Friendly Reminder :)

I love doing surprise College Prep posts midday!

Don't forget to enter my Kiel James Patrick one-of-a-kind GIVEAWAY!!!

I love my pink whale one!!!

xoxo

LITTLE V's NUTELLA LATTE

There is an adorable cafe in Georgetown where you can get the most

amazing Nutella lattes- iced or hot.

The dilemma: they hit your wallet hard at $5 each.  Determined to have

access to cheap Nutella lattes everyday, Little V set out to find out

their recipe.

You will need:

1 Espresso Maker (Krups sells one for $60 that works like magic- Krups

Model XP 1020 Espresso Machine)

1 Frothing Pitcher (again, can get one for $13 from Krups)

Ground Espresso (Little V prefers Lavazza Caffe Espresso)

Nutella

Milk

optional: cocoa powder

The "recipe" itself is totally simple

The hardest part is figuring out how to work your espresso machine.

Brew the espresso- Little V prefers a 1-1 ratio of espresso to frothed milk.

Pour the fresh brewed espresso into a mug.  Add 1+ tbs of nutella

while the espresso is still super hot (the nutella will mix better).

Stir.

Froth the milk (skim milk froths better)  and pour into the mug.

Optional: sprinkle cocoa powder on top of the frothed milk and serve.

Little V, the mathematics guru that she is, calculated that the cost of the machine and frother alone would be 15 lattes at Starbucks, or 7 nutella lattes at the special cafe.  She thinks

that we have already made about 50 lattes and have only had the

machine for 2 weeks!!

Drink up!!!

xoxo

Tumblr Faves

Those who follow me on Twitter know how much I love tumblr.

Tumblr is to Blogger as an M&M is to a Chocolate Bar

The M&M is just as tasty as a Chocolate Bar, but you can eat a bunch of the tiny morsels as opposed to eating one big bar of chocolate.  Okay.... poor attempt at an analogy.

But really, tumblr is easy and quick.

Lots of my favorite bloggers are joining tumblr- and I'm thrilled!!!

And a bunch of favorite companies are on tumblr now too.  And I am absolutely so in love with the quirky, beautiful, inspiring, and unique things they post.

***

Here are my favorites!

Gadabout- words of the day with clever definitions and beautiful pictures

***

The Preppy Princess- Yes.  THE Preppy Princess

***

Matchstick Mag- Pretty tidbits of perfection

***

Hello Hello Design- One of the graphic designers/illustrators for Kate Spade (AND Matchstick Mag)

***

The Pursuit of Style- Just as amazing as the real blog

***

The Gameday Girls- provides sneak peeks to new products

Check out these tumblrs!!!

Oh, and check out mine too :)  It's a lot more "Carly."  And, don't forget, you can always ask me questions through mine.

xoxo

Kiel James Patrick- One of a Kind GIVEAWAY

There are few things in life that are truly one of a kind.

This, my friends, is definitely one of those things.

Are you ready?

*****

I did a giveaway with him back in April and it was a huge success.  Except this one is EVEN BETTER.....

My love for Kiel (pronounced like Kyle) James Patrick dates way back... and I've seen him develop and grow as a businessman.  He's the real deal.  Made in the U.S.A. Hard worker.  Lover of life.

Well guess what!  KJP designed a ONE OF A KIND bracelet for one lucky College Prep reader.  And when I say one of a kind, I mean ONE OF A KIND.

Here are the facts about the bracelet as told by KJP himself:

1.  100% Silk

2.  100% one of a kind (will never sell or make another one of these)

3.  1 of 7 bracelets I have ever made not using the signature KJP plaid backing

4.  Section of backing lined in vintage madras bought by my grammy in Nantucket, other section lined in silk pink dolphins

5.  Bracelet 100% crafted, sewn and photographed by me

6.  1 of 74 bracelets that I've ever made 1 of a kind.

7.  Hmmmm...  it so cool I sorta wish I had enough material to make for myself.

8.  Between size small to medium...  if doesn't fit whoever wins it they can simply cut and adjust button.

Incredibly amazing, right?  Just want until you see it....

I am just in love with it!

Okay... now on to the rules for entering!

*****

Required: Follow College Prep and Like KJP on Facebook

Additional Entries:

1 Entry- Sign up for Prep Talk (sign up form at bottom of post)

3 Entries- Blog about this amazing giveaway

Maximum entries= 5

Please comment ONCE on this post, letting me know which entries you have completed!

Giveaway will run from now until February 4 at 11:55 pm.

Winner announced on February 5.

*****

Good luck!!!!

xoxoxo

Winner of Marley Lilly Monogrammed Ring

My word there were lots of entries for the Marley Lilly giveaway!!!

It took a LONG time to type up all the entries.... but eight pages later, I had each one numbered.

Without further ado, the winner is...

Ashley Lauren from Texas Prep!

(sorry for the misspelling.....)

Congratulations!  

Be sure to send me an email to claim your ring.

*****

Thank you to everyone who entered and a HUGE thank you to Marley Lilly for offering possibly the cutest ring ever for the giveaway!

xoxo

PS Another giveaway starts tomorrow- get pumped!!!

