Tag Archives: back to school

Jan2

Positive Mindsets To Kick Start Your New Career

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Positive Mindsets To Kick Start Your New Career

You wake up each morning with a sinking, fearful feeling at the prospect of heading to work. When your alarm goes off, you aren’t filled with ambition and motivation; it seems you’re stuck in a rut and you can’t find your way out of it. With the New Year well and truly upon us, now is the time to shake it up and make a change for the better. Alter your mindset and become a happier, unwavering, career-driven person. Make some decisions and get yourself on track today:

Own Your Goals:

When was the last time that you sat down and thought about where you want to be in life? You have probably found yourself in a dead-end job, which you are constantly trying to escape. Your job may well pay the bills, but you can’t put a price on your own happiness so let’s start reassessing. Write down your career goals on a piece of paper and be proud to have big ambitions. Planning out a meaningful career path will boost your motivation and set you up to succeed.

Start small with your goals and plan out each stage that you can take in order to reach your ultimate dream. You might want to try out an internship on the weekends to get yourself networking with people you need to know. You may dream of starting a business from home, which will take time and energy outside of your current job. Plan out your time meticulously and use each moment to get where you need to be. It could take one year of really hard work to make a huge step in the right direction so get to grips with your goals today.

Love To Learn:

Once you have your goals and aims in order, you need to establish how you’re going to attain them. You may need to take on some additional courses or go back to college. There are tons of tools online which can help you to get the qualifications you need. You can even earn an mba online and kick-start a career in whatever your heart desires.

You should thrive in a learning environment and be motivated to grow your knowledge. Be prepared for some hard work, as getting a further education isn’t a walk in the park. You may need to keep earning money in your current job as you learn other skills part-time. It will all be a balancing act at first, but if you’re determined enough you will stick at it and feel proud when you achieve each step.

Take a Risk:

Now is the time to take the leap and conquer the unknown. If you’ve always dreamed of starting your business or creating a brand new company of your own, you can do it with the correct support and planning. Be meticulous in the process of finding staff, software, and the like so that the reward will outweigh a risk should you choose to take it. Consider services like online accounting or a sportsbook solution provider if this is something you can’t do on your own. Before taking a financial risk, make sure that you’ve got adequate savings to fall back on. Build your own brand from scratch and finally be happy in your career. If being your own boss appeals to you, then this might be the way forward.

Leverage Tools That Support Your Growth:

As you move forward in your career journey, don’t overlook the power of structured digital environments to support your learning and productivity. If you’re working in a corporate or collaborative setting, tools like a site collection website can help you find relevant industry resources, stay informed on emerging trends, and connect with valuable content in your field. Whether you’re in marketing, content creation, or simply looking to expand your knowledge base, tapping into curated link directories can quietly enhance your efficiency and keep you ahead of the curve. Of course, you will want to keep all of your digital operations secure and efficient, especially if you are using the cloud. Cloud management like aws devops consulting services can be hugely beneficial to your company to streamline this process. With the right tools and services in place, you’ll be better equipped to take control of your workflow, adapt quickly, and deliver impactful results.

Make a plan, carry out the method, and take the leap. A happy, healthy and open mind will allow you to reach your career dreams in no time!

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Dec22

Getting Educated And Qualified Without Quitting Your Day Job

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Getting Educated And Qualified Without Quitting Your Day Job

No matter if you’ve already passed your initial schooling phase in your teens or late adulthood, it is never too late to get educated. Studies show that a considerable chunk of people would like a career change of some sort, and branch off into something that they are more interested in. Sadly, that is not always possible without the correct qualifications or the know-how.

Fortunately, we live in a time where education does not always have to be a completely full-time ordeal. Now, more flexible schedules which allow you to still work at least part-time are more than realistic. Not only that, but you could go ahead and get yourself qualified with some short courses, which take a few weeks or months rather than several years of school. No matter which scenario might suit you more, both are just as feasible for the average person and can be arranged if you just take the correct steps forward:

Getting educated:

Due to the nature of the modern working world, it is not always possible for everyone to take a few years out from work to fully dedicate themselves to studying, while the rent goes unpaid. Working at least part-time is a necessity for a large majority of adults in most countries and, unless you are able to balance working and studying simultaneously, then chances are you won’t be able to indulge in the sweet enriching world of education.

