Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique? I am a single mom of two (boy and ...

Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?

I am a single mom of two (boy and girl), 32 years old. I have always wanted to obtain my degree in Accounting, but I kept putting it off for no valid reason, other than I hate writing essays. I was working with a telecommunications company when I decided to go back to school. I was not happy in my current position or department. I wanted out but as much as I applied with other companies, I never got a callback. One day I came across an ad for the University in my area, and I thought, “what’s the worst that can happen? Let me apply and see how this goes” …I got accepted, I was excited and nervous because I felt I was too old to start university. I sucked it up and completed my first semester. Shortly after, I was granted a full scholarship and got a job offer at another company within their finance department. I am now in my second year with one semester left to complete my associates then I am on to my bachelor’s degree.

Has your back to school experience been a smooth journey? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

Thankfully, my experience has been smooth. I have family and friends that encourage me when I feel like throwing in the towel and remind me why I started in the first place.

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Time management was always a problem for me, I am a procrastinator. I had to discipline myself to stay off social media and put my phone down so that I could focus on my assignments or to spend that ‘social media’ time studying. It is still somewhat of a struggle now, but I use apps that help with keeping track of study time (Flora) and Notion as a planner and ‘to-do’ list for assignments. Whenever I can, I try to stay ahead by reading the chapter that will be discussed before class and making some notes; that way, I understand what the lecturer is discussing.

Tell us about your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree once you finish?

I will be working towards becoming a CPA. Though, I have been thinking of going into law as well. But I will wait to see where life leads me.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

I would not do anything differently; I feel that I am more mature now, and I take my studies more seriously.

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals.

African American woman smiling wearing cap and gown and holding diploma

July 17, 2019February 5, 2020

6 Steps to Building Better Study Habits This Spring

When you think about building new habits, you probably think about the New Year. After all, this is the time where we all take a good look at our lives and see things that we want to change. However, most people drop out early and do...

So, how can you change this? How can you ensure that you build good habits on any occasion and not only think about them in when the New Year rolls around? Learn the best ways to stay productive on the go with good habits.

The Step-by-Step Process to Building Good Habits

Step #1: Define And Focus On Just One New Habit

Most of us have different habits that we want to change. However, if you try to change them all at the same time, you’re more likely to end up failing. With this in mind, it is a much better approach to simply focus on one new habit that you want to build.

The key to determining the first new habit you want to implement in your life is to think of something that you can do all the time and that fits your daily life. That could be a 15-minute walk every lunch break, swapping soda for flavored water, or going to bed 30 minus earlier.

Step #2: Make A Commitment:

One of the most important things that you need to do when you are building a new habit is simply commit to it. You can even tell your friends that you will do this or that for the rest of your life. If you don’t mean it, it won’t do you any good. Besides, building a habit is more about doing than it is about telling. So, commit to your new habit for at least 30 days.

Step #3: Connect Your New Habit To An Established One:

Motivation rarely lasts. So, what you should do to help make a new habit stick is that you should anchor your new habit to an established one. Unless you do that, you will see your motivation decrease day after day. On the other hand, if you focus on continuing the habit without fail, it will come to a point where it is simply natural. Try pairing your desired action with a habit you already have to improve your motivation.

Tell yourself something like “after dropping kids off at school, I will take a walk around the building.”

Step #4: Take Baby Steps:

Even though you may be eager to build a new habit, the reality is that it will take you time for your brain to see this new habit as natural. So, the best thing you can do is to take baby steps. This way, you will be introducing the new habit in your life slowly but consistently. Just think of things such as waking up each morning 5 minutes earlier or eating one serving of vegetables each day. While these might seem to be very simple, this is exactly why they work.

Step #5: Dealing With Obstacles:

When you think of building a new habit, you are incredibly motivated. However, your motivation tends to start decreasing unless you keep focusing yourself on committing to this new habit every day.

The truth is that you will always end up dealing with obstacles and the best way to deal with them is to prevent them. Some of the most common obstacles include space, weather, time, pain, self-consciousness, and costs.

So, the best approach is to be prepared to deal with them when they come. Let’s say that you decided that your new habit will be to run outdoors every single day for 30 minutes. Everything is going well until the day it rains. Instead of skipping your run, you could plan that you will go to the gym instead.

Step #6: Reward Yourself:

When you want to make sure that you build a new habit, there is nothing better than rewarding yourself when you reach the target. Remember that you don’t need to break the bank to treat yourself. It can simply be doing something you love or going out with your loved one.

