No one can manage time. You can only manage events in your life relative to time. Here are some time management tips that will make your life easier.

Set Priorities

Proper time management calls for a clear definition of what is urgent and what is important. Experts say “the urgent tasks are not usually the most important. However, students tend to let the urgent ones dominate their lives. In the end, they get stressed.” For great time management skills, adopt the time management matrix that was designed by Merrill, and Covey. The matrix classifies time into four categories; important, not important, urgent and not urgent. Then, note the following:

• Tasks that are marked as both important and urgent must be done.
• Spend as little time as possible on tasks that are marked as not important
• Try and minimize the number of tasks that become marked as important and urgent.

Have a To-Do List

Another obvious, but underutilized approach is to maintain monthly, weekly or daily to-do lists depending on your lifestyle. Just be cautious not to let list making get out of hand. Ideally, you want to:

• Rank items in order of priority
• Don’t keep more than one list at any given time and
• Group similar tasks together; you can use color coding.

Having a to-do list allows you to avoid tasks that may appear attractive but are not in line with your priorities.

Stop Procrastinating

Students procrastinate for several reasons, but mostly because the task at hand is unpleasant or overwhelming. If this is the case, try and break the task into small parts that require little time commitment and have specific, realistic completion deadlines. If you are finding it hard to get started, start with a simple, preparatory task like organizing or collecting information on the topic. It might also help to build a self-reward system on completion of each task.

Manage External Time Wasters

For most students living in off campus apartments, their time is affected by external factors imposed by other people. To overcome this, implement the following tips:

Manage your phone

• Set voice mail and set a specific time to make return calls,
• Avoid side talks. Focus on the primary reason for the call.
• Stand up when making calls; you are more likely to keep the talk short.
• Keep your phone book next to the phone.

Manage your visits

• If you are not okay with the time, tell the visitor politely that you’re unavailable at that time and schedule a more convenient time.
• Set a mutually acceptable time for the visitor.
• Know the objective of the meeting well in time.
• If a person comes to your room, stand up and half the talk while standing.
• Arrive on time and end the meeting on time.
• Lastly, only schedule meetings if they are value-adding.

Manage your emails

• Turn off the instant message feature on your phone and
• Set a specific time to reply emails.

Well, these are the tips we have prepared to help you manage your time when living in off campus student housing. If you would like help looking for a student apartment in Texas, feel free to contact us.

What methods do you use to manage your time? We would love hearing your feedback! Follow us on social media to stay in touch.

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Independence

Most Universities have strict rules that you must abide by if you choose to live on campus. On the contrary, you will neither have to fear a random roommate or be supervised by the infamous RAs when living off campus. You can decorate your room the way you want, have your girlfriend over, keep beer in your fridge, and use on site amenities. When living in student housing, what you do in your room is your business.

Moving off campus is truly liberating. It is your life, and you are able to live it to the fullest.

Adult life experiences

Living off campus offers you a chance to become an adult. It gives you more responsibilities compared to living on campus. Besides the work you will have for school, you will be responsible for paying your rent, utilities, cooking, and coordinating with your roommates. This gives you a chance to experience what live is like in the real world. It is an excellent way to learn to deal with more responsibility, while enjoying more of your college life.

Make your own choices

Another benefit of living of campus if that you get to choose the exact type of rental for your needs. You can select from a full-sized apartment, a studio apartment, or a house. It all depends on how much money you wish to spend on rent, and the type of amenities you are looking for. The more roommates you live with, the cheaper the cost of rent.

Bonding experiences

Living in off campus apartments for college students gives you that bonding time with your buddies that you might not get if you choose on campus accommodations. There is nothing sweeter than sitting up late nights having random conversation with a friend. A chance to interact with people at this level usually leads to more solid friendship bonds that last into the future. In addition, residing off campus gives you an opportunity to meet non-student residents who can teach you new things. Meeting other people and making new friends is one of the most rewarding things you can do while attending college.

Alone time

Your off-campus apartment is a perfect place to retreat to for that much-needed time. As we all know, campus live can be stressful at times and sometimes, all you want is some time alone. Having a personal room that one can retreat to is typically not available for students living on campus. Your room is a perfect place to study peacefully, and or write that 20-page paper or revise for your exam that is coming up next Monday. In fact, you will find out you are more productive in your own place at your own desk; away from all distractions.

Well, these are the benefit of living in off campus apartments for college students. If you would like to search for an off campus apartment near any university in Texas, start using the widget on the right side of this page!

