Students blog

My grandparents have a special place in my heart. I am blessed to know all four of them well and live close to them. September 11th, 2022 is National Grandparents Day. I never gave this day much thought, but as I enter nursing school my schedule has become much more demanding. I constantly miss family gatherings and I worry that my grandparents might suddenly pass away, and I didn’t have time to send them a text. So, this year I am not going to take them for granted. I want to honor them the best that I can while I still have them.

If you’re lucky enough to have a grandparent in your life, here are five ideas for keeping that connection strong – even while you are busy with your college studies!

Cook With or For Them

Even though my grandmother has shared some of her special recipes with me on a recipe card and has told me her little cooking secrets, mine never come out the way hers do. Learning a grandparent’s recipe with them might be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. They will be happy to teach someone their recipes.

Or prepare them one of your own recipes and just enjoy the meal together. Sometimes this is more fun and healthier than eating out.

Make Them a Card

My love language is definitely words of affirmation. Telling someone the things I love about them is my favorite way to show appreciation. I grew up in a crafty home where my mom let me make cards for my friends with her Cricut machine. In making a card for my grandparents, I can put pictures, their favorites quotes, quotes from themselves, hand-drawn pictures, or anything I like. Consider making a hand-crafted card for your grandparents, too. Fill the card with words of affirmation and drop it in the mail.

Make ‘Em Laugh

Telling my grandparents funny stories or imitating them makes them laugh a ton. Showing them funny movies or singing silly songs make them giggle. Sometimes playing cards makes them laugh since they are so tickled. I love watching the Make ‘Em Laugh clip from the movie Singing in the Rain, which leads into my next idea…

Watch a Movie Together

Each of my grandparents has different tastes. My abuela loves murder mysteries while my grandma prefers romantic comedies. Both my grandfather and my abuelo love documentaries that teach them something new. But they are suckers for musicals with romance. They sing the songs loudly by heart to my grandmothers and make them blush. It makes them feel young again. Make time to find a film you can enjoy together.

Record Their Stories

My grandparents fled Cuba in their teen years during the late 1950s when Fidel Castro was taking over Cuba. They have amazing stories of growing up in such a beautiful country. There are lots of stories about what happened on the way to the States and how they acclimated. The tales of how my grandparents met could be made into movies. I remember them well now, but my children might not. I could tell my grandparents my desire to carry on these stories to the next generation and record them with my phone as they tell their stories.

My goal is to do at least one of these things for my grandparents soon. Even calling them or texting them on a regular basis is important. They did so much for me growing up so I want to return that service the best that I can. Hopefully I’ve given you some ideas to maintain strong ties with your grandparents, too!

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Moving into a college dorm can be a daunting task for any incoming freshmen. It can be difficult to determine what is necessary to bring and what can be left at home with limited space in your dorm room. Even if you’ve watched a thousand YouTube videos about the “perfect” packing suggestions, you can still end up with a list a mile long. After experiencing two semesters of dorm life, here are some of my do's and don’ts for move-in day!

DO Bring Lots and Lots of Storage Options

Storage is one of the biggest challenges. I recommend using the space under your bed to store extra items that don’t fit in your closet or dresser. Large plastic tubs or storage bins with drawers are a great place to put things like sweatshirts or snacks, and smaller containers are perfect for stacking on shelves. Remember, organization is key!

DON’T Bring an Iron or Ironing Board

When I was first packing for school, I thought ironing equipment was an essential item... but if I wasn’t ironing my clothes at home, why would I do it at school? These items take up a lot of space and you will most likely only use them once, if at all.

DO Bring a Wide Range of Clothes

When you’re sitting in lectures for a long time, comfort is top priority so pack some cozy outfits! Don’t forget one or two business casual options as well for any academic presentations or job interviews. It’s also good to remember that you may not have to bring everything on the first day. Depending on your school location, summer clothing could be brought home during breaks and exchanged with winter clothing or vice versa! Lastly, if you are traveling a long distance, consider what items can be purchased when you get there!

DON’T Bring Items That Are Not Allowed

Many schools do not allow certain items for safety reasons or because they will be provided for you. Although you may really want to bring an air conditioning unit, candles, or smaller appliances like hot plates or toasters, your Resident Assistant will require you to remove them or confiscate them completely.

DO Bring a Desk Lamp and Surge Protector

Lightning is not always the best in dorm rooms. Having a light on your desk is really helpful if you’re studying late at night while a roommate is sleeping. Having a surge protector helps eliminate the scarcity of outlets if you have multiple devices you need to plug in.

DON’T Bring a Massive Laundry Bin, DO Bring a Laundry Bag

Potentially carrying a large laundry basket up many flights of stairs is not ideal. I found that a laundry bag you can swing over your shoulder was super easy. I even brought two bags: one for dirty clothes on the way to my laundry room and one for clean clothes on the way back!

