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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Note Taking: Laptop v. Paper - Which Do I Prefer?



I've been asked multiple times and have even asked this question myself a few times:

"When it comes to note taking do you prefer to hand write or type your notes?

First and foremost you need to figure out which your PROFESSOR prefers. Typically once the syllabus is released it will have the class guidelines including "use of electronics / laptops use". If the professor doesn't mind the use of laptops, then use yours. If they do mind, well your stuck using the traditional pen and paper method.

If the professor doesn't have a preference I prefer to type my notes.
Why? because I tend to type faster than I write - I find it easier to follow my typed class notes versus the written ones because hand written notes are usually rushed - you're trying to get down as much as your hand will let you. I find that I am a pretty quick typer so I basically have a transcript of the course which helps when it comes to outlining.

What apps / programs do you use to take notes?
There are many places where you can create notes. It really all comes down to which you are most comfortable with using. I'm someone who likes my notes to be super organized especially when they are typed. Each class has its own folder on my desktop which is broken down into class and home work notes as well as specific assignments for those classes. I've tried a few different note taking methods, each which have their own pros and cons. 

Word - The first semester I just used plain old Microsoft word for my notes. But I found this to be a pain in the butt because I had so many word documents - each class, each homework assignment and then my outline. It was hard to keep track of everything and sometimes the formatting got all haywire during class and would put me behind because I had to fix it to move forward. I also didn't like that it was equally as challenging to put in any form of flow chart, graph, diagram, etc. For example my Civil Procedure professor always drew out these extremely helpful diagrams in class. microsoft word never let me do them because of formatting issues and it would drive me nuts because then i would have to hand write them, snag a photo and insert it into my notes later on. It was just too many extra steps that I just got tired of doing. 

OneNote - About half way through the fall semester I saw one of my friends using Microsoft OneNote to take class notes. Over the winter break I decided to check out OneNote to see if it would be better for class notes. It was. In OneNote you can make a "Notebook" for each class, add multiple sections to those notebooks which can be further broken down into sub-sections and as many pages as you wish to those sub-sections. During the spring semester I created a notebook for each class I had and then added various sections and subsections that were needed for those classes. 


For example in Crim. I had three sections:
Class Notes
Homework Notes
Tutoring Notes
Then under both class and homework notes I created subsections for each week and color coded them - so week one in both sections was gold. From there you could add additional pages to each subsection so I used those for each class day. As for tutoring notes, I would try to color code them so they would match to the days we were covering but  we went over a lot of material so I would usually make a heading as to which topics the session was covering and then copy and paste from there to my outline. 



If you still are satisfied with either of these programs there is another great option -- Evernote. Evernote is similar to OneNote but takes it one step further. I actually just stumbled upon Evernote so I haven't used it yet for school but am thinking about using it this semester. I got the chance to play around with the app/program a bit and so far it seems fairly easy to use.

Similar to Onenote you have the option of creating notebooks for each of your classes along with sections and individual pages for those sections. But Evernote has the option of adding things that you "screen shot" "highlight" "note" etc. on a webpage and store them in Evernote for use within your notebook. Here's an example:

1. Once you download EverNote you will have the option of adding EverNote to your search bar. This icon will only show up when the app is open 


2. From here Open EverNote and Create your NoteBook.

3. While searching through safari, if you find something that you want to screen shot and place in your notes, you have the option to do this. All you do is click that little elephant icon on the search bar and down drops a menu. You can take a screen shot of the entire web page or just what you need, create specific notes relating to the page or add even create audio recordings.



4. Once you take that screen shot, create a note or recording, hit the "Save to EverNote" button, this  will synch what took a you screen shot of to the app by creating a new note. If you don't hit synch, it won't show up in the app. 

5. From there you can either work directly in that new note or copy & paste the content from one note to another.


Finally, Evernote allows you to synch your notes to multiple devices which is a lot harder to do with Word / OneNote. I think overall the app is really handy, especially with the web browser options. It's definitely something I will be trying this fall. 