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1. KEEP YOUR PLATE BALANCED AND COLORFUL

Remember the food pyramid you learned in elementary school? It’s still relevant! Try to fit as many different food groups on your plate as possible to keep your diet balanced and your body in check. Switch up your old and boring salads and throw some chicken, hard boiled eggs, and cut up apples on your salad in order to fulfill most of the major food groups in one easy and delicious way. In addition to that, try to make your plate as colorful as possible. Different (natural) colors provide different necessary nutrients that your body needs to run!

2. ONE PLATE, ONE SERVING

One balanced (food group-wise) plate of food is the average portion size for the average college-aged student. Only take one plate of food, and try to restrain going up for seconds. I know that the all you can eat buffet may be EXTREMELY tempting, but you can do it! Portion control is the name of the game here.

3. BEWARE OF THE EXTRAS

Many healthy meals can be made unhealthy with just a few dangerous additives. Instead of going for the pre made salads with the loads of gut-busting dressing, or the pasta drowned in a sea of alfredo sauce, opt for the salad bar where you can choose and then monitor your dressing, or ask for a bowl of plain pasta, and add a bit of olive oil and veggies from the salad bar for a healthier alternative!

4. SAY NO TO SUGARY DRINKS!

Soda may be an obvious thing to avoid when trying to eat healthy, but that’s not the only sugar-filled drink awaiting you in the dining hall. Most juices have just as much, if not more sugar than the average soda, and very little actual fruit filled nutrients! Instead of reaching for another glass of grape juice, opt for some tea sweetened with honey or lemon with your breakfast.

5. CREATE YOUR OWN FOOD MASTERPIECES

Nothing in the hot line at the cafeteria even looking remotely delicious/healthy? Get creative! Grab a piece of toast, some avocado, olive oil, and salt and pepper from the various parts of the dining hall, and then ask one of the staff at the breakfast bar for a fried egg. Put it all together and you’ve got a healthy and satisfying treat for any time of day! After all, who doesn’t love some avocado toast?

6. IT’S OKAY TO SPOIL YOURSELF

Just because you are trying to eat healthy doesn’t mean that you have to completely stave off your guilty pleasures. If you are really craving those chicken nuggets one night, go for it! Just remember, moderation is key! If you go cold-turkey on junk food you may just be on the verge of the ever dangerous junk food binge. Eating a bit every so often will keep you satisfied without completely breaking your healthy streak.

7. WHEN YOU ARE FULL, LEAVE

I know that the dining hall is one of the most social places on campus, especially Freshman year. Sitting around and chatting with friends while sitting right by the french fry station makes the craving ever so strong. To avoid this temptation, simply leave when you are finished eating. Out of sight, out of mind!

Just because you have unlimited pizza at your disposal doesn’t mean you have to be the next to gain the Freshman 15. Take charge of your health (while still eating some uberly delicious food) by following these few simple tips! If you have any other helpful tips, please comment below!

– See more at: http://blog.dormify.com

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Talk About It
If you cannot move to another room, speak with your roommate. It is wise to get things in the open, rather than bottling them up. Ideally, talk about the difficulties you are encountering under the current living arrangement without passing the blame to him or her, and then give them a chance to air their grievances too.
For instance, say something like, “I feel bad when our dishes are left in the sink for 2 days. Can we brainstorm and come up with a routine on washing them?” Such a statement helps by pointing out a bad issue and at the same time allowing you to own the feeling without accusing anyone. Discussing your problems amongst yourself improves your off campus living experience positively and allows you both to be honest to each other. In the long run, it might not only make you feel better living in your together, but it might ultimately make you life-long friends.

A few tips to note:
➢ If you note the talk is about to turn into a sort of a blowout in a back alley, cut it out and explore other options.
➢ If your roommate agrees to the plan but does not put it into action, a weekly reminder may be all they need.

Make Them Your Friend
By sharing fun time together, you can improve the atmosphere in your off campus rental and cement your bond further. Share your interests with him or her and after figuring out what interests them, find common ground and do something together. Why not go and watch a film together if you both like the same types of movies? Regardless of how you spend the time, it will improve the environment with your bad roommate.

Set Ground Rules
Setting boundaries makes a bad roommate bearable. Agree on issues such as setting up personal space in the room, being considerate about noise, how you will share food, and more. Also, give your roommate a chance to talk about some things that you do that make them feel out of home. Setting ground rules makes it easier to know what to expect and what not to expect from each other. After coming up with the rules, sign a commitment, not to cross them. Well, you might not sign but you need to promise to keep them. It is a popular strategy among off campus student housing and one that works.
Well, these are the tips we have prepared for you in this post. We encourage you to start a search for off campus student housing using our site. We also invite you to share this post via social media.
Comment with some examples of how you have handled roommate conflict & connect with us on your favorite social media channel!

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2015 brings in mixing and matching to the max – anything goes! Patterns are very popular this year and if you really want to make a statement, try mixing patterns. Bold stripes! Bright geometrics! Try painting bold zigzags across one wall (practice on construction paper first, then use painting tape to mark off your zigs) or use an extra large canvas for a contemporary do-it-yourself artwork. Jewel tones? Yes! That would be deep red wine color, purple, rich chocolate brown, & peacock blue. Oops – hate rich tones? Go pale…mauve, robin’s egg blue, sand….pale colors bring calm! Not sure what color? Google the color wheel chart and notice which color appeals to you most. Choose a favorite bold contrasting color for pillows and throws as accents.

Chances are your sofa might need a bit of a lift – try new pillows that will brighten and refresh. If you don’t have the extra money for new, check out the slipcovers at Target and Walmart. And while we’re on the subject of sofas, this might be the time to vacuum all the Cheetos that have fallen underneath the sofa cushions. There’s probably a whole meal under there! Too tired to vacuum – call Fido over to clean it up. While you’re at it, you may as well clean the carpet…those stains are not part of pattern you’re trying to achieve!

Maybe instead of the faux wood coffee table, and opt for something metallic in gold or
iron or chrome with glass. Glass creates more “space” than a heavy wood piece.

And here’s an interesting trend – some students are even putting artwork on the ceilings! Wallpaper, not pasted, but push pinned to the ceiling might add a very interesting effect.

Also this year students are bringing the outdoors inside. So try a nice outdoor piece in the living room. No camping chairs, but director’s chairs from Pier One are a nice addition. Outside materials like stone and brick facades, raw wood architectural elements would be good to try too. Tall potted plants are always add a natural element
to a living room and a patio.

If you like Ethnic, prints are a great way to make your apartment look a bit more exotic. Try hanging rugs on the walls or use a patterned fabric or wild animal wood piece.

Matching is out and mixing finishes is in! From woods to hardware to textures, anything and everything will go together in 2015.

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McDonalds

One Premium Crispy Club Sandwich paired with a medium fries equals out to 1,010 calories. Opt for a McChicken and a small fries instead for only 600 calories.

Burger King

A Double Whopper with Cheese, without the fries or any other sides, contains 1,070 calories. If you’ve gotta have a Whopper, make it a single, which contains 510 calories without mayo.

Wendy’s

That Quarter-Pound Single with Cheese with a side of chili cheese fries tops out at 980 calories. Opt for a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe instead. It has 230 fewer calories. Add an order of small fries and your meal will only contain 660 calories.

Chik Fil-A

An original Chicken Sandwich at Chick Fil-A contains 440 calories, and paired with a small chocolate milkshake you’ll be at 990 calories. Skip the milkshake and opt for an unsweetened iced tea instead.
Editors note: Chik Fil-A’s tortilla soup is to die for. It’s so good…to hell with the calorie count.

KFC

One breast, thigh, drumstick, and wing – in other words, a half fried chicken – clocks in at 870 calories, and if you decide to splurge on one more wing that’ll put you above the 1,000 mark. Instead, go for either the breast (320 calories) or the thigh (290 calories), or even better, opt for the Kentucky Grilled Chicken; a breast, wing, drumstick, and thigh contains only 560 calories.

Chipotle

Want your carnitas burrito topped with rice, beans, and guacamole? Then expect to eat right around 1,000 calories. If you’re looking to make your burrito as healthy as possible, skip the add-ons like cheese and sour cream and load up on the vegetables or, even better, for a burrito bowl, which foregoes the 300-calorie tortilla completely.

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Since I had dogs growing up, I thought that having one in college would be relatively easy and fun. Having her around was entertaining, but it was a big responsibility, too. Her name was Cleo, she was a Siberian Husky with steel-blue eyes, and she would sit in the window and watch students coming and going on their way to class. I met a lot of people who would stop me and ask what kind of dog she was.

Recommendation: if you have to get a dog, get one that’s a conversation starter, that is, if you like people as much as you like dogs.

So here are a few tips on avoiding complications if you get a pet while living off campus.
Sharing your apartment with a canine friend is awesome. Dogs can give unconditional acceptance and loyalty, provide constant companionship, and even help relieve stress after a hard day.

1. If you have a roommate make sure he/she’s cool with having a pet. Funny story: my roommate had a guy over one night and they were in the living room watching tv. Note: She’d just met him. Cleo (the pup) went into her bedroom and found her thong on the floor and ran down the hallway into the living room tossing it in the air like a toy. She proudly dropped it at the guy’s feet. I don’t think my roommate ever got over it

2. If an apartment complex allows pets, there will ALWAYS be a pet deposit and possible which can be as high as $500 depending on what where the student apartments are located. Some apartments impose a number of restrictions on their maintenance. It’s not uncommon for weight or breed limits to be set in some areas. Be sure you read your lease agreement or consult with your apartment manager before you bring the dog home. This was the mistake I made – I fell in love with Cleo, brought her home, got very attached and then realized that there was a weight limit ( I think this has something to do with the bigger the dog, the bigger the poop.) When she grew to 35lbs. I was forced to find another apartment. This is NOT what you want to do, in the middle of semesters, etc. Cleo topped out at 45 lbs., which for many apartment complexes, is considered a large dog, which equaled large deposit and a cleaning fee.
Pet deposits range from $200-$500 depending on where you live. Most deposits are non-refundable so find this stuff out ahead of time!

3. Consider that you’ll have your canine friend for many years (10-15) so start saving your money now. Factor in the cost of dog food, treats, toys, grooming care, vaccinations & vet visits…this is a BIG financial commitment! Dog food runs from really cheap (don’t buy at discount stores – it’s been sitting there for years, and God knows what’s actually in it) to expensive. A 30lb bag of premium dog food from Pets Mart can be as high as $70-90. Do your research before you buy-there’s a ton of nutritional information for Spot on the web.

4. Have FUN with your pup. Remember, all he wants to do is be with YOU. Try not to leave him alone all day – come back and let him out between classes, or ask a neighbor to if you’re going to be gone for an extended period. Take him with you to Sonic or to a friend’s place. Dog Parks are a fun place to go if you’re in a densely populated and urban area. If Fido is “social” he will love going to the park. This is also a great way to meet new people, and make new friends. Who knows, your next serious relationship might be at the dog park somewhere! I just hope you like his dog!

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a ton of stuff.   Now it’s the most confusing time of the year.  It’s the Holidays which means it’s either Christmas or Hannukah, I never know which comes first.   It’s the semester’s end, the new year, and a new semester starting.  You’re finally adjusted to your new apartment and resigned to the awful roommate and then you’re home for the holidays, back in your bedroom (your small apartment seems gigantic now) and dealing with your little brother or sister all over again. You’re in the black hole of transition. Transition should be a curse word.

Why is Taylor Swift singing a pop song?  Isn’t she a country singer? I’m confused. Is pop music going to change, or is country music changing?  I’m going to get confused listening to the radio now – Taylor’s on the pop stations and country stations.  What station is this?

Holiday gift buying is killing me. How can anyone afford this stuff? I’m going to the movies….will have to ask Mom for some cash. I’m out of money because of all that holiday shopping (some for myself).   “The Interview” was supposed to start on Christmas day but that nut Kim Jun something or other is threatening to kill us if we see it. Seriously bro, it’s just a movie.  That I won’t get to see. When has that ever happened???

I’m so tired of my brother stinking up the bathroom….maybe he could go to camp Korea…did I just think that?!…I can’t wait to have my own bathroom back when I go back to school! Scratch the movie…I’ll go for some Frozen Yogurt…oh the malls!….all those shoppers. Pulllease, people!!  WHY do they wait until the last minute?

Oh, I forgot Aunt Beth’s gift.  Here I go…well at least the price of gas is down.

But what goes down, must go up, or is it the other way around?  I never got that crude price per barrel thing.  I’m confused.  Again.

I wonder if Mom would lend me some money so that I can go to the mall….

Oh GOD!  I wish I were back in my apartment sitting on my Cheeto covered couch with my roommie watching Late Night.  Except someone told me that some of the late night shows are switching too…maybe I should study instead..or should I watch the new show?   Oh the decisions at such a confusing time in my life.

I can’t wait to go back to school (and my APARTMENT) and maybe all these changes will STOP!  Enough already!

Oh…Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy New Year!

I think.

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