For All the Soon-To-Be College Grads:

Graduation season is upon us, my friends. My friends from my post-bacc year are receiving their caps and gowns and setting up photo shoots. My second-year grad school friends are gearing up for their final externships and applying for their Clinical Fellowship Year jobs. And I’m finally starting to see a light at the end of the grad school tunnel (472 days until MY graduation, guys! Definitely not counting!!!).

It’s crazy to think it’s already been four years since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. Even though I had an internship, I didn’t have a job lined up yet. I was still a server at Carrabba’s and my only plans were to visit my sister in Europe and then move back in with my parents. Despite my lack of plans, the world felt like my perfect little oyster, waiting for me to take it by storm!

Even though I’m back in school, I still feel like I’m qualified to give at least some advice in the post-college life department. I had two whole years of freedom after I graduated college, so here are my best bits of advice for all you soon-to-be grads:

Moving back in with your parents for a while is okay. I know it may feel like a step backwards, but if your parents give you the OK to come back for a bit rent free (or at a low monthly rent), take advantage! My parents were more than happy to have me move back home after college, but I know that isn’t the case for everyone. I lived with mine for almost a year after graduating, and about seven months after I got my first “big girl” job. In that time, I put nearly $7,000 into my savings account. Definitely worth it!

More money = more problems. With student loan payments looming, it’s obvious why college graduates immediately chase after the highest paying job they’re qualified for. Money is great, but keep in mind that 9 times out of 10, a higher salary means higher responsibility which means higher stress levels (and I don’t know about you, but at 22, I was not ready to be thrown into the fire). We all want to come out of a four-year degree making $50k+, but don’t turn down a fantastic job just because it isn’t paying you top dollar right away. My boyfriend came out of college and started making a decent but “lower” hourly wage at a big company. He’s worked his ass off ever since, has been promoted multiple times over the last few years, and has continuous plans for growth within the company. The money will come, but you have to be willing to work for it.

Most of your college friendships will fade, but not all of them. It’s easy to have a bunch of good friends when you’re in college because you all live a stone throw across the pool from each other. But unless you all plan to live in the same town after graduation, maintaining the friendships that were once so easy might become difficult to juggle. Keep in mind that some friends are for life, while others are meant for just a few chapters…which is completely fine. I actively hang out with about four friends from college, and I still keep up with others through social media and the occasional text. Nurture the friendships that mean the most to you – distance and time spent apart from each other will never break a solid bond.

Your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job. You might not even know what your dream job is just yet…and even if you do, don’t be disappointed if you’re not landing interviews right off the bat. It takes time to figure out exactly what you want from your career (and to gain experience). Before I decided to become a speech-language pathologist, I got my degree in public relations…and ended up with a job in sales. While I never saw myself working in sales, I had a great time at that job and made some great friends. It wasn’t my “dream job,” but it was a stepping stone, and every day was a networking opportunity.

It’s totally cool if you don’t have a plan just yet. It’s okay not to have a job lined up immediately following graduation, if you didn’t get into grad school this time around, if you don’t have a studio apartment lease signed in NYC five minutes after receiving your diploma. When I first graduated, I thought I’d move to Chicago or some other big city, have a crazy “single” life, and be 100% done with academia forever. Reality: I stayed in my beautiful hometown of Tampa Bay, met my wonderful boyfriend of 3.5 years just a couple months after graduation, and went to graduate school for SLP. More often than not, life doesn’t go accordingly to plan, and that is just fine.

If you’re graduating, what are you most looking forward to about post-college life? If you’re a post-grad, what advice to you have to give to soon-to-be grads?

Undergrad vs. Graduate School.

Somehow I'm already halfway through my first semester of grad school, and I'll tell you what: it's entirely different than anything I've done before, especially undergrad (or in my case, post-bacc classes). Obtaining an undergraduate degree is different for every major, but I would say taking classes as a communication sciences and disorders major is one of the most stressful majors out there. Grad school is insanely competitive to get into, and the amount of work to get done while maintaining a nearly flawless GPA is tremendous. But to all you CSD majors out there: grad school is so much better. My mentality has completely changed, and here's how:

Exams

Undergrad: Memorizing facts, statistics, diagrams, formulas, etc. to get a top score on a midterm. Start studying a day or two before the exam, spend the whole night before cramming.
Graduate school: I start studying for exams two weeks in advance, not because I want a 100% (though it wouldn't hurt), but because not only do I need to know the information for a test - I need to actually learn the information. As an SLP, one needs to be knowledgable about the industry; I'm no longer studying for a certain score, I'm studying for my future job.