DO Bring a Shower Caddy (And Shower Shoes!)

You’re going to want something to carry all of your shower stuff with you to the bathroom. I recommend a mesh bag which is very easy to clean by hand or in the washing machine and hangs nicely. However, some students prefer to use a plastic caddy that they put on the floor. Don’t forget shower shoes are strongly recommended in dorm bathrooms!!

Most importantly, DO Coordinate with Your Roommate(s)

It’s not always possible to get in touch with your future roommate(s) but try your best to coordinate certain items. For example, you won’t need two vacuums or two TVs, and you can save a lot of money and time if you split a wish list!

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What if I told you there’s a way for you to help the environment and protest fast fashion all while being the best dressed? Sounds appealing right? Well, then you should try thrift shopping! Thrift shopping has so many benefits when it comes to the environment, human rights, and our personal life.

The Environment

The whole production and distribution process of clothing takes up a lot of energy and water, just for the average individual in the U.S to throw away about 60 to 80 pounds of textile per year. Thrifting is just clothes being recycled. It avoids this whole process and is a sustainable way to shop. If you’re good at sewing, you can even find things in thrift stores you can modify and update into something trendier.

Social Issues

With the high demand for quick new trends, fast fashion has been taken to a new level. Due to this, many fashion companies (yes, even the expensive ones) use sweat shops for cheap labor to keep up with demand. Sweat shops are factories that provide illegal working conditions to their employees all while paying them a couple cents an hour. Thrifting allows you to bypass supporting these companies, while allowing you to protest the fast fashion industry. If you’re interested in learning more about sweatshops, you can search online to find a number of documentaries on this topic.

Personal Life

Lastly, thrifting helps you find your personal style and feel more confident. I used to be the type of person who would just buy whatever was trendy, since I wasn’t sure what my style was. The more I thrifted the more I learned what I really liked and how to express myself through clothing. Not to mention you save money thrifting since most clothing ranges from $5-$15.

Support your favorite thrift shop or explore a new one on National Thrift Shop Day on August 17, 2022. So, who wants to go thrift shopping?

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

As a student at Miami Dade College, part of my college process is applying to transfer schools. I am a potential nursing student who is applying to major programs all around the United States. With transferring, there are a lot of decisions to make, including where and who to live with. To help with finances, I will be on the lookout for a roommate to both split the cost of living and be a study partner. However, when it comes to choosing a college roommate it can be a very difficult process to endure. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to find your perfect roommate and ease the process.

Knowing Yourself

Let’s start with the definition of a roommate. According to Merriam Webster, a roommate is “one of two or more persons sharing the same room or living quarters.” The key word here is sharing. Always keep in mind when thinking about having a roommate, you will have to share a living space with a stranger, in a sense. So, it’s important to understand what it is you want out of a roommate.

Ask yourself: why do I want a roommate? Am I looking for someone to solely split the cost of living? Is it to enjoy everything college has to offer outside of the academics? Or to have a study partner available outside of my classes?

Learning About Each other

Whether your potential roommate is someone you already know or a new connection, the next step is to learn about each other. Interview the person you are considering living with to get the conversation going about living preferences. Ask about their concept of sharing. Sharing can be difficult for some people when it comes to items, as they may be afraid of their items getting damaged or lost. It is important to discover your own boundaries, as well.

Here is a partial list of things many roommates share. Have a discussion with potential roommates to find out their thoughts on sharing these items:

• Kitchen appliances (such as stove, microwave, fridge, pots, pans etc.)
• Cleaning supplies
• Plates and cutlery
• Rugs
• Television
• Speaker
• Bathroom (toilet, bath/shower, and sink)

Maintaining Communication

Another topic important in your discussion is setting the rules of “who does what?” Communicating with your potential roommate about the responsibilities that come with sharing a dorm/apartment is important to maintaining a healthy household. Things to communicate about include:

• Cleaning responsibilities (kitchen, bathroom, dishes, floor etc.)
• How to split finances
• Cooking/Groceries - are we splitting or will we each fend for ourselves?
• Are we putting a curfew?
• Get-togethers/parties? Noise level?

Avoiding conflict is vital to achieving success in your academics and college life. Remember to talk and listen when interviewing.

At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that no matter what, you’ll need to respect your roommates’ wishes just as you’ll expect them to respect yours. This time in your life is important to enjoy, as it is a part of the foundation of who you will become in the future. Happy Hunting!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

While winter holidays are cozy, chilly, relaxing times for many, Christmas traditions with Cubans is anything but a silent night. Many families will go out of town to their home countries to visit family or have the whole family come to see them. Here are some traditions we celebrate in my Cuban family in South Florida.

