Watch Me Move

So this past week I moved into my first apartment over the course of this week and it has been a lot of fun but a lot of work as well. I was very picky about my first place and did some shopping around. It took me a little longer than I wanted to find a good place and move in but my place was worth the wait. Here are just a few tips that I used in my apartment hunt. Hope they help!

1. Know your area! For me this is what took soooo long lol. I am not familiar with Philadelphia and did not know what neighborhoods were good to live in. I decided to start walking around, asking people, and search the internet to find a neighborhood where I felt comfortable. It took a few weeks but I finally found the perfect area for me.
2. Decide what is most important to you. After you find your optimal neighborhood it is time to figure out your wish list. I had to ask myself what were the most important things to me and what things I was willing to budge on. For me the two main things that I would NOT go without were safety and parking. Parking is insane in the city and I wanted to make sure that there was a parking garage or space that I had for my car. I did not want to have to search for street parking every night when I came home. I was willing to live a little farther in order to have those things.
3. Price it Key but... The next thing is to figure out your budget. This is a very important thing to know. For me I knew how much I was willing to spend AND took into account other expenses that went along with the apartment i.e groceries, cable, internet, electricity, water,,etc. Since I am living alone I knew that a lot of my utilities would be low but I still budgeted them in. Try and find places that have some utilities included. You may have to pay a little more but if you set a budget for yourself then you should be fine. I know for myself and my class schedule I am home during the day so I do not have the lights on. I open the blinds. That helps with my electric bill. I was fortunate to find a place that has gated parking and included water in the rent.
4. ...Money Talks! I fell in love with a neighborhood and a particular complex and it had most of the things on my wish list. When I asked to see a unit I was shown 2. The first a studio that was WAY to small for me and the second was the one I ended up moving into. The only issue was it was out of my price range I had set for myself. So that is when I did a little thinking and A LOT of negotiating. I spoke to the property manager and explained that I was a student and what my budget was. I told him that along with first month and a security deposit  that I would pay 5 months ahead of time. This would mean he did not have to pay to advertise the unit and that he had guaranteed rent for 6 months. I also asked if he could do a few updates to the apartment and it worked! Always remember that people love it when you can pay months ahead of time. It is a luck of the draw when they choose someone that can pay month to month. Things happen and you never know if they will come up with the rent. Paying a few months down gives you some room to make a FEW demands as well as get the price lower. It gives the property manager security. 
5. Relax. After you move in a lot of things will come at you. For me I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed by the time I moved in. That DID NOT happen lol. There are small things that you think of that you will need once you get into the space. I have been living at walmart, big lots and a few other stores for the last few days. Every time I think I am done I sit down and realize there are things I am still missing. The first 2 days I was so stressed and then I realized that moving into a place is a journey. Of course I am going to forget stuff but that is a part of having a first place. I have learned to relax and go with the flow and also that Walmart and Big Lots are my new best friends :)

So there are my tips for finding and moving into a new place. If you stick to your guns you'll find something great. I hope these tips help. Any questions just ask. Until next time......

Rolling in the Deep

Whew! This week has been a lot. It has been about 4 weeks into class and now things are getting serious. I am in the Reading, Writing, and Literacy Masters Program. All I do is read and read and read some more but I do love it. The first week or so things seemed slow but now its getting deep. In other words things just got real lol. Reading 5 articles for each class on top of the course work books and papers has been my life this past week. My MacBook has become my new best friend along with BulkPacks. I enjoy reading an am really learning a lot but things are starting to get a bit more difficult. It is time to really start balancing things. Here are some things I do to balance and not go insane.

1. Set time out to read and do assignments. I know this sounds obvious but as soon as I get a new reading I set time out and put in on my schedule to read just those articles for that specific class.
2. Work at YOUR primetime. I know that after 1:00 am anything new I try to read does not stick in my brain. I also know that I can write a paper until the wee hours of the night. Basically know yourself and how you operate. This helps so much in scheduling your time.
3. Find a comfortable place that suits you. For me sitting on my bed or on a floor with some music in the background and snacks is the best way for me to do work. It took me a long time to find my "study space'. I was always told in order to do work it was important to be in a quiet space and at a desk. That NEVER worked for me. I was uncomfortable and it was too quiet. 
4. In the end just take it day by day. That is what I am doing. If I think of everything I have to do I start to get overwhelmed and stressed. One step at a time and things will work out.

Until next time..... :)

So it Begins...

Hey guys! Whew the first few weeks of Grad school have been interesting. Between the classes and all the readings it has been a little hectic but a lot of fun. I moved to Philly a few days before Orientation and I still have not gotten everything down pact. For this first post I am just going to give a few tips that I think are really important and that I use everyday:

• If you drive to school add an extra 10-15 minutes to the time you leave to account for parking.
• When you do find street parking make sure you pay a little extra for time. You never know when you might have to talk to a professor after class or end up walking a little slower that day.
• Talk to your professors and advisors. If you are having an issue with a class or even getting the books just talk to them. They will help you out and sometimes even email you the articles for the upcoming class.
• Bring snacks to each class. This has to be my favorite one. I LOVE food! Since the majority of my classes are in the evening I try to bring snacks and at least 2 things to drink to each of them.
• Find a friend. Have at least one person in each class that you can turn to and say HELP lol or to talk to about the assignments.
• Explore Philly when you get a chance. There is tons of things to do. I am still exploring and finding new places to eat and hang out. 
• Do not stress and enjoy! I was so worried about starting a new school in a new city that I began stressing out a little bit. But after the first week I realized that I could do this and to just relax and enjoy my time here. 

So those are just a few tips from me to you that I hope will help. Until next time!!