Making College the Best for You

I'm clearly not on the same page as everyone else!

I'm still fresh off the heels of graduating college and am still in the transition period between graduate and adult—or so I feel I am. While I am certainly very much just kicking off a wonderful, lengthy life with many years to go, college will go down as some of the best four. I will never regret the decision I made to attend a four year college despite the fact that I will be paying for it for the foreseeable future.

While the education was quite pricey, the experiences that I had outside of the classroom were priceless and made the time so much better. I was blessed with amazing people and got to fall in love with the amazing city that is Pittsburgh. Side note: peek this HarpersBazaar article listing PGH as one of the top 10 places to visit in 2017!

If I were to give some kind of advice to those just entering college (like the old wise person I am!) it would be, simply put, to go to class and also go places outside of class. In more specific terms:

Take advantage of what your school offers. Pitt was wonderful place to explore. Our student IDs could be used on public transportation throughout the Pittsburgh area. Anytime we needed or wanted to get to a different neighborhood or spend a day downtown, there was nothing keeping us from doing so. Our IDs also granted us access at most of the museums around the city. Let me tell you, it didn't suck to spend a rainy day wandering around the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, which was right across the street from our campus.

Benefit from the free stuff on campus. I loved the plethora of free stuff that was available around campus throughout the year. On campus concerts, wellness classes and events, and alumni events were frequently on the calendar to ensure that we were never totally bored. I was also a huge fan of Pitt Arts, which provided the opportunity for students to attend film screenings and performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet, and the Opera with discussion and food included. I may or may not have appreciated the fabulous desserts and rich conversation at the Orchestra (and the beautiful architecture at Heinz Hall!)

Stay on top of your mental and physical health. Another benefit that I was very much grateful for was the 24-hour fitness centers around campus. Each residence hall included a private gym just for those students living in that particular hall. There were all two other fitness centers in the basketball arena and in the student union if you had time to set aside to sweat between classes! Mental health is also important. "Walk away" was a frequent text from my mom late at night when I was clearly burning out from information/work overload. Warning: those moments can be frequent in college; learn to identify the stress early and learn how to best handle it. I would close my laptop and devote at least one night during the weekend totally to my friends and good times. Maybe hit up karaoke night?

Make some money. Of course you can't commit yourself to working too many hours when you're already devoting so many to your studies; however, you can definitely fit in 10-12 hours a week to make some money for groceries! I got a job my junior year when I went off the campus meal plan since we had a kitchen in our apartment-style dorm. I was able to support my appetite (an accomplishment) and start squirreling away some cash for senior year when we would be moving totally off-campus. Additional financial tip: shop for things only as you need them. You may find yourself in the store more than once a week, but if you know what you need and you stick to that list it should be no problem.

Plan ahead. Understanding how you are going to pay for your education before you get into it is important. You need to know before you get started where you are getting your money from. I familiarized myself with the repayment packages before graduated so that I could prioritize my spending. I went strictly federal on my loans—I feel like pursuing other private loans might have stressed me out a bit more. There are also many services out there, like Earnest, that give you the opportunity to refinance and rework your loans to fit a model that you are more comfortable paying off and possibly paying off faster. And that's the goal isn't it? To pay it all off as fast as possible.

<3 Ashley

What are your college survival tips? Or if you're going to be attending, what are your concerns?

Hello From The Other Side

Hello...it's me. Ya ya, I know. It's been like a million years since I've been seen around these parts. I have good reason: the last months of senior year proved to be the worst. I took the bare minimum of classes this semester and still ended up in tears at least three times during finals week. What? But it's all over and now...*drumroll* I'M A COLLEGE GRAD! #Pitt2016

Years of schooling later, I am sitting here in a half-empty apartment room trying to comprehend what this weekend was. I submitted my last final Saturday morning (like 1 a.m. Saturday morning) and jumped right into running around for photos and grad ceremonies.

Yesterday, we all gathered in the Petersen Events Center on campus to celebrate the end of the undergrad road. It was difficult not to get emotional the minute the confetti cannons fired a the speakers blasted one last chorus of "Sweet Caroline"—the last chorus we heard as students. What made the experience even more emotional for me was the fact that I spent the ceremony sitting next to my roommate from freshman year.

