con lists are great for decisions like this. Will I be able to keep up with my grades? Will I still have enough time for my friends? How much different will it be from when I played 28

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in high school? Freshman Melanie Flatter plays division one soccer at Coastal University in South Carolina. She one ups the pro/con list and shares her experiences first hand with us—from what it’s like to be on the team to

making the grades to keeping up with a busy schedule. On any given day, Melanie’s schedule can be hectic. Just take a look at her Mondays:

Melanie says. “One of them 6:15 wake up 6:50 shows up to the locker is usually at home and one

room for practice 7:30 practice 9:30 heads straight to the locker room to shower and grab bag for class 10:00 class 11:00 class

of them is usually away. Depending on how far away it is, is how long we’ll stay.” Melanie says that if it’s a weekday game away she’ll normally miss two days of classes but if it’s a weekend game away she usually won’t miss any.

Melanie says. “So that’s probably the best part. You don’t have your family here, so your team is your family.”

Being a par t of a team also helped her feel like she was par t of the school right from the beginning. But she isn’t afraid to admit that soccer keeps her busy and in result, 12:20 finds time for lunch makes it hard to have a social 1:00 lifts and finds time for While her professors are life. “I feel a par t of the a shower understanding of her schedule, athletic community but I don’t 2:30 lab really feel a part of the social it can be challenging for 5:20 eats dinner and goes Melanie to catch up with her scene,” Melanie says. “It’s hard back to her room for a little work. Normally, her assignments to balance that when my are on Blackboard (a website schedule is the way it is.” 7:30 night study hall most professors use to interact 9:30 heads back to her Transitioning from high school with students and give out room and goes to bed soccer to college soccer has assignments). “But a lot of times I do have a hard time had its differences. “The With a schedule like that, Melanie keeps herself organized understanding what they did practices are a lot harder [and it] makes you more with her schoolwork. Athletes in class,” Melanie says. “So tired throughout the day,” then I can just go into class are required eight hours of Melanie says. “In college we and ask my teachers about study hall per week at her practice in the morning but it and they’re usually pretty school. So Melanie plans in high school we practiced good about that.” out what she needs to get after school so I wouldn’t have done so she doesn’t get too to wake up at 6:15 to go to overwhelmed. “I stay for two Academics aside, star ting practice, I would have to wake hours at a time so it’s easy to college can be daunting for up at 6:15 to go to class.” get a lot of work done then,” any student. Luckily, Melanie had a built-in support system: Melanie says. her teammates. “It was hard So if you’re considering a college spor t, it can be hard Since the soccer team does for me to leave home but I work, but Melanie says it’s did have a suppor t system travel, sometimes she has wor th it. “It is a lot of work to miss classes. “Typically we here right away and people who have been through it,” but I do enjoy it!” have two games a week,” tote

10 ways to conquer

TIME MANAGEMENT Text: Shelby Newsome Time management is one of those terms that sets itself up to be useful but often ends up being vague in actually how to prosecute it. Growing up teachers waxed poetic about using your time wisely to get things done. I was once one of those kids that never needed a nudge from an outside force. I was a go-getter. I took my work seriously. This meant that every day after school I would come home and get my homework done before I went outside to play with my friends.

days when I got things done right away rather than waiting until the last minute.

But as I got older, I realized that the world wouldn’t come to a shrieking halt if I waited until the last minute to do something. In fact, procrastinating pushed me harder. And I was getting the same grades. I thrived on pressures to get something completed in a shor t time. But with procrastination came along its friend, Stress. Stress was this dark gloomy cloud constantly hovering over me. It made me long for the

getting things checked off of your checklist does take time. Thinking that you can accomplish everything all in one fell swoop will only stress you out more when you don’t get it all done. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to get something done. You may not get as much done as you’d like, but accomplishing everything on your checklist that day will keep you stress-free.

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With finals and the holidays coming up, leaving everything until the last minute (studying, holiday shopping, packing for a month long vacay away from the dorms) will place tons of unwanted stress on you. So instead of freaking out, follow these 10 tips for a stress-free end of the semester.

2. Set an amount of time

for one activity and if you don’t get it done, move on. While getting something completely done is super satisfying, having five other things left over to do is stressful. Studying for chem.? Allow yourself two hours. If you don’t finish studying, still move on to the next thing you need to do. Having a good start on a few things is better than having only one thing accomplished.

1. Be realistic. Factor in that 3. Give yourself time.

We’ve all been there. But it’s time to say goodbye to your friend Procrastination. Let’s face it: he wasn’t helping you anyways. So instead of waiting until the last minute to do something, start early. Waiting until the last minute to get some holiday shopping done is a disaster waiting to happen (trust me, one too many times of getting semi-adequate gifts for friends and family). Plus, with finals and end of

the semester parties with friends, it’s hard to find time to shop. So star t thinking about gifts in September. Heck, why not shop all year round for gifts?

4. Learn when to say no to friends. Having impromptu parties with your dorm floor, day trips around town, and spending hours with your bestie over a cup of coffee are some of the best moments in college. But with that said, not every day can be all fun and play. Sometimes time management means putting homework first.

5. But also keep time

for friends. This isn’t contradicting (I promise!). But college is about learning how to balance a social and academic life. If you don’t go out with your friends on occasion or take those few hours for a coffee break, you will go crazy.

6. Make a routine of it.

pressure get you going. Still feel like you need that last minute adrenaline rush to get done what needs to be done? How about tricking yourself? Bump up all your assignment due dates by a couple of weeks in your agenda. Black out the syllabus due dates so you aren’t 8. Break things up. So tempted to look at the original. starting early on a project or paper You’ll get the adrenaline rush doesn’t mean you have to finish it that you need plus a couple extra all at once. Take a paper, for example. weeks for editing. Normally you have to go to the library to gather sources, sift through 10. If all else fails, dozens of books and online articles reward yourself. It takes around a month to really create a new habit to see which will work, and then that’ll last. So during the training find a way to organize the useful information into your own idea i.e. period, reward yourself when you do something right. Allotted 30 your paper. Maybe the first week you find sources. The second week minutes for the gym for the whole week? Watch an episode of your you read through them. You get favorite show. the idea.

