5 Things I Loved About Singapore

Many of us have had the ability to travel to a new country. Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Singapore, and I fell in love with the place. I can't wait to come back again one day, and I definitely see myself living there. Why?

1. It's got great public transportation. I hate driving, so reliable public transportation is a big perk for me. It's also better for the environment and cost-effective!

2. The food. I'm a big foodie, and I was able to try a variety of delicious foods in Singapore. Their food scene is pretty great, and I enjoyed this 100-layer cake that I can't stop thinking about. You can walk down a block and enjoy a midnight snack. No matter where you are, there's always some great food options within a quick walking distance.

3. It's so clean. I've been to cities where seeing a clean road is shocking (looking at you New York City). Yet, even with the vast amount of people living on such a small country, I was expecting some dirty streets and trash everywhere. That wasn't at all what I experienced. In Singapore, gum is actually illegal, so you won't find those black marks on the sidewalk you may often see. There's also no food or drinks on any of their public transportation, so the subways don't have a weird trashy smell to it.

4. Location. Singapore is located at the heart of Southeast Asia, so it's really easy to travel cheaply. I could have visited Malaysia for about $20 or taken a ferry boat to visit Indonesia. There's literally a port in one of the malls I went to, and the ferry boats had people from all over Asia who were casually visiting for the weekend. The proximity and the very low airfares are something to take advantage of for sure.

5. The city is alive and well. Singapore is a country/province/city all in one. With that, it's always vibrant. Whether it's the hustle and bustle in the weekday mornings as everyone heads to work or the nightlife where everyone is meeting up with friends at a cafe to snack and drink, there is always something to do. You can even go jogging at 10 p.m. along the bay, and it's completely safe.

If you're looking for the next country on your bucket list, I'd definitely put Singapore high up there. It's a unique place that I'm sure you'll fall in love with too!

My Passion for the Passion Planner

If you're like me, you can't live without a physical planner. Google or Outlook calendars don't cut it for you, and you're very specific about what type of planner you have. After trying out about 5 different planners, I finally found "the one." Passion Planner is a growing company, and I'm finally seeing more and more of them on campus. I could go on and on about why I love this planner, but what I really found engaging was their social media presence, specifically on Instagram.

Instagram photos aren't just supposed to show a product, but it needs to showcase the product in an enticing and intriguing way. You may be thinking how a photos of a planner can be enticing, but whoever managers Passion Planner's account does it right.

They display their growing product line in ways in simple ways that aren't boring. They also try to make a connection with their customers by showcasing their employees. In the photo below, two of the photos include Angela Trinidad, Passion Planner's CEO. In these photos, you can find Angela chilling in front of her desk, sharing a story about her experience starting this business after college, and displaying some unique Passion Planner products. It helps connect the product to a face, and followers are actually participating in the conversation through the comments.

When it's not a new product release day or an anniversary, Passion Planner keeps their accounts updated with cute and relevant content. They have various artists draw on their planners with an inspirational quote or tips on how to utilize their planner better. Passion Planner also does a lot of give-aways on college campuses, and they always showcase the universities they're visiting and the thousands of students who received a free planner. I highly encourage you check out/follow their account if you're looking for cute and exciting content, along with a chance to win their many giveaways!

8 Things I Learned from SparkSouth

This past Friday, I went to the Terry Executive Education Center in Atlanta to attend SparkSouth, a digital marketing conference for college students. Here are the 8 things I learned at the conference:

1. If you want to get a graduate school degree such as a Masters in Business Administration, it's okay to wait 2-3 years after you get your Bachelor's degree because that way, you'll have more real-world experience. However, try to go back before you turn 30 because life happens, and your priorities may shift if a partner, job, or kids join the picture.

2. Don't accept every LinkedIn invite. This is not a popularity contest, and if you haven't met them face-to-face or been introduced by a mutual connection, don't add them or accept the invite. It can be an easy way to "build your network" if you've just made an account, but don't do it.

3. When networking, balance self-confidence with self-awareness. As Dale Carnegie said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

4. It's okay to change jobs or companies if you're looking for something new and challenging. But, don't job hop every 1-2 years because it'll look bad on your part. Are you uncommitted? Are you difficult to work with? The concerns can go on and on.

5. Take the initiative to teach yourself. Whether it's getting certified in HubSpot's Inbound Marketing certificate and Google Analytics, watching videos on Lynda about SalesForce or Marketo, or taking a graphic design class to learn Adobe Creative Cloud, these are very important skills to have in the industry. It's not just your college's responsibility to teach you important technical skills.

6. Plan your career goals. Make a 2, 5 or even 10-year plan. Then, let your managers, supervisors, bosses, etc. know. Your employers play an instrumental role in getting you to achieve your goals. Letting them know will not only help them know how they should help you, but it also holds you accountable.

7. Say "Thank You." For every favor someone has done for you, no matter how small or big, remember to say "thank you." Those two little words can be easy to forget, but remember that someone took their time, energy, or even money to do that for you, so thank them.

8. Have an open mind. I was excited when I got my SparkSouth tickets back in August, but with the chaos of midterms, projects, and internship hunting, I started feeling frustrated that I'd be spending an entire Friday in Atlanta rather than going to class and work. I have so much to do, and I just don't have time for this stuff. I was very wrong. SparkSouth was an incredible experience, and I learned more than I thought I would. The honest answers, feedback, and advice came at a great time for me, and I don't have any regrets now about going.

Thank you SparkSouth for letting me connect with some inspiring and knowledgeable industry leaders and mentors!

Georgia YouthSpeak Forum: Leading Change

The Georgia YouthSpeak Forum is happening this month, and I can't wait! I've been thinking a lot about how trivial some of the things I worry about are, which is very easy for college students especially. Many of us are taking classes, working, and involved with organizations on campus. Sometimes, thinking about things that go beyond showing up to a meeting on time or completing an assignment doesn't happen naturally; sometimes, we need to have the space to do it, and that's what the Georgia YouthSpeak Forum is all about.