Before you give up completely, you should at least check out the different schedules available, and get familiarized with the different timetables available to see if you could make it work somehow. Always wanted to become a doctor? Go ahead and check the medical school tuition fees, and see if it is something that you could feasibly get invested in. Feel like programming is something which you would like to do as a career? Go and see if you can find local computer science courses. The sky’s the limit, so get out there and start planning your future in a field that you are truly passionate about.

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Knowledge is power!

Short courses for busy people:

If getting involved in any sort of long-term education is a big red flag for you, then there are always shorter courses which still provide you with industry standard qualifications in various fields but take considerably less time to complete. Whether you want to learn how to play the guitar or find out how to publish books, there will be a course out there which will catch your eye.

A somewhat popular series of courses are provided by companies certified by Adobe themselves, which run training courses in the Adobe Creative Suite which can result in you getting the title of a “Adobe Certified Associate”. Not only does it sound prestigious, but it is just as useful as it sounds. Depending on what you are interested in, you can pick up some certificates for any program in the suite that is relevant to your interests. Whether you want to create websites with Adobe Dreamweaver or logos and illustrations with Adobe Illustrator, courses as short as one week could get you on the right path to becoming a full-fledged professional somewhere down the line.

It is never too late to start some type of further education. Gather information on your program, study hard, and reach for the stars!

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Dec8

A Perfect Match: How Education Can Fit Around Your Life

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A Perfect Match: How Education Can Fit Around Your Life

When you think back on your life, achievements that can really change your circumstances are some of the most important changes you can make. If you feel that you have more to give and would like to go back to college or start studying again, you can make it happen. With work and family commitments, many people write it off as a pipe dream. But with today’s flexible educations styles and virtual platforms, it doesn’t have to be a choice – you can fit your continuing education goals into your life. Studying for a degree while also having a career, especially if you work irregular hours, can certainly be a challenge, but putting a little thought into your approach can make it work.

Many institutions recognize that people are wanting to study later in life and have designed programs specifically for working adults. These are structured flexibly from purely online modules taken in your own time for some courses that involve a mix of virtual learning and physical seminars. Many are designed to complement an existing career, such as a bachelor of policing program designed for actively serving officers. Here’s how to get started:

Research Your Options Carefully:

Choosing the right program for you is much more of a considered decision when it needs to fit around your life, so make sure that you do plenty of research to find the right provider for your individual needs. If you have existing college credits, some programs will take that into account, allowing you to graduate faster. If you don’t have the capacity to travel, a degree delivered via online learning is a good choice. Hundreds of universities now offer bachelor and graduate degrees in subjects like public administration, criminal justice, and management skills. Or if you feel you want some in-person contact, try a hybrid degree that combines online with sessions of traditional classroom learning across evenings and weekends.

Work Out A Sustainable Schedule:

Studying can be a big time commitment, so the key to making it work alongside a job and a busy life is being strict on scheduling. Plan all your classes and study hours alongside household commitments, working hours, and time to spend with family and friends – all of these areas are important. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family members to collect kids from school, prepare meals, or help around the house. You have to be organized to make all these elements work together so plan in advance and batch-make meals to fill up the freezer.

If work commitments get intense, don’t be afraid to speak to your degree supervisor about adjusting your study plan to avoid conflicts if necessary. Take full advantage of any study resources offered, as well. Most places have academic centers to help make your study skills better. Also be sure to use study groups to connect with fellow students and share tips and coping strategies. Make sure that you have a quiet space to study when it comes time, and don’t allow outside distractions to pull you off course. The trick is to give 100% to whatever you’re doing at that time, and try to shut the rest out.

