My Manifesto

I am a huge supporter of positive quotes and affirmations. Just check out my words board ;) I came across a post by Samantha on her blog Preptista, and saw that she created a life manifesto with words and sayings that would keep her focused and motivated. I have been collecting some quotes over time, and as I've grown and changed my life goals and motivation have evolved. I decided to create my own manifesto that I can refer back to when I feel the lack of motivation and just feel uninspired. It's so easy to get off track our life goals, and sometimes we need a little motto to go by to keep us grounded. As I have compiled various life motto's over the years, I have finally finalized a manifesto that truly represents my current identity, as a young woman with a head full of dreams and aspirations.

I encourage you to create your own manifesto and refer back to it often to keep you focused and motivated. Print it off and put it on your bathroom mirror to see daily! If you create one, please share with me, as I would love to read it!

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The Everyday Girls Guide To: Packing For College

Greetings class of 2020! I want to do my part in making the transition into college easy as possible for you, so I have created a guide to packing for college.

Last year, I lived in a traditional dorm room with a roommate and a communal bathroom in my hall. I have many friends entering into the collegiate world in a few weeks, so I knew it was time to create this list of what to bring. I definitely over-packed for my freshmen year, but hey, you live and learn.  Here is all the necessary things you'll need for your time in dorm life.

I didn't include what type of food and clothes to bring because I have a post in the works on what bags, food, and clothes to bring for college. Coming soon!

You can download the PDF version of the list here.
Good luck to all freshmen!! 

Documentaries That You Need To Watch

I thoroughly enjoy a good podcast and documentary. Call me a nerd, but I think they are so inspiring and fun. They are more than just a film, they are a stunning example of setting impossible goals and fulfilling them. Here are some of my current favorite documentaries for your viewing pleasure:

 
Art & Copy | Anyone going into PR would LOVE this documentary, as it covers the development of certain brands. It's so interesting seeing all the companies backstories. Advertising is the driving force behind everything.


Dior and I | I didn't really know much about Dior before watching this, but gosh it was so good! It was interesting seeing what goes into creating a ling, plus their were some stunning designs. If you love fashion, you'll love this!


The Ranch: An American Dynasty | I recently watched this NBC Sports film, which explores the historic U.S. women's gymnastics team training center, Karolyi Ranch. In addition to Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, gymnasts who have trained at the Karolyi Ranch include Olympic gold medalists Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Carly Patterson, Kerri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, and Mary Lou Retton. It was so interesting being able to see where our American gold medalists become medalists.

Book of Manning | I LOVE reading sport biographies as well as watching sport documentaries, so of course I had to include one of my favorite sport families, the Manning's. I stumbled upon this one while researching some sport shows. It covers the story of all four Manning men and their football careers. The documentary shows each of their lives leading up to their college careers. I love learning about families like the Manning's and learning, who and what went into making their careers.

Ronaldo: Astonishing, Intimate, & Definitive | Again, I thoroughly enjoy watching sport documentaries, and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of my favorite Soccer (I mean Futbol) players. This is a close look into the private, inspiring life of one of the worlds best. From his beginnings in Portugal, breakthrough start with Manchester United and current career at Real Madrid, it's all a must see. It was neat being able to learn about his family and the struggles he went through to get to where he is today. Definitely shed a couple tears.

Messi | Watching these films gives you a whole new appreciation for the player and the sport. The film focuses on Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, from his beginning in Rosario to becoming the world's greatest player at FC Barcelona. Definitely a must watch, especially if you where a dedicated fan of the recent Copa America Centenario.


Something Ventured | This 2011 documentary shows how entrepreneurs partnered with investors to build some of the greatest American companies. Seriously SO interesting! I'm a total geek, I know. But, hey you can learn SO much from these films, so why not!

Mark Cuban: Bloomberg Game Changers | If you've ever watched Shark Tank, you know this man. So happy to have found his documentary, which looks at the backstory of the billionaire entrepreneur and investor. It covers talks with his childhood friends, professors, and associates and how he built Internet company Broadcast.com into a must-have property. Awesome film!