If, however, you are stuck with the traditional pen & paper method there are some tricks that I have picked up along the way.
Shorthand / symbols - In undergrad I always just wrote as much as I could without short-handing everything and it definitely made it difficult in some classes when I went back to go over things. (I missed a few major points here and there, or just stopped in the middle of a sentence because I couldn't catch everything) During the fall semester my LCR professor provided us with a list of shorthand to use when taking notes. In classes that I was stuck with hand writing my notes I would use symbols like ∆ for defendant, Ï€ for plaintiff; H for holding R: rule; b/c because etc. etc. (I actually began using these in my typed notes too because it was just easier than taking the time to type it out fully.)
Below find a list of shorthand options that you can use for note note-taking:


Here are some helpful key combinations to use when typing your notes:



If you have any questions or suggestions for other apps to use, short hand options or anything helpful that is note related be sure to reach out to me!

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Supplies, Supplies, Supplies


I'll admit it, when it comes to school supply shopping I have a slight problem. I buy more than I use and have to have things that match or in some sort of color scheme. Last year I provided a list of some of the things I purchased to be prepped for 1L year. Check out my former post 22 & Still Excited About School Supplies if you get the chance. This year most of the supplies have stayed the same because, well, they worked great the first time. But one thing that has been added to the list is the Plum Paper planner.


Plumpaper Planner - Last year I read a post by Nikki, author of blog Brazen and Brunette, about the Plum Planner (be sure to check out both of her posts on the plum paper planner - Professional Post Grad Planner The Best Planner for Law School)  I wanted one so badly after going through the website But I had already purchased my planner for the year and didn't really have the extra money at that point to buy one. Well this year I made sure to snag my plum paper planner && I am loving it. Actually better put, I am absolutely obsesssedddd with this planner. Be sure to use the code BLONDE10 when placing your order to receive 10% off your planner. The coupon is valid through October 31, 2017!

The Break Down:

Size - 7" X 9" - its perfect, fits nicely in my bag with my laptop. The binding is sturdy and does not seem like it will loosen like ones from target, Walmart, etc.

Front Cover - there are so many options that you can use to create your front cover. I chose stripes - Rugby Dusk - and put my initials - in the "stylish" font - at the bottom in a Lavender color bar.

Layout - I decided to go with the Student Planner because well I'm a student and I personally like the vertical setup. It allows you 7 spots to add in your classes - you can either type them in or leave them blank (I left my blank because classes are different each semester). I also chose to the the colorful scheme and to have it punched and bound.


Inside details - My planner is a 12 month planner starting in August 2017 --> 2018. I decided to put the year on the cover as well. (it just looked cute

The thing that drew me to this planner the most besides the layout were the "extras". I'm a list maker and a note taker on pretty much anything and everything going on in my life - my laptop is filled with sticky notes, my white board has about 10 list's on it right now, and my legal pad is just covered. I made sure to add in 2 extra pages of  "to do lists" and "note" pages at the end of each month.








To Do List Dispersed Add ons -->

<--- Fitness Planning Section
I also included a fitness planning section because I  want to stick with my fitness goals that i discussed in my previous post.

Last minute things: Finally at the end of the planner there are pages for Contact Information, Passwords, additional note pages && a two sided pocket folder. Overall I am extremely happy with how this planner turned out and impressed with its overall quality.

Highlighters - These are literately the greatest thing everrrrrrr. I absolutely despise how bright the normal BIC or Sharpie highlighters turn out when using them in a case book - its blinding, distracting and they tend to bleed. I love that these are mild - they're super soft on the eyes and aren't screaming at you off the page. The one thing I will say is that I tried to use the same colors for all of my case book IRACS (I'll get to this in a bit) so they died after about 5 - 6 weeks. I think it'd be smarter and more efficient to choose about 3-4 per case book and use those colors only (until they die out obviously)

Legal pads & Notebooks- I've used legal pads more so as an intern than in law school. I tried to use them for class notes once and it was too much of a pain to write on that back of them while still remaining bound and I just flew through the pages. It felt wasteful. But when it comes to interning I've found legal pads to be extremely useful since I'm not jotting down as much information. its more or so a quick reference thing. Though if I cannot use my laptop in a certain class, I am still the typical cheap $1 college-ruled spiraled-notebook girl.