Sleep

Undergrad: Four hours of sleep the night before a final? #YOLO.
Graduate school: Some days I have three hours of class starting at 8 a.m., followed by group therapy, immediately followed by a session with my individual client. I have to be on top of my game throughout the day, so sleep certainly matters. If it means I have to kick my ass into high gear earlier in the day to get to bed at a decent hour, so be it. Team ALL The Sleep.

Work

Undergrad: I will attend all the classes and get all the A's while also working four nights a week for 4-8 hours per shift! I can make time to study, go out socially, complete volunteer hours, rack up observation hours, and work 20 hours a week. No prob. I hate my life, but no prob.
Graduate school: Working more than 10 hours a week is not recommended. In fact, it's borderline discouraged. I still work one to two days a week, depending what I have going on. I work enough to make ends meet (with the help of my student loans), but it feels so good to always know I have plenty of time to study for a midterm or finish a project without having to worry about someone picking up a shift.

Relaxing

Undergrad: I have zero chill because I'm in the midst of working on my letter of intent, asking for letters of recommendation, studying for three exams spread out over the course of two days, volunteering, tweaking my resume, and picking out where to apply for graduate school (this was literally me around this time last year). Free time? Is that a class, or...?
Graduate school: I'm tired? Run down? Need a break? I'm taking an hour to watch Gilmore Girls, to catch up on reading a novel, to go for a quick run. I'm not letting the semester control me, and I'm going to make time for myself, even if that means setting myself back an hour on my productivity clock.



Then again, this could be a particularly easy semester. Who knows - maybe I'll have zero time for sleep/me time in the coming weeks or next semester. It's still early in the game, but I feel like I have a good thing going on right now.

Hope everyone had a fun filled weekend - here's to a killer Monday! 

Keeping My Electronics Chic & Protected + GIVEAWAY!

Disclaimer: I was sent a custom laptop skin and custom iPhone case from CaseApp, but all opinions are my own.

 When it comes to back-to-school shopping, I've always been the type of person to hit up the supply aisle long before new clothes. For me, there's nothing better than a fancy set of highlighters, pretty colored pens, and fresh notebooks to start off the year. I'm a firm believer that keeping yourself organized really sets the tone for the school year (and the workforce life!). From keeping up with my weekly planner to getting my school bag together each night before my 8 a.m. class, I try to stay on top of my game as much as I can for a smooth semester.

Something else that makes for a smooth semester? Making sure to give my electronics a little TLC. I bought my Macbook Pro a few years back during my senior year of college. It was my first major purchase, and it's been my pride and joy ever since. Little did I know that I would be starting graduate school just a few years later, so it's safe to say that my laptop is going to be my lifeline for the next two years. Thus, I am extremely cautious about keeping it in mint condition, especially when it comes to scratches. You have to protect your investments, am I right?

That's why I'm absolutely in love with my custom laptop skin by CaseApp. Not only is the neutral marble design super chic, but it keeps laptop clear of any scratches. That's a win-win in my book!

I also got an adorable custom iPhone case to protect - you guessed it - my lifeline, AKA my iPhone 6 Plus. I could have gone with a matching marble theme, but I thought it was so cool that CaseApp allows you to create a case using your own photos! I decided to go with one of my favorite photographs I've ever taken: my whale sighting in Malibu, California. I love that it acts as a functional display of my photography...and it keeps my phone from cracking! That's especially important for a broke college student like me. The middle of the semester is not when I want to drop big bucks on replacing a cracked screen.

Now CaseApp wants to pass on the good fortune with a discount code for YOU: Use code SAMANTHAROSESAYS20 for 20% off your order! There are so many fantastic design options to choose from, and you can even upload your own photos to personalize your custom skins and cases to your personality. The code is good through September 24th, 2016!

What's even better than 20% off your order? A FREE ORDER! CaseApp wants to give you a free custom laptop skin or custom phone case (up to $40). Just enter in the Rafflecopter contest below, and you're in! The winner will be contacted on Saturday, September 17th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

2017 ban.do Agenda Review.

