#JuniorYear: Haul

Welcome to the last post in my #JuniorYear series. My favorite part about the back to school season is shopping! I love the idea of buying a new backpack and purchasing a first day of school outfit. It's so much fun!

Please note, I attached a direct link to the following pictures for your convenience.

Here's what I bought for school:

Backpack

This year, the struggle to find was a new backpack for the upcoming school year. Originally I had intentions on using a backpack I used in 7th grade, (a gray Nike backpack). When I bought my school supplies I came to the conclusion that there was no possible way all of my school supplies were going to fit. After several failed attempts I bought the Campus Backpack by Vera Bradley. It holds all of my stuff comfortably. I also purchased a hand sanatizer from Bath & Body Works.

School Supplies

I am an absolute organization freak; I have no problem admitting it either. Every subject has a certain color. Depending on the importance and note taking portion of the class I determine whether I should purchase a binder or a folder/spiral duo.

*This year my color coding system is slightly different to what it's been in previous years due to the lack of supplies left at my local Staples. Please note, I also purchased binders and spirals, but I thought that would be boring to show. Instead I showed you my take home folder, planner, and pencil pouch. If you would like a more in depth post on what I keep in my backpack, let me know!

Clothes

For clothes, I decided to pick up a few basic pieces that I could play up or down. Instead of going overboard this BTS season, I decided I would rather save my money and spend it on Black Friday- when the real deals are in session!

Beauty Essentials

I like to keep my makeup simple despite the occasion. My main goal was to purchase a new eyelash curler and/or replacement pads. My E.L.F eyelash curler is coming close to three years old, but it worked wonders! Instead I purchased a recommended foundation and new lip gloss. A new lip gloss is a must for a new school year- it's a huge confidence booster.

That concludes my back to school haul. What are some things you purchased for the upcoming school year? 

Thanks for reading,

Guilianna

#JuniorYear: Goals + My Schedule

Welcome to another post in my #JuniorYear series inspired by the back to school season. Today I'm sharing with you the goals I have for the upcoming year as well as what my schedule looks like.

1. Limit stress as much as possible.

Junior year is the year. Freshman and sophomore year were very stressful for me- I would constantly stress out if I didn't receive an A on something. This year I'm going to deal with it in a healthy manner rather than binge eating or crying. I'm going to workout and slow my pace down.

2. Reflect on my year a lot more.

I typically don't reflect, I just do. This year I'm going to dedicate a lot more time to writing in my journal. In my journal I'll record more details about my school atmosphere. Ever since the beginning of 2014 I've had such a negative outlook on everything- the classes, the homework, the people, etc. I'm going to leave the past behind me and have a positive outlook on things.


3. Visit more colleges!

If you didn't already know, I visited the University of Florida for my 16th birthday. It was huge (and slightly intimidating to be honest!) Reality set in for me.

University of Florida: http://guiliannamarie.blogspot.com/2014/11/university-of-florida.html

4. Form a workout routine.

I'm quitting soccer?! Long story short, I never actually liked soccer. I only played because my parents made me participate in some sort of physical activity. Right now I'm researching different YouTube channels to help me stay in shape during the stressful back to school season.


5. Hangout with my friends more.

This past school year I feel as though I didn't hangout with my friends that much. I was so caught up in my own school work and such, that I didn't give it a second thought. Here's to more trips to the mall and Saturday movie nights! (I'll try to include my friends in some future blog posts. They have such a great sense of style! You'll love it!)


To keep things interesting, I thought I would share a piece of my life with you: the classes I'm taking!

Period	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
1	CE Basic Nutrition	CE Basic Nutrition	CE Basic Nutrition	CE Basic Nutrition	CE Basic Nutrition	CE Basic Nutrition
2	Honors English	Honors English	Honors English	Honors English	Honors English	Honors English
FLEX	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
3	Academic Chemistry	Academic Chemistry	Academic Chemistry	Academic Chemistry	Academic Chemistry	Academic Chemistry
4	Study Hall	Health/PE	Health/PE	Health/PE	Academic Chemistry	Health/PE
5	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
6	Honors Pre-Calculus	Honors Pre-Calculus	Honors Pre-Calculus	Honors Pre-Calculus	Honors Pre-Calculus	Honors Pre-Calculus
7	Honors Modern American Studies	Honors Modern American Studies	Honors Modern American Studies	Honors Modern American Studies	Honors Modern American Studies	Honors Modern American Studies
8	Intro to Psychology	Study Hall	Intro to Psychology	Study Hall	Intro to Psychology	Study Hall
9	CE Spanish III	CE Spanish III	CE Spanish III	CE Spanish III	CE Spanish III	CE Spanish III

Concurrent Enrollment Nutrition

So, I'm not the healthiest eater ever... but that's not why I chose this course. I chose this course because (1) I have a good relationship with the teacher and (2) college credit! Learning about the foods that go into my body and how they effect me could be somewhat useful, right?

*I only have this class for the first semester. My newspaper class will then take over.

Newspaper

I'm one of the editors this year, so how I could pass that opportunity up? I'm definitely looking forward to this experience. The staff consisted of approximately six people. Posting content on the website was a bit of a struggle, but this year we're supposed to have a lot more staff!

*I only have this class for the second semester, which I'm totally bummed about. I'll probably pick up some freelance work in the beginning of the school year. I have a strong love for the paper.

Honors English

I absolutely love English! This past year was super difficult. During the first semester I was in tears. I had several meetings with the teacher explaining that I'm a straight-A student and I didn't ever receive that poor of a mark before. I worked my butt off in that class just for an A. This upcoming year I'm going to have a new teacher and a fresh start.

I had to read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire for the class. It actually was an interesting read.

