OJ the PA

We have three weeks off between the summer and fall semesters, and I'm packing in a lot! I moved home on Tuesday and immediately got down to business with unpacking and rearranging my house. I wanted to move my office to the front of the house so I can have a nice view out my front window while I'm studying. But this room was a pretty bright teal color, and I wanted something more toned down (and, uh, more "adult" haha) so when a friend told me she was getting rid of some "grey-ish" paint, I jumped at the offer. So here's the rundown of what's all in my fabulous new office. Stuff I bought:  Big cozy rug: At Home ($75) Grey desk chair: At Home ($23)  Printed pillow: At Home ($15)  Pink ottoman: Target ($30) Whiteboard: Amazon ($21) Stuff I already had:  4-drawer filing cabinet: Goodwill  Lamp: Target maybe?  Fake tree (cuz I'd kill a real one): At Home  Chair: Wayfair  Elephant: At Home  Desk: Wayfair?  Small bookc

I recently reflected on my first semester of PA school , and one of the things I should have mentioned was being prepared with the right supplies. So, here's a quick list of the supplies I found helpful during my first semester of school: 1. The right laptop I had this great touchscreen Lenovo Yoga laptop that I loved, but I accidentally shattered the screen mid-way through the semester and needed to buy a new laptop (cue the tears!). A friend who works in IT graciously helped me find a new laptop, and after a nightmare of a shipping debacle, I got this great HP touchscreen laptop that has a pen and everything. Now, lots of my fellow classmates have Apple laptops, and I'm sure they're great. However, I've always been a PC user and don't have the kind of money for that brand. Plus, I really wanted a touch screen and a pen, because I found that taking notes using OneNote was going to be both convenient and efficient. So far, so good! 2. A sketch pad, color

Passed all of the classes (whew!). Move out of my tiny studio (adios, bugs!). And said some tearful goodbyes (*sniffle*). My first semester of PA school is officially behind me, and wow, what a ride it was. I've decided to reflect on my amazing experience and share it with you.  Don't stop being grateful.  It's amazing to think about how competitive it is to get into PA school. I am dang lucky to be here right now, working my tail off for this degree. When the going gets tough, reminder yourself that there are tons of other people who would kill to be in your shoes.  Dry shampoo was my best friend.  On a slightly more lighthearted note, ain't nobody got time for washing their hair every day! Luckily, my school didn't have any dress codes so that means dry shampoo, yoga pants and the least amount of makeup I've worn since probably middle school! I also don't think I've worn my hair in a ponytail this much, maybe ever! But in all seriousnes

With interview season upon us, I thought I would share my best tips for confidently answering those hard-hitting questions.  Tip #1: Create a messaging document.  A what-now? A messaging document. I used to work in communications and public relations, so preparing people for interviews with news outlets was actually a part of my job. Essentially, you come up with a set of questions you expect the interviewer may ask you, and write up how you'd like to respond.  You can find questions galore online (from The PA Life , The PA Platform , and AASPA , just to name a few). Choose a nice variety, and start writing out your answers -- even to the ones that seem easy! For example, "tell me about yourself" might seem really straightforward, but you want to say a few key things about yourself without yammering on forever.  I took this really seriously. I chose 48 questions and wrote out answers for each one; my messaging document ended up being over 11 pages long. D

My studio apartment was pretty great, except for a few things . My teensy weensy kitchen was probably up there on that list. I definitely wouldn't say that I love cooking, but I feel that preparing healthy food is both important for your wellness and your budget. So, with both very minimal fridge space (yes, it was a literal mini-fridge) and sparse counter space, cooking wasn't exactly my favorite thing in the world. However, I did have some go-to recipes that served me quite well! Mexican Bean Salad Pictured above, I made this salad loosely based on the linked recipe from My Life Cookbook . Cold salads were great for taking to school with me, and I loved having this on the side of a cheese quesadilla. From Damn Delicious One-Pot Mexican Quinoa Loooove this recipe by Damn Delicious ! So easy to make and it's really yummy. Quinoa is a grain, it's high in protein, and it's so easy to cook. Definitely makes a great base for this awesome recipe. Fr