I've always been the kind of person to write everything down. Even though I'm always on my phone, I can't bring myself to use iCal or to-do list apps. I put entirely too much thought into which planner to use at the start of every year (and now the start of every school year), and I have to fight the urge to throw an extra $10 away for a Sugar Paper planner from Target.

For the last three years, I've been a loyal Lilly Pulitzer planner fan. This year, I was in the mood for something a little different. I went back and forth about splurging on an Erin Condren or Day Designer planner, but I couldn't bring myself to drop $50-70 on a planner...maybe someday, but not this summer.

With everyone getting back to school in the next few weeks, I figured I'd give a little overview of my newest planner addition: my 17-month medium agenda.

I came across the ban.do agendas and immediately fell in love with the brand. They're all about girl power and falling in love with your life and the plans you make for it. Plus, their designs are bright and fun...color me sold.

I desperately wanted this pink print, but I knew their small planner (while very cute) would be just a tad too small for what I needed. So I settled on the ice blue version in their new medium size. I may or may not have bought both the large and the medium size planner to figure out which one I liked more...okay, yeah, I definitely did that.

My favorite part about my Lilly planners was the stickers, but I love ban.do's planner stickers so much more. From mimosas to "ladies night," these little guys will be dressing up my pages all year. There's even a "secret code," with little messages scattered throughout the year. It's probably something I could have done without, but it's a neat little addition!

Beautiful (and humorous) designs introduce the beginning of each month, along with a bright, laminated divider, followed by a full two pages of notes. The notes pages are probably my most favorite part of the planner, since to-do lists are my favorite pass time.

 Something I wasn't entirely sure about with this planner was the unlined design for the weekly view. I have weird, loopy handwriting, and I can never seem to write in a straight line on my own. I was hesitant about getting another horizontal layout (I found that I ran out of room pretty quickly in my horizontal Lilly planner over the years), but the boxes provide plenty of space. I also bought a few rings of skinny glitter washi tape to separate plans, work shifts, and tasks. It definitely helps to split up all the blank space!

Overall, it's a little too early to say whether or not I'm in love with the agenda design. While I'm a big fan of blues, the light color makes it pretty easy to see scuffs here and there. The pages could be maybe a tad bit thicker, too. Having said that, this baby was only $28 (compared to some pricier options, i.e. Erin Condren, Day Designer, etc). It's a beautiful and well designed, and I'm excited to give it a shot this semester!

Are you as obsessed with planners as I am? What agenda do you swear by?

A College Girl's Guide to Smart Shopping.

Going back to school this time around means living like an actual “broke college student.” While I’m not sporting free t-shirts seven days a week, nor am I living off ramen noodles, I am adjusting to not blowing all my money on a whim at Target.

With rent, a car payment, gas, grad school expenses, groceries, and all the other fun, expected stuff that comes with adulting, knowing when and how to spend money can be difficult. Even though I’m still adjusting to my lack of funds, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. With back to school clothes shopping approaching quickly, I thought I would share the wealth (ha!) as we all gear up to head back to college in a month!

Know when to invest…and when to not. Every single fashion blogger tells you “invest in pieces that will last forever” etc. And to a great extent, I agree. Invest in one (ONE!) classic pair of jeans, a versatile and durable handbag, and maybe a good coat if you live some place cold. But personally, I’ll opt for three $9 t-shirts at Target versus one $30 tee from Nordstrom. I have expensive taste, but I’m on a tight budget, and I have to constantly remind myself that this broke college girl lifestyle will not be forever.

(Speaking of Forever, also snagged this little number for just $10.90 this past weekend)

If you want to go a little more upscale in your spending without breaking the bank, check the outlets. Clothing wise, I can find ‘going out’ tops at the Express outlet for $20-$25 a piece. Francesca’s is also another favorite of mine: classy, feminine items that don’t entirely run my wallet dry. If you are looking to invest in a more luxurious item, again, check outlets first! Last week, I found a $350 Coach cognac leather tote bag for just $99. HOLLA. Now that’s an investment I was willing to make.

TIP: subscribe to Coach email blasts and bring coupons to the outlets. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you can apply their 25% off coupons to outlet items! AND always check for student discounts. J.Crew Factory gives 15% off if you have a student ID!