INTENSE STUDY TIPS

Boy oh boy.... I'm going to attempt to get all of my study tips from the past and present into this post.

I've been getting emails/tweets/questions asking for my secrets.

Before starting... there are a few "ground rules" I will lay out.

1. I don't have tips on how to be more motivated.  For me, there's a set, clear list of things I have to do and there is a specifically defined time to doing them.  I either do them, or they don't get done.  No motivation necessary.
2. Everyone studies differently... this is just my personal way of staying organized and on top of things.
3. If you are really really really struggling with studying (especially if you're in college), try talking to someone from the school.  There is a probably a center for academic issues like this.  There may be an underlying issue preventing you from testing well.

Okay...... and off we go!  I'm going to break it up into three sections.

*****

ONE: In class, notetaking

My rule of thumb: Paying attention in class is HALF the battle.

If a professor uploads slides online before the class, download them and print them out beforehand.  Review them the night before so you can follow along better.

For classes in which intensive note taking is required, a laptop may be the best option.  Do not let yourself get distracted.  Download an application called SelfControl if need be.  It will block you from accessing certain websites (i.e. TheCollegePrepster.com, Facebook, Twitter, gmail, etc).  In large lectures, I find that recording the class with my laptop is good because when I review my notes, I can follow along and make sure I didn't miss any important details.

I prefer taking notes long hand.  Depending on the class, I switch between lined paper and computer paper.  Lined paper is really good for outlining the class, especially if you are following along in a PowerPoint.  Computer paper makes notes for classes where the topics are more abstract (i.e. English or humanities).  In most cases, the classes are based on an overarching theme, which you can put in the middle of the page and draw literal tangents as the class progresses.

Use at least two pen colors.  Sometimes I whip out blue, black, red, and a pencil!  Use highlighters SPARINGLY when taking notes.  They'll come in handy later when you're studying, but right now, just focus on getting the information down.  (I date all of my handouts and notes and I will occasionally highlight the date if it's a class reviewing for a test.)

*****

TWO: Homework

This is the section where most make the mistake.  "Well, the quiz isn't until next week, I'll do the reading then..."  But, of course, there is always more reading.

DO THE READINGS.

TAKE NOTES.

DO THE EXTRA PROBLEMS.

Here is my game plan for homework:

Every Friday, I crack open my binders and go through each syllabus.  Even if I don't "think" I have something due the next week.  I always have something due.  On something other than a planner (I use a small Lilly notebook), write each thing that is due for the next week.  (Be sure to look one or two weeks into the future so you are aware of upcoming cases, reports, quizzes, or tests.)  This system will guarantee that there are no surprises!

Starting on Friday morning let's me get a head start on the week.  I actually get pretty busy during the week between crew/Prep Talk/blogging/internship/classes... and I lose a lot of momentum homework wise after dinner.  It works out so much better for me if I knock ALL of my homework out of the way between Friday and Sunday.  I know that may not be feasible for everyone, but starting Monday morning with a completely checked off Syllabus notebook makes me feel so refreshed!

I use my planner to get an overall picture of the week.  Meeting times, dinners with friends, regattas, etc. are kept organized in the planner.

(this is old, from last year)

*****

THREE: The Big Exam (or test)...

That should probably read: The Big Exams (or tests)...

I don't know why, but tests are ALWAYS scheduled for the same week.  I will have weeks on end with no tests and then BAM, three in a row.

Just like how I write out everything for homework, I write out everything that is being tested for each class.

You can see on the above picture, I have written out each chapter covered on the exam as well as the articles and PowerPoints.  Then, I see how many days before the exam and divvy up the chapters and PowerPoints and articles evenly.

The right page of the notebook is just the days of the study week and which days I planned to study what and how long.

Another example of writing out everything needed to accomplish full potential studying before midterms.

When it comes to the actual test... I am the first to admit that I have extreme anxiety.  I need to sit near a door as a potential escape route.  I have special accommodations so that I can take a test in the best possible environment.  I definitely still struggle, but there is a little bit of relief.  Also, earplugs= best invention ever.

*****

(bonus section)

FOUR: Tools of the Trade

Agenda

Small notebook

Pads of paper

Sticky notes (my collection here)

Pencil pouch stocked with pens, highlighters, pencils

Binders

Lined Paper (college ruled) and computer paper

Good Luck!!!!!!!

xoxo

PS Don't forget to read my book The Freshman 50!

PPS You can BUY TEXTBOOKS on College Prep!!!!!

PPPS If you're studying for a standardized test (like an AP Exam, the LSAT, etc.) consider purchasing a course from BenchPrep! Click here for one week FREE!!!

Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram

fashionable juxtaposition

Juxtaposition (n): an act or instance of placing close together or side by side,esp. for comparison or contrast.

Juxtaposition is my absolute favorite literary device.

I tend to see it more easily than any other form of devices.  I also tend to find it in my everyday life.  All.  The.  Time.  If it doesn't exist on its own, then I kind of like to create it (i.e. being alone in a crowded city).

