9 Tourist Mistakes to Avoid in Barcelona

If you've read my latest blog post, you'll know that my friends and I spent a week in Barcelona in July. I'm still upset that I had to leave this breathtaking, bustling city behind to fly home - compared to my hometown, which isn't that small at all, Barcelona seems so full of life and endless possibilities.

I've got to admit that we went into our trip without all too much preparation. We thought of a few places we wanted to go and things we wanted to do, but we didn't go as far as purchasing a travel guide or read up too much on tips on travelling around Barcelona.

So, as quite a few of you commented on my photo diary how you also want to visit Barcelona, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the typical tourist mistakes you shouldn't make in Barcelona in order to have a smooth trip!

Suitcase Packing 101

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person on this planet who loves packing for a holiday.
 Every time my friends and I travel together, all of them complain how tedious and mind-numbing the process of packing is while I'm bouncing off the walls in excitement. How can you not get super pumped for your travels while packing?

As this year definitely marks an all time high in travelling for me - I had a total of five trips planned out, of which two have already happened; in fact, I'm currently packing my suitcase right now as I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow - I'll have a whole load of packing to do, which made me think about some tricks that'll help me use the room in my suitcase properly and keep me from overpacking.

And because packing can be quite the nemesis for quite a lot of people, I thought I'd share my tips and tricks for how to pack properly - so you can get done with it quickly and dream of your holiday even sooner!

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1. Plan before you start to pack.

Overpacking is never a good idea, especially when you're going somewhere by plane and have a certain weight limit you have to stick to - but even when you're not dragging huge, heavy bags or suitcases around with you isn't exactly a great time.

What I do to avoid packing things I won't really need is writing a list of all the essential items I'll need for my time away - toiletries, make up, medicine, clothing.
Clothing wise, it's wise to pack specific outfits. What I mean by this is laying out the pieces of clothing you want to take with you and combining them with other pieces - by putting together outfits and only packing pieces that go with other things you're taking, you'll avoid bringing unnecessary clothes that you cannot match to anything else you've taken with you.


2. Heavy and spacey things at the bottom.

Something I'll always do is placing heavy or big things I'm taking with me right at the bottom of my suitcase.
By doing that, you will stop heavy items from crumpling very delicate and soft cloth - because who wants to walk around in wrinkly clothing on their holiday?

Besides that, putting very spacey items like shoes at the bottom of your suitcase will force you to work - or pack - your way around them, for example by rolling clothing to fit into small spaces next to those large pieces.


3. Wrap any fluids in plastic bags.

Besides wrinkled clothes, something else you absolutely do not want to see when you open up your suitcase upon arrival is fluids that have spread all across the entire content of it.

To avoid that, always remember to wrap any form of fluid - be it perfume, shampoo, foundation, nail polish, medicine - in a small plastic bag. It's always better for them to leak into a seperate bag instead of onto all of your clothing.

Also, to keep fragile items like perfume from breaking, make sure to cushion them properly by putting the bag they're wrapped up in inbetween soft items like towels or clothing.


4. Never carry any valuable items in your suitcase.

I think a lot of people would've thought of this themselves, but it's still very important,
Always carry important items, such as your purse, passport, keys and other things you cannot lose under any circumstances in your carry on bag.

It's not unusual for suitcases to get lost on the way to your destination, especially if you have to switch from one plane and/or airline to another.
Most of the time, suitcases will show up eventually, but it wouldn't be the first time for one to dissolve into thin air.


Do you have any tricks that you cannot go without when it comes to packing?

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How to Become Better at Mornings

I feel like the characters in almost every single movie or TV show I've watched are the ideal morning people - they get up as the first rays of sunshine hit their face, stretch a little and then literally jump out of bed while whistling a joyful tune.

I don't know about you, but I hardly have days where I get up like this - usually it's only the case when I'm going on holiday and bouncing off the walls in excitement.

But no matter how much I hate it, there's no way to avoid my alarm clock ringing at 5.30am four days a week; and because of that, I've developed some habits that help me become a little more of a morning person and make me feel a little less dead while I wait for my coffee to be done.

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1. Whatever you do, don't press snooze.

I know just how inviting that damn snooze button is, but pressing it again and again will only make you feel worse.

Not only will you keep falling alseep only to be jerked awake after ten minutes , which can really screw up how tired you feel - even if you were to get nine hours of sleep yet keep pressing snooze, you'll find yourself unable to be fully awake.
On top of that, you're a lot more likely to be late for work, school or any appointments awaiting you, and who wants to run and break a sweat right after getting up?