Tim Tebow: On A Mission | First off, who doesn't love Tim Tebow! This documentary looks at what makes him the popular figure today. It chronicles how his hard work and faith have guided him to collegiate success and eventually NFL stardom. An awesome look at one of today's modern heroes.

What are your favorite documentaries? 

Dorm Diaries || Making A Perfect Class Schedule

It's that time of year. You've gotten accepted to your dream school and you have received your high school diploma. It's time to register for your fall semester classes! I have had some interesting class registration experiences, so I'm here to tell you of what I've learned from it. It's and exciting time but stressful if not prepared. Here are some tips to help you create that almost perfect class schedule: 

1.  Be prepared for registration time. 
Go over the school, as well as your major course requirements, and make sure you know what credit hours you need. Make sure you've spoken with an advisor, fulfilled your prerequisites, claimed any dual credits, have good internet connection, and have your registration number, so you don't run into any hiccups while registering. The more prepared you are, the smoother the process will be, and you'll hopefully get the classes you want.

2. Know your productive hours.
Some colleges you may not have a choice (like mine) whether you want an 8AM or Noon, because of the smaller school size. But if your school does offer a variety than take advantage of that. Are you a morning person? Maybe an afternoon person? Before you start looking at your college schedule, know what times of the day you are most productive. For example, I try and schedule my classes in the morning, because I like to have classes done before noon and be able to focus on blog stuff and club responsibilities in the afternoons. Be realistic, and create a schedule that works and that you'll be happy with.

3. Discuss classes with past students.
Does your school have a FB page to discuss classes or rate professors? Maybe consider starting one, because it really does help talking with students that have taken the classes you need to take. Ask around about a professor's teaching style, grading scheme, exams, homework, and general interest in the students. Don't be afraid to go up to those seniors and ask them for a class opinion and recommendation, you might even make a friend out of it. Also, Rate My Professor is a great resource for your university/college's student feedback.

4. Use a guide to plan your classes. 
I have done this every time I've needed to register for classes. Being able to block out times and visually see what your days would look like greatly helps in the planning process. I recommend using a computer program such as Excel, or a site like MyEdu. You can customize the colors and see what class you have at what time, so you don't accidentally overlap in scheduling. Below is an example of what a schedule would look like. The only con with MyEdu is that it's not available at all schools, mostly smaller colleges aren't on there.

5. Have a backup plan.
No matter how much you plan and perfect your schedule, most likely you'll have to take a class you weren't planning on because your first pick got filled up. This happened to me a lot because my school registers by how many credits we have. So those with 50 plus credits obviously register before those with 15, which means some classes you want might be filled up before you can register. In case this happens, save yourself some frustrations and have some back up classes just in case. They don't even have to be a different class, maybe just change the section of time.

6. Make sure to have FUN!
Scheduling your classes should be an exciting experience, because with every semester down, is one closer to graduation. Think of those registration periods as a stepping stone for your future, because that's what they are.

Grace's Dorm Diaries || Introduction

 "We're not leaving everything behind. 

We're beginning anew with the tools that we have today."

 Hello! I'm excited to share the first post in my new series called "Dorm Diaries" where I talk about my experience in the collegiate world. I hope to cover everything from how to balance faith in college to what kind of water bottles you should try.  This series is dedicated to all those high school seniors finishing up their time at home and will soon enter the so called "real" world in a few short months. This is such a special and stressful time for you that I want to be able to do my little part in your transition to college.

Even though I am only entering my second year of college, I have learned so much about myself as a young person as well as the college scene. I have talked to many upperclassman and college grads along the way, and I look forward to sharing their words of wisdom with you. Also, I hope to add to this series as I progress in my time in college.

To kick things off, I just wanted to give you an idea of my transition from high school to college and what I'm doing now. I was homeschooled K-12, and loved the experience. I wanted to go to college to study nursing, but soon switched paths when I realized that nursing was not where my passion lied. I am currently studying Mass Communication with a concentration in PR and minor in Theology.

I'm excited to share my thoughts with you about my college experience. If you have any questions about college or have requests on topics you want to see in this series, please post a comment on my blog, email me at missgracielablog@gmail.com, or leave a comment on my Facebook page or my Instagram.

Up next in this series: 10 Ways To Kick Off Your Fall Semester