Emergency Backpack Kit + Pencil Pouch Organization

Remember when I posted about what I carry around in my backpack? Well, if you thought I was obsessive-compulsive then, wait until I show you my Emergency Backpack Kit. 

What is it? A makeup bag that I fill up with all the essentials you never know if you'll need or not while in class, at the library or at work. Yes, it's a little intense, but at least I'm always prepared!

Emergency Backpack Kit by preppypremed featuring a lip treatment

The essentials:

• Makeup bag to hold it all
• Mini stapler
• Mini comb and mirror (the Chicago wind kills  my hair!)
• Hair ties: I'm loving the satin hair ties that are all the rage.
• Pencil sharpener
• Lipgloss
• Scrap paper
• Post-it Notes
• Lip Balm: My favorite is Burt's Bees
• White-out
• Aspirin/Advil
• Bandaid
• Calculator
• Extra erasers
• Gum
• Hand lotion and sanitizer: I love Bath and Body Works products, such as this Shea Cashmere lotion and their Pocket Bacs. They're perfect for winter!

To finish out the school supply posts, I also wanted to share with you what I put in my pencil pouch. It's pretty simple, but it does the trick!

Pencil Pouch Organization by preppypremed on Polyvore

The essentials:

• Pencil pouch: I'm in love with FallInDesign's pencil pouch here, but usually I just get slider pencil cases. They're only $.69 at Target!

• Pencils: I never was a fan of mechanical pencils. So my pick? Dixon Ticonderoga pencils.

• Colorful pens: Besides having your basic black and blue pens, I also use a few different colored ones to color-code my assignments and such

• Highlighters: You've got to get Tul highlighters! I got them in my Christmas stocking last year and I love them. They're long-lasting, unlike some of the cheaper highlighters I've used.

• Post-It Tabs: Definitely necessary to mark your place in one of your huge textbooks.

And this ends the back to school posts! Whew.

Did I miss anything? What are some of your school essentials?

Blog Organization

I wanted to write a post asking how you all keep your blog organized. I just started a new system of planning out my posts that I wanted to share. However, I wanted to know what works best for all of you!

I like planning out my posts in advance because I never know when I'll be busy or not. I try to post everyday (except Saturdays), so I started scheduling posts using a binder that I made.

Ta-da! I filled it with printable, free pages from LivingLocurto.com that help you keep a calendar of your blog posts. The calendar can be found here.

Via

Here's what one of my (half filled-out) pages looks like:

• As you can see, I write the post topic under the day of the week that I plan to schedule it. I strikethrough it when the post is written and scheduled on Blogger

• I put boxes to check off when I've replied to every comment of that post and when I've visited everyone's blogs back

• The middle box on the right is where I list the "blog hops" I plan to join that week

• Above that is a "to-do" box where I write down if I still have to make any images for a blog post that week

• The bottom righthand box is a place to put ideas for the following week

Does anyone else have a similar system? Do you like planning your posts in advance or do you write them spur of the moment?

College Binder Organization

Last week I wrote about backpack essentials so, to go with the "Back to School" theme, I wanted to share with you how I organize my binders at school.

I've tried all different ways to take notes during college. What I've finally settled with is using binders to keep track of all my handouts/papers and to do practice problems in. For taking notes, I use my computer and put the notes in separate folders according to subject.

Just because you have to carry a binder around doesn't mean it can't be cute! Also, by organizing a little bit, you can make your binders functional to fit your needs. Here are some of my binder tips:

Binder Tips by preppypremed on Polyvore

A little more explanation:

1. I have a binder for my M/W/F and T/Th classes. That way I'm (hopefully) only carrying around one binder per day. Maybe at night when I go the library I'll have to bring both with me, but two binders is pretty light considering I used to make a binder for each subject.

2. I use binder dividers such as these to divide the binders into a sections for each class. In each section I put a folder and filter paper.

3. I make a LOT of notecards to study for quizzes and tests, so I need a way to store them. I use a pencil pouch inside the binders to store notecards. Otherwise I lose so many notecards inside of my backpack.

4. Finally, I personalize the front of my binders by printing out pics from the internet or making a picture collage. This year, I followed The Pink and Green Prep's tutorial to make the following binders:

What do you all think? Do you have any tips for school organization?