Clean, Clean, and Clean Again

You would think that Cuban moms and abuelas think we live in filth. If it is your turn to host this year, beware of the cleaning duties. You will have to clean things you have never thought of cleaning all throughout December. You may have to clean it twice. Bathroom essentials such as toothbrushes and topical medicines are not allowed to be seen. It must be good enough for the Three Kings and Santa. Otherwise, they won’t bring gifts.

Navigating Nativity Scenes

Most Hispanics identify as Christian. Cubans are predominantly Catholic, and we love our nativity sets. The bigger the better. Every year my parents must decide what room to flip around to accommodate the whole nativity scene, shepherds and all. There also might be a Baby Jesus in a manger somewhere special in the house. It is usually covered during Advent, the liturgical season before Christmas, to show that Christ has not come yet. In my house, my mom bought a bunch of straw from a craft store and had us put it in the manger whenever we did a good deed.

Chaotic Calendars

As multiple Christmas celebrations fill up the calendar, sometimes it feels more like Hanukah. With all the extended family that Cubans have, it is literally a fire hazard to put everyone together. You must separate everyone into their different subsets. Each of the four grandparents may have a party for that side of the family. And if you want to see any friends during the Christmas season, plan way ahead because the calendar fills up quickly. Oh, and don’t forget about St. Nicholas Day or Three Kings Day!

Time for Cake 

Holiday gift shopping can be extremely stressful and finding the right gift for a young adult that is entering college or is currently in college is definitely daunting. As a current college senior, I can even say it’s difficult to find a gift that is a balance of what a college student needs, wants, and will use too. Here are a few gifts I’ve received that I have used religiously in the past three years; hopefully this list will be helpful for holiday shoppers searching for a perfect gift for the college student in their life.

Amazon Prime Student Membership

This may sound obvious but having this membership has been a godsend as I’ve purchased a plethora of objects that I’ve needed last minute. Since many students do not have a car while living in dorms or have access to close malls, online shopping has saved me from many nervous breakdowns when I need something not immediately accessible.

Portable Charger

College students are always on the go so the last thing you’d want to have while out and about is a dead phone. ​​Having a portable battery charger provides the convenience of not having to worry about making sure to pack your charger each day and/or searching for an outlet when your phone is about to die.

Insulated Water Bottle

Continuing with students being on the go, having an insulated water bottle can keep my drinks cold for 24 hours or my hot drinks hot for 12 hours. I can stay hydrated in class, while studying, and while out and about. Plus, they’re dishwasher safe to make it such a low maintenance tool.

Blue-Light Glasses

Since I consistently use my laptop, iPad, and phone while studying, my screen time has exponentially increased in college. Having blue-light blocking glasses has lessened my eye strain and helped me regulate my sleeping schedule.

Gift Card to Clothing Stores

I never realized until coming to college how expensive business casual or professional clothing was as my mom bought them for me in high school. However, having few trustworthy professional outfits has allowed me to switch around for job fairs, interviews, and internships with ease.

Trustworthy Laundry Hamper

I know a laundry hamper doesn’t sound like an exciting gift for a college student, but you have no idea how convenient it is when I don’t have to worry about a laundry hamper breaking when carrying downstairs or somewhere outside. It makes doing a nuisance task a little more bearable when I have one less thing to worry about.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

From walking around campus to class or studying, having a trust-worthy set of headphones to tune out the sounds of the hustle and bustle of public spaces makes my menial activities a little more fun. Noise-cancelling headphones not only shut out distractions, they can also be beneficial to use while working out, if they’re wireless.

Planner

Being organized has been a crucial aspect of my college career and I’ve religiously gone through three planners to organize my homework, quizzes, exams, extracurricular club meetings. While I like having a physical notebook, there are actually online ones that are free. (What college student doesn’t like free stuff?)

Extra Long Charging Wire

For some reason, having a six-foot charger has come in handy more than I’d like to admit, especially since outlets are in such high demand—no matter where I am on campus. No one realizes just how useful this is until they get one and can never go back.

As you’re shopping for a college student/young adult, remember to try and balance fun and stylish with usability. Many college students are limited on space and will greatly appreciate something they can use every day to make their life a little easier.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Entering college was a major change from high school. Who knew something could possibly take up so much of my time! Despite the virtual aspect of becoming a college student in 2020, finding the time to fulfill my basic daily routines was a struggle. With so much work and so little time to take care of myself, I found myself turning to fast food options far too often when I was constantly running between activities and meetings. I felt it was important for me to take the little free time that I had within my schedule to educate myself on proper nutrition.

We've all heard the saying, "You are what you eat", but when we skip meals... what are we? Many college students today skip meals to cram in more studying, sneak in a few more minutes of sleep, or to save a couple of dollars. As a full-time engineering student with plenty on my plate, I can say that meal prepping has saved me time, money, and from losing focus while studying!

