Life Tips
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Do you ever wish you were a child again? Less homework, more recess always sounds good to me—especially when I’m feeling stressed out as an MSU college student. I recommend that you follow some of my favorite tips for acting like a kid again. It’s great for stress relief, boring winter days when you’re stuck inside, and conversation starters. Example: When someone asks, “What did you do today?” You can say, “I drank chocolate milk, counted to ten, and took a nap.” Pretty great.
1. Eat like a child! Bring on those ants on a log, PB&J (no crust), popsicles, mac-n-cheese, chicken noodle soup…
2. Finger painting. My roommates thought I had really lost it when I suggested that we spend Tuesday night of finals week last semester finger painting. But guess what—they loved it. You can buy bottles of acrylic paint for less than 50 cents each, and use construction paper… and a few minutes (or 4 seconds) later, you have your very own designer art. It’s so fun! Oh, but put newspaper down first… you don’t want to damage the furniture in your Chandler Crossings apartment!
3. Make friendship bracelets for your friends! I recently purchased 36 colors of thread for $3… it’s a cheap way to be friends for life. And it’s also super fun to invite your friends over to your MSU student apartment for a friendship bracelet party.
4. Coloring books. They’re in practically every store, and all you need are some crayons, colored pencils, or markers and you’re good to go for hours. I am a fantastic color-er, especially when it comes to staying in the lines. But if that is too boring for you, have contests with your friends to see who can make the ugliest picture, or try to use the wrong colors for things (green skin, pink sky, orange eyes…) My box of crayons and coloring book collection have proven to be solid investments.
5. Build a fort in your living room. It will be really easy if you live in Chandler Crossings, because you get so much furniture for free… other materials you may wish to use: sheets, blankets, pillows, boxes.
Sometimes, I do all 5 of these in one day. Even if you try just one, I’m sure you’ll love it and it’s a great way to bond with your roommates in your East Lansing student apartment.
Written by: Kelsey Kruse
Tags: Apartment Tips, College Entertainment, Fun, how to, MSU Apartments, MSU Student Apartments
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Friday, February 5th, 2010
Michigan state students are known for being intelligent, but also having a good time right? Well having a good time and saving some green never got easier! Here are a few quick tips on how to stay in your MSU student apartment instead of going out and spending a ton of cash.
* Play games such as “Things,” “Catchphrase,” “twister” or “Pictionary” for a fun way to get to know your pals for FREE! And, it’s a great way to get to know your rommates in your MSU apartment.
* Order a Netflix movie instead of hitting up the theatre. You can download movies right to your computer or TV or get them through the mail for just $8.99 a month. This saves you on gas money, and there are never late fees! Just one movie ticket to a cinema costs you about $7, so this is a great way to save!
* While reading my other blogs or web surfing, take a look at www.gaspricewatch.com to find out the cheapest gas prices at stations near you! Even just a few cents here and there can help you save.
* Love tunes? I am a huge music fan but my tastes are constantly changing so I listen to www.pandora.com all the time! It is an awesome FREE way to listen to music that you like. Just create a free account and make your own music stations. Instead of buying songs from i-tunes or Rhapsody, you can mix it up for no cost at all!
Please share your tips on saving/entertaining!
Posted by Katelyn Moore
Tags: college game night, family game night, msu game night, MSU Roommates, things to do with your roomates
Posted in Life Tips | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
Every year we struggle to commit to our New Year’s Resolutions, but this year will be different! Here is a quick review of great ways to keep your promise and a few ideas for resolutions if you haven’t decided on one yet. Good Luck!
Great resolutions:
- Fitness! Hit the gym at your MSU apartment community. Chandler Crossings Apartments have all kinds of equipment for you to use to help you reach your fitness goal.
- School and educational goals. If you want to 4 point that Chemistry class you signed up for, then do it! Get all of the resources that you need such as a planner, highlighters, the right books and look into tutoring for extra help.
- Spend more time with family and friends. This is a great one, and it will make you happier. Looking to meet some new friends? Why not check out a social event at Chandlers Apartments to meet people living in your same community.
- Help others! Check out my blog on East Lansing Charities to find out how to help out at local organizations.
How to keep those resolutions:
- Pick a resolution that is actually attainable. Having crazy expectations for yourself will limit your chances of success. It is better to achieve something small than to fail at something big.
- Get support from your friends and be careful who you hang out with. If you spend a lot of time with people who have the habits that you are trying to break, then you aren’t giving yourself a fighting chance.
- Have confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself then you aren’t being fair. Doubters are lot more likely to fail than those who really set a plan and put it into action.
- If you fall off the wagon, get back on! So what if you slip up a little? Just get back on track and learn from your mistakes.