Pens / Ink (blue & black) - I am really pick with pens so I typically purchase the fine point Zebra F-402. We all have that one pen that makes our handwriting look, well, great. This is the pen for me. I have about 5 of these that I just constantly refill the ink with blue or black and I absolutely love them -  I actually go a little nuts when I misplace them.

Pencil Pouch - It's extremely frustrating when you have to dump out your entire bag just to find one measly pen or pencil. I can't tell you how many times I have taken out every single thing in my bag to  find a pen wedge in the side of my backpack or tote. I'm someone that likes to keep things in one  convenient place so I prefer use a pencil pouch - or even a makeup bag - to store pens, pencils and highlighters rather than using the pouches inside my backpack or tote. It just makes it easier when I switch bags to just grab the small pouch from one to the other.

Extras:
Flash Drive - I put all my documents from the seamster on a drive - especially writing samples and outlines. 
Flash cards 
Loose leaf paper
Binders pictured is a 4" binder from target. I use one binder for two classes. In each class section I print out class, homework and tutoring notes and put them in divided sections along with the class outline and any additional handouts. 
Folders - Typically I use 1 for 2 classes.
Post-It notes -I use an un-healthy amount of these
Book Stand you'd be surprised at how much your neck will hurt after looking down so much within the first few weeks
book light  - I used this quite a bit while reading in bed or reviewing before going to sleep

Carrying Bags:
I have multiple bags that I use for school and it really depends on how many classes I have on that day specific day to determine which bag I use.

Tote - On days that i have one or two classes where the books are light i prefer to bring my michael kors tote. It fits my laptop, books, folders, notebooks, charger and planner perfectly without being too compressed.

North Face - On the days i have more than 2 classes or large books to bring  (like Con law) I use my north face back pack. I love this backpack but i do get nervous putting my laptop in there with my books because its not as big of a bag as I would like.






Small Drawstring Backpack - I also am about to purchase a smaller drawstring backpack from amazon. Somedays I get annoyed with the tote bag if I have extra things to bring to school - change of clothes, gym bag, lunch bag, extra books, etc. etc. so this smaller backpack will be great for those days to make carrying everything less chaotic. If anyone has some good recommendations for bags let me know!

Lunch Bag
All last year I would bring my lunch in a plastic bag that you get from a grocery store. It was efficient and not a pain in the ass until my lunch spilled on my text books more than a few times - having red wine vinegar spilled all over my con law book was something I think my classmates hated me for, for about 2 weeks.



When I started my summer internship it took one spill in my tote bag for me to give in and by a lunch bag (I put it off for so long because I felt like an elementary school student with one) I found one at TJ Max for $10 and I made sure to get one that fit my tupperware because a lot of them only fit smaller containers. I also wanted one that zipped, I was fed up with the spillage at that point. So far so good and free of spills.



LAPTOP - Check out my post on the Laptop Dilemma for a bit more background info on why I decided to go with the MacBook Pro for law school. Long story short, I had nothing but issues with Dell laptops in undergrad - I went through about 5 of them in 4 years. When it came time for law school, I wanted something reliable, easy to navigate, worth the investment and something that would last. I love apple products and while it was a bit pricey, it was completely worth the purchase. I've had it for a year now and I have yet to have one single issue with it - other than the occasional forgetting my iCloud password.