Are you working to improve your study habits? UniversityWriting911 is here to help with resources for creating and polishing A+ worthy essays and more.

Woman listening to headphones on a commute

Uncategorized

July 11, 2019February 5, 2020

10 Best Audiobooks & Podcasts to Get Motivated

Daily life and daily routines can simply wear you down. And when you have one of those days when nothing goes right, you tend to feel even worse. No matter if you have an argument with a friend, if your teenager has a bad day, or if ...

The reality is that we all have days like these. And when we have them, the best thing you can do is to motivate yourself. But how?

One of the best things you can do is to listen to an inspirational and motivational audiobook or podcast. While there are a lot of great options out there, we hand-selected the 10 best audiobooks and podcasts to get motivated.

#1: The 10X Rule By Grant Cardone

When you are feeling down and you need that extra push to motivate you, you can be sure that The 10X Rule will do it. This audiobook is meant for people who like to think for themselves and question their own decisions and actions as a way to improve.

#2: The 12 Week Year By Bruan P. Moran

This is another amazing audiobook that we are sure is going to motivate you even on your worst days. The main goal of this audiobook is to teach you how to stay focused on your actions.

According to the author, “execution is the single greatest market differentiator.” and it’s what makes the difference between people who accomplish their goals and the ones that don’t.

#3: Changeability By Kathryn Bryant And Julian Illman

This weekly podcast is really something. In their weekly podcasts, the hosts provide techniques, tools, and interviews to help you make positive changes in your own life. From setting goals to improving mind management, improving physical health, are just some of the topics covered.

#4: Rich Dad Poor Dad By Robert T. Kiyosaki

This is probably one of the most popular books of the last decade. And you can now have it as an audiobook and we are certain that you’re going to love it.

While this audiobook is more related to thinking about money from a different perspective, the reality is that you can get the motivation you need if you stop working for the money, as the author says.

#5: The School of Greatness

Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete, is the host of this motivational podcast. As you know, athletes, especially pro athletes, need to develop motivational thinking on their own. In fact, many professional sports already include professional motivators to help athletes reach better performance.

In this podcast, you will be able to take Lewis knowledge, techniques, tips, and even personal stories to improve your own life in many different aspects.

#6: Living With A Seal By Jesse Itzler

Before you go ahead and get this audiobook, it is worth to mention that it has a lot of f’words all over the place. However, we believe that the result and what you get from this audiobook can really be motivational.

As you know, Seals need to go through a hard training, both physical and mental, in order to become Seals. With this audiobook, you will understand and realize that you can do a lot more and a lot better than what you currently do. All you need is the right motivator and this is what you get from this amazing audiobook.

#7: The Brendon Show

When you are looking for motivation in your life, then you should consider this podcast. The author is a personal development coach and a motivational speaker. What we like about this podcast is that Brendon, the host, speaks about his personal experiences and what he learned from each one of them.

#8: Invisibilia

Hosted by Alix Spiegel, Lulu Miller, and Hanna Rosin, this podcast is a bit different from all the others in this list. The reality is that it discusses some invisible concepts that tend to control your beliefs, behaviors, emotions, assumptions, and even cultural norms.

In this podcast, the hosts interview innovative thinkers who tend to look at problems from a completely different perspective. Ultimately, they end up motivating you by teaching more about these invisible forces and how you can prevent them from affecting you.

#9: Goals! How To Get Everything You Want Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible By Brian Tracy

This audiobook is definitely a hit in what comes to motivation. No matter what you think you want to become or where you think you’re going to be in the future, you need to have goals. Written goals. And you need to work to reach these goals.

#10: Good Life Project

Jonathon Fields is the host of this podcast and his goal is to help you live a more connected, meaningful, and vital life. While the host speaks about a wide variety of topics, the main thing to retain is the actionable advice they all offer. And you can be sure they can be incredibly motivating.

Want even more motivation? Join the Back to School Divas Facebook Group to connect with real women on their college journey! Their stories will inspire and motivate you.

woman wearing red polka dot shirt at cafe on smartphone

April 17, 2019April 17, 2019

3 Ways You Can Use Your Devices To Maximize Productivity

Your digital devices don’t have to be a place for distraction. Take advantage of these productivity tools for students. Did you know that the average person spends ...

Your digital devices don’t have to be a place for distraction. Take advantage of these productivity tools for students.

Did you know that the average person spends four hours a day on their devices?

How much of that time is used being productive? Technology has made our lives easy and interesting but unfortunately, while some people use these technological innovations to maximize productivity, some others just use it to get too comfortable and unproductive. Our phones, laptops, computers, and other devices can either help us to maximize our productivity or make us lazy and unproductive.