Posted by Katelyn Moore
Tags: College Resolutions, College Tips, MSU college tips, MSU students resolutions, New Year Resolutions
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Friday, December 11th, 2009
Photo by Jamie Netzer
As the cold creeps up on us, the days get shorter and it seems like it is only light outside for a few hours. It is no wonder that many MSU students feel a little down in the dumps these days. This is just one of the joys that Michigan brings us each winter, but no worries! I have looked up some info that will help you to fight that fatigue so you can enjoy the holiday season. With exams and stressful holiday events coming up, it’s best to prep yourself.
You might not have seasonal depression, but the most common symptom of winter blues is tiredness. If you suffer from weight gain, excessive eating and sleeping, along with fatigue, you may want to talk to your doctor about seasonal depression treatments. You can never be too cautious, ya know. Seasonal depression is caused by increased levels of melatonin, a hormone secreted in the brain that causes sleepiness. This hormone is secreted more when there is more darkness, and with shorter days and less light, it is common in winter. Other symptoms might include lethargy, irritability and increased cravings for sugary or starchy foods. There are many treatments for seasonal depression such as light therapy and anti depressants but a doctor should make the call.
For those of you with just a mild case of winter blues, here are some solutions:
-Exercise regularly! I know you are probably too tired to hit the treadmill but it will really do you some good. Exercise increases endorphins which make you feel better, plus with all of those yummy holiday treats we all eat, it might not be a bad idea to burn those extra cals! You can always start off slow with a simple walking routine inside the mall while you do your shopping. Plus, living at Chandler Crossings makes working out so easy! It is just steps from your MSU student apartment.
-Like your Mom always says: take your vitamins! It is important to stock up on healthy foods and those Flintstone chewables! (Or a more adult multivitamin) Vitamin C will help you beat those colds and Vitamin B will give you some extra energy, just to name a few.
-Get some sunlight! Although nice days may be few and far in between, but whenever you get a chance to enjoy some sunlight you should do it! Sunlight increases Serotonin (a happy hormone) so the more you can be outside and in the sunlight, the better.
-Be social! Although that might be the last thing you feel like doing, going out with your friends or at least talking to them on the phone can help keep your spirits up and put you in a better mood. Chandler Crossings Apartments offer many resident activities so make sure you check out our calendars for fun times to come.
I hope your Holiday Season is full of joy (and energy)!
-Katelyn Moore
Tags: MSU winter activities, seasonal depression, winter blues, winter depression, winter fun, winter happiness
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
Although many MSU students are too busy to think about taking care of their cars while they are busy with the holidays and schoolwork, winter is here and our cars need special attention. I honestly don’t really know beans about cars but I do know that I don’t want to be stuck on the side of an icy wintery road! Here is a good checklist to follow for preparing your car for winter.
1. Check your tires. Make sure your tires have enough tread and air periodically. Your owner’s manual will tell you how much pressure your tires should have, and checking the pressure with a gauge is really simple. Don’t forget to make sure your spare tire has air in it too!
2. Fill ‘er up! Keep your car full of wiper fluid/anti freeze to ensure good visibility. We often don’t know we are low on fluid until we run out! (I like to keep a jug in my car just in case) Keep plenty of gas in your car at all times because if it gets really cold out and the tank is running low the gas can freeze.
4. Be prepared for emergencies. Keep an emergency kit with you at all times! This kit should include blankets, flashlights, water, a few non-perishable snacks, jumper cables, an extra battery, and a first aid kit.
5. Make sure your heater, defroster and rear defogger are working properly. It is too dangerous to drive with fogged up windows.
6. Replace your wipers. Windshield wipers don’t last very long in the winter so be prepared by having an extra set available or replace them before they are unusable. Many auto shops will install your wipers for free if you buy them right in their store.
Last but not least, if the roads are really bad just stay in. Plus, if you do stay in it doesn’t have to be boring. You can always head down to Chandler Crossings clubhouse and play the wii instead of driving around East Lansing’s slippery roads!
- Katelyn Moore
Tags: car tips, cold weather prep, college car tips, driving in the snow, winter driving, winter roads
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
How do you balance your college life? Between classes, jobs, and social events sometimes life can leave you in a blur! I know from my own experiences working full time and going to school full time doesn’t always leave me with as much free time as I would like. Although I feel pretty organized I thought I would do some researching to see what works for other college students like myself. I learned a lot about organization and I think I found some pretty useful tips that everyone could benefit from. Here are the top tips I compiled:
1. Start each day off the right way! Create a morning routine for yourself to follow everyday. Most students should give themselves an hour to get ready and scarf down some breakfast (also an important part of your routine). It is helpful to get everything ready the night before, such as packing your book bag, lunch, and picking out your clothes. I know mornings are stressful for me if I have to run around to get everything ready. Plus, having MSU so close to your East Lansing Student Apartment is really helpful.