I would wake up groggy, in need of all the coffee I could get my hands on. By the time I was ready to get more work done, it’d be 7pm. You see how this could be very limiting, right? So get those 6-8 hours of sleep so you can be at your best.

9. Fool you once… It can be ridiculously hard to get into these good habits. Especially if doing things last minute under

Routines are the best way to stay organized. Does going to the gym keep your stress levels down? Then make time for it every day. As much as you don’t think you have time to do something like maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by making a schedule you can fit it in.

7. Sleep! So many times I’ve

thought that I can just stay up until 4am to finish a paper and be okay for the next day. Boy was I wrong, always. While I could manage to finish the paper, I would go to class to hand it in, and then go straight back to my dorm to take one of those casual three hour naps. Only,

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UP CLOSE &

PERSONAL

Text: Shelby Newsome Photography: Rachel Parker Personalized Solutions creator Jessica Adnani, 25, shares with us her uncharted path to her entrepreneurial state of living.

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Pink. It’s Jessica Adnani’s favorite color. It’s the color of her two accent walls in her top floor studio apartment. But for Jessica it’s also something more: it’s one third of the color scheme for Personalized Solutions, the personal assistant business she started up almost three years ago.

“Instead of them [clients] having to go out and hire a different person for everything, if we can provide as many services as we can to fit their lifestyle, then that’s what I wanted to do,” Jessica says.

Just by taking a quick glance at her website, you can see that Personalized Solutions caters to Personalized Solutions offers a the millionaires and billionaires of wide range of ser vices from wedding planning to travel Washington D.C. planning to interior decorating

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among other services. This is more than your average personal assistant, which makes Jessica stand apart from her competition. It says it all in the tagline: “helping you lead a stylish & organized life.” But Jessica didn’t always know that this was where she would be. When Jessica was growing up in Orange County, California, her dad suggested she become a doctor but Jessica wasn’t one for science. So instead, her dad

suggested she become a lawyer. She went on to study political science and Middle East studies at Miami University in Ohio. After graduating, it was hard for Jessica to find a job in her field. So she took a job as a stylist at Nordstrom. “I told myself there is six months and then I’m quitting,” Jessica says. “No matter what. Whether I have another job or not, this is

going to be my way to pay some student loans—because those had come due—to keep me busy and as well to give me a flexible job where I can apply for other jobs.” As the five and a half month mark approached, Jessica decided to email her best client to see if she or anyone else she knew needed a personal assistant. Sure enough, the client was interested in having one.

“It star ted off 10-15 hours a week, don’t quit Nordstrom,” Jessica says. “Well, little did she know I quit Nordstrom the week before. I was ready to jump full force into doing something else.” Jessica explains that her job is all about understanding the client’s life and finding ways to make it easier for them. Her goal is to never have to tell a client that she can’t do something.

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Intuition plays a par t for Jessica with being able to accomplish the tasks at hand. “I’ve always had a keen sense of how I want things to be,” Jessica says.

Her independence has also led her to a substantial life transition: living by herself. From her freshman year of college until this past October, Jessica had always had a roommate.

She’s moved to a top floor She’s also always been one for studio apar tment right outside projects. A perfect match for her of D.C. where she got to line of business. showcase her interior design skills (check out these photos Jessica also attributes Nordstrom from the shoot). The space is to teaching her the basics of cozy yet open, featuring floor to customer service. She was able ceiling windows with a distant to understand a wide variety of view of D.C. Perfect for Jessica different types of people through and her two cats, Diego and Ziki. her work there and also build upon relationships, which carried “It’s just really nice sometimes to on with Personalized Solutions. have that space that’s all yours and you don’t have to worry “We create such a strong about anyone else except for relationship with our clients yourself,” Jessica says. “So often that we aim to become you’re focused on everybody indispensible,” Jessica says. else—especially with what I’m doing, I’m focused on managing Through creating her own everyone else’s life.” business, Jessica has become incredibly independent, which is But the independence of creatwhat she says is one of the best ing her own business and parts of her job. livelihood come with its challenges. “At the beginning, the thought of “Being able to lead an losing a client was catastrophic,” independent life, where you’re Jessica says. “Your whole business not dependent on necessarily could just crumble because one your parents or you’re not person could be such a huge dependent on your 9-5 job, portion of your monthly income.” you’re really dependent on yourself,” Jessica says. “So my Client retention is still a scary paycheck, ever ything, is thought for Jessica. On average, something that I have had to she has 10 clients and 4-6 create. It wasn’t something that people she has contracted to I applied for and got.” help her. Her company is still in

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the growing phase. But within the next five to ten years, Jessica hopes to see Personalized Solutions expanding to California as well as maintaining her roots in D.C.

The neighbor became Jessica’s second client that she still has today.

Although Jessica took an unconventional path that led her to where she is now, she is still an advocate of getting a college degree. Even if you don’t think your dreams require a degree, she says to get one anyways. Jessica always knew that she could fall back on going to law school. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her own thing.

“It was just about having the confidence in yourself that whatever they [the client] needed, you could figure out a way to do,” Jessica says.

Jessica has plenty of that can-do attitude.

While she envisions an East coast/West coast relationship for her business, anything could happen. “Stay tuned. We’ll see.”

“When you’re young you don’t have something to lose,” Jessica says. “But when you’ve been in a corporate career for ten or fifteen years and then you want to start your own thing, you are giving something really big up. So seize the moment the second you graduate from college.”

her

a t Je s s i c a

Chec

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Jessica definitely knows a thing or two about seizing the moment. She had met her first client’s neighbor in an elevator. When the neighbor found out she was a personal organizer, she immediately wanted her help. Jessica went home and figured out a business name, came up with business cards, and more.

Jessica is looking for interns! If you’re in the D.C. area click here to apply.

“The next time I met with her to do an estimate I made it seem like I had this huge corporation behind me,” Jessica says.

