Sunday, November 30, 2014

Exam Study Tips!

Hey everyone! If you're like me I have exams in the next couple weeks...next Thursday actually! I don't understand why we have to have exams during Christmas time 'the most wonderful time of the year'; more like 'the most stressful time of the year'. Basically, exams can be/are stressful and everyone starts panicking and thinking to themselves I know nothing-> I am going to fail these tests-> now I won't be able to go to college-> my whole life is ruined-> blablabla. That is why I am here writing to you today about some helpful study tips so those dreadful thoughts do not run through your head during your exams this year. Hopefully these will be helpful for you and get through those restless, dreaded nights of preparation!



Tip #1: Get Colorful!
One of my best techniques whilst taking notes and preparing for tests is using COLOR! It seems so simple and ineffective but works so well (for me at least). Using color helps make the main points stand out to you and overall gives your notes a more welcoming feel and easier to understand/read. I love using colored Paper Mate pens which you can get from Target, Office Depot, etc and Stabilo Marker pens which you can find at Coop or Migros! Both are a great way to make your studying more enjoyable and easier to concentrate on. However, don't add too much color or it will serve as a distraction!







Tip #2: Stay Organized!
This is a really important one and I feel like if you are not organized going into exams or preparation it will be very hard to succeed. Organization saves time looking for papers and important notes and keeps your studying on track. I recommend having one place where you keep all of your handouts-either in a binder or folder. Then, at home have study tools such as extra supplies and a rack for keeping extra books, notes, etc. That way if you forget or lose something it will all be at home and in one place.






Tip #3: Take Breaks!
This tip has been proved to enhance your studying and overall benefit you in the time of assessments and tests. Working in longer intervals with short breaks in between keeps up concentration levels. This is because if you stare at a paper for 2 hours trying to memorize something probably only half of that will actually stick with you, because concentration is lost and the brain gets..tired! Instead try intensely memorizing for thirty minutes, taking a 10 minute break (preferably for food ;) and then repeating to maximize the quality of your studying.



Tip #4: Style of Studying
Know what style of a learner and studier you are and stick to what works best for you. If you find yourself always switching between methods or failing tests and not know why since you 'studied', then you need to discover the method that works best for you. In my case, creating study guides for each subject really benefits me. Just making a study guide enforces you to write down all the information again and allows you to look back and collect notes whilst making it. Then, I study from that guide since all the information is now in one place. Other methods can be:
  • Highlighting key ideas
  • Writing down notes
  • Making flashcards
    • 2 great online websites or apps for this are Quizlet and Study blue
  • Reading information
  • Working with a friend
  • Working alone




Tip #5: Try explaining the content to someone
This tip is quite effective because it enforces you to fully understand the content in order to describe it to someone-especially if it is new to that person. It also helps if they then ask questions back to you about it causing you to once again think about the material in-depth and explain like a teacher would. 

Tip #6: Don't Stress-it's just a test!
Overall, don't stress out too much! In the end it's one test or in the case of exams, several. Furthermore if you have been doing great all semester but mess up on this exam it won't do much damage. Especially, if your school doesn't count exams as too much of the overall grade on your report. So remember to study but don't freak yourself out so much that all of the preparation wasn't worth it because you panicked once the test came and bombed it!


Good Luck!



Thank you so much for viewing this weekly post and I wish you good luck if you have exams in the next couple of weeks! Happy studying <3

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Milan Day Trip + Mini Haul!

Hey everyone! Yesterday, my friend Laura and I spent the day in Milan together doing one of our favorite things: shopping! As you hopefully know, Milan is the fashion capital of the world so it seemed fitting for two fashion bloggers to be inspired in the perfect place. It was so much fun and I bought several new pieces that I think will be major statements for winter. Mainly sweaters/sweatshirts since it has been very chilly here in Switzerland. Since we are close to Christmas I tried to hold a back a bit so that is why it's a 'mini' haul. Anyways, I will also be sharing some pictures from the day with you since we also took part in some sightseeing with my parents ;) I hope you all enjoy this post and are as fashion-inspired as I was.