I didn't really realize it until that point. She was the first person I met at Pitt—we actually met over the summer for lunch and shopping—and she was the one I stood next to as we closed the book on undergrad and opened the cover on the rest of our lives. There is no one who shaped me more than her over these last four years, and no one I would have rather stood next to during that ceremony.

So now I sit here, still not very sure what the future (not even the next few months) holds in store for me. I am both excited and nervous. But I did get this far.

<3 Ashley

So how are you?! Sorry it's been so long. :) Also congrats to my fellow college grads!

Spring Break: NYC

And just like that, it's over. A couple of my roommates and I just got back from a few days in the Big Apple for Spring Break and I already want to go back. There are still a few more days to be lazy and wander around Pittsburgh, though, so I will try not to waste the time wishing I was back window shopping down in Soho. Here are just a few of my favorite snaps from the little four-day vacation:

 

The moment I traveled to NYC to have...a cupcake from the Sprinkles ATM <3 Salty Caramel is a wonderful flavor.

 

Not pictured: The older gentleman who had some SERIOUS ice skating skills (sassy facial expressions included!)

 

The best kind of free entertainment. Seriously hilarious!

 

There could have been a better picture...if there had not been kids climbing all over.

 

Our hotel was in Midtown, not far from Times Square.

Also not pictured is our trip to Greenwich Village to see Carrie Bradshaw's apartment, the apartment building from Friends, followed by a short drive to sample a couple boozy cupcakes at Prohibition Bakery. I tried the Pretzels + Beer and Car Bomb flavors which were great–Pretzels + Beer was my favorite, though!

<3 Ashley

What are some of your favorite spots in NYC? What about for Spring Break?

A Much Needed Break

Image: here

Aaaaaaand BREATHE! Hello, weekend. I've been waiting for you. This week has to have been the hardest and most stressful week that I have had in a long while. This was our last week before Spring Break, and every professor on this campus made it their priority to have ever test, paper, project, and presentation due before the student body scrambled over each other to leave Pittsburgh.

I have night classes Monday-Wednesday and you better believe that I had something big due all three nights. One position paper, case study, presentation, and edited technical paper later and I am ready to hop in the car and escape for a week of no work and no worries. My break will be spent with my roommates in the Big Apple and we have big plans for ourselves.

On the schedule includes tickets to a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a bottomless brunch, lots of cupcakes, lots of (window) shopping, and lots of walking. On the other side of this break stands another month and a half until graduation, and honestly I am excited. I don't know if anyone could be more over their school work. But I'm not going to think about that right now–I have a week of fun to look forward to and the weather isn't supposed to be horrible.

Note: I welcome all NYC suggestions. This is the first time I will be staying for more than a day!

<3 Ashley

Where are other spring breakers headed to? Any places I should definitely check out in NYC?

Is That You, Spring?

So this weekend Mother Nature sent Pittsburgh for quite a loop: warm weather. That's right. February isn't even over yet and we got our first taste of spring. Saturday clocked in at a cool 64 degrees and I resolved to leave the house ASAP. I took all of my work (which if we are being honest is still not done) and took the long, sunny walk to a coffee shop for a bit.

The next treat was catching up with one of my friends who indicated an interest in dining al fresco that day. It was a mutual interest. Luckily, the college neighborhood of Oakland is not totally devoid of nice dining choices. We decided to walk over to The Porch and snag a high top outside where we split one of their delicious brick oven pizzas and sipped on white sangria. Just so everyone is aware: if you are in the area any time soon (the menu changes seasonally) and are hungry, the butternut squash pizza is to die for. I did not expect it to be as delicious as it was.

Even Sunday wasn't horrible with temps in the 50s. It was sunny enough that I was convinced to go for a run before gearing up for an evening filming Pitt Tonight. Episode III coming soon!

<3 Ashley

P.S. Today is National Margarita Day. Celebrate responsibly! 

Did you get some warm weather as well? How did you take advantage of it?

February: A Lot to Love

 

Image: here

Greetings, everybody! And greetings to February! Is anyone else as confused as I am to see February here so soon? It seems like just yesterday that I was making my promises for the year (so far so good!)

Typically, I am not this month's biggest fan. Valentine's Day is not exactly my holiday of choice (see alternative: Galentine's Day). But this year, there is a bit more to look forward to. We will be filming another episode of Pitt Tonight, and this is the first full month of the running of Pitt Tonight blog, of which I am the mighty keeper.