It’s never too late to begin a new career, and with constant advances in classroom technology, there is no time like the present to start!

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Sep25

Warding Off Fresher’s Flu: Making It Through Your First Weeks Of College

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Warding Off Fresher’s Flu: Making It Through Your First Weeks Of College

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people head away from home to study at a college of their choice. This is a brilliant opportunity. If you are heading away soon, you will have all sorts of wonderful things to look forward to: meeting new people, settling into new surroundings, and boosting your social life as you search for new friends. However, there’s one less positive thing that most students have to face: fresher’s flu. Here are a few pieces of information and knowledge that will allow you to deal with fresher’s flu in the best way possible:

What Is Fresher’s Flu?

So, what actually is fresher’s flu? While the term may not be medically recognized, the condition and symptoms are far from a myth. Essentially, “fresher’s flu” is the batch of illnesses that students are exposed to during the first few weeks of university. Symptoms can include shivering, dry fever, coughs, sneezes, headaches, grogginess, and blocked sinuses. This is obviously a less than ideal experience when you find that you are far from home and the comfort of your mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup. So what causes this mysterious condition? When a new term starts at university, people from all over the world arrive with pathogens to which they are immune, but others may not be. Unsurprisingly, the poor diet and alcohol consumption often associated with the first few weeks of college doesn’t help this situation, either.

Treatments:

Don’t worry if you do contract fresher’s flu. It’s not the end of the world. Most symptoms will fade out by themselves over time, but you can make things more comfortable and bearable for yourself in the meantime. Use a sinus treatment such as a nasal decongestant, have plenty of soft tissues at hand, take painkillers for headaches or discomfort, and take things easy until you’re feeling rearing and ready to go again.

Precautions:

While it’s highly likely that you’ll get a little ill at some point or another, you want to minimize your chances of getting and spreading the flu. You definitely don’t want to miss out on any of the exciting events or important lectures going on when you first arrive. A good start is to drink responsibly. Excessive drinking is never a good move, regardless of where you are. Remember to eat a healthy diet. Even if you aren’t used to preparing meals for yourself, you can still easily consume your recommended fruits and veggies a day at the salad bar in your student center.

Another tip that you might also want to opt for is shaking hands when greeting new people rather than hugging. This contact is less direct, and you are less likely to pick up germs or illnesses this way, especially if you carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you and clean your hands regularly. This may also be a good time to set down the ground rules of a shared kitchen or shared bathrooms. Request that people stick to their own crockery, cutlery, and glasses to reduce the spread of the flu blues.

Being aware of potential causes of sickness, how to avoid illness, and how to treat symptoms will ensure that your first few weeks at college are the best and healthiest possible!

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Apr11

Picking the Perfect Major

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Picking the Perfect Major

Picking your major is probably one of the most important decisions that you will make in your younger years because it will have a huge impact on your future career choices when you graduate. However, approximately 20-50 percent of freshmen start their first year in college not knowing what they want to do, which is why we’ve put together these top tips for picking the perfect major:

Think About Your Interests: Whether you’re still in High School and you’re wondering what you want to do with the rest of your life or you’re a parent looking to apply for this scholarship, so that you can improve your career prospects and provide for your family, the first step in choosing your major should be thinking about your interests. After all, most of us would rather do something that we love for the rest of our lives and it is much easier to study and engage with a subject when you genuinely enjoy it.

What Are You Good At? Of course, it also makes a lot of sense to reflect on the things that you’re good at. If you love art, but you really have no aptitude for creating it, you might be better off looking at the skills that you do have, such as a knack for solving math problems or programming computers. That being said, if you truly dream of being an artist, there’s nothing wrong with following your dreams, provided that you know what you are getting yourself into!

Look into Future Career Prospects: This is something that older students tend to be better at, perhaps because they have more life experience, but it is important for students of all ages to think about the courses that they are taking and what kind of jobs it could realistically lead them to. If you want to make lots of money, majoring in a sought after skill such as engineering, law, or medicine will probably serve you better than a degree in communications or art history. But, if you want to work in the media or become the curator of an art gallery, they’ll be great! It’s all about working out what you want, what skills are likely to be sought after in the future, and which major will best help you to get where you want to be after you graduate.