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BEAUTY PRODUCT BREAKDOWN

ANIMAL TESTING Text: Samantha Iacia Sam shares with us why she’s switched to beauty products that aren’t tested on animals and why you should consider too! Shampoos, facial soaps, nail polish, toothpaste, mascara, lip gloss, body creams—they fall into the category of things we use ever y day to feel pampered and beautiful. But even the most luxurious products can come with a sinister history that big name beauty brands don’t want you to know. When I first researched animal testing three years ago, I was stunned. I chose it as the topic of a persuasive speech for a public speaking class, and while I knew some basic information about animal testing, I had no idea what I was getting into. The things I read and the images I saw—rows of rabbits with their heads in restraints and rats trapped in plastic tubes with their noses pressed into gas vents—seemed barbaric. “Our culture is more advanced than that,” I thought. As I delved further, I grew more horrified by what I read. It is estimated that in the U.S., the cosmetics, food and healthcare industries subject millions of animals to painful, inhumane and ultimately deadly tests each year. The exact number of animals used in tests is unattainable because the Animal Welfare Act does not require the testing of mice, rats and birds to be reported. And because they are excluded from the act, very

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few of these animals are protected by legislation that dictates appropriate testing usage and anesthesia requirements. Animal testing suppor ters say that the benefits outweigh the costs—that what we learn from these experiments can potentially improve our quality of life and save humans from unnecessary harm in the process. But what exactly happens to the animals in those labs? If you ask me, it isn’t pretty. The most common tests for cosmetics: • The Draize and skin irritancy tests are used to gauge external reactions. Most often performed on rabbits, products are applied directly to the animal’s eyes and/ or a shaved patch of skin. Side effects can include swollen eyelids, inflamed skin, bleeding and even blindness. • Forced feeding of chemical substances over a period of weeks or months to test for potential health hazards, such as bir th defects or cancer. • The lethal dose 50 percent test, in which a test group of animals is force-fed increased amounts of a chemical substance until half of

them die, thus determining the lethal dose. If the animal is still alive after it has served its purpose, it’s killed and disposed of. None of the animals ever make it out of the lab and some of them endure multiple tests before their death. Here’s the strange thing: while the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act prohibits the sale of unsafe cosmetics in the U.S., it does not legally require companies to conduct animal testing to prove that a product is safe. So why are these tests still being performed? It’s impor tant to realize that nearly all ingredients in cosmetic products have been tested on animals at some point in time, even if it was years ago. What’s senseless is when companies choose to ignore the thousands of ingredients that have a long history of safe use and don’t require additional testing. If a company develops a new ingredient or re-formulates an existing ingredient, they most frequently resort to using animals for safety testing. As I looked through lists of companies that actively practice animal testing,

shock took over. I saw all of the beauty brands I ever trusted in a new light. I realized that by financially supporting those brands, I was personally supporting animal testing. I had seen enough. I did the research and slowly started weeding out the toxic companies from my cosmetic stock. It is still a work in progress, because animal testing isn’t black and white. There are no regulations on how companies can label their products, so be warned— “not tested on animals” can mean a variety of things. Some labels read “finished product not tested on animals” or “this product not tested on animals”—sound familiar? It’s not the whole truth. Since most animal testing is done at the ingredient level, many finished products technically aren’t tested on animals. For example, it wasn’t the actual shower gel that was tested on an animal, but rather each of the 30 ingredients that went into making it. The gray areas don’t stop there. While the information on animal testing can be challenging to sor t through, it’s easier when you know exactly what to look for. Spotting the difference between companies that speak the truth and companies that get away with sugarcoating is crucial. Some companies will say that they do not test on animals but they do not share that people in China are doing it for them. Plus, some brands are true to what they say however, their parent companies will test on animals. But how do we really know who is funding the animal testing? There is a standout sign to look for. By law, the China Food and Drug Administration requires that all

cosmetics sold within the countr y are tested on animals in government labs before being made available for purchase. It also carries out follow-up tests after products are already on the market. And while a recent proposal claims to abolish the animal testing requirement for any cosmetics made in China, international brands must still abide.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT IN THE U.S., THE COSMETICS, FOOD AND HEATHCARE INDUSTRIES SUBJECT MILLIONS OF ANIMALS TO PAINFUL, INHUMANE AND ULTIMATELY DEADLY TESTS EACH YEAR. If a company sells its products in China, it has agreed to and paid for animal testing, even if the company isn’t hand-picking workers to conduct the tests. A simple Internet search reveals if a brand sells in China, or for starters, you can see a list here. If there isn’t a clear animal testing policy posted on a company’s website, don’t hesitate to contact their customer service department directly. One last red flag: if a brand says it only tests on animals “when required by law,” it’s probably talking about China. Fortunately, many countries have made strides against animal testing. Earlier this year, the E.U., India and Israel banned the sale of cosmetics products

tested on animals. But the passing of these laws created turmoil in the cosmetics industry—for example, companies that want to sell in both Europe and China must now conduct separate tests for each market. It’s a personal choice as to exactly what cruelty-free means, whether it’s as simple as a finished product that was not tested on animals or something a little more challenging to find, like a product that has absolutely no ingredients that were tested on animals and is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals. For the latter, a good resource is the list compiled by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. Each company on the list is rigorously monitored and approved to display the Leaping Bunny Logo, which signifies that no new animal testing was conducted for that product and that the brand does not contract other companies to do the testing. Only you can decide if you’re willing to incorporate cruelty-free products into your beauty supply. As long as you are happy with your choice, there is no right or wrong. Along with animal rights reasons, my decision to actively seek cruelty-free products stemmed from my personal safety—if something is so potentially harmful that it is repeatedly tested on animals instead of humans, would I really feel comfortable using it? For me, the transition has taken a lot of research and time, and it sometimes feels overwhelming, but I remember that years of buying habits can’t be undone overnight. I’m not perfect and won’t claim to be entirely cruelty-free just yet, but knowing I will reach that point someday is satisfaction enough.

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r o f s p i T 5 Holiday

g n i p p o Sh TEXT: EVA NIESSNER Holiday shopping is hard. Holiday shopping guides are even harder to write. That's because everyone is different, and it's not easy to place everyone inside an easily categorized box. Maybe you have two friends who would fall into the girly-girl or sporty chic or boho category, but chances are, they like different aspects about those styles. One girly-girl might be all about Audrey Hepburn, while another might prefer something more modern. And so on. It would be easier if we were all robots and everyone liked the same thing, but that's just not the case. So instead of giving you stereotypes to shop for, I'll give you these tips instead.

