Quizlet

As midterms and exams are being thrown at us, I'm sure you have been spending much of your time with you head in your notes and textbooks studying. Well this is exactly what I have been doing, and let me tell you, I was getting really tired of looking over my notes again and again and again, and actually found that I was not learning anymore from the notes than I had learned the first couple times that I had gone over them. I realized that I needed to revise my student habits.

My roommates were always using the webpage/app, "Quizlet", and I had always thought that it was a website that younger children, say middle school and high school kids, used for their vocabulary tests. Now I have no idea why I thought this, but since I was sort of desperate to change my study habits, I decided to sign up and see what this study site was all about.

I do have to say that I should have listened to my roommates when they tried to suggest that I use quiz let. I mean, I definitely realized that this website was for electronic flashcards, but I didn't realize all of the other features that Quizlet had. It's super nice because you can create your flashcards and put them into a folder for that specific class, so it also helps to keep you organized. Another feature is that as you are going through your flashcards, you can star certain terms, so that you can separate out the flashcards by what you know and what terms you may need a bit more work on. There is also a few different study techniques that you can interchange between using your specific study set that you have created. There is a setting where you are asked to type in the definition of the word provided on one side of the card. This setting is definitely the hardest for me, but in my opinion, it serves as the best study skill because it ensures that you know the flashcards given either the definition or the term interchangeably. There is also a few "games" you can play with you study sets as well, which helps to mix it up a bit. My favorite feature is the "test" setting, which gives you a variety of multiple choice, short answer and true/false questions to further test you on your study set that you have selected.

I have found that quiz let has helped me much more that passively looking over my notes again and again. I feel like it stimulates your brain in a different way than just reading notes from the top of the page to the bottom of the page.

I have started to make Quizlet's for my geography lectures which have helped me so much! I will sestare the lecture notes into vocal and questions relating to that topic. This way I have flashcards for each lecture and am able to review the material by making the flashcards while the material is still fresh in my mind as well as continue to study throughout the week.

I believe that Quizlet makes studying much less of a hassle because once you have the flashcards made, you have many different ways of studying that are only a click away! IF you have not yet used Quizlet, I highly recommend it... and if you are a current user of the nifty study site, make sure you are utilizing all of its great features!

Its Time to Start Making Decisions that Benefit Yourself

I feel like in some ways, I am sort of a people pleaser... and by that I mean that I really don't like letting people down or making their life harder in any way. I mean, I guess you could say that this trait could be beneficial in many situations, however, sometimes it jeopardizes my happiness and well being and that when it becomes a problem.

Recently, as you all know from my many blog posts, I have been beyond busy, stretching myself in every direction and even though I tried many solutions to help ease the stress of the busy schedule such as making sure I had at least sometime to myself everyday, or trying to exercise regularly, or trying to get a schedule down for hom
ework / study time, nothing was helping with the stress factor, and it began to build up until I finally (had a mini breakdown on the phone with my mom) and realized that I needed to change something in my life or I was going to continue down this path that was ultimately making me miserable, unhappy, and mentally unhealthy.

After consulting with my mom, who is and always will be the best at giving advice, she agreed that something needed to go in order to regain my happiness (and sanity). By the end of our conversation, it was clear what needed to be cut out of my life and it was also clear that although my happiness and making sure that I am healthy in all aspects comes first, school is a close second, if not a tie. School has always been a huge aspect of my life, and it has always been important to me as well as my family members that I attend college and obtain a degree. So of course I would have never even imagined quitting school or taking time off. What this m
eant, was that work had to go. I am lucky enough that my parents support me not only with everything I do in life, but also in the financial aspect, so quitting my job wasn't going to effect my ability to pay rent or buy monthly groceries (which I am so, so thankful for, and appreciate so much). However, this also meant that I wouldn't have much extra money, for the time being, to go to concerts, go out to eat or go shopping on a whim.