If you are interested in purchasing a Mac I would definitely look into the promotional deals that Apple offer's around back to school time. I took full advantage of the promotion/deals last year and got my Mac at a discounted price and received a pair of beats head phones with my purchase. It was a great deal.
P.S. The cute sticker && keyboard cover are from amazon. 
Thursday, July 6, 2017

The 1L 15 lbs. - Its Actually A Thing.


Disclaimer - before reading any further, please please please note that this is all based off of my personal experience. The products and services mentioned below are ones that I have found to be helpful with MY own goals. Please conduct your own research and make your decisions based off of your own personal inquiries. What I post below is merely recommendations and nothing more. 


I was lucky in undergrad when it came to not gaining the dreaded “Freshman 15”– I stayed active through college volleyball and once I had to give that up I consistently worked out. I ate healthy about 85% of the time and forced myself to get to the gym. At that point my body hadn't gone through any major changes - the joys of being a woman. But that all changed once I headed into 1L year. Fall semester wasn't much of an issue - in fact I lost weight from the stress of adjusting to classes, a breakup, consistently forgetting to grab my lunch off the counter and getting to the gym at least 3 times a week. But Spring semester was a completely different story – it was like a switch flipped and instead of not eating when I was stressed I overate – I lived off Starbucks coffees/sugary drinks and their yummy pastries, ordered from Grub Hub while I was at school or fell victim to my parents wanting to go out to eat all the time instead of making meals at home. I gained about 15lbs from all this and my lack of motivation to get to the gym. To say the least this has been the most self-conscious I have ever been in a long time – so what am I doing to change this feeling? Well there’s a couple things I have done to kick start my motivation, self-esteem and healthy habits.

1. I got a tattoo on my ribs.
Stupid I know but I’ve been wanting one for a long time and while I was down in NC visiting my best friend I decided now was the time to do this – if I have one on my side (no it didn't hurt, my sunburn hurt 20x worse than the small needle stabbing me) && it has become one of my motivations to work out and be happy to show the simple three words "Miss you already". Honestly it has worked, especially since it's "bikini season".

2. Gym membership
Unfortunately, I had to purchase a gym membership because even though I am 15 minutes away from my school’s gym (and its right down the road from work) my parking pass is not valid during the summer so I would have to park almost a mile away to walk there which would be fine except I can’t get to the gym until around 8 at night and I’m not a huge fan of walking places by myself at night. Instead I purchased a gym membership to planet fitness for $15 a month without a year long contract. It’s perfect because PF has all that I need and I can cancel it before school starts without any penalties. Even better is that one of the besties signed up too and we have been going consistently together – having a workout buddy (or even joining a fitness community like bodyspace) is definitely helpful in getting that motivation to get to the gym, which tends to be the hardest part. 

3. Fitness && meal plan
SHEDFAT – I decided to purchase a fitness / meal plan to help reach my goals and I did this because over the years I’ve learned so many different workouts from my time as a college athlete that I just don't know what to do in the gym – there are too many options. I purchased a 12-week plan, and I'm am currently on week 4 and ABSOLUTELY LOVE the plan. It’s easy to follow, kicks your ass and you see the results quickly but you have to stay on track especially with the meal plan. But so far it’s been good and I’m not going to lie I get off track but that's because I’m not the type of person that can eat salad and quinoa 24/7 ... it becomes a snooze fest - I like flavor.

If you aren't ready to throw down some cash for a similar 12 week plan I have also tried the 21 Day fix – I tried this last year and I loved it but it was complicated to do while living with my parents. Our schedules collided making it extremely impossible for me to get the workouts done when no one was home, without waking everyone up or being in the way.

4. New gym clothes
Splurg a little. Buy yourself a new pair of sneaks, pants, shirts, sports bra, socks, hat whatever. I find that whenever I do I can't wait to wear them especially if you feel good in them. Im a sucker for Nike and under amrour but I am in the market for a good pair of running shoes so any suggestions are appreciated (comment below)!