2. Wash your face with cold water.

I know just how harsh or downright violent it can be to splash your face with cold water right after getting up - you'll be insanely cold for a few seconds, and you'll also wonder how much you must hate yourself to do this - but after you're done you'll feel insanely refreshed and a lot more awake!


3. Do some light exercise.

I've found that introducing some really light excersise like yoga or even meditation can really change the way I feel throughout the day.

It gives me those ten minutes to take a deep breath and clear my head in order to start the day with a refreshed mind.
Besides that, my body always feels so great after a short exercise in the morning and on top of that, I feel energized and ready to seize the day!


4. Take a few minutes to plan out your day.

This might not be for you if you're a super spontaneous person and often make spur-of-the-moment decisions, but if you, like me, love yourself at least a little organisation you should definitely include this step into your morning routine!

What I do is sit down with my bullet journal during breakfast and plan out or go over my tasks for the day - this helps me concentrate, even though the task isn't too demanding.
Besides that, it also helps me prepare for the day - by going over my to-do list every morning, I'm less likely to forget to do something important.


5. Prepare a good breakfast for yourself.

Something that I do every morning without fail is make breakfast for myself - whether it's eggs, pancakes or simply cereal or toast (let's be real, mostly the last two because I ain't to four star cook).

I feel like by preparing my food myself, I avoid eating anything too unhealthy or skipping breakfast altogether - it truly is the most important meal of the day. If you eat poorly or not at all, you'll struggle to come up with energy all day!



What is the most important step in your morning routine?

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How to Write a Banging Term Paper

I've always loved writing - it's actually one of the main reasons I started my blog. It was supposed to be a way for me to both talk about the things I'm interested and invested in and practice and share my writing.

Because of that, writing in any shape or form has always come relatively easy to me, even when it was mandatory writing I had to do for classes.
To a lot of other people, however, pieces that will be critically judged and then graded, work that will hugely affect their finals grade - such as term papers or even a thesis - are absolute nemesises.

I myself have to write something I can only compare to a shorter version of a thesis in order to be allowed to even take my final exams before graduation, so I've been experiencing the refusal and de-motivation almost everyone in my year has been struggling with first hand.

And because so many people struggle with writing important papers, I thought I might share some of the best tips on how to write an amazing term paper or thesis!

1. Choose a topic that interests you/ you're invested in.

My first piece of advice is actually pretty obvious, but still needs to be said.
Sometimes you might think that picking a certain topic for your paper might impress your teacher/professor, leading to a better grade - however, if you don't feel any form of conection to or compassion for what you're writing about, it'll definitely show in the quality of you work!

It's always a good idea to go with a topic you're genuienly interested in and won't get tired of working with after a couple of weeks as you'll be spending quite a lot of time with it.

2. Do research bit by bit so you won't feel overwhelmed.

In my eyes, the act of writing your paper is actually the easiest part of your entire working process.
What, to me, can often be insanely endlesss and tiring is spending hours and hours doing research - working your way through an everlasting list of books, trying ten different variations of the same key words to get as many results from Google as possible, doing interviews or handing out questionaires.
 Please don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks that while it can be really interesting, it's often nothing but god-awful.

What to keep in mind here is that while you'll eventually have to do all of this research, it's a good idea to divide it up into small portions - read a chapter or two one day, then another one the next day and so on.
By starting your research a little early and keeping it to bearable amounts at all times, you're much less likely to be overwhelmed by the stack of books awaiting you - because let's be real, getting through five big books, and I mean rellay big, thinking around 500-700 pages each - of immigrant policies in around three weeks while studying and working wasn't going to work quite as well as I had imagined.
Time management is key - which brings me to my next point.

3. Stop procastinating.

I know that even the thought of starting a big project like this can be insanely off-putting to begin with, but as I already mentioned - the more you procastinate and the later you start, the more work is going to pile up on your desk - and it will eventually end up drowning you.

Even when the deadline is not in the near future - mine, for example, is in early November and I started working on my paper at the beginning of the year - it's always best to create some sort of working schedule to keep you organized and on track.
It's important to keep these things in mind: Are all the books/other sources I need available at all times, or do I have to get them at specific times? Will I have to hand in any early drafts? By which point in time do I want to be done with research and start writing? How much time will I need for fine-tuning after I've finished my paper?