My roommates and I also have many plans set to make this month a good one, so as to not get bogged down by winter and work. February is the month when we make good on our promises to leave the college neighborhood of Oakland in exchange for any evening Downtown. There are so many restaurants and bars that we have yet to try because we are so reliant on those $2 Blue Moons. But we must all grow up at some point. :P

February will also be spent planning our spring break trip, which was just booked yesterday. NYC here we come - if you have any suggestions for budget friendly activities and dining feel free to comment or email me! What seems to be the overarching theme of this month for me is friends. This month I am celebrating the relationships that I have built with some amazing young ladies.

<3 Ashley

What are you celebrating this month?

Life Lately

Image: here

Life lately has become quite fast and furious - if you couldn't tell by my radio silence here. Last week and this week have been busy, busy, busy! We taped our January episode of Pitt Tonight, which will hopefully be released tonight or tomorrow. We have been putting a lot into it on the marketing side, which is why I am out and about all the time and don't get home until 9:30. I am not exactly complaining though. I do enjoy being busy, and I love working with all of these different creative people on a new and exciting project on campus.

I have also been attending to my new Downtown internship. I am a newsletter writer and can I say, I feel very adult hopping on the bus in the morning and joining the throngs of suit clad people heading into work in the morning. There's no way they notice that I'm not one of them. :P

We have furthered our talks about Spring Break. We did have a plan set to go to Orlando; however, as we were preparing to commit to the Groupon, we discovered several (bug related) reviews of the hotel and exchanged some uneasy looks. We are no longer traveling to Florida. We are now exploring the idea of roadtripping to NYC for a few days to explore the Big Apple instead. No complaints here.

We are gearing up for this weekend's winter storm. I'm sitting here thinking about all that needs to be done before Winter Storm Jonas' first flakes fall in Pittsburgh because there is no way I am leaving the apartment during.

<3 Ashley

How have you been? Are you hunkering down for the snow?

Off to the Races

Welcome to 2016 and the beginning of my last semester of school EVER. Cue the panic over adulthood, which is coming at me faster than a train. I'm back to work today and tomorrow I begin a new internship in downtown Pittsburgh and my spring classes. Up until this point I never really noticed how quickly time seemed to be passing. Now, it's a different story.

Now I am very aware of the time. I have only four more months as a student. While I understand that I do not necessarily know what I want to do with my life yet, I do need to formulate a plan. I know I will remain in Pittsburgh through the summer while we still have the lease on our apartment. But then...who knows? I would love to stay in Pittsburgh. The city really has captured my heart over the past three and a half years. I have friends who will be continuing school here who have invited me to get an apartment with them. Great, except I need a job. The job search just seems so daunting at this point. Networking, applying, and interviewing are all at the top of my Least Favorite Words list.

These next few months - when I have the free time! - will be devoted to getting a head start on that job hunt. One of my new year resolutions is to get my life in order and be successful in making those first scary steps into adulthood. The trick is to actually trying to get things started. So...here's to trying.

<3 Ashley

What steps are you taking this year? What are your big picture goals?

The Busiest (And Most Wonderful) Time of the Year

Hello, remember me? It's been a few days yes? That silence is over now that...I AM DONE WITH FINALS! That's right; it's all celebrating and relaxing for a few weeks. That is at least after tomorrow's job/internship interview (it could go either way!) I am heading back home Thursday morning for just a couple of weeks to spend the holidays with my family and friends.

 

While this month has been busy between preparing for finals, getting things organized for the new campus late night show, and minor panics at becoming an adult; it is also a beautiful month of celebration and joy. Here, we managed to take a few steps back from the productivity to enjoy the holiday in the 'Burgh just for a little bit. One of my roommates and I went Saturday night to Phipps Conservatory to walk through all of the beautiful flowers, trees, and Christmas lights. This year, we witnessed for the first time a very long line going into Phipps - never have I seen a line! We followed the trip with Thai takeout, because nothing is complete without glass noodles with chicken and veggies...right?

Last night was also a big night, because Pitt Tonight finally premiered. Since September, I have been working as one of the heads of marketing for a student run monthly, late night broadcast. After a few stressful months dealing with social media, promotions, and other tasks we could finally take a breath and let everything we have worked for unfold. It went fabulously! The link for the episode will be live tomorrow night and I cannot wait to share it!

