Living in an Apartment: A Survival Guide

While living in a apartment may sound pretty glamorous to those who are living in residence halls, I urge you to have some perspective before signing your life away to a lease (and I do truly mean signing your life away!).

When living in an apartment, whether it is a studio (if you can be so lucky in this area!), a 1 bedroom, or even a 2 or 3 bedroom that you share with two or more other people, you would be wise to learn a few tricks and tips along the way to ensure you're not only getting the best for your money, but you're also kicking butt at this whole "adulting" nonsense.

Finding a place:

1. Start your apartment (or house) search right: Know your budget- and I don't mean your "Well, I could swing it if I only ate ramen noodle budget" - I mean your "I would still have $300-$400 left over if the car broke down, or got sick, budget." Knowing this number will not only leave you enough dough to pay your utilities, parking fees, and pet fees (more on this later), but also give you money to spend on groceries because a girl's gotta eat.
2. Learn about the areas you want to live in. Some neighborhoods are MUCH more expensive than others - two or three times more! Living in North Arlington is nothing like living in Alexandria, Vienna, or Fairfax. While your budget may not be worthy of one, for twenty extra minutes in the morning, you could be close (enough).
3. With that being said, know your commute times. Will you be walking or driving to school or work? Do you need to factor in money to ride the metro or what you will do in bad weather if you're deciding to bike? Is being further away from your job or work more feasible than paying $200-$300 more in rent? These are things that we (as "adults") have to consider.
4. Read YELP. I cannot tell you how important this point is. Apartment showrooms are often different than their real apartments and they're staged to feel homey, bigger, better, etc. If the property gets 1 star on YELP because the water never works and the maintenance team doesn't help, chances are you don't want to live there. 
5. Don't be fooled by pretty fixtures. Updated apartments are nice, but if the reviews suck, they're not worth it. Don't get roped in and think your experience will be different.
6. Want a pet? Have a pet? Know that apartments can charge pet rent: usually $30-$100 per month!! Not to mention a $300-$600 deposit for them alone, a mandatory cleaning fee when you move out ($100-$500), and most properties have restrictions on the breeds they allow, your animal's weight, and how many you're allowed to have. I'm not saying to re-home your pet (please don't!), but be an informed consumer before selecting a new home for the both of you. Make sure you can afford your pet in your budget before purchasing and know that you may need to include more money in your budget for rent. 
7. Do not be fooled into thinking your rent is all that you will owe at signing.  Move in fees ($100-$500), deposit (can be as much as your first month's rent), first month's rent, an application fee ($20-$100 per person on the lease!), your background check fee ($10-$30), and your pet fees may all apply. Talk to your leasing office and know what fees apply to you. 
8. Ask what their maintenance policies are. How long do you have to wait to get some help in an emergency? Are they on-call 24/7 (even holidays)? Will things be replaced if broken? Who will pay for those repairs? What about in a non-emergency- how long do they have to respond? What will they do if you are unhappy with the repairs? Will they compensate your rent for lasting problems? These are all important things to know.
9. When you ask for a tour, ask to see the space YOU would move into - not the showroom. (See point 4). Knowing what your apartment looks like is not only important because you want to know the condition it's in, but also because you don't want to be swindled into thinking you're getting a better place than you are.
10. Ask if you're "locked in" to your rent or if they can adjust it for ANY reason. If they struggle with this, run! Do not fall for this ploy. 
11. Find out the costs if you need to end your lease. Renters can charge anywhere from 1 month to 6 months of your rent - just to cancel your lease! Be aware that while you probably won't have to do this, it's always better to know what you're looking at. Also find out what type of exceptions there are. 
12. Pay attention to the floor that you are on. Hate climbing stairs? Probably not a good idea to move to a community that doesn't have elevators. Hate first floor apartments? Let your leasing agent know. They're there to help find the right place for you (usually).
13. Save money. Renting apartments is great for college students, but one day, you're going to be a college graduate and you're going to need some leftover income for student loans, a house, a baby, etc. Try to be frugal.

Once you've found a place:

1. Get renter's insurance. It's usually required, but it basically protects you and your stuff from damages.
2. Get the apartment emergency numbers for maintenance and learn where the hospitals are. You might not use them, but they're lifesavers.
3. Go through your apartment before moving all of your stuff in. Take pictures and lots of them. Keep them on your computer so that when you move out, you can show that you haven't done any prior damage or are responsible for the stains on the floors or walls.
4. Report any immediate concerns to the leasing office. For instance, if your window doesn't open, water isn't working, or AC has decided to shut down, you need to call them.
5. Learn where you can find the 5 G's: Groceries, gas, grub, gym, and garbage. You need to be able to find a place to buy groceries, find gas to fill up your car, eat a quick meal, work off said meal, and deposit your move in garbage within the first week. So, ask around. 
6. Find out how long it will take you to get to work (or school) in rush hour traffic - before it matters. Nothing is worse than being late and trust me, commuting in this area sucks. Do your homework to find out what you're looking at and if you need to, do a test run.

