HOW TO GUIDE: MIDTERMS

It is almost that time of the year my friends: Midterm Season. Along with weekly quizzes in my math class and other sporadic quizzes and tests, I have already have two midterms so far. Midterms in only the fifth week of school is not something I had really prepared myself for. Welcome to college. However, both midterms seemed to go over pretty smoothly and I walked out of them pretty confidently. The reason for that is I made new study habits for myself. So, today I thought I would share some easy tricks to get that grade you want.

Study Tip #1: DEDICATED QUIET SPACE.

When I study, do homework, or do anything where I need to focus I make sure I have a quiet place to go. Since I live with my parents, it can be hard to do that since everyone has their own agenda. My mom will be in the kitchen cooking so I can’t be there, both my parents will be in the living room watching t.v. so I can’t be in there, and until recently I didn’t have a dedicated spot in my room to do work besides my bed or the floor, which usually ends up with me taking a nap. Now that I have a desk and a little corner dedicated to my school work, I am not distracted and can just close the door knowing I won’t have anyone bother me. Like I said my new setup is brand new, but before I had to find other places to go. One night I found myself at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and other days I would spend my breaks in the library getting as much work done as I could. PRO TIP: GO DOWN TO THE SECOND LEVEL OF THE LIBRARY. It’s really quiet down there, and the perfect place to really focus and zone into your studying. I just learned about the second level about a few weeks ago.

Study Tip #2: NO LOUD MUSIC.

When I’m in places like the library and coffee shops it can still be sort of loud so I make sure to wear earplugs, use noise canceling headphones, or play classical musical music instead of playing my normal playlist. I find myself jamming out to my regular playlist and get no work done, especially when it’s not something I want to study for. I know some people say they do well while listening to their favorite songs, but personally I find it nearly impossible to get anything done. So, if you have trouble really focusing because of loud noises and you listen to your favorite playlists while studying,

try and switch it up a bit. PRO TIP: SPOTIFY HAD DEDICATED PLAYLISTS FOR STUDYING AND FOCUSING, CHECK THEM OUT. Not only do I find new songs I like, but they are really helpful for tuning everything else and being productive. Also, Premium Spotify is only $4.99 a month and now it includes Hulu. No Ad’s plus free Hulu, that sounds like a deal to me.

Study Tip #3: FIND A FRIEND.

I know it can be intimidating to talk to new people in your classes, but in the long run it is so helpful. In all of my classes I make sure to introduce myself to at least one person. That way we can exchange contact info and if I need help or miss a day I have someone I can rely on to help me or fill me in on what I missed. I am constantly receiving and sending messages from people in my class about homework questions and more recently questions about quizzes/tests/midterms. You can even plan a study session, because working together is always better than working alone.

I hoped these tips gave you some good ideas about how to prepare to study! They really worked out for me so I hope they work for you. If you guys want more let me know in the comments and subscribe to my blog page to get notified when I post!

Rian x

I LOVE LA.

Hi everyone, long time no talk. It is already the fourth week of the semester, can you believe it? Time really does fly.

Over this past weekend I went to Los Angeles with my parents. We have season tickets for the LA Rams, so we had planned to go to LA on Sunday for the football game. But, Saturday morning my parents and I decided that we also wanted to go to a Dodger game that evening. So, we made an entire weekend of it in LA.

Large Storm Clouds over Mountains. 

Saturday after we booked a hotel and bought our tickets for the game, we started our venture around 1 p.m. Luckily, our car has bluetooth so the time passed by pretty quickly. I know a lot of people don’t like the traffic in LA, but personally I never really mind it. Especially because the destination is always worth it. Anyways, we arrived at Dodger Stadium, found our seats, and grabbed some nachos. The view at the stadium is so beautiful: large bright lights and a clear view of the mountains. On Saturday, there were huge clouds that were creeping up and over those mountains, which made for an even more beautiful sunset. When it got dark, those clouds became storm clouds. As we were watching the game, out the corner of our eyes we could see flashes of light. There was lighting over the mountains, and it was SO COOL. I was quickly distracted by the lightening that I stopped watching the game. Which we did in fact lose. After the game, we stopped by my favorite stop in LA, Cielito Lindo at the Placita Olvera, to grab some taquitos. Which wraps up day one.

Kurt Werner's Signature (Far Right)

Sunday we woke up early to head over to the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the Rams play. We like to go in early and head over the the tunnel where all the players come out. I’m usually pretty good about squeezing myself in between people to get signatures from athletes. It just so happened that they were honoring Ram Hall of Famers, and Kurt Werner was there greeting fans and taking selfies with them. I however did not get a selfie with him, but I did get his signature on my dad’s hat. Yea, my dad owes me one.

It was so hot at the game, especially because the Coliseum does not get much shade until the evening. It was nearly unbearable, but the Rams kicked the Colts butts pretty badly (46-9) which made it all worth it.

Despite the Dodgers losing and it being nearly 100°, it was a great weekend in Los Angeles. It’s really awesome that we can go to places like LA and do so much in just a short weekend because we live so closely to it. If you’re not crazy about the hustle and bustle of LA but still like to go sometimes, remember that you get to come home to a place like Santa Barbara.

My Mom and I taking selfies during the game. 

My Name is Rian, not Rain.

Hi everyone, & welcome to my first blog post! I am so excited to be starting this new adventure and getting to share it with you all!

First off, let's address the title of this blog. It is a very rare experience for my name to actually be pronounced correctly. Which is funny because it's actually a very common name, with some uncommon spelling. My name is Rian, pronounced like Ryan. One little letter really throws people off. I was so used to my name being mispronounced, that I eventually accepted it and wouldn't correct people anymore. But, when the time came to make a 6 word memoir about myself, for my English 110 class in high school, it only seemed fitting to base it off of the mispronunciation of my name. Because, it really is the story of my life. Thus, my mantra began which also became my senior quote.  

Besides the pronunciation of my name there is more to know about me. I am 18, I grew up and went to school here in Santa Barbara, I have my own Youtube channel (username ‘Rian Noel’ make sure to check it out) and now I’m currently enrolled as a Communication major. Hopefully, I will be able to transfer within two years to a 4 year college.

My Youtube Channel

But so far I am enjoying SBCC a lot so far. I have 3 classes on campus, which are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one online class (I don’t know how I got so lucky). I’m taking Math 117, Comm. 101, Comm 121, and Film Studies 101. WISH ME LUCK. The further I get into the school year I will definitely update you guys on how everything is going!

Goodbye Summer Sunsets :(

Even though I am bummed about the summer coming to an end, especially not being able to watch the summer sunsets every evening, I am very excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I was very nervous first starting a week ago, not sure if I was going to make new friends or be able to handle what college throws at me. But, I know SBCC has a lot to offer me, and I know eventually I will find my place by joining clubs and getting involved. I can’t wait to see all the exciting and interesting things that will come my way during my first semester! I can’t wait to share all my experiences with you guys!

Rian x