<3 Ashley

Are you taking in the holiday festivities?

The Most Wonderful Time

This weekend truly kicked off the holiday season for me (Thanksgiving too...because I'm an inclusive person!) Friday night in Pittsburgh was Light Up Night, when I swear that every individual in Allegheny County converged on the downtown area. While I have only gone once before, I can honestly say that it was not nearly as packed as it was this year. When I was not angrily shoving my way through crowds or coping with the rude teenagers cutting right in front of me in the line to see the gingerbread houses--am I sounding like an old lady yet?--I was quite filled with holiday spirit.

We missed the lighting of Pittsburgh's answer to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, but we were sure to make that our first stop. I really do love all of the lights and Christmas decorations that are in PPG Place from now to the end of the season. My roommate said it very aptly when she looked at the tree in the middle of the ice skating rink and said, "I just gives me the happy, warm fuzzies inside."

Back home for Thanksgiving! After a 4 hour drive, this was a nice and familiar sight.

I do feel the warm fuzzies on the inside, I must say. But just the inside...externally I am freezing because temps are finally dropping to characteristic levels and as poor college students we are pushing the limits on when we should cave and turn the heat on. Edit: the heat is now on. Wearing gloves in the house was a good hint that it needed to happen, I guess.

<3 Ashley

Are you ready for the holidays? Also, Happy Thanksgiving...probably will not be online tomorrow. Enjoy your families!

Holy Moly!

Research for my final ad campaign. Hire me, Kate Spade?

Sorry for the absolute silence last week guys! It appears that this is the time when college comes at me at warp speed because I have been doing nothing but work, work, work! While I enjoy being busy, having so many projects due at one time has really knocked the wind out of me. I was up late last night, and woke up early this morning to put the finishing touches on an ad campaign project so that I can make final edits throughout the day before it is due at 3. You can tell that I really like to push it to the limit. However, since this campaign is figuratively for Kate Spade (thank you, prof for letting me follow my dreams on this one) it wasn't all a horrible experience. :)

I was able to break up with work a little bit with some fun in between. We had our home football game against Notre Dame this weekend. Spoiler alert: we lost. It was a great game though and the most packed the stadium has been in my time here--kind of incredible to be a part of!

Hopefully this won't be the last you hear from me this week! I will try to have a post set up Wednesday. xo

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend? 

Spotted

Spotted on the Pitt campus, Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen popping champagne to commemorate their final college Halloweekend. Chuck and Lonely Boy no where to be found. What fun lies in store for these Upper East Siders? I'll never tell. xoxo Gossip Girl

That's right! Happy Halloween everybody! Last night was full of fun times and great costumes. My friend and I went as Blair and Serena from Gossip Girl. This was a natural pick for us since we OBSESS over the show. I was Blair...because of course. It was great to step out dressed as TV's best dressed duo; everyone else's costumes of course paled in comparison to ours. :)

<3 Ashley

How are you dressing up for Halloween?

All Night

This is what last night's study session looked like. At least I cram in style!

One of the trademarks of college that people always warned me about was exhausting all-nighter. You know, the fabled study sesh that you mentally and physically have to prepare yourself for. Typically happens when you have procrastinated far too much and the deadlines have stacked up on you or when finals hit and you hunker down in the library with a blanket and gallon of coffee. This is the part of college that I was not looking for as a young freshman-to-be. Having to commit yourself so hard to your studies that you lose sleep? I'm all about being a good student and working hard, but that just seems like too much!

Typing this as a senior I can tell you that...I have not had to do this even once. There was the one time that I really thought I was going to have to! I had a history paper due and a philosophy exam on the same day. I put my PJs on, grabbed my work, draped a blanket around my shoulders, snagged some snacks and made my way to the upstairs lounge--dorm living!! In reality...I was done and back in bed by 2 AM. In my defense, it did feel like an all nighter because my history class was at 8 AM.

This year already there have been a few times where I probably could have repeated this (last night, for example!) My tip to my fellow collegiates: just prioritize and focus. Honestly, you cannot afford to lose sleep in college. You need so many hours of sleep to help you store the information for that exam that you have put off studying for. You also need that sleep to maintain a halfway friendly demeanor and positive relationships...at least I do!