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Job Fair Palooza

Take an Introductory Course: If you have a few ideas for a major, but you’re not sure, one of the best ways to work out if a course is going to be the right fit is by taking an introductory course. Most colleges will allow you to try out a major by enrolling in one or more such courses, and many will even give you credit towards your education if you do enroll. This is probably the best way of working out what you do and don’t enjoy and whether you can handle a course or not.

The above tips should help you to work out which major is the perfect fit for you, but if you’re still struggling, make an appointment with an advisor, who will be able to talk you through your options and help you make the right choice for you, whatever that may be.

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Apr7

Bored At Work: What Comes Next?

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Bored At Work: What Comes Next?

There comes a point in any working environment where you begin to sense that you need more. A job that once seemed overwhelming in its complexity has become mundane; the challenge has gone and you can go through your daily tasks without batting an eyelid. For awhile, being the master of a job is enjoyable – you know what you need to do and how you need to do it, and that feels good.

Over time, however, it becomes boring. So you find yourself seeking a new challenge. The obvious first instinct is to look for a new job with a new company that offers a brand new challenge:

Is This An Option For You? Whether or not switching jobs is an option for you depends a lot on the role that you are in. There are certain fields where you reach the top relatively quickly. For example, with administration: there is only so far that you can go up that chain. You might be able to move sideways in the company, but there will inevitably be a moment where you reach an end point.

For other occupations, there is always somewhere for you to go. With medicine, for example, even if you move up into supervision, a click to visit 360HealthCareStaffing.com will quickly show you all of the possibilities. Fields like law enforcement, caring services, and those in the media tend to always have an upward curve that you can latch on to.

So first, evaluate if you can progress with the skills that you already have. What you may find at a certain point in your career is that you have reached the top of the tree on the existing knowledge that you have, and then you are faced with an option…

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Pixabay Image

Should You Add Training? This is a valuable consideration that should be given some thought, too, – even if your first instinct is to pull away from the idea of going ‘back to school’. While we see the idea of education and training as being something you do before a career, it also has its place for the sake of career progression. It may have been a while since you were in a classroom, but if you’re no longer finding your job satisfying, it might be the best way to change things up.

For example, if you are a nurse and have reached the top of the ladder, then additional training could allow you to be a nurse practitioner. If you work in administration, then learning some tech support skills can be beneficial. These types of in-work qualifications allow you to take your existing knowledge and experience and build on them to craft a new challenge for yourself.

Not only does this have the benefit of giving you the skills that you need to do something different with your career, but it also looks very good on your resume. It shouts out to new employers that you are not the type who is comfortable to sit on their derriere and do nothing, coasting through life in exchange for an easy paycheck. It says: “I want more than this, and what’s more, I have gone through the effort of taking the time required to invest in my future.” It makes you look more dynamic as an employee; someone who is open and receptive.

Speaking of that resume – has it been a while since you updated yours? If so, brush up with some ideas from www.TheBalance.com and ensure that you’re up to the current accepted standards. If it’s been a while since you applied for a job, you need to make sure that you’re right on target, especially with your resume.

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Study Up!

What Are The Other Options? There are numerous reasons why you might not feel that moving to a new company or entering training are viable options for you. Family commitments, liking the environment of your current job, or something as simple as knowing the commute and the people at your current job can make it difficult to leave something behind. The best option if this is the case is to look for progression within the company.

Moving up in a company can be a pretty daunting task. It’s one thing to know that you’re good at your job and could do something more advanced, but it’s quite another to say this to the company that you work for. It can feel like you are advertising your dissatisfaction, saying that you are unhappy in your current role. Given that employers tend to like their employees to be reliable, it feels like you are taking a huge chance if you voice the fact you are unsatisfied.