As a student, there are tools that you can have on your device to make studying, doing assignments, and projects easier for you. But as helpful as your devices are, they can also be a source of distraction for you especially when you have a lot of gaming apps and social apps installed.

Luckily, there are productivity tools for Mac and productivity tools for Windows for students that can help you get more done, faster.

How To Maximize Productivity With Your Devices

Set Schedules

The first step to being more productive is arranging schedules and setting alarms. Wake up on time, get where you need to be on time, and you’re halfway there, Diva! There are many built-in apps that can help you plan your day, week, and year. Take advantage of your Calendar, Notes, Alarms, and Reminders to keep track of appointments, assignment deadlines, and even to try calendar blocking or other productivity time hacks.

Time Management

There are so many productivity tools for Mac as well as productivity tools for Windows devices designed to help you manage your time. Banking apps make it easier for you to carry out transactions at home and make good use of the time you would have lost going to the bank. Location apps make it easier to locate where you’re going without wasting time asking people around and getting lost. You can even incorporate other time management systems like the 10-3-2-1-0 method into your phone to help you better maintain your schedule.

Performing Difficult Tasks

One major thing that our devices help us with is the performance of difficult tasks. For example, use an app to proofread documents like essays or even emails to your professors so you’re sure to sound professional. Explore apps that help with calculations, language translations, and other things that you might not be able to do on our own. Productivity tools for Mac and productivity tools for Windows can help you manage difficult tasks.

Productivity Tools For Your Devices

Productivity Tools For Students:

As a student, these are some major tools that will help you to be more productive.

Tools for Mac:

Schoolhouse
iRecorder
Knowledge NoteBook
Flashcard Hero
Studyper
Gigi

Tools for Windows:

Word Web
Typing Trainer
My Study Life Chrome
Rosetta Stone Free Trial

Other helpful tools:

Sticky Notes
Office Lens
Microsoft To-Do
Todoist
PDFpen
MindNode
Grammarly

Want to REALLY get productive? Download the Back to School Divas printable planner for FREE and track your to-dos, assignments and meals like a pro.

Sources:

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/are-you-on-your-phone-too-much-average-person-spends-this-many-hours-on-it-every-day.html

young woman smiling while using a planner

January 10, 2019January 14, 2019

Best Planners to Organize Work, School and Life

Diva, when you’re a student, professional, or a stay-at-home spouse or parent, the responsibilities that you have to juggle through on a daily basis can be overwhelming. You have so much you want and need to do. Where do you start? &n...

Research shows us again and again the writing down your goals is the best way to achieve them. That’s why looking into some of the best planners that help you track your goals, objectives or achievements all in one place goes a long way.

Which Planner is the Best Option for You?

The answer to this depends upon your preference, your needs, and what you want to focus on.

At Back to School Divas, we want you to have all the tools you need for success. That’s why we designed an exclusive planner download pack! You can now have your very own functional, systematic planner without breaking the bank.

Download the official Back to School Divas planner printable for FREE! Get pages for monthly and weekly planning, goals, meal planning, grocery lists, assignment trackers and more.

With that being said, if you’re ready to invest in a way to get organized, here are some of the best planners that could help you achieve those goals in 2019.

Best Overall Professional and Student Planner: Panda Planner

Panda Planner is known as the professional, personal and student planner for everyone.

When Panda Planner’s founder, Michael Leip, struggled through multiple physical and life challenges, he identified a need to organize his life in the most optimal, simple way.

Over years of work, Leip has eliminated the clutter and only kept the most important organization tools within this planner. His strive for excellence makes Panda Planner one of the most well-rounded on the market.

Here’s what makes Panda Planner so great:

Undated, so you can buy it any time during the year and start with your organization.
Segmented in monthly, weekly and daily sections, so you can plan over a stretch of a few days or over a smaller period of a few hours.
Lots of space to write, brain dump and take notes.
Comes with bookmarks for additional organizational support.

The Panda Planner does have its shortcomings:

The ‘box’ segmentation in all planning pages may make organization seem monotonous.
The design is simple for those who want more character out of their planner.

Best Customizable Planner: Eric Condren LifePlanner

If the Panda Planner is the best overall professional, personal and student planner, then the Eric Condren LifePlanner is its equivalent in customization.

What sets the Eric Condren LifePlanner apart is the focus on delivering in aesthetics as much as it does in planning.