To be honest, I was worried about quitting my job just because I like to be able to have my own money; it's such an accomplishing feeling to go and cash a paycheck because you know that you did work hard for that money. However, I also knew that I was wearing my self down way too much and that it was going to catch up with my very soon, in fact, I think it may have already started too, so I knew what I had to do and what was in my best interest.

I think that this little obstacle that I have encountered has taught me so much this semester, and I am also glad that I had to go through this. It has taught me to think twice about buying that shirt that I already have in two other colors, or about ordering food in solely because I'm too lazy (or too busy) to cook the food that I have in the cabinet/fridge. I also realized that there are many different chapters in life, and that it's okay be be kind of caught in the transition phase for a short while. Im obviously not going to say to heck with it and never work again; I am definitely going to get a job over the summer, but let me tell you for the time-being I am so much less stressed and feel much relief when I think about all of the homework I am going to be able to get done, and the time that I am going to have to spend time with friends and also, with myself without feeling rushed. I feel like I can enjoy life again.

Now I am most definitely not saying that you shouldn't work in college or what not, because I have been working for almost all of the past two semesters, and it has been awesome having that spending money, but I am saying that there are points in your life that you need to realistically evaluate your situation and make the choices that are actually beneficial to your life, your health, and your well-being.

Be good to yourself you guys! You only have one mind and one body, so take care of it!

Get Used to Using Office Hours

If there was one thing I have learned about student life so far this semester it would be: UTILIZE OFFICE HOURS!!

Unfortunately I can say that office hours have never been something that I was good at adding into my schedule, however, since I have had significantly harder classes this semester, I have absolutely needed to attend office hours this semester. At first I thought of this as kind of a burden to my already hectic schedule, but after attending the office hours of a few of my classes for the first time, I realized just how essential office hours are to doing well in that specific class.

I understand that going in to talk with a teacher one on one can be somewhat intimidating, however, you will quickly realize after attending one or two of your professors office hours that the professors are really there to help you learn and succeed. I always had the impression that teachers had office hours because they had to (which I'm sure they are required to have a certain amount of office hours available to the students), but in all honesty, every professor that I have met with thus far for office hours showed me that they genuinely care about their students ability to succeed.

Office hours are super nice because you have the chance to get some one on one instruction based specifically on the topics you may be struggling with or need clarification on. I actually went into Michael Robinson's office hours this past Thursday to discuss some of the topics I struggled with on the first geography exam, and let me tell you, I left that office with such a better understanding of all of the definitions and concepts I was previously struggling with. I think this is one of the best things about Santa Barbara City College- the fact that all the faculty are so passionate about their field of teaching and are so willing and eager to help every one of their students succeed. I find that it is actually pretty hard to do poorly at this school because there are so many resources offered to help students do their very best. In addition to office hours, the school offers learning workshops on a different topic relating to student success every week, provides textbooks for a 2 hour reserve in the library, offers a scanner to be able to scan library books as well as text books, and has so much more to dedicate to student success.

Really, when it comes down to it... your ability to succeed here at SBCC all depends on how much effort you are willing to put in, because al of the resources are laid out right in front of you.

My addiction

I have recently discovered that I have a pretty serious addiction. This addiction: COFFEE. I have always loved the occasional latte before an early morning lecture or when heading out for a long road trip, however, I have recently noticed that I NEED coffee now. I am starting to get headaches of I don't have my caffeine for the day and I definitely attribute this new found addiction to all of the stressors I have join on this semester.

For one, as I have noted before, my course load is pretty large this semester, and the work in each class just keeps getting progressively harder. That being said, I am spending ridiculous amounts of time in the library trying to get all of the concepts down and all of the textbook reading done. On top of my long days at school, I also work about five shifts per week, which basically means my life revolves around 'getting to the next thing'. I am always on the go "Oh I have school until 4, I need to rush home so I can change before I rush out to work, and after work I need to rush and get the closing check-list done so that I can rush to the library before it closes, and finally rush home so I can get to sleep with at least a few hours before I start the cycle over". Okay so by reading a little simplified excerpt from my inner thoughts throughout the day, I'm sure you can see why I'm always needing my caffeine to keep going- and I am sure many of you can relate to this type of lifestyle, and if you don't use caffeine as an aid to your busy life... props to you, that is honestly admirable!