While it’s the dream that workplace politics don’t exist, the reality is that they do. If you are seen to be hankering after change, there is a chance that this will go against you. So to an extent, you have to be careful with how you do this – but not too careful so as to look like you’re not serious about wanting something different. There’s no doubt that it’s a minefield.

If possible, look for opportunities within the company that are not directly related to the department that you work in. If you’re a nurse, rather than looking to advance within your sector, you could look for a move into the research side of hospital life. This means that you have the chance to discuss the need for change without any concerns about insulting anyone in your current position. If this isn’t a possibility, then you have the ultimate weapon in your arsenal: ask for a performance review.

Why A Performance Review? A performance review of your current job and how you do it might sound daunting, but it’s the only tool that you have left. That’s because it’s not specifically a review; it’s a chance for you to ask about progression and let your superiors know this is something that you’re looking for.

Everyone has the right to a performance review, especially if they have been working in a job for some time. Make the request informally, asking that it would be good for you to review things. Not only will you look like a conscientious employee for wanting to ensure that you’re doing your job to the best standards, but it also provides a natural vehicle for you to bring things up in a meeting about the future. You never know, you might not even need to, as in the course of the review they see you are clearly ready for more than you currently have.

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Performance review party!

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Mar31

Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

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Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Choosing to further your education can be a daunting task. If you have already started in the world of work and have had somewhat of a gap between the last time you sat in a classroom and where you find yourself today, don’t fear – not much has changed in what you need to do to get you to where you need to be; you still need to knuckle down and put in the effort required, as well as the following steps:

Prepare Yourself: Preparing yourself to go back into a world of learning is something that will take a bit of time. For starters, you will need to visit colleges to make sure you’re choosing the right one. What does your ideal college experience look like? Do you want to live on campus? Commute or learn online? Perhaps you even want to study abroad! Prior to visiting colleges, it’s important to have a clear vision of how you want these next several years to go. That way, you won’t settle for anything less.

You’ll need to get yourself focused with a clear conscience and the right attitude to tackle any workload. The reason that quite a lot of people don’t think about furthering their education when they’re making their way through adulthood is the whole host of responsibilities that you’ll inevitably have running alongside. This means all of the washing, cooking, cleaning, and bills that you have to uphold whilst still doing school work, plus all of the other jobs that you have to uphold to keep a house running – especially if you’ve got children. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. There are loads of examples of people who have made their way through college or another form of education while still running a successful household.

Should trips to campus for classes be too much with your schedule – that’s okay! There are countless different options for furthering your education online. Remote learning can earn you your diploma or a certificate and can be completed on the go or from home. You can also consider online courses for a specific career path. For example, if you are interested in cyber security you could explore the course options available through https://www.cybrary.it . Career specific courses can often be completed quicker than a traditional degree and will still open lots of doors in the working world.

Get The Materials: There is so much more than a pen and paper that you’ll now need to get yourself through the years that you have committed yourself to. There are must haves such as books, online resources (so you’ll need access to a computer), and other higher-learning materials that you will need to be able to grab a hold of at a moment’s notice to help with essays and other learning projects. Getting the staples such as pens, pencils, and paper will also help, as neolithic as it sounds nowadays! Talk about old school!

It’s important to note that you will need a great computer if you are choosing an online education like this STEM School Certification or virtual associate degree programs. You will also need to have fast, dependable internet so you can always access your learning materials.

Find a Mentor: You can reinvigorate your education and career path at any point in your life, but one constant is that you should find a mentor to emulate and an example to follow. This can be a teacher, a professional, or an expert in your chosen field. For example, people like Caitlin Brodie of Greenwich have succeeded professionally and have offered to train others in leadership skills and other abilities that are useful in the business world.

If you can get a private tutor in addition to your basic education and your classes in your course, you will find that you progress much more quickly and completely. Of course, it’s beneficial to be selective in who you choose to follow, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t learn from the example of multiple mentors as well. Find what works for you.

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Pretty!