Recently, I've begun to see juxtaposition pop into my outfits.  And I am really loving it.  Mixing boyish looks with girlish accessories.  I think that men have it so easy when it comes to clothing.  They can just throw on a polo with any given pair of khakis and instantly look refined and put together... not so much for girl's.

But I think we can capture the ease and comfort from men's clothing, all the while still looking girly and put together.

I really recommend playing around with the idea of juxtaposition in your outfits... who knows, you may just begin to see it everywhere in your life too!

Organize, Please... School Documents!

I've discussed a little bit about how I'm a little OCD about how I organize my laptop.

Because the semester is beginning to pick up speed (already, I know), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share just how detailed I organize my documents.

But first, I want to say something to Microsoft Office-- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE create a "tag" function for documents!!!  Sometimes I need to have a file in multiple locations and be able to edit one and have it change in each spot.  Labels/Tags would totally fix that situation.

Okay, so here's my document section.  Notice that there aren't many folders.  I hate hate hate clutter.  Also of note, everything is capitalized.  And no abbreviations!

Inside my Georgetown folder- I have folders for Crew, TGP, Semesters, Internship (with subfolders for each internship), and Misc.  [CP side note: Misc. is abbreviated here ONLY because I have another folder labeled Miscellaneous and don't want to confuse them-- see above.]

Misc. holds all of my overarching "Georgetown" files.  Examples: Resumes, information about my major, graduation requirements, etc.

Okay, inside the Semesters folder is each semester labeled accordingly.

I'm going to take you through the inside of Fall 2010 now:

Each class has it's own folder.

Within each class, I break out into different folders depending on what the document is.  This is how I broke up my Management Information Systems' documents.  Some files are not placed in a folder because they're for the entire class.

How do I label individual folders?  I never have a word start with a lower case letter.  Since all these files were for one project, they started with the same chunk of words, but then a number was added to differentiate them.  Another example of this is if I'm labeling lecture notes, I'll start Lecture Notes XX/XX/XX and add the date.

I can't tell you how much easier this makes searching and finding documents.  I never lose documents.  Ever.  I would NEVER leave a document "Untitled."

This is the system that works for me... and it takes a little bit of time to correctly save a file, but the payoff in the end is huge.  I can easily search for a document from freshman year with no problem at all!

Do you have a similar system?

xoxo

why why why?

Someone asked me what my favorite part about blogging was (via my tumblr ask box).

A lot of times people, mostly IRL (in real life), ask me WHY I blog.  I basically give the short answer of, "Oh, it's just so much fun!"

(by the way- this is actually me blogging. A friend randomly snapped this photograph of me while I was working haha)

But when I really stopped to think about the answer.... I realized that it's so much more than just "fun."

It's really a lot of work.  More work than I thought it would be, that's for sure.  I spend about an hour a day answering emails a day for College Prep.  I write blog posts for every day of the week.  I am constantly on the look out for a new idea for a post.  I read other blogs to stay up to date.  I stress out daily.

So, "because it's fun" must not really be the answer....

Why do I blog?  Why do I love it?  Here was my answer...

My favorite thing BY AND FAR is the connections I've made with people.  It's crazy and absolutely amazing that I feel like I'm so close with people whom I've never met.  I love that I get to connect with readers.  I love that they feel connected to me.  And I love connecting with companies, learning about industries, and asking questions.

I'm not going to lie, I also really like the fact that I have built my blog (brand???) from the ground up.  I can't even describe to you how strange it is to read through old posts.  NEVER would I have thought that the blog has turned into what it is today.  And I can say with 100% honesty and 100% certainty, that this is seriously still the beginning.

Beyond that, I think blogging in some strange way has honed my voice and opinion.  I started this blog right after the first semester of freshman year.  At that point, I was really questioning everything.  I mean EVERYTHING.  I was confused and frankly depressed and did not know what to do.  The road to January 20, 2011 was definitely not bump-free, but I've really survived a lot and more importantly learned a lot, especially about myself.

On a lighter note, it's been absolutely crazy to see social media take off first hand.  My first post was in 2008 and whenever I said that I had a blog, people either laughed (well, they kinda still do) or assumed it was about politics.  Now EVERYONE is taking part in social media.  And I've been sitting back and watching it all unfold- and I LOVE IT.

So there you have it.  Why I blog and what I love so much about it.

Why do you blog?  What's your favorite part?

Sporty Sister + College Prepster UNITED

Such a tourist.  Hehe.

But I obliged taking her to Georgetown Cupcakes because 1) there was no line, 2) we got the free cupcake of the day, and 3) IT WAS MY FAVORITE (vanilla sunshine)

We shopped a TON and photoshoots ensued. 

Sporty Sister was giddy about the snow.  I was frankly SICK OF IT.

Cute snowman outside of Dean & Deluca!

Artsy pictures haha

Bermie Boy and California Funk came with us to the Air and Space museum.  Lots of fun... but the drive there may have been the best part?  We didn't die with BB driving... so that was a huge plus.

The only picture of the two of us!

I had so much fun and I'm so glad SS traveled up to DC!!!

xoxo