The post How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break appeared first on Highland Village Apartments Blog.
]]>Get a Job or Internship
The last thing you probably want to do is to jump right into another stressful situation, but a summer position can benefit you in a lot of ways. Not only can you bank some funds for the coming school year, reducing the amount of time you'll have to work while taking classes, you can also make connections that look great on your transcript.
Volunteer
Look to your interests and find a volunteer opportunity. If you love animals, work at a shelter or volunteer with assistance animals. Clean up a local river, add your talents to a kids' day camp or work to collect food for Second Harvest. You'll get a great feeling every day you work, and your community will be better because of it.
Start a Business
Eight or ten weeks don't sound like enough time to start a genuine business, but plenty of college-age people have created online businesses successful enough to support themselves, and they've done it in a short amount of time. Even if you don't make a million dollars your first year, the experience of creating a business can give you a leg up in upcoming economics classes.
No matter how you spend your summer vacation away from NAU, you'll enjoy coming home to your comfortable apartment in Highland Village. Call our office today for a tour, and see how our neighborhood is the right place for you.
The post How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break appeared first on Highland Village Apartments Blog.
]]>The post The Bare Necessities: Back to School Apartment Basics appeared first on Highland Village Apartments Blog.
]]>Get in the (Study) Zone
We all know your favorite part of your apartment is your bed (ours, too), but that doesn’t mean it’s where you should be studying! It’s time to invest in a desk. You can go pretty basic, like this sweet little Mainstay Parsons Desk with convenient drawers for organization. But we’re in love with South Shore’s “Smart Basics” desk with an above-desk shelf for photos (or framed reminders to start studying!), drawer space, and a sliding keyboard shelf. Don’t forget to invest in a basic task chair, like this basic rolling wonder from Target. (Hint: We prefer armless chairs so we don’t get in the habit of dumping clothes and other stuff we should put away on it!) Don’t forget a basic desk organizer—something to hold pens, desk supplies, and even store that paper print out so you don’t lose it before class—and calendar, and of course a nice desk lamp!
The Five Ps
One of our favorite NAU professors always reminded students to “Remember the Five Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” Well, here are our Five Ps for proper planning:
- Planner: Check out these Day Designer planners from Target, stylish and perfect for organizing your day to day activities during the school year.
- Portfolio: Buy yourself at least one three ring binder or portfolio to keep track of all your course materials for the semester.
- Pens and Pencils: Here’s a “Duh” moment … you’re not going to get very far this year without a good supply of writing instruments. (Pro Tip: We know you’d love to just take your iPad to class, but keep in mind you always run the risk of having that ONE prof who hates tech and bans it from their classroom.)
- Plenty of Paper: Use your desk organizer to store a reserve of printer and loose leaf paper, and plan to have at least one notebook for each class. (Remember that three ring binder we told you to buy?)
- PDA: Don’t worry, we’re not recommending you go old school. We personally love the myHomework app (free) to track assigments, iHomework ($0.99) to track your coursework to-do list, and iStudiez Pro ($2.99) to keep color-coded track of class schedules and assignments.
No Bore Décor
We love Walmart’s special section of Inspirational Wall Art! Target has a huge selection of College Décor that will help you deck your apartment out in impeccable style, including floor lamps, pillows, posters, and must-haves like this sweet bulletin-chalkboard combo!
Sundries
Don’t forget to add your personality to your apartment! As much as you should be focusing on your studies, home is where your heart is, so put your heart into your home. Check out these unique and sometimes-classy-sometimes hilarious mugs from Urban Outfitters. Keep an eye out for inspiration, like Pier One’s Boho look selections and room inspiration guides. And for all your Lumberjacks: Don’t miss NAU’s Apartment Décor deals!
The post The Bare Necessities: Back to School Apartment Basics appeared first on Highland Village Apartments Blog.
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