Learn The Code: There is a code of conduct set in place in every educational faculty, and it is up to you to upkeep the core values and morals that it is displaying. There can be disastrous consequences to your learning path if you violate the code – you can find more at Duffy Law about the steps that you need to take should that happen. It’s definitely a good thing to learn ahead of time what is required of you in terms of on campus conduct.

Make Friends: Just because you are studying doesn’t mean that this isn’t a chance to make new friends. People are usually on the same course as you because they have at least one common interest: the subject at hand. It’s good to have study buddies with you regardless of what age you are or how independent you feel; discussing and exchanging ideas about what you are educating yourself on is a great method of making your learning deep-rooted rather than superficial and easily forgettable. When you begin to explain to someone what you know and how to do something, you are further teaching yourself and cementing any rough ideas that you had.

Congratulations on beginning your higher education journey. Now get out there and learn, learn, learn!

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Aug29

Monday Update: Back To School Edition

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Monday Update: Back To School Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! Today marks my first day back on campus at Tri-C for the fall semester and did I mention that it’s my LAST semester?! After this fall, I will be graduated with my Associate of Arts degree! Yay! I will be taking five classes and then I am done, done, DONE and I could not be happier. I will be mighty busy this fall with both of my jobs on top of a full time school schedule but it will be so nice to just power through it all and wind up with a degree at the end of it.

I will try to post as often as I can but just know that if I randomly go MIA for a short while, it is because I am drowning in homework. This fall I will be taking Adolescent Psychology, Bioethics, Astronomy, a course called Ecology, Environment, and Evolution, as well as a lab for that course. Yikes! All of the classes sound interesting enough, though, so there’s that. -_-

My fall guest bloggers series will be coming soon on lifewithlilred so keep your eyes peeled for that as I feature some wonderful bloggers and their favorite things about fall! Now, I will leave you with a little ditty from one of my fave school based flicks, Billy Madison:

^^^ Just beautiful.

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Back To School Edition! Who else is starting up at college soon? How do you keep yourself organized during a busy semester? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. –Sarah

Aug18

Back To School TJMaxx Haul

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Back To School TJMaxx Haul

Heyyy everyone and happy Tuesday! This past Sunday I went back to school shopping for a fabulous new outfit for my first day back at Tri-C and I was very successful!! Check out these cute new finds and then let’s discuss:

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  • Sweater, Shrinking Violet
  • Blazer vest, Spacegirlz

TJ’s had tons of adorable fall clothing and I seriously wanted it all! I went shopping with the intention of getting a new pair of black skinnies so I don’t have to wear the same two pairs constantly but I left with two new black tops instead. I’ll have to make a trip to H&M for some skinnies shopping, which I’m so okay with! I’m very happy with both of the items that I got. The Shrinking Violet sweater is going to be perfect as a layering piece or worn alone with some funky jewelry. I plan on wearing it underneath the poncho that I got from Loft (see “Loft Haul” article for more!) and pairing it over a dress with some nice thick tights. I’ve wanted a simple and chic black sweater for ages so I’m really glad I finally found one that’s worthy of being in my closet boutique!

I’ve always loved the idea of blazer vests and my Spacegirlz find couldn’t be better! In the TJ’s fitting room I put the vest over my Shrinking Violet sweater with some black skinnies for good measure. Unfortunately, the jeans fit so weird in the crotch and I just couldn’t deal! Despite the crotch issues, the look was exactly what I wanted for my back to school outfit. It was sharp and edgy but it still looked smart and elegant, so it was the best of both worlds.The way the Spacegirlz vest fit was exquisite as well. It was somewhat loose and hung in a way that was so effortlessly cool and the fact that it’s knee length and sleeveless is an unexpected twist on a classic staple. Needless to say, I’m in love. My All Black Everything back to school outfit will be accessorized with my favorite black Vera Wang lace up wedges, some loud gold jewelry, and a red lip to tie it all together, of course! 😉

So there you have it, my Back To School TJMaxx Haul! What is everyone rocking on their first day of classes? Where is the best place to find some back to school shopping deals? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah