The key to college success just may be a secret that is totally locked away forever. The truth is, it may not even exist. That is never to say that college success doesn’t exist. However, I have a piece of advice for you: no matter what anyone tells you, do not listen to them when they say there is a sure-fire way to being successful in college. Success doesn’t exactly come with a blueprint that you pick up on your first day of classes. It is all determined by you, which direction you are going, how you plan to get there and what resources you plan to use. That is where this article comes in. Every college female should always be two things in order to step in the right direction – classy and functional. Is your life as functional as it could be to help you through your college career? Take a moment to find out. Listed below are your essentials, where to find them and your out-of-pocket cost.
1.) The Day Designer by Whitney English
The wonderful thing about the Day Designer is that it doesn’t miss a beat.While they are a hard find, they are worth the search and the penny. The Day Designer is highly sought out by those who need to take every day by task and feel that understanding themselves is just as vital as understanding their step-by-step action plan for the week. Whitney English wants you to begin your year right, leaving you feeling that life is limitless. With an all-inclusive introduction including a journal for your hopes and dreams, your core values and top personality traits, this planner just may know you better than anyone else.
When you bleed into the pages that offer you a yearly and monthly overview, you can then find a day-by-day plan for each month. A space for your dinner choice each night is available at the bottom, as well as an hour-by-hour schedule for every day of the month. She also includes a task list for your top three tasks to accomplish that day. Her primary goal is focus and success, and avoiding leaving you bogged down with too many details all at once. Quotes are featured at the top of every page for your daily dose of motivation, as well as a personal note from Whitney herself at the front of every hardback beauty.
The Day Designer comes in a variety of colors and styles – though all are hardback and have the same ring binding, making it easy for those of us who enjoy writing on hard surfaces. If you are anything like me, you hate your floppy planner bending all over the place when there isn’t a good, hard surface to use in order to record inside of it. All of her creative cover designs can be found at www.daydesigner.com, where you can also order your book. The best news? The Day Designer is in Fayetteville! I have never been into another location that carries Whitney’s Day Designer other than Shindig Paperie on the Square – be on the lookout for it underground next to the Himalayan Mountain Shop and French Quarter. The Day Designers are located on the far wall to your left as soon as you walk in, and are generally anywhere from $62-$70.
Location: Shindig PaperieCost: $62.00-$70.00
2.) The MacBook Pro by Apple
If there is one thing you may need above anything else, I would highly advise investing in a Macbook Pro. This piece of machinery can be a bit pricey, but the flawless technology is beyond worth what you will pay for it. Trust me. The envied Apple trophy is great for both work and leisure. It comes fully equipped with a webcam, HD glass screen and a stainless steel shell, making for easy cleaning with just a solid wipe-down with a baby wipe or wet cloth. Distinguishing the Pro from the Macbook Air is the CD drive – important for those of you wishing to download Microsoft or the Parallels program later on. The keyboard is flat, giving the user a clean-cut feeling and presentation, as well as a nice ease to tapping the keys. That means no more slamming the “Q” key in the library because someone spilt their coffee all over it. Moreover, the keyboard also comes with an adjustable backlight for darkened areas that will automatically adjust for you, and a simplified way to lower or increase your screen brightness. This is fantastic for dorm rooms and roommates who like to sleep in total darkness, but you like to study in bed. The volume controls are also found at the top of the keyboard surface, as well as – you guessed it, Apple making everything quicker – keys that allow you to switch windows with a push of a button. Beyond the layout, the software is pretty incredible as well.
Apple includes iTunes in your menu bar, App Store, iMessage (allowing you to text message directly from your laptop – great for those super important, in-class conversations), Photobooth, notepad and more. The beginning design is fairly basic, only offering you what a general user might need for basic computer operations. Safari is the browser of choice and default when purchasing your Macbook Pro – believe me, you will want it. Safari is organized, beautiful and fast. I’ve yet to miss even Google Chrome. The biggest kicker to owning a Macbook Pro? The operating system is nearly incapable of getting a virus. Retailers at Best Buy may encourage you to purchase the $90 Kasperkey antivirus software, but there is no need. As a two-year Macbook owner, take it from me. Your laptop will be just fine without the clutter of it. Apple’s only chink in the armor was certainly their failure to include any student-friendly applications such as a word processor with spellcheck and so on, as well as other office necessities. My theory is that this was avoided to allow the user to purchase whatever they would like without learning to use Apple’s Pages application, which is availble for seperate download with the rest of the office package for $20.00 in the App Store following your Macbook purchase. Yes – Microsoft Office can be downloaded onto your Mac.
Gamers, be warned. For your leisurely activities, you may have to aquire Mac-friendly versions of your games or what have you. Because Microsoft and Apple are very clearly two seperate entities, Apple uses the Mountain Lion/Snow Leopard OX operating system, meaning that you must ensure your games are compatable with Mac. All movies are compatable with Macbook, as well as all music disks, which automatically open and sync to your iTunes. If you would like to run Microsoft applications on your Mac, this is also possible using a virtual machine; Parallels is a popular program that is paired with a Mac – combine this program with the Microsoft software and you’re all set to switch flawlessly between your Mac operating system and a Windows layout. You can find your Macbook Pro at Best Buy or the campus Bookstore, where you may recieve a pretty unbeatable deal. These laptops generally cost around $1,200; don’t let the price scare you away. Quality comes at a cost.
Location: Best Buy or University BookstoreCost: $1,200
3.) iPhone Wristlet by Michael Kors
The iPhone wristlet is always an excellent idea. For the fashionistas in the room, I’ve featured the Michael Kors version. You can purchase non-designer iPhone wristlets at almost any local retailer – my shop of choice would be Melody’s Choices located in the mall. Have you ever been told that you would lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders? My philosophy is that I will never lose my phone if it is attached to my wrist. I constantly use my iPhone on the way to class, and having my phone, credit card and student ID all in one, concise location just makes sense. For the convenience, I also add my keys to the cute little collection of things I will have with me, literally, at the palm of my hand. Rather than hunting down your car keys and your phone, you may find yourself only looking for a single object. The key is to not permanently lose your wristlet.
Michael Kors is popular not only for his beautiful handiwork, but for his prices. Thought the prices themselves are not popular, he definitely earned a title in the fashion world as a luxury designer. You can find this item at Dillard’s inside the mall, and receive this staple piece for, honestly, a fair price of about $80.00.
Location: Dillard’sCost: $80.00
4.) Microphone Headphones by Apple
When I started using Apple’s headphones, I knew I would never go back. I literally use these for everything. The most functional aspect of the Apple iPhone headphones is the microphone, which makes the perfect handsfree alternative to talking on the phone. It reduces background noise, but makes sound crystal clear. What’s more is that others are less likely to hear your music, given that the sound doesn’t float from the headphones and into your surrounding space; the bud is shaped to fit your ear, rather than being rounded. You can find these at Wal-Mart or Target – the price of $30 is almost universal unless you purchase them online. Be careful, though – you may be sacrificing quality with used Apple headphones.
Location: Wal-MartCost: $30.00