Oh, How Pinteresting: Dorm Room Edition

For the third straight year, I get to live in a dorm room during the school year. The good thing about becoming an upperclassman is that the dorm rooms suddenly get a lot bigger. Does that mean I'm going to get more organized and decorate my little corner of the dorm room more? Probably not. But I can dream, right?

Source: google.com via Becky on Pinterest

This is my college bedding (yeah, things just got weird, my dear followers...you now know where I sleep.) So if I had a million dollars and more time on my hands, here is how I'd decorate my dorm...

Source: huset-shop.com via Becky on Pinterest

I'd spray paint a cheap doormat hot pink, just like in this picture.

Source: apreppyeducation.blogspot.com via Becky on Pinterest

I'd paint my old animal toys pink, black and white, then put them on top of jars like they do here. They'd hold all the odds and ends on my desk.

Source: gifts.barnesandnoble.com via Becky on Pinterest

I'd have this awesome Daschund bookend set...

Source: mydeco.com via Becky on Pinterest

...and this lamp.

Source: dormroomartsandcrafts.tumblr.com via Becky on Pinterest

I'd make something super organized like this, only wrap it in Lilly Pulitzer fabric.

Source: thecollegeprepster.com via Becky on Pinterest

All my chargers would stay on my desk via this little DIY contraption.

Source: mintlovesocialclub.com via Becky on Pinterest

This would be hanging on my wall...

Source: leslielovesmakeup.blogspot.com via Becky on Pinterest

And this as well.

Via

But above all, I can't forget the rubber chicken. It's a long story. But I can't live in a dorm room without it. It's kind of a tradition by now.

There you have it, my perfect, organized dorm room! 
--Becky

Backpack Essentials for Every College Girl

Carly at The College Prepster recently posted about all the essentials she carried around in her tote bag for college. Instead of using a tote bag at college, I use a backpack. The problem is that my backpack is basically my life--I'm never in my dorm room. I'm either at class, the library, volunteering, downtown, or in a research lab. Since I'm always on the go, I have to bring everything with me. I wish I could use totes...there are some adorable ones out there! But alas, I wouldn't have enough room in them for everything.

If you're a backpack girl, here's all the essentials you've got to bring with you as you pave the way through your hectic, busy days!

Backpack Essentials by preppypremed featuring Incase

Starting with the backpack and going counter clockwise:

I bought a Northface backpack for college two years ago and it's still in perfect condition. It might be a little pricier than some of the more fashionable backpacks out there, but you're paying for quality. I also made sure to get a black backpack because it would match with anything and people wouldn't notice if it got dirty.

A wristlet is a must for any college girl. You can fit your school ID, keys, cell phone, money and debit cards all into one little pouch, therefore never losing anything! 

I'm lucky enough to own a Nook Color, so I always have that with me wherever I go. It has my teachers' PDFs on it, my textbooks, books for my English class, "just for fun" novels and a few magazines as well. It definitely has freed up some space in my backpack (and saved my back). Don't forget a cute cover for it so it doesn't get scratched.

Here my obsessive-compulsive side comes out: I use a cheap travel electronics bag to hold my cell phone charger, computer charger, Nook charger and extra headphones. You never know when these devices will run out of battery!

ALWAYS carry extra index cards with you. You never know when you might need them. Trying to make notecards out of looseleaf scrap paper doesn't work...trust me, I've tried.

I have a little makeup pouch that carries all of my Emergency Backpack Items. I'm saving that list for a different post!

Every college student always has a water bottle with them. Backpacks are perfect for water bottles, as they usually have those mesh holders for them at their sides. Plus, refillable water bottles are so much cheaper than continuously buying plastic ones.

I think a lot of people do this so it's not very innovative, but I have a binder for my Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes and Tuesday/Thursday classes, so I only have to carry one binder around with me each day. 

A flexible pencil pouch is essential. It's a pain to rifle through the bottom of your backpack, trying to find some stray pencils when you have your test starting in a minute. I'm a fan of these cute, colorful pencil pouches here. 

Finally, last but not least we have your computer! Even though most backpacks have a special padded section for your laptop, I still put a slip-on cover around it just in case. Hint of caution: don't buy your case at the Apple Store or right from Dell. They're so much cheaper on Amazon! 

I will be going into detail about some of these items in upcoming posts. What do you consider essential to carry in your backpack?