This planner comes in a classic coiled design with colorful pages to boot. Choose your favorite design and customize with sticker packs and more!

Here’s what makes the Eric Condren LifePlanner one of the top options for efficient student planners:

Weekly layouts are available in multiple options: vertical, horizontal, or even hourly.
In addition to undated weekly and monthly planning, this organizational tool also has separate notes pages and a dreams notes segment.
Colorful design includes inspiring quotes and feminine, fun color schemes,

LifePlanner shortcomings:

The classic coiled design could serve as either a blessing or a curse. It is easier to flip pages, but can be quite a task to handle as opposed to usual hardcover or paper bound designs.
Personality in colors may be overwhelming to those who like to keep their planning simple.

Best Professional Planner: Full Focus Planner

The Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt is considered to be more than a planner, designed for organization and targeted at mostly “Type A” personalities who want the utmost management out of their daily schedules.

The Full Focus Planner is mostly used by professionals such as business executives, including C-Level execs such as CEOs.

This planner uses its own terminologies, making it different from other planners out there, and has gained a cult following that sets it apart from its competition.

Here’s what makes Full Focus Planner a good choice:

Unique planning system includes detailed guides by the creator. A great option for those who like a complete management program.
Apart from the system, there are daily, weekly, and monthly options, as well as a section for notes.
Comes with multiple bookmarks for quick referencing.

But Full Focus Planner also carries its own little list of challenges:

The planning system can take some time to learn, which poses a disadvantage if you are already swamped with disorganization and want to get going with planning and tracking immediately.
Doesn’t offer much in terms of aesthetics. and appears a bit bulky.

Best Dated 2019 Planner: Passion Planner

Available in dated, undated and academic versions, Passion Planner can be the planner for those who want to juggle between a few responsibilities at once.

Passion Planner offers monthly and weekly layouts while also providing a roadmap along with to-do lists. You can plan future appointments, write the list of groceries that you want to pick up the next weekend, or track anything else you like.

What makes Passion Planner a great all-rounder:

Since it’s available in undated as well as dated formats, it can be used by those who want printed dates on their planners. The dates are also available in academic formats, perfect for students and teachers.
Available in multiple sizes so you can choose one that you’re comfortable carrying around.
Challenges section makes it easy to set and track goals.
Stay motivated with roadmaps, to-do list sections, quotes and monthly reflection segments.

But as with all the other best planners on this list, Passion Planner does have its shortcomings.

If you get the dated version, your planner has an expiration date on it.
Little space to take notes or jot down to-dos, especially in the weekly layouts.

If you’re interested in a totally customizable planning system, check out our post on the totally Pinterest-worthy bullet journal system.

Remember, you can launch your 2019 strategy for FREE right now when you download the official Back to School Divas planner printable!

How are you keeping track of your goals this year?

Money Management

January 3, 2019January 3, 2019

The Ultimate Side Hustle Guide: How to Start Earning Extra Money

Are you looking to start a side hustle? Trying to earn extra money? Having a side hustle has become quite common in recent years. More than 44 million Americans were reported to...

Are you looking to start a side hustle? Trying to earn extra money? Having a side hustle has become quite common in recent years. More than 44 million Americans were reported to have a side hustle in 2017.

Why Start a Side Hustle?

There are many great benefits to having a side hustle:

Financial freedom
Possible future self-employment
Financial flexibility
Opportunity to choose your own work schedule

Although many people are trying to earn extra money, not everyone is succeeding at it. Having a 9 to 5 while also running your side hustle is no small feat. However, if you’ve set a resolution to earn more money in 2019, the key to success is choosing your side hustle wisely.

Choose the Right Side Hustle

Your side hustle is going to be what you’ll be spending most of your free time on, so choosing the right one will ensure that you’re not only successful, but also enjoy working on it. Having a hard look at the skills and expertise you already have can help you decide on the perfect side hustle for you.

Some highly marketable skills include:

writing, drawing, photography
graphic design, UI/UX
project management
virtual assisting/online support
crafting and artistry, handmade gifts
tech software and programming
tutoring, childcare
baking, meal prep

Beyond just looking at what you can already do, also consider what you’re passionate about. For instance, if you’re great with babies and can see yourself working with them, then maybe being a newborn photographer is something you can consider. You don’t necessarily have to already have the photography and lighting skills as those can be learned, but if you’re really passionate about it, you’ll be able to give this hustle the time and energy it will demand from you.

Find Your USP

Whether you’re selling a product or service, chances are, you’re competing with other, well-established businesses. Your Unique Selling Point (USP) is what sets you apart from your competitors. This is what’s going to make your target audience choose you over them.