College is a busy time for everyone. A typical day for me starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. Finding time to eat and pack a lunch every morning just doesn’t happen. Furthermore, after finishing a full day of classes, the last thing I feel like doing is cooking dinner. Meal prepping has saved me from a grumbling stomach during class and so much time before and after my day ends.

Save Time & Money

Not only has meal prepping saved me time during the school week, but it’s also saved me money. After having a meal plan freshman year, the habit of going to the dining hall for lunch or another quick-eat on campus was deeply ingrained in my brain. In addition, once I was done for the day, I’d be so exhausted that all I would want to do is order take out. I found myself spending so much money going out to eat and then throwing away any groceries I had bought because they’d go bad before I would get around to using them. With the amount of money I would spend on going out to eat, I have been able to make three meals a day, seven days a week for less than $3.75 per meal and a grand total of around $78 at the grocery store.

This may seem like a large sum of money for a one-time purchase but when you compare the two options, the savings is clear. Let’s say you spend an average of $7 for each meal when you go out to eat.

Going out to eat once a day:

     1 meal/day x $7/meal x 7 days/ week= $49.00

Meal prepping for the week:

     3 meals/day x $3.75/meal x 7 days/week = $78.75

By going out to eat even once a day each week you miss out on major savings and spend over half the amount you could have spent at the grocery store for three times the number of meals!

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few things that I have found useful while meal prepping:

• Make a list of the meals to prep for the upcoming week. This helps me to stay organized and figure out what I need from the grocery store. If I’m struggling to decide, I turn to Pinterest for some food inspiration!
• Make all of the meals at once. I set aside about 2 hours every Sunday to make everything.
• Invest in good food storage containers to store it all in. Make sure they are dishwasher safe for convenience and have a secure-snap lid to keep the food fresh!

The transition from traditional “spur of the moment” cooking or grabbing a bite out to eat can be difficult, especially once these things have become a habit. Once you give it a whirl and begin experiencing the benefits of meal prepping, you’ll be hooked!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog? If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!

College is notoriously known to be difficult but with the increased presence of technology in every college student’s life, there are a plethora of apps that students can utilize. From managing homework to notetaking to saving money and more, apps can be integrated into the traditional lifestyles of college students. Here is a list of the top apps that I have religiously used since a freshman in college to now as a college senior.

Google Drive and Google Office Apps

Having the ability to organize my classes, semesters, projects, and more into folders with Google Docs, Google sheets, Google slides, and other files has been so beneficial. It makes searching and referring to old notes, projects, presentations, and papers reliable and simple.

Notability

Since I use an iPad and Apple pencil to take notes during lectures or to study, I use Notability practically every day when I’m taking classes. You can even audio record while writing your notes so you can easily refer back to your lectures when studying. Although it isn’t a free app, it is so worth the money. I can easily organize my notes within subjects and furthermore into dividers too.

Venmo

I can’t remember the last time I paid for something in cash. Having Venmo has allowed me to split request my friends if I want to pay for something on my card or Venmo my friends to cover me when I forget my card too.

Postmates, GrubHub, and/or DoorDash

Sometimes cooking just sounds daunting or a lot of work. At the end of a long day, sometimes it is so nice and convenient having food delivered right to your dorm or place so you can focus on other necessities in your busy life.

Uber and Lyft

While living off campus has its perks, it gets intimidating studying at the library all day and having to walk back to my place alone at night. Using Uber and Lyft has allowed me to not stress about my safety and not worry about facing the unpredictable weather I get in Ohio.

Google Calendar

I personally prefer using Google Calendar but using the built-in calendar in Apple is pretty similar with the same objectives. I can sync my academic calendar for the semester along with adding events, creating reminders, and even sharing my availability all in one place.

Quizlet

Quizlet is notorious for creating and sharing flashcard decks for classes and subjects. Not only that, but Quizlet can let you play time-based games to help you memorize terms in a fun manner.

Spotify

Spotify is a great music streaming app that caters to your listening and preferences. They even have a deal for students for their Spotify premium monthly memberships where listeners can download music and listen without ads. Also, they have a gamut of playlists for different and every occasion possible like studying, partying, emotions, and holidays.

Mint

Keeping track of my spending has allowed me to budget my weekly and monthly finances. I can categorize what I spend and create budgets for a variety of categories, such as traveling, groceries, clothes, gas, bills, investments, and more.

MyFitnessPal

Having an app to monitor my workouts and eating habits is so useful to maintain a healthy mindset. You can even track everything from your sleep down to the specific micronutrients that you consume in a day.

Grammarly

Grammarly catches grammar issues, misspelling, and punctuation errors. This is so useful and makes proofreading easier especially for long papers and emails to professors. It is also available as a browser extension for your computer.

The goal of technology is to help make your life easier. By using these apps, I have found I am able to simplify previously time-consuming activities so that I can focus on other aspects of my life.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog? If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!