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GIFT GUIDE

DON’T FORGET TO, PAY ATTENTION MAKE IT PERSONAL one seems obvious, Personal wins over fancy any YOU KNOW, ASK! This but as you go out with your day. Does your friend crave Not everyone plays coy when it comes to the holidays. There are plenty of people among my friends and family who will come out and say exactly what they want when they're asked. Just say "I'm coming up with some ideas for what to get you, but I'd love to hear some suggestions from you."

DO NOT FEAR GIFT CARDS I know a gift card can seem like a cop-out, but I will go down swinging for Team Gift Card. It's a great way to say, "I want to make sure you will get exactly what you like, but I know exactly where you'd spend your money." Of course, be sure you actually DO know where they would spend their money. If you're still worried about it not being personal enough, make it part of a package--one cute idea is to buy your friend a new wallet and stock it with a few gift cards to her favorite shopping spots.

friends and family, really take a look at what's catching their eye and listen to what they say. What kinds of jewelry do they like to wear? What genre of books are they reading? If you're stuck on what to buy someone, make a list of what you've seen them show some interest in, then take that list with you to the mall and see what matches up.

DON’T FORGET EXPERIENCES

candy? Maybe they really, truly want a bag of fun-sized Twix bars. It's not par ticularly exciting, expensive or fancy, but if that's really what makes them happy, go for it. You know your friend better than a gift guide in a magazine does. Get them a pile of coloring books. Get them a gummy worm the size of a baseball bat. Just get something you know they'll appreciate, no matter how small or silly it seems.

Your gift doesn't have to be wrapped. If someone you're shopping for is dying to see the new Hobbit movie, take them and buy their ticket and snack. If they've always wanted to go to the aquarium, bring them and treat them to the dolphin show. Maybe they need some time to relax— give them a spa day. You two (or three, or four) can spend time together, and you can see how much they enjoyed 'using' their present.

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Darling

DIY’s Text: Shelby Newsome

With finals, the holidays, and winter break coming up, what better excuse do you have to take a break and get your craft on! That’s why we’ve expanded our DIY section for this issue. Whether you make the craft for you or as a gift, we’ve got something for everyone. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get crafty!

DIY

ACCORDION

PHOTO ALBUM

Photos are memories; something we can look at and relish. So what better way to end the semester than create a photo album of you and your besties? Or create an album of your best moments with your fam? Or do like we did and take cute pics of your cats! This photo album is perfect for savoring your memories or giving as a gift so you can share all of those precious times!

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WHAT YOU NEED:

• • • • • • • • •

Mat board Plain white greeting cards (a 10 pack is a good amount) Decorative scrapbook paper Photos Stickers and other decals A button A string (can be ribbon, sequin, yarn, etc.) Mod Podge Glue gun

WHAT TO DO:

1. Cut out two pieces of mat board so they are slightly bigger than the size of the greeting cards. These will act as your front and back covers. 2. Use the mod podge to tack on scrapbook paper to the covers. Fold excess edges over and glue down to the back of the cover. On the backside, cut scrapbook paper to fit onto mat board to cover up the folded over edges. 3. Take the greeting cards and open them up. Use the mod podge to glue one side to another until all cards are glued together to form the “accordion.”

4. Glue both end sides to either covers. The book foundation is now complete. 5. Start decorating the pages with pictures, stickers, and other fun decals. 6. On the front cover, on the right edge towards the middle, use a hot glue gun to glue on a piece of string. The string should be long enough so that you can wrap it around the album a couple of times (this holds the accordion together when you aren’t looking through it).

7. On top of the end string you just glued down, use the glue gun to glue a button right on top of it. The button allows you to wrap the string around to tie it in place.

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DIY

pearl peter pan

COLLAR NECKLACE Transform any top into a collared spectacular. Can you say, statement necklace?

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WHAT YOU NEED: 1

• • • • •

Glue gun Felt Pearl beads (we used a grey palette but any colors work!) A top with a peter pan collar for reference Ribbon

WHAT TO DO: 1

1. Take the felt and trace an outline of the Peter Pan collar from the shir t you’re using as a reference. 2. Cut out the outline so that you have your very own felt collar base. 3. Using a glue gun, glue on the pearl beads to fill all of the collar space. We star ted on the edges and then worked our way in.

4. Turn the collar to the backside and attach a piece of ribbon on the top of each side. The ribbon acts as the necklace strands, so measure out how long will work for you to tie around your neck.

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DIY

PICTURE COASTERS In need of a fun, easy DIY project? Try these picture coasters. Make them super artistic with abstract photos or keep it simple with pics of family and friends.

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WHAT YOU NEED: •

• • •

•

4 tiles (only 16 cents each at Home Depot! And we used 4 ½ “ x 4 ½ “ but you can use whatever size you prefer) 4 pictures cut to the size of the tile Mod Podge Square corkboard pieces that are slightly smaller than the tiles Matte acrylic coating spray

WHAT TO DO: 1. Brush on mod podge to the back of each photo. Before the mod podge dries, firmly press the photo onto the top of the tile. Tip: add heavy books on top (with a sheet of paper between them and the photo) to keep the pressure on the photo and tile. Leave the books on for about a half an hour.

2. Once the mod podge has dried, spray the coating spray on the photos. By doing this, the photos won’t get ruined when you go to put a mug on it. Read the can for drying directions. Ours took about 15 minutes. 3. Brush mod podge on to the corkboard piece and press firmly to the back of the tile. Again, add books for pressure for about a half an hour.

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DIY

VINTAGE-INSPIRED

TEACUP CANDLE Add a little vintage flare to your candle making. Perfect for tea parties or a late night study sesh.

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WHAT YOU NEED: •

• • • • • • •

A teacup and saucer (try an antique shop—we got a set for $1!) Candle wax Candle scent (if you want it to smell) Candle wicks Pencil Coffee can Stove pot Tongs

WHAT TO DO: 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. 2. While waiting for the water to get hot place the wick into the teacup and wrap the top around a pencil. Lay the pencil horizontally to rest on the cup. This holds the wick in place. 3. Cut up the candle wax into pieces (it doesn’t have to be small pieces, just small enough to fit into the coffee can).

4. Put the wax into the coffee can and then place the coffee can in the pot of water. To ensure the coffee can from toppling over into the water, hold it upwards with a pair of tongs. 5. Once the candle wax has melted add in the scented wax. 6. Pour the wax into the teacup carefully so that the wick does not move out of place. 7. Let dry overnight. Once it’s dry, unwrap the wick and trim down the wick if necessary.

