Current Playlist

I thought it would be fun to share some of my playlist since Music is probably my favorite thing in the world besides food. I've been working out to some new songs recently, and I also got into this horrible habit of having to listen to music before I go to sleep. I hope you guys will check these songs out and maybe add them to your playlists!

My "Workout Playlist": (Usually on shuffle and repeat)

Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) [Explicit] - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I Got A Boy - Girls Generation 
Fly High (feat.BaBy Soul) - Infinite H
Special Girl -Infinite H
Bellas Regionals: The Sign/Eternal Flame/Turn The Beat Around - The Barden Bellas (Pitch Perfect Soundtrack)
Trebles Finals: Bright Lights Bigger City/Magic - Treblemakers (Pitch Perfect Soundtrack)
Bellas Finals: Price Tag/Don’t You (Forget About Me)/Give Me Everything/Just The Way You Are/Party In The U.S.A./Turn The Beat Around -  The Barden Bellas (Pitch Perfect Soundtrack)
Riff Off - Pitch Perfect Soundtrack
Crash - B.A.P
Stop It - B.A.P
Titanium - David Guetta 
Nothing Really Matters (Feat. Will.i.am) [Explicit] - David Guetta
I'm Sorry - CN BLUE


My "Before Sleep Playlist":

The Gambler - FUN.
Gone Gone Gone - Phillip Phillips
93 Million Miles - Jason Mraz
Details in the Fabric - Jason Mraz ft. James Morrison 
Rain Sound - B.A.P
What My Mind Says - B.A.P



Do you have a weird music habit? What are some of your favorite workout songs? please share!! 

New Year Resolutions + FOTD

I know that this is long overdue, but it's definitely not too late! I am so excited for the new year and I've made a few new year resolutions. In the past, I have never really thought too much on specific things that I wanted to accomplish. Instead I just wanted to become a better person in general. But this year, I have specifics! I hope I will be able to put these resolutions into reality!

1. Lose Weight

I know that this is the most popular new years resolution of the general public, but it is specifically mine this year. I didn't say "get fit" or "become healthier", etc, but I am assuming that what I consider "losing weight" includes all of that. Now, I don't think that I am really "fat" and I am not overweight, but I am simply not happy with how I look. And If you don't like something about yourself and you can't accept it, just change it! You are you and you can do whatever you feel like you should do. Of course I'm going to do this by eating better, exercising more, and eliminating everything that I used to chow down just because I have too much college feels. I don't know how much weight I want to lose exactly, but I'll know it when I feel "right". 

2. Be a Better Student 

I am a little disappointed about my first semester of college academically. I feel that even though I tried really hard, I didn't try hard enough. This new semester I will utilize every single second that I've got and not waste a single moment. I will try to use my time wisely so I will have free time in addition to school work. I want to be more involved in activities and I want to branch out to make more friends. I will try to be less socially awkward and anti-social, which I think is a factor that has dragged me back a bit in my first semester. Just be yourself and more, is what I want to be. 

3. Be a Saver

Starting from the end of my winter break (which is Jan. 27), I will not be purchasing anything that I do not need. This include any physical CDs, makeup, clothes, and anything else that I often spend money on just because I really want to. I will only purchase necessities when I run out of them and also food that I will eat. Can I do it? OF COURSE! (I hope so XD)

4. Blog More

Hopefully, if I follow my second resolution accordingly, I should have time to blog! As a makeup and fashion addict, I want to still do something that I like to do, and I think blogging is good for my college soul. I will blog more not only about fashion and makeup, but about my life in general. I shall try my hardest to at least blog once a week. I will take more pictures and document more of my college life. 

5. Get a Love Life

Now, this is not really a resolution and more like, a desire. For all 18 years of my life, I have never really had a love life. Now that I am getting older and more into the mature years of my youth, I am more serious about my future. I am not someone that "fools around" with others at parties and things like that, not because I think that's bad or wrong, I'm just a shy person that can't really take control of things like that. I think it was probably my own fault that I did not get to experience having much of a love life, and I want to change that. 

What are your new year resolutions? 

Have any advice for my resolutions? Please share!! 

FOTD: Everyday Minimal 

Face:
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Warm Golden
Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte Pressed Powder
Mac Sheertone Blush in Breath of Plum

Eyes:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt
MAC Eye Shadow in All that Glitters
MAC Eye Shadow in Cork
Milani Liquid Eye Eyeliner Pencil
Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara

Lips:
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Adore

Happy Monday!

Applied to U of M!

I just submitted my first application yesterday at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities! (Go Gophers!)

It is obviously not one of my top choices, 

but it felt really good to have at least one application submitted. 

The application was super quick and easy;

it took about 10 minutes to finish the whole thing! 

I plan on applying to University of Madison sometime soon, 

and Wellesley College next week through early decision.

But first, I have to take the ACT for the last time (hopefully) this 

weekend and then the SAT Chemistry subject test in two weeks. 

This whole journey has been really stressful, 

but I hope it all works out in the end. 

(Fingers crossed!)

Credit

If any of you guys have applied to any schools yet, 

comment below and let us know where and how it went!

Good luck with everything! 

Happy applications :) 

-Julia

The Journey to College: Part 2

This is the second part of our regular "Journey to College" series.

'The Journey to College' series is focused on documenting our (long and hard) College Admissions Process. (dun-dun-dunnnnn)

Check out Part I: Deciding where to apply, too! 

Part II: College Tours

It feels as though I have been touring colleges all my life. 

Having incredibly academically rigorous parents, I have been touring college since I could talk and walk. (not really...)

Last Thursday, I left school early to take a quick trip to Massachusetts in order to make my final decisions of where I was going to apply.

In two days, I visited Smith College, Wellesley College, and Tufts University. 