Avoid “good deal” shopping. With websites like Retail Me Not and Slick Deals, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of “this is such a great deal!” spending, but it’s an easy way to drop $$$ on stuff you don’t actually need. If it’s something you’re in the market for, purchase away. But if it’s a “YOLO” item, put it down and back away slowly.

Buy cheap. Dish soap, hand soap, sponges, cleaners, etc. are all easy generic brand buys. While I love The Honest Company, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to spend $5 on hand soap when Softsoap is a whopping $1.97.

DISCOUNT IT UP. Target goers, I’m looking at you. I personally have a Target debit card, but if you’re looking to build credit (and feel responsible enough to actually be able to pay off your debt every single month), look into their credit card. You save 5% on every purchase, and you get free shipping online for literally everything. Also, utilize the Cartwheel app! I check that baby on the reg for good deals on stuff I was already planning on buying.

Get a library card! I love reading in my spare time, but buying books for pleasure reading gets expensive real quick. $12-$15 for a book I might not even like? Na. My library card is my new best friend because I can get all dee books for none of da monies.

Allow yourself a splurge every now and then. But try to avoid impulsive purchases! I used to buy whatever I want whenever I wanted, even if it meant throwing an extra hundred bucks on my credit card bill. Oh, those were the happy days. Now, I make lists of what I want to spend my money on, and if there’s something I really feel like I need (or just really want), I’ll “sit on it” for a few days, or even a week. If I’m still thinking about it, I’ll go for it.

Do you still do "back to school shopping"? Any good deals going on that I should know about? Or maybe don't tell me... 

Things I figured out during my second first day of college.

Yesterday was my first day going back to school. After months of planning and preparation and "self discovery" or whatever, I officially sat down in a lecture hall for my two in-person classes, Intro to Hearing Science and Applied Phonetics in Communication Disorders. Yowza. What did I get myself into?!

Walking around my alma mater, it felt like home, but in a different way. I know next to nobody on campus, versus a few years ago when I couldn't walk 20 steps without running into someone I know, or at least half knew. I kind of remembered where buildings were, but the campus bookstore was completely renovated. I thought I knew what it was like to be a college student, but in reality, I had no idea. But here is what I did find:

1. Despite the fact that I spent a good chunk of my initial college career in a Panhellenic sorority (not Delta Delta Delta, although clearly I have some good friends in it - I was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha), it is really intimidating to be sitting in the middle of a group of 100 women I don't know. Especially when the field you're getting into is unbearably competitive and you're all undoubtedly applying to the same grad schools. 
2. If you arrive on campus before 9 a.m., finding a parking spot is a nonissue. Want to add a little fun to the mix? Come to a sudden realization as you drive into the garage on the first day of school that you forgot to buy a parking permit.
3. Lack of air conditioning is probably the worst thing to happen to any lecture hall in Florida in the middle of August. Especially when both of your back-to-back classes are in the same un-air-conditioned lecture hall. I will never complain about a cold classroom ever again. I can always bring a cardigan or a blanket to class to warm up; I cannot, however, take off all my clothes to cool down. 
4. Wearing a backpack gives me a whole lot of nothing to do with my hands. I tried to picture myself walking around campus and all I could imagine was this:
   
   
   
   
   Minus the six pack, obviously.
5. I really do want to be involved in campus activities again, but I just couldn't bring myself to wait in a 75+ person line to get a free personalized Coca-Cola can with my name on it. I really wanted to, but waiting 30 minutes to do it? Nah, man. That ain't me.
6. It's awkward to explain to people that you've actually already graduated without sounding like you're trying to brag about it. 
7. Living five minutes away from campus was the best thing to ever happen to me "back in the day." Now my commute is 25 minutes on a major highway with tedious stop lights to boot? What do you mean it doesn't make sense for me to drive to the campus library at 1 a.m. to cram for tomorrow's final?! LOL #reallifesucks.
8. I get free tickets to football games again. Yaaaaasssss.
9. I get free (technically paid for) access to USF's amazing gym again. Double yaaaassss.
10. I will actually choose put my phone away during this semester. And sit up front. And ask questions. Because you can't tiptoe around knowing what you're doing as a speech pathologist. You have to truly know it, and I couldn't be more excited to learn.

Anyone else go back to school yesterday? How did it go? Let me know in the comments, if you're feelin' frisky!