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how to NAVIG

Text: Elaina Clarke

inal exams are more than just tests. They represent the last opportunity to change your grade, to pass a class you are failing miserably, to prove to yourself and the professor that, with the proper motivation, you really can do something right. Final exams mean countless hours in a tiny, seemingly airtight corner of the library with only a stack of papers and textbooks for company. They are nothing short of stressful and they require great amounts of patience and determination just to get through with your brain and emotional stability intact. To guide you through this rough patch we call finals week, here is a list of do’s and dont’s:

DO pace yourself. Studying for

big exams is a process, and your brain can only handle so much information at one time. Take it slow.

DON’T cram. It’s hard to

resist the urge to wait until the last minute to study. After all, you have papers to write and projects to turn in, and what does one test matter anyway? But in actuality, waiting until the last minute will not only lead to more stress when the test is in front of you, it will also ensure you’re too exhausted to even guess your way through it. Do yourself a favor and space out your studying to about an hour each day for a week before the test.

DO allow yourself study breaks.

It doesn’t make you a slacker for taking an hour to decompress in

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between study sessions. In fact, it can only help you in the battle against burnout.

DON’T give up because you

don’t understand the material. If you feel lost in a sea of terminology that you haven’t been able to grasp all semester, don’t just assume it’s too late. Go to a friend in the class, a tutor in the department, or even ask the professor.Trust me, understanding a concept goes way farther in critical thinking por tions of exams than memorization ever will.

develop a study method. Whether it’s flashcards, having a friend quiz you, or writing and re-writing the material until you have it down, you probably have developed a successful study technique by now. Use it. You know

what works better than anyone else, so rely on that.

DON’T switch to new

methods. I am all for trying new things, but finals week is not the time to abandon what works. If you’ve had success with your technique in the past, stick with it. That said, if you don’t know what approach works best for you, experimentation is the way to go. Pick something that you find effective and use it.

DO ingest caffeine. I don’t care

what people say, caffeine is a necessity during finals week. That said…

DON’T overdo it. Drinking

too much caffeine can lead to pretty nasty side effects, and will end up making you too anxious and jittery

STUDY GUIDE

GATE FINALS to concentrate, thus having the opposite intended effect. Just remember: everything in moderation.

whatever happens, happens. If you hit a snag, talk yourself through it (mentally, of course).

DON’T stress about the

study with friends. Studying in groups makes the work a bit more fun, and discussing the material can actually help solidify it in your mind.

DON’T abuse group study

time. If you use time intended for studying just to watch reruns of Grey’s Anatomy with your friends, you’re not doing anyone any good. That’s what study breaks are for, anyway.

outcome after the fact. There is nothing you can do after the test has been handed in, so just relax and be glad it’s over. At the end of the day, no matter how terribly nerve-wracking finals are, they really are just tests. They come and go faster than you ever

expect, and no matter if you ace them or fail miserably, your life goes on. Just keep in mind: the only thing you can do is the best you can. Yes that is a trite and terribly overused expression, but it happens to be true. So go do your best, and I promise, the rest will fall into place. It always does.

DO get all of the materials you

will need in advance. Nothing is more embarrassing than being that person who walks in without a bluebook, or the only student who forgets to bring a pen or pencil. Be prepared.

DON’T leave your phone

on during the exam. Nothing breaks your concentration (not to mention everyone else’s) more quickly than hearing the obnoxious buzzing of a cell phone halfway through the exam.

DO go into the test feeling

confident. Tell yourself that you studied, you did your best, and

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STUDY GUIDE

ROCK OUT &

STUDY ON This Is Our Jam just made our lives easier with these study and study break playlists! Studying for finals just became a little more bearable.

Hey Tote Mag! We know that the secret to studying for finals is the perfect playlist to study to… and one to rock out to when your brain just can’t take it anymore (library dance party, anyone? Just us?). In true TIOJ fashion, we’ve mixed in some favorites from some up-and-coming musicians as well as some oldie-but-goodies you may recognize. Stay tuned to This Is Our Jam for more jams and playlists that are perfect for your studying needs!

For more playlists from TIOJ check out their site. 56

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s a re These jam to pump d e e t n a r a gu yo u ’ ve r e t f a p u u yo n g fo r a i y d u t s n e be or the / d n a e l i h w d and e s o l c s a h library l y k i c ke d t n e u q e s b su yo u o u t .

Press play fo r s o m e s oothing jams that w ill help you buckle d ow n a n d g e t yo ur learn on

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STUDY GUIDE

Super Strawberry

Power Smoothie Studying for finals can be rough! After endless hours of reading and prepping, it’s super easy to binge on fast food. But that’s not going to help you get through the studying; it’s simply a short-term solution. That’s why we called in Chef Leslie Durso, who runs a blog for vegan and vegetarian cooking. She’s created the perfect strawberry smoothie that is sure to get you energized for more rounds of studying.

INGREDIENTS: 2 bananas 8 strawberries 1/2 cup blueberries 2 carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces 1 heaping tbsp. chia seeds 3/4 -1 cup almond milk Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serves 2.

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Check out Leslie’s blog for more great recipes!

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COMING UP Text: Caitlin Farley

MOVIES

BOOKS

Dec 20

Dec 10

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Nine years after Ron Burgundy took the world by storm, he’s back, and he’s not alone. Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Vince Vaughn all return to take New York by storm. If just one news segment a day was a lot to handle for Burgundy and his team, what exactly will happen when they join the first 24 news channel?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Dec 25

Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig star in this comedy where reality meets fantasy. Stiller’s character, Walter Mitty, has a tendency to zone out into a fantasy world he’s created that is better than his real life, but then an unseen circumstance at work sends Mitty to the global adventure of a lifetime.

American Hustle Dec 25

Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper star in this movie where a conman and his par tner are forced to work with the FBI undercover in New Jersey. They enter a world of powerbrokers and mafia. Soon enough the mayor of Camden is involved. Unexpectedly, it could be the wife of one of the FBI agents that holds the power in this investigation.