Not only is it free (including lunch!!!) and open to non-UGA students too, but there will be some great speakers from The Home Depot, Umano, Thinc, Infosys, and the Institute of Leadership Advancement. This year's theme is "Leading Change," and some of the session topics are about how to be make yourself a better leader, leading change within the community, and working towards the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the 17 global goals that the United Nations wants to achieve by the year 2030.

I think it's these kinds of events that remind me to work for something that's bigger than myself, and it lets me meet new people that I otherwise would never have met. Some of UGA's student leaders expressed their interest and passion for the UN SDG's in this video. If you're interested in the event, find more information on their website.

The Love-Hate Relationship with Online Shopping

You know that moment when you look at your bank statement and hate yourself for spending all of that money through online shopping? That moment sucks, and it sucks even more when you know you didn't need to buy all of those things. Now, you have cute clothes but nothing to eat for a week because you're broke.




After I had an overflowing closet of useless clothes, shoes, or accessories, I told myself to never do it again. By that, I meant only once every month or so. I'm the worst. Online shopping is so tempting when you have nothing to do, and you don't want to start the entire Grey's Anatomy series for the 12th time...



It's just so easy to start looking around and convincing yourself in that moment that you NEED that new blouse or jacket when you don't NEED anything besides food and more room in your closet. Then you spiral down the hole and convince yourself how you're helping the environment by not driving to the physical store and polluting the very air we breathe.

Now, every time I get that urge to go online shopping, I started just letting myself peruse various sites at a time. I'll add anything I like to my shopping cart and literally make sure that the price gets so high that I just freak out at the thought of actually paying that amount and close the tab. While the freaking out part may be a little dramatic, this silly solution has "cured" my shopaholism. This lets me still enjoy the part where I look at the clothes, but then, I don't end up hating myself for spending all of my money.

You may think it's silly, but shopaholism has many cures, and the path you choose can vary per person. There is no judgement, and we're all here to support each other.

Humans of New York: Utilizing Social Media Platforms for Blogs

In case you missed it, Brandon Stanton is coming to Athens, GA! Brandon is the founder of the famous Humans of New York account. He first started with Facebook and then created a Twitter and Instagram account. Instead of having a website to showcase his work, he's utilized these three social media platforms to share his photos, interviews, and even fundraisers.

These are the Syrian refugee families who were/are coming to America. Brandon went to Syria to interview them and help fundraise money for their relocation and other needs. 

With a strong fanbase, Brandon has been able to utilize social media in ways not many others have. I mean, not many can capture so much emotion in a photo and get strangers to tell us personal and intimate stories, knowing that we'd share them for the whole world to see. Yet, Brandon finds a way to do it. Within the past year or two especially, he's done series that were relevant and gave people so much insight into what's going on. When he went to Syria to interview people and their families about the refugee crisis, he opened up a lot of people's minds about what it was like to be living in Syria. When he worked with the beautiful children in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he showed the world the rollercoaster of Cancer and managed to give other people hope to keep on fighting the battle. When he did the series on veterans, I know I learned so much about working in a war zone and then transitioning back home in the United States. Regardless of political opinion, he was also able to interview Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who you know, are kind of important people.

This was the cover photo that began his series on American veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The fact that he's only utilizing social media platforms makes it easier for his audience to engage - they can like, react, comment, and share his content more easily than if he only posted on a website. Social media platforms were originally for interactions and engagement, and that's what Humans of New York is doing. The growth of his "blog" is incredible, and I'm so excited to see him on campus this Thursday!

The App That Gave Me More Time

I've been told that you have a busier lifestyle while you're in college than when you first enter the workforce. That may not be true for everyone, but I hope that is for me. Between working 20 hours a week, being a full-time student, having leadership positions in organizations, and trying to find internships for the summer, I think I have a total of 45 minutes some days where I don't have to do any of those things or be in a meeting. While I'd love to squeeze in a quick Netflix episode or something in that free time, I usually am spending my time waiting in lines to get my food. Now, I do pack my meals most of the time, but there are just weeks where I get home close to midnight, and I barely have the energy to shower and get myself into some comfy PJs.

Waiting in line was how most of my free time during the day was spent in my sophomore year of college. But then, an app came out that saved me, and that beautiful gift was called Tapingo. I'm not a Brand Ambassador, and unfortunately, I'm not being paid to talk about the company; I just want other students who have hectic schedules to have their days be a little less hectic because I feel you.

Tapingo allows you to order your meals and drinks via your smart phone, and then you can pick it up whenever the food is ready. The app is connected to the Barberitos and The Niche Pizza Company on campus, and it's working on getting Chick-fil-A back on there. It's also connected to other places off-campus, such as Gyro Wrap, Zombie Coffee & Donuts, and D.P. Dough; they also give the option of having your food be delivered rather than only pick up!

When I discovered Tapingo and decided to get the free app, I was skeptical to see how it'd work. I had an unhealthy obsession with Barberitos last semester, and it sucked most of the time out of my 45-minute break since I'd spend about 20-30 minutes of it waiting in line. Then I'd have to scarf down my quesadilla or burrito and rush off to my next class. But when I first used Tapingo, I was able to order exactly what I wanted to go in my burrito or quesadilla, and my order was ready in about five minutes. It was glorious.

I went up to the front of the line, got my order with no errors, and saved myself the usual 20-30 minutes. It was so nice to actually enjoy the food I was eating and to not feel rushed. Now, I put my order in towards the end of class or right as I get out so by the time I get to Tate, it's ready for me. If you know of any other apps that could help us save time, let me know. I could really use it...