<3 Ashley

Have you been known to pull an all-nighter or seven? How were able to be a functioning human? (serious inquiry)

Weekend: Homecoming

Friday night fireworks and laser show to kickoff a successful homecoming!

Gooooooood morning friends! All it takes is one solid weekend and I am ready to take on the week. This past weekend was homecoming week here at Pitt and this place was packed with families and alumni. Saturday this household was up bright and early and in the parking lot the football stadium by 9:00 with containers of breakfast in hand. Side note: if you are ever in Pittsburgh, brunch at Pamela's is the way to go; their breakfast potatoes are the bomb!

Super amped to finally be able to tailgate with all of my friends before the games.

The game itself was amazing! The stadium was packed, the student section was full and loud, and we won--take that, Virginia! After the game, one of my best friends from home arrived to spend the rest of the weekend with us. We spent a lovely night out touring the bar scene around the campus. Sunday morning we took a drive down to the Strip District for brunch at Deluca's, which claims the "best breakfast in the 'Burgh." After waiting in line for a whole hour to get seats, we could verify that claim--all of our dishes were delicious! I would like to go back and try their crepes sometime since I got an omelette this time.

We also celebrated a friend's birthday last night. Per Taylor Swift, he is definitely "feeling 22!" This weekend was definitely great, however, I now have to deal with the feeling that maybe there was school work that I should have been working on! Uh oh!

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend?

Room Reveal

Despite a few bumps along the journey, I did make it to Pittsburgh on Saturday a few hours later than expected. With a night out planned with the girls and a crazy need to get things done right away, I set to unpacking everything once my parents walked out the door. Three hours later: I had empty boxes and bags around me and everything was in its place. I may have actually high-fived myself...I did high-five myself. Since it is the last day of August and also the last day of Back-to-School month on Sunday Brunch, I thought I would share the results with you guys!

Cute, right?

<3 Ashley

Fellow collegiates! Have you moved into your housing for the year? How did you decorate? 

Back-to-School Blogger: My College Experience

As part of the week leading up to the move back to school, I am taking a day from blogging and have turned the reins over to Ariadna from RAWR BOWS. Check out her post below discussing her own college experience in London!

<3 Ashley

Hello! It’s Ariadna from RAWR BOWS here and today I’m gonna be writing on Ashley’s blog about my university experience. I study Chemistry at Imperial College London and I’m going to start my third year in October. Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to go to university, I remember talking to my friends about it and being so excited. I was lucky enough to be able to go to uni in London which was a dream of mine and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. However, this also meant leaving home and living miles away from my family and in a country I barely knew. I remember flying from Spain to London and being both excited and scared as hell, I also remember how shocking the moving process was and how much my live changed.

Living away from home is something I think you can never be fully prepared for. Yes, you can imagine what it is like: waking up whenever you want, cooking your own meals, doing your laundry, not being controlled by your parents, etc. You can imagine it carries some responsibility with it and a decent amount of fun as well. The first few weeks living on your own are likely to be weird and tough in a way, but you’re probably going to get used to it pretty quickly and you’ll get into the routine without even realising. Personally, I think living away from home is fun and I really enjoy being independent and in full control of my life.

I had a lot of expectations before going to uni, I imagined it being like a movie. You know, walking around with a bunch of books in your arms and bumping into cute guys, sitting on the grass with your friends and working on a group project, going out every weekend, joining a badass club and living the adventure of your life and that sort of stuff. The reality is slightly different though. In uni, everyone is sort of grown up and they’re more independent and in their own world. It’s not like high school where everything was about who was more popular and you were barely ever alone. You’re probably going to spend a lot of time on your own working in the library or just chilling and waiting for your next class. Your friends are going to have different schedules and they’re not going to be there with you all the time. At first it might be weird or awkward to do something without your group of friends but, soon, it will feel perfectly normal. By that I don’t mean that you’re going to be lonely or that I ever felt lonely, I was lucky to find great friends but uni taught me to do more things on my own and that being by yourself is okay sometimes.

Something else that uni taught me was to work every day. Seriously guys don’t leave everything to the last minute. In high school the teacher would always make sure you did your homework or you were revising but in uni professors don’t care, they probably won’t even know your name and no one will be making sure you do your work. So, unless you tell yourself to stop watching Netflix, you might struggle to get everything done without messing with your sleeping pattern!