Academic Chemistry

Plain old chemistry. I really don't like science. It's an easy A, but high school is going to be some of the best years of my life. Why waste it on countless hours of lab work? If you're a science person, I totally support you; it's just not my cup of tea.

*I have a double period of chemistry on a specific day for lab occasions.


Health/PE

This is mandatory, believe me if it was optional I probably wouldn't take it. The fact that I have it fourth period kills me. I mean, for real.


Lunch

Obviously mandatory and necessary. So happy I'm not eating lunch at 10:30 a.m. this year. That was a true struggle. Pretty sure I snuck a snack every change I got. (Plus, I have a ton of friends

Honors Pre-Calculous

The average person this year would be taking Algebra 2. Honestly, I wish I was taking that course. Being in an honors math course has been stressful for me ever since eighth grade- when they had us teaching ourselves the material! If I could get off of the honors path I definitely would!

For my math class, I had to complete a packet. Let me tell you, keep ALL of your math notes. I kept all of my mind from last year; they were super helpful!

Honors Modern American Studies

Last year I took an academic level of this course. I found it to be super easy! This year I thought I would take a challenge!


Intro to Psychology

Super excited to take this class. I wasn't expecting it at all! I'm actually taking this class with one of my besties- way cool! #StudyBuddies

Concurrent Enrollment Spanish III

Spanish is my favorite subject- ever! In 9th grade the teacher constantly called on me. (To this day, I think it's because I was the only one paying attention, but such is life.) In 10th grade I managed to develop the same pattern. This time I actually enjoyed it. Being a "know it all" and teaching myself the lessons the night before really paid off. This year the work is going to be a lot more considering it's a college level course. I have a test during the first week of school. Wish me luck!

What classes are you taking this upcoming semester? I'd love to hear all about it!

Thanks for reading,

Guilianna xoxo

#JuniorYear: School Survival Guide

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the second post in my #JuniorYear series inspired by the back to school season. This week I'm sharing some tips and apps to help you survive the never-ending school year!

// Tips //

Use an agenda. I absolutely hate the planners my school gives out- they're way too small! I find that all of the homework I have to do in one night is cluttered in one little space. I picked this planner up at a fundraising event. I love it so much! Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a similar one for this upcoming school year.

Have a playlist for everything. Spotify is your new best friend, I promise. I have a morning playlist which is approximately forty minutes, that way I can subconsciously time myself while I'm getting ready. I also have a playlist for studying and running!

Use Pinterest! This past summer I took a sociology course at my local community college. It was so much fun, but there were some things that I wasn't sure of- how to style my paper, what to pack in my tote, etc. It turns out that Pinterest helped me out a ton! I used it to pick out my tote bag, pack it, edit my college papers, and a few other things. I'd highly recommend you gravitate towards it whenever you're in a pickle.

Here's a link to my school board: https://www.pinterest.com/guilianna13/all-things-college/

Keep your work space clean. Staying motivated in school is key for surviving endless amounts of homework. So I'm not your average popular girl going out every night, I spend my nights ensuring that all of my course materials are in their proper location and they're in a specific order. Once the quarter is over I place them in a larger binder where I then can later to refer to it at the end of the year to study for finals.

I also recommend keeping a to-do list on your desk to remind yourself of upcoming projects, important events, etc.

Have a study group. Most of my friends take the same classes as me. We're always communicating via text to ensure that we're all on the same page with our assignments.

Color code! I love buying stationary for back to school. Prior to going shopping I color code my subjects, that way I'm not buying a bunch of random folders and notebooks. Here is my color coding system:

Red- Honors History

Orange- Newspaper

Green- Chemistry

Purple- Honors English

Blue- Honors Pre Calculous

Pink- CE Spanish III

Yellow- CE Nutrition

This system really helps me stay organized. Depending on the subject I'll then decide whether or not to get a binder or a notebook/folder. I find that for my everyday subjects, a binder works best, but that's not always the case. For my history class I find that it's much easier to have a notebook. That way when I'm studying lengthy notes that's the only thing I have to lug around. As for a folder, I can throw spare handouts in there. For subjects like math, binders are an essential because we deal with packets among packets.

// Apps //

Chances are you're always on your cell phone, whether it's texting your crush or browsing your Instagram feed. Why not make use of your phone to help you survive the school year? 

Here are some of my favorite apps:

Calenmob (Free)- This is my favorite calendar app. It syncs all of my calendars together so I can keep up to date with my blog life, school life, and my mini social life. 

Shopkick (Free)- Personally, having a job doesn't fit into my schedule. Sometimes I wish I had the time for a job, but my parents would rather me dedicate my free time to my school work. Shopkick is an app that allows you to get points by walking into stores and scanning certain items to earn gift cards! It's way cool! Shopkick is how I afford my monthly concealer dues.

Google Docs and Google Drive (Free)- Type on the go! With a busy schedule, I find the time to work on my essays while I'm on the way out to dinner or a sporting event. It's the best of both worlds!

Stylebook ($3.99)- Say goodbye to outfit repeats! This summer I transferred my closet into an app. Now, right before I go to bed I plan out my outfits. Say hello to that extra ten minutes of sleep in the morning. Feel free to thank me later! (I believe there is a free version in the app store called Pureple, but it doesn't include half of the amazing features as the Stylebook app.)

For college students, download Blackboard! It's so helpful to check announcements while on the go. I used it for my past summer course- I was constantly checking my grades and reviewing course materials to keep my brain working.

Thank you so much for reading! Special thanks to my sister Natalie for helping me take these pictures. All of her social media will be linked below.

Thanks again,

Guilianna 

Natalie's Instagram: @natalieann1110

Natalie's Twitter: @natalieee810