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Once Upon A Lie, Maggie Barbieri Having a family member with Alzheimer’s is hard, but having a family member with Alzheimer’s who is a suspect in a murder investigation is even harder. Maeve Conlon’s cousin was found shot in a park. Although she was never close to him, his murder suddenly changes everything. Maeve’s father has a fading memory that leaves him open as a prime suspect. Already dealing with a failing business, and a rebellious daughter, Maeve’s world is falling apart.

Innocence, Dean Koontz Dec 10

Two refugees are brought together in Koontz’s suspenseful novel Innocence—one an exile and the other a fugitive. They’ve both lived catastrophic lives but their bond is real and it looks like their meeting wasn’t left up to chance. Unravel this mystery soon.

Hunted, Karen Robards Dec 31

A world class negotiator must make the biggest deal of her life. It’s not as easy to be the in between person when the hostages include the mayor and your boss, and the perp is a former co worker. After a wrong move by the SWAT team, Caroline Wallace is suddenly the only hostage, and perp Reed Ware won’t stop until his name is cleared. Reed swears he has evidence of dirty laundry in the New Orleans police department and state government, and Caroline is left wondering what the truth really is. One thing is for sure, she won’t make it out of the kidnapping with the same outlook on life.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Crafting Memoirs: BOOKS BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN

For the aspiring For the closet journalist connoisseur

For the global student

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

Man Repeller by Leandra Medine

Susannah Cahalan doses up serious drama and killer investigative journalism as she pieces together the details of exactly what happened when her immune system attacked her brain. After recovering from the mysterious, long-undiagnosed psychological and physical illness, New York Post reporter Susannah Cahalan delves into hospital video tapes, medical records, her parents’ journals, and even her own writing, all of which she has no mental recollection. Of course, this memoir would have been impossible had a brilliant doctor not discovered her previously undiscovered yet curable autoimmune disease. Cahalan sums up her recovery in a beautiful sentence: “Sometimes, just when we need them, life wraps metaphors up in little bows for us. When you think all is lost, the things you need the most return unexpectedly.” Get your heart (and brain) racing with this life-or-death story.

Loyal Man Repeller blog readers undoubtedly have their hands on this book as if it were a Hermes ostrich skin clutch (or a fake one, at that). Leandra Medine narrates her young adulthood according to the clothes that define it. After all, our clothes serve as an extension of ourselves, projecting our personalities to the world. For Medine, this bodes true of a tent dress, period panties and unforgettable white socks. Of her grandmother’s ostrich skinned clutch, Medine writes, “It made me feel like the person I wanted to be, which was a highly sophisticated, devastatingly elegant, oh-this-old-thing-I’ve-had-itfor-years!-bragging, whimsy creature of the arts. In other words, the quintessential French woman.” If you’ve ever been there, aspiring to sneak into New York Fashion Week, assembling the perfect outfits while studying abroad to look oh-so European-chic, or determined to make a pair of gauzy harem pants work in a professional setting, then Leandra is your girl, and Man Repeller is your book.

Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family by Najla Said

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As the daughter of a world-famous Palestinian-American scholar and a Lebanese mother, Najla Said struggles to fit within the Christian and Jewish communities at an Upper East Side all-girls school. Although she is never discriminated against, the feeling of “otherness” overwhelms her and drives her toward an eating disorder. In her coming-of-age memoir, Said meditates on what it means to be “Arab-American” and how she presumed her peers viewed her. Of her college years, she writes, “I certainly didn’t mind if people thought I drank absinthe and read Proust on Saturday afternoons, even if I was more likely to be drinking an Ensure Plus and writing a food diary while listening to Pearl Jam.” Najla Said reflects on the cultural thoughts that tested her both pre- and post9/11 in a sharp story that is sure to start conversation about culture.

Text: Caroline Cassard Women have always shown a particular appreciation for nonfiction (just look at how many magazines we buy!), and memoirs have experienced an ever-increasing popularity since before Oprah organized a book club. Sure, everyone loves Tina Fey’s ever-quotable Bossypants or a pee-your-pants Chelsea Handler book, but many other memoirs merit a library visit.While you’re taking a break from literature class’s required Norton Anthology or looking to flip through a few pages over winter break, pick up a memoir that appeals to you. Laugh, cry, scream and shout, and share humor and wisdom in each adventurous, personal account. Just remember that the woman who wrote it lived it first.

For the adventurer

For the foodie (or the actor)

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

Following her mother’s death, Cheryl Strayed’s marriage falls apart as she dives into hard drugs and unhealthy relationships. But rather than check herself into therapy, she changes her name and embarks on 1200 miles of trail in the California wilderness— alone. Critics would call her careless, but for her and the other scattered Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) hikers, this long, winding walk through desert, ice and mountains means more than a “back to nature” experience. All things considered, being the only woman on the trail is daunting enough. Moving for weeks without a shower, her brick-like backpack, Monster, digs into the skin on her shoulders and waist, and Clif bars and a water purifier get her from one rest stop to another. To most urban dwellers, this “hiking trip” seems like a living hell. Although each day on the PCT is as unpredictable as the last, it may be the only way for Strayed to find her way back to who she wants to be. Fifteen years after her summerlong hike, Strayed set out on a journey to craft her rocky experience into words.

When her name and photo are pinned to every restaurant’s bulletin board in the city, New York Times food critic, Ruth Reichl, has to get creative to avoid special treatments that would destroy an honest review. With the help of her mother’s stylish friend, Reichl creates characters of all ages, backgrounds and personalities— Miriam, Chloe, Brenda, Betty and Emily, to be exact. When she’s not looking, speaking or acting quite herself, the restaurant staffs are unaware that she’s tasted multiple dishes until a review sends to print. Reichl’s costumes and fabricated personas are as hilarious as the food and service descriptions are vivid. Naturally, when undercover reporting has to do with eating in New York City’s finest restaurants, you won’t want to miss out on the excitement.

For the activist Insecure at Last: Losing it in Our Security-Obsessed World by Eve Ensler Eve Ensler’s political memoir serves as a meditation on facing reality while finding security in a post-9/11 world. The activist, cancer survivor and The Vagina Monologues playwright explores the feeling of insecurity and where that anxiousness, nervousness and uneasiness comes from in relation to American culture. According to Ensler, “Travel is by no means a prerequisite to getting lost. We are able to cross and dissolve all kinds of borders if we are willing to go to the political, emotional, and spiritual places we most fear and resist.” Ensler’s is a brilliant voice against violence that earns attention on every page. She encourages readers to find “freedom, aliveness, and power not from what contains, locates, or protects us but from what dissolves, reveals, and expands us.”