After you’ve identified what side hustle you’d like to do, you can then identify what the gap in the market is and how you can fill it. Do other newborn photographers require families to travel to a studio? You can offer in-home sessions to keep baby comfortable.

Consider your potential clients’ needs and wants and see how you can meet them. Identifying your USP early on will help you be clear on how to advertise your business to your ideal clients.

Set Achievable Goals

While it’s great to dream big, your side hustle is unlikely to be an overnight success. You’re going to need to put in a lot of time and energy into it before you begin to reap the huge rewards that you’re after.

In the meantime, you should set S.M.A.R.T (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time-bound) goals that will help you stay motivated and striving for more. Set monthly, weekly and even daily goals that are practical and will help you get closer and closer to your dreams.

When setting these goals, consider how much time you can realistically dedicate to your new side hustle. For instance, if your side hustle is freelance writing and you need around 2 hours to complete one writing project, aiming to write 10 pieces a week while also working full-time is going to be something very difficult to maintain over time. In this area, time management skills will be critical to your success.

What Side Hustle Will You Choose?

Starting a side hustle while you have a full-time job is one of the best ways to ensure that you start working towards your dreams and aspirations while also having the financial security of your job. The best time to start the side hustle you’ve been dreaming about is today!

Make sure that you join the Back to School Divas Facebook Group to get more exciting tips and learn from others who have started successful side hustles while working and attending college!

2019 planner with checklist for goals, plans, and actions

December 27, 2018December 27, 2018

How to Set Resolutions For School, Work & Family That Stick: Make 2019 Your Year!

We all want to set resolutions and kick butt when the new year comes around. The end of the year is a time when most of us reflect on what we've accomplished, and start to think about what we’d like to achieve in the following year. Se...

We all want to set resolutions and kick butt when the new year comes around. The end of the year is a time when most of us reflect on what we’ve accomplished, and start to think about what we’d like to achieve in the following year.

Setting New Year’s resolutions is something human beings have been doing for over four thousand years! Although we’ve been doing it for a while, it doesn’t mean we’ve managed to get the hang of it.

How many times have you set the resolution of eating healthier in the new year and a month or two later, found yourself at the nearest fast food restaurant after work? How many times have you promised yourself to start that side hustle you’ve been dreaming about, only to get to the end of the year with no progress made?

The truth is, setting resolutions that stick doesn’t come naturally to many people. In fact, most people need a little help. If you’re tired of not accomplishing your new year’s resolutions and want to finally set resolutions that stick, you’ve come to the right page.

Start by Setting Small, Achievable Goals

Setting small, achievable goals will help to ensure that you reach your target and stay motivated to keep going. For instance, if you’d like to get fit, aim for 3 to 4 gym sessions a week. For an unfit person who hardly goes to the gym, this is much more achievable than aiming to the gym 6 to 7 days a week.

Share your 2019 Goals with Others

Speaking to your close family and friends about your resolutions will help to keep you motivated and focused because you won’t want to let them down. If you’re planning on quitting smoking, joining a support group can help you be around others who are going through similar struggles and help give you the strength that you’ll need to keep going.

Be open to sharing your resolutions as you never know where you can find strength that will motivate you to strive harder.

Take it One Day at a Time

You’re not going to achieve your resolutions overnight. Remember that whatever unhealthy habit you’re trying to kick developed over a long period of time and being patient with yourself is the only way you’re going to change it.

For instance, if you’re trying to eat healthier, you can start by aiming to drink more water, instead of cutting out all the unhealthy foods from your diet in one go. Once you’re comfortable with drinking lots of water daily, you can then start by cutting out unhealthy carbs and replacing them with whole grains, for example.

You can aim to cut out one unhealthy habit per month or per week and slowly, you’ll begin to develop that healthier lifestyle you’ve always wanted.

Reward Yourself

Giving yourself small rewards is a great way to encourage yourself to keep going, especially during the difficult days. Your rewards don’t have to be grand at all, they just need to be small things that will put a smile on your face as you reach your milestones. Reward yourself with a trip to the movies, going to a comedy special, or just a simple massage or bubble bath when you’ve achieved what you want.

There is no better time to start setting your new year’s resolutions than right now. Sit and think about them carefully. Decide on what you really want to achieve in the new year and then apply the above.

Want to learn even more tips and tricks on becoming your best self on your back to school journey and beyond? Join our email list and become a member of our Back to School Divas Facebook group!