I like to keep a to-do or goal list related to my paper and tick aims/tasks off as I go - seeing them disappear of the list shows me the progress I've already made and thus motivates me to keep working on.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

While you'll be working mostly by yourself when it comes to these big projects, it's important to know that you're not on your own at all.

For one, there will always be other students working on their term paper/thesis at the exact same point in time you are, so taking some time to talk to them about their progress, their feelings and their struggles can really help you - and even the others - a lot.
The group of people in my year whose topics are themed around Mexico and the United States - just like mine is - exchanges about the progress made every now and then, and it's amazing how we often come up to possible solutions for other people's sturggles when they seem to be stuck - and how others help us out as well.

And then there's always your teacher or professor - it's fairly easy to be intimidated by them, but most of the teachers I've come across have always wanted the best for their students, which means that they will be happy to help you out with any questions that might come up while you're working on your paper.
Don't be embarassed to ask them for advice - they might come up with ideas you never would've thought of. Coming back to my own paper - I told my teacher that I had absolutely no clue whatsoever about a possible introduction for my paper, and by discussing it with her we came up with the most amazing idea ever - and I never would've been able to incorporate it into my work if I hadn't had the courage to admit that I needed help.

On the other hand, they might point out mistakes you've been making and thus saving you from losing points when handing in a flawed piece of work - you can really just win something from cooperating with your teachers.

Do you have any advice when it comes to writing a term paper or thesis?

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How To Pass Your Exams | Lifestyle

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I hate to break it to you, fellow students, but spring break has offically come to an end - getting up at 5.30 for classes tomorrow will be truly depressing - and you all know what that means. Right, final exams.

Something that I have been good at for pretty much my entire life is studying - not so much of a party trick, but pretty handy when it comes to surviving the worst time of the school year.
To be honest with you, there has not been a year when I didn't walk out of there with less than an A average.

I know a lot of people who are struggling with finding a method that works for them, so I want to share some tips that help me handle studying with you guys.

1. Declutter your workspace

I can't stress this one enough! Your workspace is the base for what you achieve or don't achieve.

I myself can't concentrate on what is in front of me when I'm surrounded with a ton of stuff and I can imagine that I'm not the only one.

Get rid of everything that isn't contributing to your studies - your phone/laptop, bottles, food, little piles of trash, what have you.

Put it away where you don't see it - that way, it will not distract you from working.

2. Don't leave it 'til the last minute

Regarding exams, I've next to never done this before because my anxiety always gets the best of me, but it has happened with smaller projects before.

I know how tempting a Netflix marathon or a day out with your friends might seem, and there is always going to be a valid enough reason to procastinate, but at one point you will find yourself sitting at your desk at 10pm the day before your exam without having revised, and we both know that an all-nighter filled with lots of coffe, redbull and panic is not going to cut it.

As harsh as it sounds, you will have to plan ahead, especially if you have a bunch of exams in a small period of time.

Make a study schedule - don't try to overdo it, studying for seven hours on end isn't going to benefit you. Set one to two hours of revision for one exam on one day, on the other day, to the same for a different exam - that way, you're not focusing too much on one single subject.

3. Delete social media from your phone

Yes, social media are very, very tempting. But there are only so many times you can refresh your instagram feed until you're running out of new things to read, and surely, twitter will wait.

The best way to stop picking up your phone for "a short break" every five minutes is to temporarily delete all of the social media apps of your phone. When you're done with your exams, you can easily download them again, so no damage is done.

If you still find yourself using your phone rather than reading your notes, there are a few apps that let you block yourself from using your phone for a set amount of time in order to stop it from distracting you.

4. Worrying is counter-productive

I worry a lot, about a lot of things, but mostly about school. When I know I have the final of a subject that I'm not exactly great at - Maths or Physics, cough - I will already sweat and shiver before even picking up my notes for revision.

Remember that when you've done a decent job at revising, you do not have anything to fear when it comes to the exam. Yes, there might be some tricky questions, but don't fret. After some thinking, you will probably be able to figure even those out. 

Panicking is the worst thing you can do to yourself.

5. Give yourself a break

As I mentioned above, endless study sessions are not gonna do you any good - you'll end up burning yourself out and probably forgetting half the stuff you revised.

Ways to relax between revision periods are going for walks, rewarding yourself - because hey, you've totally earned it - or talking to someone about/writing down the things that stress you out.

Don't give yourself such a hard time.

And in the end, remember that you're only human, and if you don't achieve everything that you want to, that is okay, because that's what we do. We get knocked on our butts and get up again to do it better next time.

What is a method that helps you revise more efficently?

Thank you so much for reading!