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MY SUMMER FLOP Hi, I'm Alex. I'll be sharing my dating experiences to help you figure out what to do and what not to do in certain situations. In college, dating can be especially tricky. I’ve had my share of failed relationships, so hopefully I can offer you the best advice on what to keep in mind when approaching the dating process. Last May, I asked this girl out. Perhaps it wasn’t the best timing because final exams were right around the corner, but I was riding out a long slump that I needed to snap myself out of. The semester was winding down, so I said what the heck, and asked her out on a date. She and I had known each other through mutual friends, but never actually had the chance to talk much. I would run into her occasionally at the student union building, and see her around campus events. When I asked her out, she said yes, I got her number, and called her up later that week for frozen yogurt.

outside the yogurt shop at a table next to the window by myself, I remember feeling like an idiot. Should I have known to expect a more laid back atmosphere? Was being on time really that important? I was just trying to be respectful, in case she happened to be the kind of girl who did show up right on time.

We agreed on meeting that night at nine o’clock. Since the frozen yogur t shop was right around the corner from my house, I left at about ten minutes until nine. On first dates, I prefer to arrive a little early to play it safe and to give a good first impression. She however, wasn’t thinking the same way. She showed up fifteen minutes late, texting me that she was on her way at about ten after nine. As I sat

We enjoyed our frozen yogur t, shared some laughs and had a nice evening together. After that night, we ended up going on another couple of dates. Eventually, before summer had arrived, she expressed interest in being in a relationship. I couldn’t say no to that, because at the time I thought that having a girlfriend would be a beneficial experience. As an upcoming senior, I wasn’t going out every weekend

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Once she finally arrived, I forgot about the whole thing and gave her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps something came up at home and that’s what caused the delay. I wasn’t about to let fifteen minutes get in the way of having a good time.

trying to meet new girls as much. I was ready for something more mature, or at least I thought I was. I know I’m only in college and I have plenty more years ahead to meet women, but college relationships can teach you a lot about yourself. So I agreed to be in a relationship with her, pretty much setting myself up for the summer. The way I saw it was that I wouldn’t have to worry about girls anymore since I now had a girlfriend. There was just one problem: she was leaving for the entire summer and wouldn’t be back until school star ted up again. However, it wasn’t the worst situation to be in. Sure the summer months might be tough at times, but we could text and call each other every day if we wanted to. Once the summer ended, she and I would’ve been able to see each other again, and I would already have a girlfriend to start off the school year. During the summer, I worked three jobs and took two online classes. I kept myself busy, but still missed her a lot. She felt the same way,

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS because we talked just about every day. We usually texted back and for th during the daytime and one of us would call the other at night. She even sent me postcards from her travels across the country. By the time August rolled around, we had both gone on vacation. I went to see family in Los Angeles and Kansas City, while she went to her cottage in Michigan. For about ten days, we didn’t text or call each other at all. We didn’t have a fight, but to some extent it raised an alarm in my mind. Although, I figured she was just busy spending time with her family like I was. I’m not the type of guy to check my phone every minute of the day, so to me it wasn’t that big of a deal that we didn’t talk for a little while. Never the less, she was always on my mind. While I was on vacation, I bought her a couple of gifts from places I visited. Finally, the summer came to an end. With a couple of days until school started, I came back to my apartment. On my first day back, I relaxed, hung out with friends, and planned to surprise my girlfriend that night at her house with the gifts and flowers. That night, she called me as I was driving back from a friend’s place, and that’s when it hit me. She wasn’t calling to see me but instead, she was confused as to why we hadn’t spoken for a while. On top of that, she told me that she had met someone else. I was shocked, and very confused. Was this my fault? Did I screw up as a boyfriend by not talking to her as often as I should have? My mind was so

scrambled upon hearing this that I didn’t even know how to respond.

DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF STARTING A RELATIONSHIP JUST BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE A GOOD IDEA OR YOU THINK IT COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING BETTER IN YOUR LIFE. YOU SHOULD BE WITH SOMEONE THAT YOU LIKE AND ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH.

Since then, I’ve done some real hard thinking about where I went wrong. After reflecting on the summer and my relationship with this girl, I have come to these three conclusions:

1. COMMUNICATION IS KEY When you’re in a relationship especially in today’s world, communication by phone is crucial. This is the world we live in, and in order to maintain a healthy relationship, you need to be mindful of how often you are communicating with your partner by calls, text, and even social media. You would rather text

them too much and be given a warning to lay off and give them some space instead of doing what I did, which was assume she didn’t want to be bothered all the time.

2. BREAKS CAN BE A HEARTBREAKER If you’re going into a relationship right before summer or winter break, it probably isn’t the best decision. Only star t a relationship with someone if you both will be able to see each other on a regular basis during the primary stages of the relationship. Where I went wrong was agreeing to be with her even though I knew she was going away for the whole summer. There are just too many temptations for couples who are separated for extended periods of time. After two months went by, she probably viewed me as something to fall back on once school star ted up. Consequently, she ended up meeting someone new who ultimately replaced me.

3. BE CONFIDENT WITH YOUR DECISION Don’t make the mistake of starting a relationship just because it feels like a good idea or you think it could lead to something better in your life. You should be with someone that you like and enjoy spending time with. I later realized that my ex-girlfriend only talked about herself and hardly took the time to get to know me. I was thinking too long term and only focused on having a girlfriend once school was back in session.