Including those three, I have gone to a total of 18 schools.(!!! Don't I have anything better to do with my life...? Apparently not.) 

And from my experience from all of those schools, I can confidently say that I learned a couple things along the way:

1. Always, always, ALWAYS take a campus tour and attend an info session for schools that you are really interested in - your experience during your visit and your impression of the school can be impacted significantly from taking the tours and the info sessions. The info sessions help you really get the inside look at what goes on in the admissions office and the campus tours help you get a pretty legitimate grip on what the social/campus life of the school is like.
2. Take notes! After all, you're at a school - There have been countless times that I have come home with a regret of not taking notes and tons of brochures filled with little doodles. Taking notes not only helps you remember the details later on, but it helps you pay attention to the little things the admissions officers are telling you at the info sessions. The notes also become handy when you want to write in your admissions essay/personal statement about your experience visiting the school to let them know that you have actually taken the time and effort to visit them. So make sure to bring a pen and a notepad.
3. Dress nicely and comfortably - My mom always told me that people should look more pulled-together for college visits. However, that doesn't mean, "take out the high heals and tight skirts!" You will be walking a lot during the tour, so it's always best to wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate attire. Most importantly, dress like your usual self. Not only do you feel more confident that way, you won't feel awkward in a dress you never wear. 
4. Do your research & ask questions: Why travel all the way to the college if you can simply look up all of the facts online? Because you're trying to figure out what they don't tell you on their websites. So it's really important to always do your research and ask unique but relevant questions! 

This past weekend in Massachusetts really helped make some of the most important decisions regarding my college choices. I was far more than impressed by all three schools. I have family who lives by Boston, and I was blessed to be able to spend time with them. Overall, it was one of the most crucial and memorable weekends this year.

• Tufts: The atmosphere of the school was great. The school is definitely most research-forward out of the three schools that I visited. The cutest thing I thought about the school was the fact that their mascot was Jumbo the elephant! 
• Wellesley: One word: GREEN. The campus is HUGE, aesthetically impressive and so very unique. The school is one  of my top choices. Although I was skeptical of the idea of going to an all women's college, the visit reassured me into believing that the school would sculpt me into a great women leader if I went there. 
• Smith: Ah, the city of Northampton, MA! It was such a cool urban city, filled with small, quirky stores and restaurants. I didn't get a chance to get an info session because their admissions office was closed on weekends, but the campus was stunning. Oh, and the deal breaker for the school? I RAN INTO MAC MILLER. (Literally!) AS I was walking and texting at the same time, I almost ran into someone. When I looked up, it was Mac Miller. I wanted to ask for a picture, but I was too awe-struck. It was one of the best moments of my life. (sorta?) 

The following are a couple pictures from the trip:

View from the flight over there--it was truly magical and this picture doesn't do any justice!

Wellesley was one of the most beautifully unique campuses I've seen.

Hint of fall at Tufts. 

The view of the sky at Northampton. Magnificent, no?

An amazing used book store I spent almost an hour in.

**These are some outfits that are similar to those that I wore this weekend. The weather in Massachusetts was so random, so I had to kind of play it by ear.  (Created through Polyvore)

Happy (almost) October! 

-Julia 

The Journey to College: Part 1

This is going to be one of our regular "series" posts. 

'The Journey to College' series is focused on documenting our (long and hard) College Admissions Process. (dun-dun-dunnnnn)

photocredit

Part I: Deciding Where to Apply

If you want to go to college, the very first step you have to take is deciding where you want to go. (duh)

Applying to college can be a super complicated and strategic process; you need to pick colleges that would pick you. (When you have straight F's, it's not going to be easy to get into Harvard…)

There are many aspects that people take into consideration when researching schools they would like to apply to, such as:

• ·        Academics: What kinds of programs are offered there? Are they well-known for the program I want to study? How are the professors?
• ·        Environment/location: Where is the city located? Is it located in a rural area where a SuperTarget is 30 miles away? Is it far away from home? Are there any other universities nearby?
• ·        Diversity/Social Scene: Does it encompass a diverse group of students? Would I fit into the social scene there?
• ·        Greek life: Is greek life offered? If so, what is its vibe like?
• ·        Etc!

After I scrutinized all of the schools and decided the ones I liked and didn’t like, I made a list. The list contained three categories: reach, target, and safety. (Reach schools are the schools that are hard for you to get into, but still have a slight chance. Target schools are the ones you have a pretty good chance at getting in, but you still aren’t sure. Finally, safety schools are those you most likely will get into.) Then, I went through each school, looked through all of their admissions stats, and placed the schools in each category. When looking at admissions stats, the key is to look for schools that match your test scores/GPA. If your scores or grades are similar to ones of their other applicants, it means that you fit right into the applicant pool.

It is truly your call as to many school you apply to, it can be as many as you want, but keep in mind that there is an admission fee for many schools and applying to like 24838234234 schools could get costly. 

Although there is no perfectly pre-made formula to find out which schools you should apply for and not apply for, there are resources that can help you get a general idea:

• College matchmaker:  You fill out a quick survey and they recommend all of the colleges that fit your criteria.
• College Prowler: find out the deets on all of the schools! The reviews are written by students who actually attend the school, so it’s more accurate than ever! Not only does the site give you specifics about the school, you can also create a “list” to organize the schools you want to apply to!
• Cappax My Chances: it calculates your chances of getting into certain schools! You sign up, put in your stats (grades, scores, etc) and it estimates the chance you have at the school.
• Another article from one of my favorite blogs, collegefashion is also super helpful! 

The big thing about deciding where to apply is research. The more research you do and the more you know about your schools, more confident you will be about the schools you apply to! And always remember not to stress yourself out too much! Best of luck :)
-Julia