So, as a college student who is living with her best friend and her fiancé, these are my tips. Trust me, I'm still learning myself and I've definitely fallen for a few of these, myself. Just try to keep your head up and prioritize what is most important to you. 

Xoxo,

Katie Blair

The Myth of College Life

When I was a freshman in high school, I told myself that college would be the best time in my life and I would constantly be having fun. Because of this, I strived all four years to make it to college, with the understanding that high school was the time to work and college would be the time to have fun.

My perceptions of what college would be like didn't come from my family or even from my teachers in high school, but rather from the media. 

The media likes to show college as the time that you waste away drinking and partying, or the time that you gain 20 pounds from eating all of the food in the dining hall. Those are the two "extremes" we see - people who are popular and partying - or people that are "un-cool" and gaining weight from endless cheeseburgers. 

More recently though, a new "version" of college life is developing. If you haven't fallen hopelessly in love, married the person of my dreams, and lived happily ever after by the time you're 22, something's wrong (or at least that's what movies tell us). 

(However, because I have been lucky enough to find the person that I plan to marry in 2017, I urge you to realize that my case is the exception - not the rule).

Anyways, back to the point! 

When I first got to college, way back at orientation, I asked some of my new friends what they thought our first year was going to be like... Turns out, I wasn't alone in believing the myths of college life.

Sitting in the grass at 2am on our first night of "freedom," we came up with a short list of expectations that can only be explained by the GIF's below:

We thought we would attend ALL of the parties.  

We thought we would eat ALL of the (junk) food. 

And lastly, we thought we would ALL find the (wo)men of our dreams.

However, this isn't what we found in college. Instead, we found difficult assignments, great professors that made 3 hour classes feel like 10 minutes, and ultimately, a small group of friends that we would travel the world for and an even smaller group of friends that helped us pick up the pieces when that "love of our life" left, or that "wild night" got too wild.

So here is my advice to you:

Whatever you do and wherever you go, go into college knowing that college is a time to grow (up) and a time to recognize that it's not American Pie or (insert college-themed movie here), but rather a once in a lifetime experience that only a select portion of the world is so lucky to have.

When I first started college, I was barely 18. I had no idea that in three years, I would (with Marymount's help!) grow up to be able to present at conferences, be part of leadership teams like Marymount University Student Ambassadors and Student Government Association, or even that I would be able to travel the world with my university. Three years ago, I wasn't ready (emotionally, mentally, or educationally) to do ANY of that, but because of the professional and stimulating environment of college, I certainly am now. Thanks to all of that, now I'm more secure in my ability to get a job afterward graduation AND I can firmly believe in myself as a true "adult" (rather than a small town girl playing dress up in business casual). 

It's really easy to party and eat your way through college, but it's harder to make everything count and to truly learn something. You may be "entertained" by those parties and by eating contests with friends, but are you really getting something out of it? Chances are, your answer to that question is "No."

Trust me, your college becomes your new home - one that is a lot easier to navigate when you're confident, when you make real friends and when you avoid making a fool out of yourself at an "on fleek" party.

Now, that doesn't mean that you have to be a hermit either. Go to big events on campus, try new things, join clubs and organizations. But, like everything you do in college, be smart about it. 

If you know you desperately want to intern at the White House, pick clubs that can get you there. If you're like me and you know you want to go to graduate school, join Academic and Honors societies that highlight your dedication to your studies. 

You've probably heard this before, but trust me, college is truly what you make it. College only happens once and trust me, everything you learn will in some way help you after graduation, whether you learn it in the classroom or "out in the real world."

Being Busy

Being busy doesn't have to mean that you leave your dorm looking like a mess...

Or that you don't brush your hair/teeth...

OR even that you have to skip meals.

At the end of the day, your busiest days are the best days to: 

Now, that doesn't mean that you have to scarf down your food...

Or show up to everything you have that day like this:

It really just means that you have to find 20-30 minutes on your busiest days to eat your favorite food, listen to your best "pump it up" song, or whatever you need to do to get through the day and make it your own. 

College is the time to overwhelm yourself, to explore new things, and to decide at the end of the day what you don't want to do tomorrow. 

Don't be afraid to say "no," but also don't let something you might be interested in pass you by. It's all part of the experience.

So, take a minute now, and relax. You'll be fine. 

Hello, all!

Today I learned something new!

I truly love Naked's Probiotic Machine Tropical Mango. It's just enough energy to help get me through the day without feeling like I should end it at the gym. It keeps me awake, takes the place of a snack, and it's mango-filled which is a win right there. (:

So, you might be thinking.. "What's the point of sharing that?" But, the fact that I'm trying to get to is often times, college kids rely on terrible "study snacks" that (should!) take the place of full blown meals.. and that's no bueno. So, instead, try nuts, fruits, and other crunch-filled delights to keep your brain awake.

I know that for me, That means kettle corn, carrots & hummus, and Clif Bars, but for you, it could mean salted peanuts or celery sticks, or maybe even grapes.

Who knows, but as we reach the time in the semester where you're going to be writing your first papers, remember this blog when you go to reach for that Monster cookie that Target had on sale. (;

Well, that's all for now guys!

Sick Days

Just like in high school, in college, you're going to get sick (occasionally).

But, unlike high school, you won't necessarily have your parents or caregivers there to make you soup, or (easy!) access to a full kitchen to make your own "get better quick" fixes. You also will be living with about 200 other people, who you guessed it, probably got you sick to begin with!

So, here are my "Survival" guides for the common college cold:

1. Don't use your "sick day" as a day to do this:

 If you're well enough to have a dance party in a snuggie, chances are you could have sat through a 75 minute class... 

2. If you can, actually get something done. Not only will you feel better about yourself when you make the transition back to being in class, but you'll also feel less overwhelmed by what you have left to do. 

3. With that being said, don't sweat if you can't. Being sick is NO fun and it's completely understandable to take the entire day off and give your body what it needs- REST.

4. Eat your vitamins and minerals! 

A sick day is not the day to order pizza, avoid your greens, or to try that new spicy curry dish. Even if your stomach isn't hurting, still stick with neutral foods that will still provide you with the nutrition you need. (Think all natural and fresh, warm and soupy, and mellow and vitamin C filled!)

5. Vitamin C tablets, cold medicine, Advil, etc. are your BEST friends. 

But, unlike this GIF, DON'T GO CRAZY with them and always follow the directions on the bottle. 

If you want to get well quicker, your body needs to be calm enough to heal you. So, use over the counter meds, see the school nurse, and go to a doctor/Urgent Care facility.

6. If you're sick, remember to TREAT BEFORE YOU EAT.

There is no use in taking medication to only have your body... evacuate it. So, with that being said, take medications, then eat some food. Not the other way around. Trust me.

7. Avoid human contact. No one wants your germs. I promise.

"Sharing is caring, but giving someone a virus makes you the worst person to ever live."

P.S. the person who inspired this post- see point 7.

XOXO, 

Katie Blairs

=

Late Night Posting

Some things are of more use in the wee hours of the morning...

Grammar check...

Doughnuts...

The library...

The list goes on and on.

Unfortunately though, life is full of disappointments.

Your computer can't fix "it's" versus "its," doughnut shops close at 10pm, and Marymount's library isn't exactly open 24/7 either.

FORTUNATELY THOUGH, there is hope.

In late night take-out.

Perhaps I should have followed my own advice regarding the hump-day blues...

Oh well.

... I'm left with my lasting thoughts towards pizza:

Better luck next time, pizza.

Wednesdays: A Survival Guide

The middle of the work/school week can be a lot of things.

It can be a relief that you're almost done, a challenge to persevere through the week, or even your near breaking point where you have 5,000,000 things going on and the weekend is a mythical land that not even magical unicorns can allow you to reach.

But at the end of the day...

But, hump day doesn't have to suck (I promise).

Here are my Wednesday go-to's to make sure that not every "hump day" is a mountain in disguise:

1. Use this day to eat your fruits and vegetables. 
• Your body needs fuel to get through the week and spending your day binging on day-old Chinese food or two cans of Pringles will only make you feel worse. Trust me.
2. Try making a list of goals that you hope to accomplish during the rest of the week.
• Not only will you remind yourself of things to do that you've maybe forgotten, but you'll also become more motivated to actually get them done if you know that you have an incentive (see point 3).
3. Give yourself an incentive for finishing your list.
• Maybe it's being able to play three hours of Grand Theft Auto on Saturday night, maybe it's a night out, or it might just be allowing yourself to eat that can of Pringles... Whatever it is, make that the last goal on your list and DO IT.
4. Lastly, make someone else smile.
• It's harder to hate the world of Wednesdays if you're smiling and laughing your way through the day. Even if it's just that co-worker/classmate that you only say "hello" to when you need to borrow (Insert Office Supplies Here), try to bring a little bit of joy to their life. Who knows, you might make a new friend.

So, embrace the Wednesdays! 

A Reminder...

In college, some things are easier to learn than others.

Like how to cook your own meals...

Or how to avoid gaining the freshman (insert ridiculous amount of weight gain here)...

Or maybe you're just trying to learn how you can possibly save money when you're tempted to spend your life savings on literally everything...

Well, for all of those times in college when your common sense hasn't quite caught up to your ability to regurgitate pre-algebra, this blog hopes to provide you with one easy answer that I've learned through my own journey thus far...

You have to work.

Regardless if that's working out, working on a budget, or even working a job on or off campus, (college) life is a lot of work!

But, also know that sometimes things don't work out just as you have planned, and I promise you, that's okay too.

Through Life, We Learn...

After taking some time to reflect this summer, I decided on one key thing...

Through (college) life, we learn.

We learn what we like, what we love, and ironically, what we don't know yet.

This blog is meant to take the time to remind me (and whoever reads!) that college is more than just a time to learn the basics of psychology and philosophy, but it is also a time to grow as a person...

So, in the spirit of learning, let the journey begin!