Top Ten Useful Items to Keep In Your Purse - by Stephanie

1.    Pony tail holder-The possible situations that could arise in which a hair elastic could be useful are endless.  Whether you get to the gym and the hair elastic you’re using breaks, or you’re walking outside and get caught in a burst of wind, always be prepared in case you want your long locks up and out of your face. 

2.    Baby wipes-Messes can happen suddenly and without warning, causing sticky evidence on your hands, face or any other personal items.  Carry a travel-sized pack of baby wipes and be prepared for the unexpected.  

3.    Pen/Small pad of paper-Although the need for this is becoming less and less due to current-day smartphone technology, keeping a pen and pad of paper with you is a nice backup in case the batteries on your electronics fail you.  

4.    Mini deodorant-Self-explanatory-who doesn’t like to stay feeling and smelling fresh, especially on a warm day.

5.    Pair of small fold-up flats-This item will particularly come in handy if you wear heals on a daily basis or walk as a main form of transportation.  For those days that your dress shows and your feet are just not in synch, whip out your pair of flats.  They’re cute, comfortable, and easily stored.  

6.    Band-Aids-In case you forget your pair of fold-up flats, this is the next best thing you can keep in your purse.  Even if you can’t change your shoes, use a band aid to protect blisters and sores that form. 

7.    Emergency whistle-This is especially important if you walk alone often.  If you ever run into trouble, one of the best self-defense mechanisms is to create as much noise and commotion as possible.  

8.    A pill box containing Advil/Tylenol and Tums-Don’t take up the space and weight of carrying 3 full bottles of tablets and medications.  Purchase a small pill box at your local grocery store, and keep it stocked with just a few doses of your over-the-counter medications.  

9.    Pocket brush with mirror-Serves two functions.  If you weren’t fortunate enough to remember your hair elastic, mentioned at the beginning, then if you have this, you can at least fix your hair style once you’ve gotten to where you’re going.  Use the mirror to be on the alert for food bits in your teeth after a meal and to check for smudged makeup.

10.    Key holder-These are both practical and cute.  They usually hang over the edge of the outside of the purse, displaying a cute logo or emblem.  On the inside, there is a clip from which your keys can be clipped.  This way, they don’t get lost in all of the other items listed above and you will always be able to find them in a moment’s notice.  



Stephanie Brady is a college freshman at the University of Connecticut in Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut majoring in pre-pharmacy. Originally from New Market, New Hampshire, Stephanie was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of New Hampshire for 2012. Learn more about Stephanie here!

Reflections on 70% of a Semester - by Jordan

Now that I'm just two weeks away from finishing my first semester of freshman year, I've learned a few things, things that I wish I would have known just a few months ago when I left for Auburn University. With a little freshman wisdom, here's my advice for you.

1. Organization and cleanliness are key! I'm really glad that I have had an organized, color-coded notebook and folder for each class. It makes organization so much easier, and I love having all of my notes in one place rather than flipping through a giant five-subject notebook. I am constantly using my agenda, not only to mark down important deadlines but to plan the rest of my day. Time-blocking is an important time-management strategy to plan your work, so that you can maximize your free time. I've also noticed that having a clean room and study environment makes me feel more relaxed and less stressed.
2. Get involved! I'm really glad I took a big leap of faith to join Greek life and a social sorority the week before school started. It's been a lot of time, but I'm really happy and excited to be part of something bigger than myself. However, I do have one word of caution: don't get too involved! One of my friends is overloading herself with extra-curriculars, and she has complained to me on a few occasions that her grades are slipping, and she doesn't have as much free time. I would say get involved, but limit your involvement to one social extra-curricular and one community service extra-curricular. I'm now on the committee for the Big Event, Auburn's huge community outreach day, and I know that our pre-planning for this wonderful activity will bring such a sense of fulfillment, knowing that I have helped others, even in a simple way.
3. Make new friends, AND keep the old! I'm really glad there are technologies like Facebook to keep me updated on all of my friends from back home, as well as my Distinguished Young Women sisters! It's been so fun to see everyone's college journeys unfold, and to be able to message my friends every once in a while. It's also really important to make new friends on campus. Hang out in your dorm lobby and meet the people you share a building with. Chat someone up while you're in line at the salad bar. Join up with your friends after your club meeting and go see a movie or grab some fro-yo! It's important to make connections with others, it will make your college life that much more enjoyable.