Although the caffeine component of coffee is definitely the scientific reason for getting addicted, I recently discovered that there is more to my addiction that solely the caffeine. I have realized that I am addicted to the environments and good vibes in the coffee shops. I have recently started to go to the good cup because it is such an awesome place to gather my thoughts on my day and start attacking my homework in a peace. Since I am so busy, the only time I get to actually head over to a coffee shop for a couple hours is on the weekends, but I have found myself craving these couple of hours I have at the coffee shop. I love having some alone time in a quiet environment with a nice iced latte and some good vibes flowing. Most of the time I do homework but some friday mornings I do find myself heading over to the good cup on State Street to watch the new episode of Greys Anatomy...shhhh. However, I find that I get so much done, and am in such a better mood when I leave because I feel accomplished, a whole lot less stressed and also much calmer.

I know the library is fairly quiet, especially on the downstairs floor, but something about coffee shops sets off a better vibe to me. Maybe it's the retro music that's playing in the background, or the fact that people of all ages go in to get work done, or maybe it's even the smell... all I know is that my study space of choice would definitely be a coffee shop, and I definitely recommend trying it out!l

There's More to IV Than Partying

As you all have probably gathered, I have been trying to get out and explore Santa Barbara a lot more, not only just enjoy the beautiful city we live in, but also to help relieve at least some of the stress that I've talked about in previous posts. Well this weekend one of the adventures I took on was a beautiful bike ride out in Isla Vista. First of all, I had no idea how beautiful some of the beaches are out past the Isla Vista elementary school, nor did I know that there are some awesome bike and running trails over there past the ecological preserve.

On Sunday afternoon, my friend Matt and I decided to embark on what I thought was going to be a leisurely bike ride through the paved Isla Vista streets. Little did I know that this bike ride was actually a pretty legit ride through some dirt trails along a beautiful stretch just above the cliffs past the far end of del playa. There were tons of people kite surfing (which I hope will be an adventure I take on in the near future...stay tuned) and a bunch of people out enjoying the beautiful trails and beautiful day. It was such a relaxing thing to do on a sunday to wind down the weekend and get your mind set for the week ahead.


There were some sketch parts of the ride where I gladly hopped off of my bike to avoid plummeting down some pretty steep rocky points in the trail and one pretty brutal uphill stretch, but hey, why not get a little workout in too! My favorite part of the ride was when we got to these bluffs at our destination. There was a place to set our bikes down and head down a trail to the beach. The beach is covered in cool rocks filling alms the entire beach and there was also some really cool, whole shells. I was super pumped about the shells because not many beaches over in Santa Barbara have many shells, if any.

I was super happy to find this beautiful place out in IV, because usually when you think of nice trails and nice beaches around here, you think of wither Santa Barbara or Montecito. I have been kind of nervous about moving back out to IV next year because Iv is indefinitely known for its partying and this aspect sometimes overwhelms the actual beauty that can be found in IV.

If you haven't already experienced some of the beauty IV has to offer, I highly recommend it!

#There'sMoreToIVThanPartying

Have a fab week, and remember that spring break is closely approaching, you can do it!!

My Favorite Places on Campus

Today I got out of class early, so as I was strolling around campus the idea popped into my head that it would be awesome to share my favorite places on campus, so you too could enjoy them!

Enjoying my morning with
some good company at the
look out spot on east campus

My all-time top favorite spot on campus would be the lookout on east campus over by the humanities building. I usually find myself spending my few minutes before my psychology class overlooking the beautiful harbor with some good friends - and let me tell you, this is the best start to a monday morning. I truly do think relaxing around this peaceful and beautiful view really sets my day up to be more productive, efficient and just over all better!