This post is way longer than what I planned but I hope that, if you’re starting uni this fall, it calmed you down or gave you an idea of what you could expect. I know I liked reading other people’s experiences when I was about to start uni! 

Packing to Move

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This Saturday will be the long and exciting road trip back to Pittsburgh to kick off my senior year of college. The week leading up to that heavily caffeinated morning will involve appointments, last nights out, cleaning, packing and organizing my life generally--and you can bet that there will be a list for each activity. ;)

Packing for the school year is always a busy and stress full task for me because no matter how many lists I pull together, I somehow manage to panic and forget something. But not this time...no, I have taken organization to a whole new level: I have categorized my packing each day. Today, my kitchen bin is packed. Tomorrow, desk and school supplies will be signed, sealed and delivered. Then I am looking at the last couple days being devoted to laundry and packing up my closet (yes, this needs a few days!)

Here's to hoping this last round of college packing is less stressful!

<3 Ashley

How do you make packing easier?

The Last Days

Can you feel that? That is the feeling of summer coming to a close and once again the school year is upon us. I actually think that this coming Monday is the first day of school for my school district--sorry kids! I actually have one more week before I am once again en route to Pittsburgh. While most of this time leading up to the day will be spent shopping for anything I need (read: sneaking food into my parents cart so I don't have to buy it later) I will also be sure to make the most of my last free and fun days. What are some ideas for last minute summer activities?

Catch some rays pool side: I made it to the pool only one time this summer...one week ago. With an internship this was my first truly busy summer. However, that one evening spent by the water, laying in the sun felt so well deserved because of it.

Going on an adventurous hike: Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to squeeze this in; especially since my hiking buddy is going back to school this weekend. :(

Driving around and discovering a cool new hangout in your hometown: We did this a few weeks ago when one of my roommates came to visit me. We took her to an ice cream place downtown that we had never been to. Spoiler alert: it was great!

Go out on the town with the ladies: This is one that I am looking forward to next week. My friend who has been away for the summer will be back home next week. We missed each other's birthdays so it is only right to use this opportunity to buy each other drinks!

A fun BBQ: I mean this is definitely an all summer kind of activity if there ever was one. But there's something about closing out an awesome summer with a BBQ with your closest friends and family. Let the fun carry into the nighttime, light a fire and make s'mores!

<3 Ashley

What are your plans for this last bit of summer?

Dorm Essentials

Shower Caddy | Vintage Pillow | Pineapple Pillow | Bed Set | Storage | Keurig

If there is one thing  that I stressed out about just as much as the first day of classes freshman year, it was how I was going to decorate my half of the dorm room. Much of what I opted for has worked its way from year to year, residence hall to residences hall and finally to off-campus house. There are a few important things that I definitely suggest that freshman have in their dorms. 

A Keurig is absolutely essential in my opinion. If you are a coffee drinker, having one of these in your dorm will save you so much money--buying a cup from the coffee shop on your way to class can real amount to a huge number in the budget! 

A shower caddy is a must since bathrooms in the freshman dorms are almost always communal. Make that trip to the shower less cumbersome with a caddy for all of your necessities. (A separate one for toothpaste, toothbrush, face wash, etc is always hand as well!)

An appropriate amount of storage is key in a small dorm room. The school will typically provide students with a height adjustable bed, a desk with drawers and maybe a shelf, and a closet/wardrobe. For your belongings that you don't keep in your desk or drawers, store in stackable bins or a rolling cart, which can be placed under your bed if you set it high enough.

The bedding is of course an essential. The decorative pillows are not necessarily essential, but they will add a nice personal touch to your half of the room!

<3 Ashley

What are your dorm essentials?

Back-to-School Essentials

Stapler | Letter Trays | Pen Holder | Planner | Pens

There are several instances on this blog where I have indicated a potential obsession with desk/organizational items. Needless to say, back-to-school shopping was a wonderful experience for me. While I may be out of middle and high school, shopping for notebooks and pens is still a huge part of my prep for a year back in Pittsburgh. Above are just a few of my essentials for your dorm/apartment study space!

<3 Ashley

What are your desk essentials for back-to-school?