Mini Haul: Pull & Bear, Abercrombie, and Brandy


I was so excited once I got to Milan and found out there was a Pull & Bear! I have always wanted to go there because I have seen a lot of cute and trendy clothes from there in the past. It reminded me a bit of Urban Outfitters except super cheap for such good quality which was a huge bonus. I ended up purchasing a pair of light blue skinny jeans, white cable knit sweater, and graphic "nature" sweater.





The next store I purchased something from was Brandy Melville. We were in a bit of a rush once in here so I only bought one thing but I absolutely love it! It was so unique from their usual style of clothes which I really liked. It was also a shirt that I wouldn't usually go for, which I think is really important to include in your wardrobe because it adds difference into your closet. It is a plaid shirt and is super warm and fuzzy which will be nice for winter since it's a short-sleeve tee! I think this will be paired great with a black dress and tights or a nice pair of jeans and booties. 



Last but not least, Abercrombie! It is a must to visit this huge Abercrombie store in Milan. Not only because there is a hot, shirtless guy greeting you but they have so many clothes to choose from in this enormous store. I picked up two more sweaters because you can never have too many sweaters. One is a cropped, striped sweater which I loved because it was SO incredibly soft. Then I just got a casual black sweatshirt which is super comfy and nice to lounge in or wear with jeans/leggings.






Day in Milan!

We went on a walking tour later in the day to be able to see the beautiful Duomo and famous Last Supper Painting! After sightseeing we had a nice, Italian dinner in the Galleria and a three hour train ride back home. It was great how short the ride was and how much we were able to accomplish in just one day here.










Thank you so much for viewing this Sunday's weekly post! It has been so much fun blogging for you guys and I can't wait to continue the adventure on blogger. Stay tuned for next week's post <3

Ciao!


Sunday, November 16, 2014

How I Edit my Instagram Pictures?

Hey everyone! Today's post is a quicky post about how I edit my Instagram pictures. I love Instagram and always try to present my photos to the best they can be and how I like them. So, I decided to share with you some of my personal favorite filters, apps, and ways I make my Instagram looking like it is. BTW I don't edit my photos very much because I want to still keep a natural looking vibe to each post and don't want my photos to be completely unrealistic and edited.

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  1. Instagram Theme

I think the first most important thing is coming up with a theme for your Instagram and sticking with it. This makes your profile look cohesive, simple, and easy to understand. For me, I post quite random pictures of experiences in my life. I try to share important things that are actually interesting with an occasional selfie or cliché Starbucks picture... I also use VSCO cam to edit each photo and finish with SquareReady to add a balance and cohesion within all of my pictures. Overall, it's important that you're proud of your Instagram because once you post a photo it's always going to be out there whether you're private or public.

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       2. VSCO Cam


I start every photo editing process with VSCO cam. I really only use the brightness tool for settings on the photo because I feel too much fixing is ruining the quality and reality of your photos. Depending on how light or dark the photo is I adjust to fit its needs. Overall, I thinking adding brightness lightens up the photo both literally and figuratively and just makes the presence of the photo look more welcoming.

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Then, I first go through my most used/favorite filters and try them out on each photo narrowing down to which ones look the best. If none of them do, then I will go through each filter until I find one which suits it well! I have purchased the whole package so not everyone will have all of these filters; however, my favorite ones are F1, K2, M4, and S3. Below is a random fall picture I took on a hike this Saturday with how each of these filters look to give you a basic idea.

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     3. Pic Frame

Occasionally I like to use collages, especially when I travel or have a lot of photos that I want to share at once. My all-time favorite collage app is definitely Pic Frame. I've tried countless others and always come back to this one. Simply because it is so easy to use and offers a variety of layouts ideal for any collage of photos. It is fairly simple and I also close the borders on most of my collages because I feel it makes it look more put-together rather than a combo of separate images.

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    4. Squaready

For my final step I use Squaready to easily display the white border that we have probably all seen on many Instagram pictures! It is super simple and if you want to make the border a different color, you can do that too. For me, I like to keep white because I think it looks more sophisticated but the choice is ultimately yours. Then, you can either make the border just on the sides, or border the entire photo. I usually just do white to the sides, however if your photo is big or a collage you have to make all sides have borders or nothing will show!


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And that is all! A quick but effective method for 'glamming' up your Instagram and making it more pleasing to look at. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and stay tuned for next Sunday with another exciting blog post! PS if you want to follow my Instagram my username is: emilygracea_
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