Next, one of my other favorite spots would be the concrete benches over on east campus that are located just before you reach the staff parking lot while walking up by the PE buildings. I love this spot because it is such a convenient place for me to write some blogs or study some flashcards if I get out of class early. There is hardly ever anyone sitting there so it is super relaxing, especially because you can see the ocean from this lovely spot too! Another plus to these little benches is that the sun beats directly on them in the afternoon and for some reason or another, there seems to be no breeze, so this is the perfect spot to catch some rays and warm-up if you find that you have extremely cold classrooms, like I do.

Even though, this next spot isn't exactly open to all students, it very well could be! I am talking about the LFC. Although you do have to be enrolled to workout and participate in the group fitness classes, I highly recommend it, as it did make my list of favorite places on campus. I am so happy that I enrolled in the LFC. Since exercise is one of the best forms of stress relief, I think that everyone should take advantage of the awesome gym that is right on campus. Today, I had a quiz my geography lab, so I knew we were going to get out at least an hour and a half early. This morning I threw on my workout clothes, made sure I had a towel and headed off to class. We did, indeed get out of class two hours early, so I headed to the LFC to get a quick workout in before my first class, and I actually noticed that I actually stayed awake, was much more engaged in my lecture and actually got all of the clicker questions right after hitting the gym. So if you haven't yet thought about joining the gym you should definitely do so for next semester, it really helps in many aspects with college life!

Those are just a few of my favorite spots on campus, perhaps in a later blog I will share some more!

Hope you all have a safe, fun and stress free weekend!

Recent Festivities

These past couple of days have consisted of a few Santa Barbara firsts for me. Although I have lived here in SB for almost a year and a half, there are still some things I haven't done yet. That being said, you can only imagine all of the awesome things that there are to do here seeing that I have been here for a year and a half and I still haven't accomplished many of the awesome things there are to do in this beautiful city.

First, I want to take a second and say how awesome pressed juicer is. Everyone has always ranted and raved about this super healthy, super tasty juicer, however, I never had the desire to waste my hungry stomach on a bottle full of mashed up veggies. Regardless, I was on State Street tis previous weekend and passed by pressed juicer and for some odd reason and sample what I once though was nonsense and give in to the Santa Barbara "health-freak" society. Well needless to say, I sampled a couple different juices and they were actually pretty tasty (however, I still don't think I would be able to finish an entire bottle); but then... I saw the machines that produce a frozen juice blend and I was in! Needless to say, I am now obsessed  with pressed juicer's frozen blends. Let me tell you, these things are awesome! They have several flavors ranging from more slushy- fruit and veggie based blends to the staple vanilla and chocolate flavors. The best part about these are that, even though they are extremely tasty, they are also really healthy, as they are made up of the same contents as the juices, but are just simple frozen. You can also get a variety of different toppings ranging from dark chocolate chips, yogi berries (which are my personal favorite), almond butter, and a variety of berries. Basically, these frozen pressed juices are a significantly healthier version of fro-yo (which is probably why I was intrigued in the first place, because I love frozen yogurt). Anyways, I would highly recommend trying pressed juicery even if you are typically opposed to drinking your veggies - they have other tasty options - but beware, the freezes may become an addiction!

The other first for me this weekend was attending a showing of the movie Dead Pool at the West Wind Drive-in with a few good friends. I have never been to a drive-in and let me tell you, it was a blast! I was actually surprised that there was a lot of people there; by the time the movie started, the parking lot was full. So I guess Im pretty late jumping on the bandwagon of the great time the drive-in entails, but i'm guessing that I'm not the only college kid who has been distracted by the party life in IV, and only devoting my friday and saturday nights to socializing at house parties. So if you're looking for something to do instead of going out and partying, I highly suggest going to the drive-in. You still get to hang with good friends, make good memories and have a great time while bypassing the parties and staying completely sober.

Happy Hump Day Everyone! Have a great rest of the week!