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The Freshman Files 66

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Text: Katie Lemon The past month has been hectic, but in a way that makes me feel like I’m finally putting myself to good use. Usually I approach Freshman Files from a more authoritative perspective, but this month I’m more in the mood to chitchat. College is hard and weird. I love it, but every day is a delightful combination of triumph and failure, pleasure and embarrassment. One thing I’ve learned the significance of recently is getting involved on campus. From clubs and organizations to volunteer opportunities and jobs, getting involved will really help round out your life in college. I’ve found that having an on-campus job has been instrumental to my involvement, friend circle, and personal finances (yippee, money!). It may seem like class and studying takes up a majority of your time, and while it sometimes does, it is of the utmost importance to maintain a balance. I got a job working in my residence hall at the front desk. It keeps me aware of things happening both in my dorm and on campus. Through my job, I’ve met a multitude of awesome people that are a blast to work with and hang out with otherwise. Not to mention the paycheck is pretty nice to see in my bank account. If you’re looking for a job in college, the best place to look first is on-campus. This way, if you’re hired, your employer will understand that your availability will be limited and they will be flexible with your hours. It also means that transportation will be a breeze (I

walk down a flight of stairs every time I go to work. I know, it’s quite the commute). Some good places to look are residence halls, depar tmental offices, dining locations, and whoever employs tour guides at your school. Just a fun fact: dining halls are almost always looking for new employees. When you find an available position that you like, apply! And quickly, before your fellow students beat you to it. You’ll probably need to submit an application and resume, and from there you’ll receive an interview. So let’s say you go through the whole application, kill it at the interview, and get the job. First off, the highest of congratulations! Chances are that was a competitive position, so I’m very proud of you. Next: let’s discuss the pros and cons. One great thing about working on-campus/as a college student is that tasks are generally quite simple. When the front desk isn’t too busy at my residence hall, I’m free to work on homework and listen to music (quietly, of course). However, no matter how easy and uninvolved your job is, you WILL do work. And you will receive shifts you don’t particularly want. And you will have some co-workers who won’t be your favorite people ever. Personally, I’ve found the tradeoffs are wor th it. Yeah, sitting at the front desk at 3 am on a Friday morning isn’t my favorite thing in the world…but I can chat with the person next to me and get French homework done anyway. This is

entirely a personal choice, and not one to take lightly, but I definitely recommend at least looking into getting a job on-campus. At this point I feel pretty settled in my job, but one thing that had me worried for a while was making my schedule for the spring semester. With the arrival of November also came an onslaught of advising appointments and poring over the course catalog. I’ve finally chosen my classes, but for a while it felt like I was drowning in a sea of general education credits and pre-reqs and advisory approval. This process made me realize just how invaluable my advisors are. Without them, I would be clueless as to what General Education courses I need to take, how many

credits I have, or what kind of schedule I should have next semester. It’s not a bad idea to pay your advisor(s) a visit even before you have to decide your schedule. I’ve gone to mine just to chat about the college transition, and I came away with a ton of information about prospective majors and ways to get involved. They really are a fantastic source for all things academic and otherwise. If you’re undecided about your major (whether you’re without one or considering switching), your advisor is probably the best place to go. They’ve got all the information at their fingertips; so don’t be afraid to use their help! If you’re not doing well in a class, they can help you find resources to raise your grade, or help you drop the course.

If you’re as clueless as me about making a class schedule, they can show you the ropes and tell you what kind of courses you should be taking. The entirety of freshman year is going to consist of you figuring things out, and that’s okay. Use the resources you have around you and don’t be afraid to get involved. Explore a hobby, join a club, or apply for a job. Use your spare time wisely by enriching your life with the things you enjoy, and don’t forget to push your own boundaries sometimes. Always stay on top of your studies and your sleep, and take time to spend with friends. At this point I’m just spitting out any tips I can think of. Remember to eat your veggies, and call your parents once in a while, won’t you?

Katie and her friends on Halloween—she’s the second one from the left! tote

RECENT GRAD

SIGHT ON SM

Text: Shelby Newsome Twenty-two-year old Kelsey Newman, based in New Jersey (only 20 miles away from the city) is living out her dream job working for Smithsonian Media.

With both parents in the publishing biz you could say that it was Kelsey’s destiny to follow in their footsteps. Kelsey herself would have to agree with you. “Since I was younger I always wanted to work in publishing,” Kelsey says. “Both my parents did. So I felt like I was kind of born to be in publishing and work for a magazine.” Kelsey’s got a can-do attitude and optimism that definitely seems to have contributed to her success. After graduating from Towson University in December 2012 with a mass communications dual track in advertising and public relations, Kelsey continued working part-

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time at the job she held through out high school and college. During college, Kelsey was able to land an internship with Smithsonian Magazine. She knew she wanted to get back to the Smithsonian. While climbing towards her goal, Kelsey took on a paid full-time internship in August with Har tz Mountain Corporation, an animal health company most known for its flea and tick products. While this wasn’t exactly what Kelsey wanted to do, she saw the oppor tunity it presented. “I was their intern with their supply chain depar tment which has nothing to do with what I went to school for,” Kelsey says. “But I was interested in taking it because one: I couldn’t find a fulltime job and two: it was going to give me more experience in things I never thought I’d learned.”

Media in New York City. Her responsibilities consist of administrative tasks, keeping the media kit up to date, and working with the sales department. She was also responsible for maintaining the guest list for an event they held in November. Plus, Kelsey says she will be running Museum Day next year. Kelsey’s having the time of her life: pursuing her dream job in one of the best cities in the world. “I absolutely love where I work,” Kelsey says. “I love the people that I work with.” Kelsey says that for as big as the company is that she works for, they still manage to keep a close-knit vibe. While Kelsey is enjoying her time at Smithsonian, she doesn’t let a good challenge break her.

Kelsey says that she got a lot of experience working with excel, “You’ve got to take things on even if you’re a little uncomfortable which helped her. or you’re not sure how you feel Now, Kelsey is the promotion about it, you’re not sure how much you know,” Kelsey says. coordinator for Smithsonian

MITHSONIAN “The only way to do it is dive in. You either sink or swim. So far I’m swimming pretty okay.” Kelsey was able to get to where she is now from her connection with her supervisor from her internship. She says when she saw the job posting for the promotion coordinator position she emailed her supervisor directly with her resume to review. “I sent that in Friday,” Kelsey says. “I had an interview by Monday. And the following Tuesday I found out I got the job.” So have fun in college, as Kelsey says. But keep your head in the game. Kelsey says to stick with your goals and be persistent with that. And network with everyone. If you have an internship, make sure to stay in touch with the people you meet there. You may just end up thriving like Kelsey. “That’s definitely the best part of being an adult right now, I get to experience my twenties in one of the greatest cities.” Kelsey says.

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until next time! o te _ ma g @t

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