2. Make the most of your day! If you can handle early morning classes, take them! It might be hard for you to get up early, but many of us waste time by staying up late and sleeping in. If we started our days off earlier we might be a little bit more productive! Don’t get me wrong, sleeping in until noon everyday sounds like a great idea! Making the most of your mid-day or what ever breaks you have in between classes is also important. Plan ahead by bringing your homework and everything you need with you to campus with a strict plan of attack.
3. Organize your computer. It is really helpful to have a laptop that you can bring with you to and from classes, but either way it is what you keep on your computer that matters the most. Since all of my classes are online, I find it really helpful to have a separate folder for each class. I know exactly where to find my work and it is easier when uploading documents so I don’t have to search around.
4. Get ready, get set, mark your calendars! Many organizational articles that I found suggest that students have a master calendar, a planner and a to-do list. One of the most helpful tips that I read was to write down all important dates on your calendar and planner from your class syllabus along with important dates such as social events. I find this really helpful because all of my classes are online so it is completely up to me to find out when my next assignment is due. You should always carry your planner with you everywhere! Whether this is a notebook style, or your PDA, definitely utilize these tools. Next, the to-do list should be your plan of attack for homework assignments, daily activities such as household chores and social events. Get fancy with color coding, or do what ever works for you!
5. Get regular. Keeping a strict schedule can actually lead to more flexibility. What I mean is trying to assign each day of the week certain tasks. For example, assign certain days of the week for work outs at Chandler Crossings or participate in social activities at Chandlers, and most importantly; school work. Some classes have reoccurring schedules and this is even more helpful, but if not, you can create your own. Make Mondays your reading days, Tuesdays your homework days, Wednesdays your review days, ECT. If you know your schedule ahead of time it makes it easier to adjust for unexpected events.
- Katelyn Moore
Tags: College Studying, College Tips, Education Tips, MSU Classes, MSU students study sessions, MSU study tips
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Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Summer is a prime time to entertain. I know in college it’s not as prevalent to host nice dinner parties, but it’s a nice change in pace. Invite your MSU crew over for some good eats and friendly conversation. Thanks to the foodnetwork, here are some helpful tips to be an awesome host.
#1. Always plan ahead. It is very distracting to have a stressed out host.
#2. It is not rude to ask for help, though. Since we are college students, it’s not a bad idea to ask for someone to bring the small stuff like ice or soda.
#3. When it comes to food, keep it finger friendly unless you have a large table to set. Finger friendly foods are easy for your guests to help themselves to.
#4. Keep the crowd moving! A buffet set up is perfect, but don’t forget to label the foods, condiments and drinks.
#5. As always, have fun and keep smiling!
I hope you can use these tips to host an awesome dinner party at your East Lansing Student Apartment. Have a great dinner party idea that you would love to share? Please do so! I would love to hear all about it!
-Liza Shaul
Tags: Budget Friendly Meals, Dinner Party, MSU Cooking, MSU Student Meals, Student Dinner Party
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Personally when I am making dinner in my MSU apartment I don’t put much thought into the little things. Typically it is just cook the food and eat it. But there are some helpful tips that will make your dining experience more enjoyable and also provide you with some knowledge to take with you into future cooking endeavors.
1. Don’t slice into your meat right after it comes off the grill. You will lose the delicious juices. Wait 5 minutes before biting into burgers or grilled chicken, 7 minutes for steaks and at least 15 minutes before cutting into a turkey or large roast.
2. Never store tomatoes, peaches, potatoes, onions, bread, garlic or coffee in the refrigerator. Cold temps compromise the flavor and texture of theses foods.
3. Teflon coatings can deteriorate on high heat. Save the nonstick pans you have for cooler cooking jobs such as sauteing fish or cooking an omelet.
4. If you put lemons, limes or oranges in the microwave for 15 seconds before squeezing them they will yield twice as much juice! Buying half the amount of fruit can save you some money as well.
5. Go shopping on a Wednesday! Research shows that only 11 percent of people get their groceries on a Wednesday. That number drops to 4 percent after 9pm! Fewer crowds, shorter lines, less stress.
Apartment Cooking
6. Pat dry your meat and fish before cooking it. The moisture on the surface of these meats creates steam when it hits the hot cooking surface. This impedes the caramelization process.
7. For all you pasta lovers, if you want perfect al dente noodles, drain the pasta about 1 minute before the box tells you to. Then dump the noodles back into the pot and stir in the heated sauce. The pasta will finish cooking inside the pot.
8. Don’t serve warm food on a cold plate! Heat your dishes in a 150 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving a meal. On the other hand, if you’re making a cold dish such as a salad throw a couple plates in the freezer for a few minutes. The coolness of the plate really brings out the freshness of the salad.
9. Instead of using the pan or skillet when cooking bacon, throw some bacon on a baking sheet and roast it in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Bacon’s tendency to scrunch up makes for an uneven cooking surface in a pan, but the oven will produce that perfect crispy, but not too crispy texture.