5. Ditch the Scale
I've come to the conclusion that weighing myself constantly has been one of the things that has pushed me to over eat. In high school I had an eating disorder where I would weigh myself about 5 times a day and depending on what the scale said would determine if I would eat and what. Once I got to college I continued with that very unhealthy lifestyle until I almost passed out on the volleyball court from a lack of food. It scared me enough to where I knew I needed to take care of myself or else I was going to do some serious damage to my body. I threw out my scale, began eating healthier options - fruits veggies etc. I put on weight but it was muscle from volleyball. I was happy. Now, not so much. But I have been trying to stick with the phrase "its not what the scale says, its how your clothes fit and how you feel when you look in the mirror".

Instead of weighing myself, i take progress photos and compare them to see the changes that are happening. I limit to weighing myself once a week on Sundays if that. I've noticed that when I weigh myself and see an increase it causes me to stress and leads me to over eat for the entire day.

6. Meal Prep
Have you ever hear the saying "abs are made in the kitchen"? Welp, its true... for the most part. I find that meal prepping has played a significant role in my progress especially when it comes to unnecessary snacking. So how do I meal prep? First thing to note is that everyone meal preps differently, if they meal prep. I try and get it done on Sunday's because well Sunday is usually my refresh and restart day to get prepared for the up and coming week. I try and cook enough food to last me until about wed/tr. I really really really dislike left overs so I typically prep all my salads, rice, quinoa, cuts up all my fruits and veggies on Sunday and cook two-three days worth of meat so its still pretty fresh. Then I'll cook the for the remaining days on wed/ Thurs night. Like i said, the plan i purchased included a meal plan and it has been a bit hard to stick with at times (especially when my mom decides to skip out on grocery shopping) but for the most part I do okay. 

310 Shake - In addition to all the nonsense I also drink a protein shake. I really really love 310 shake - its a meal replacement shake when you mix it with fruits veggies etc. and it definitely does its job but I typically use it as a post work out / breakfast shake. I love that its light, not chalky, taste good, mixes well with other ingredients and isn't outrageous in price compared to others. I purchased the bundle and got the shakes, fat burners(thin and metaboost), teas and lemonade. As far as fat burners, be careful with these. I don't mind the one 310 includes but i know that my body can really only handle one per day or else I don't sleep/ feel woozy all day. Love love love the tea and the lemonade 

Really when it comes to supplements its a trial and error type thing. I highly suggest doing research on the product, how it fits with your goals, and testimonials from others who have used it before even purchasing a product. 

I LOVE SWEET SWEAT like an unhealthy amount. I’m like to put in work at the gym, getting gross and sweaty is just something that doesn't bother me and sweet sweat takes that one step further. I love the band, it’s not uncomfortable in terms of fit – the material is light and soft– and it gives so it’s not super tight. You will sweat, A LOT when wearing this band especially if you use the thermal enhancer stick. Now I know that there are tons of people against using anything close to these products but it’s all personal preference and I really enjoy that extra sweat in my “problem area” (my waist) So if you’re looking for something to help sweat it out a little more definitely check out their product

Other options?
JUST STAY ACTIVE. Because it is summer there are definitely some days where I just don't want to be inside working out. I have purchased a few sets of dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise ball and a jump rope and I modify my gym workouts to be able to do them at home. If you don't have equipment at home or don't want to spend the money go for a walk - take the pup if you have one - go for a swim, hike, play outdoor sports (i'm hoping to do co-ed beach volleyball next summer), sign up for fitness classes (total body, spinning, yoga, kick boxing) Find something that you will enjoy and will challenge you.

I think its important to take a second and note that I'm not doing all this just to become any sort of stereotype. I have a goal, and that goal is reasonable for me. At the end of the day, I just want to be comfortable in my own skin and to do that I need to do this. More importantly I'm not doing this for anyone but myself. If you feel like you have to be or do something for anyone other than yourself, in a way that jeopardizes your happiness, then its not worth the time or energy. Do whatever you have to do to reach your happiness && do it unapologetically.