That's all I have for now! I'm looking forward to seeing my family for the first time since August! Thanksgiving break is finally here!

Have an awesome holiday!

Jordan Orris is a college freshman at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis on Marketing and Convergence Journalism. Originally from Henderson, Nevada, Jordan was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Nevada for 2012. Learn more about Julia here!

Finding your Organizational Planning Style - by Rachel

I have never been one for organization. Occasionally, I would write a sticky note and post it somewhere, or write in my high school issued planner that began to collect dust. To quote one of my favorite bands, The Jonas Brothers, “Oh how the tables have turned.” Now that I’m in college, organization of my weeks and events are essential.
 
A few weeks ago I was in a training session for Resident Advisors, and the facilitator brought something to my attention that I foolishly hadn’t noticed before: left brain and right brain people need their own specific ways to plan and organize their time effectively.

I’m going to give you a quick run-through of what we did.

First we took this test, and you should too:
http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi

Next, after we established if we were left brained, right brained, or a perfect balance of both, we learned the different methods of organization that benefit each type.

Logical Lefties
You left brained people are detail oriented. You believe there is a right and wrong way to do everything, and often the right way to do something is to follow the directions. There is a place for everything and everything is in it its place. You like to assign numbers to things. You like to keep your room clean, usually.
 
This is what you need:

• A Planner: Get a planner, whether it is daily or weekly, you need a place to write down your thoughts. 
• Graph Paper: Writing down your ideas or homework on graph paper can soothe your mind because it keep you inside the lines and stay neat.
• Folders: Buy a folder for every aspect of your life, color coordinated based on importance or time. Definitely have one for school and every one of your classes (or similar classes). When you are old enough to manage your money, have a folder for all of your receipts. 
• Labels: Labels, Labels, Labels! If you feel like you need one of those handy label makers from Office Max, go grab one of those, but if not sticky labels will do the job. Labels will help keep you organized in every aspect of your day. Label your notebooks, label the organization boxes in your room, and even label your drawers if you want!

You will usually stick to one major planner for a long time because you will feel comfortable with it.

Radical Righties
You right brained people are big picture people. You believe in the journey and not the destination, and prefer spontaneity along the way. You often let your emotions guide you rather than logic. There are always many ways to approach a situation and there are two sides to every story for you. If you could classify everything with a color you would. Your room is usually messy (not messy, you just haven’t had time to clean it!)
 
This is what you need:

• A Journal: Grab a journal or whip out your laptop and write about your life. Writing down your days or your weeks will be good for you because you can write anything you feel. It doesn’t have to be organized thoughts, which is just what your right-brain dominated mind needs. 
• To-Do list: Get a piece of printer paper or a colorful lined piece of parchment so you can write all of your plans in the same place. Sometimes you need some organization, so having all of your important tasks for the week written down on a paper you can carry with you will be very beneficial. 
• Post-it Notes: Take those sticky little guys and write down everything you need to do on high traffic areas like your mirror or your door. Buy some that are preferably bright colors, so you can see them from a long ways away.

You will often change methods for organization every year or maybe even every month, depending on the situations. You’re mind is always changing.

In-Betweenies
Those of you that find yourself stuck in limbo between these two, well, you’re just going to have to figure out what works best for you! Take a few examples from both and incorporate them into your life. Use what works and throw out what doesn’t.

If you’re curious as to which side of my brain dominates my world, I’ll have you know that I am right brained, though I was relatively in-between. I let my emotions guide my actions, and though I try to be organized, I’m really not. I am a big picture person. I have post-it notes strewn all about my room, especially when I have a big assignment or event coming up. I keep a planner, which is very helpful, but I don’t always use it.

I hope this helps, especially if you are going into middle school or high school next year! It’s really important that you figure out what organizational style works best for you because you’re going to start getting very busy, you distinguished ladies, you!

Rachel Williams is a college freshman at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico majoring in International Studies. Originally from Kirtland, New Mexico, Rachel was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of New Mexico for 2011. Learn more about Rachel here!