10. Lastly, a healthy tip to make those vegetable taste a bit better. Before you cook your aging produce, drop them into a bowl of ice water. Plants naturally wilt due to water loss; ice water penetrates their cells to restore their crispness.
I hope these tips can be helpful to you all as the ongoing struggle of developing a cooking game grows in your lives. Practice makes perfect and the more knowledge you have, the better the dinner party will be in your East Lansing apartment.
-Alex Shikany
(Information from the article “Banish Takeout!” by Paul Kita. Men’s Health Magazine, June 2009.)
Tags: Apartment Cooking, MSU Apartment Cooking, MSU Cooking, MSU Culinary Tips
Posted in Apartment Tips, Life Tips | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
These bedstands utilize the space under your bed!
You never know how much stuff you really have until you move. Here are some great ways to organize your new bedroom on an MSU college student budget!
Step 1: Take inventory on your belongings. Take into consideration things that you are looking to purchase also. You will need space for your clothes, shoes, books, music, TV, DVD’s, and desk area.
Step 2: Toss anything you really don’t need! Or, leave it at your parents’ place for safe keeping. You don’t really need to take that impressive rock collection to college. lol.
Step 3: Invest in the following storage items to make your life more organized-
- Laundry Hamper-keep those clothes off the floor. You can even get two smaller hampers to separate your whites and darks
- Waste Basket- even a small one to keep near your desk will be helpful and won’t take up too much space. Don’t forget about recycling bin too. Put a small box next to your waste basket for easy access.
- Shoe Organizer-there are many different options, one that goes under your bed, your closet floor or even ones that hang up in your closet.
- A couple deep plastic storage bins (these can be used for storing unused textbooks, winter/summer clothing, or extra blankets)
- Desk organizers, such as pencil holders, file folders, or wire shelving to keep your books propped up and organized.
- An over-the-door-coat rack, keeps purses, jackets and hats off the floor.
- Cheap shelving solutions such as wire stackable shelving can be used to organize books, cds, and dvds.
- Buy lots and lots of clothes hangers (Thank goodness for my Chandler Crossing Apartment because I have tons of closet space to store my clothes). Hanging up your clothes can make things easier to find rather than searching through dresser drawers. Color coding and organizing by style or season are also great ideas.
Optional items:
- Bed stands- these little mini stools prop your bed up to optimize under the bed storage space. And, the best part, they are only about $10!
- Vaccuum sealed storage bags can make the bulkiest items smaller and easier to organize. You can use them to store big items such as blankets, or store sweaters in during the warmer months.
- Closet doubler, for only $15 you can double your space. Check out this cool system that allows you to hang up twice as many outfits.
- Message boards, cork, or dry erase boards are great ways to utilize your walls and to keep track of your busy MSU school schedule. They also keep things off of your desk and into your viewing area.
Get creative and make your room work for you. Good Luck!
-Katelyn Moore
Tags: Add new tag, Apartment Tips, clean apartments, Cleaning, how to, how to organize your apartment, MSU Aparments, Organize your student apartment
Posted in Apartment Tips, Life Tips | 4 Comments »
Friday, June 5th, 2009
Last week I gave you the basics for a killer resume. These are the nitty-gritty details that will help you stand out among the rest. Good Luck in your job search!
Summer Job
Keep it simple
Your resume should be a reflection of who you are, not the vocabulary you were tested on during the SATs. It should be specific, and concise while leaving them wanting to know more.
Slang and contractions
This is another one that you may find to be a no brainer, but people still do it. In your resume, cover letter, emails, and thank you cards make sure you use proper English. It might be faster to write out “Thanx”, but taking the time to write “Thank you” will take you a lot farther. Also, do not use contractions. Again it might be faster, but your resume will look more professional without them.
Spell check
You may think this is common sense, but you would be surprised how many resumes are discarded because of a typo. It is not just a matter of looking for misspelled words, you have to look for the wrong words. Spell check doesn’t know the difference between too and to.
Format
Your resume should be clean and well organized. Start with your name, address, and contact information centered at the top of the page. Make sure your name is larger than the rest of the text. Below make sections for each of the following categories: Objective, Education, Work Experience, Extracurricular, and Skills. These title should be about once size larger than the rest of the text either underlined or in bold font. Make sure the font you chose is easily legible. Finally, only make your resume one page. Employers do not want to have to sift through pages of information.
Make it personal
No matter what you put in your resume make sure it sounds like you. There is no need to go over the top because you want the employer to hirer you for you. Not the thesaurus you used every three words.
-Ariel
Tags: Job, MSU summer job, Resume, Summer job
Posted in Hot Topics, Job/Volunteer Board, Life Tips | 2 Comments »
