The Lovely Side

(above photo by: Maegan Simpson.)

Barrack Obama visited my community college today. (Above is a photo that one of my friends took.) I didn't go. I had some homework and errands to take care of so I skipped out on my probably one chance to be in the same room as the president of the United States. Plus, I didn't want to deal with the horrible traffic and crazy crowds. Haha.

But classes were canceled, which resulted in a major project's due-date being pushed back 'til next Tuesday. So thank you for that, Mister President.

Amore.

Apartment Therapy is doing their yearly Small Cool Contest and I'm eating it up. There are soooo many small, cool rooms featured that I adore. From time to time I'll be featuring my favorites for both my own and your decor inspiration.

(above: Madeline's Swedish Light - via Apartment Therapy) Breezy white curtains let the sunlight flow into this small apartment. The furniture maintains clean lines. And pillows and throws in different textures and patterns give the room some eclectic flair. Isn't that shiny silver floor lamp the coolest?

(above: Laura & Anna's Room for Entertainment - via Apartment Therapy) Filling the wall with art makes a bold statement. Not only do I love that there is vintage art in this room, but I adore how they displayed it---three large posters hung high on the wall and six smaller prints hung underneath.

(above: Michael's Vintage Features - via Apartment Therapy) This room looks spacious because of all the off-white---the wall…

(image via: here.)

Some students yearn to study abroad for a semester. But you may find yourself craving a study abroad experience for the entire four years. There are many benefits to choosing an overseas education. Do any of these strike you?

You want to learn a new language. Yes, colleges offer language classes from the basic Spanish and French to German, Russian, Latin, Chinese, etc. But the optimal way to acquire a foreign language is through immersion.
You want to travel. Not only will you be traveling the country where your school is located, but you'd have many opportunities to travel around that country or nearby ones. You can take weekend trips, hop on a train during an academic break, or sign up for a school sponsored field trip. Imagine the places you'll go!You want to experience a different culture. By studying in a different country, you'll be surrounded by new and different foods, etiquette, architecture, fashion, beliefs, customs, etc. And you'l…

(image via: here.)

Yes, it is important to consider your wants. Maybe you want to move far away, maybe you want to stay close to home. Maybe you live somewhere cold, but want to move somewhere warm and sunny. Maybe you wanna try something new, maybe you wanna ease into college. All these are part of the decision of whether to go to college in state or go out of state. And while your wants are important, you need to weigh in on the big picture, too.

So while taking your wants into account, also remember these big factors when choosing between in-state and out-of-state.

Tuition
Keep in mind that going to school in-state will likely save you money. At public institutions, tuition and fees cost thousands less for in-state residents than for students coming from out-of-state. Sometimes, public institutions make provisions for scholarships for out-of-state students. And sometimes, public institutions have a program that allow an out-of-state resident to pay in-state tuition if they are …

Jesse from Just Flew the Coop posted about the question "Where will I be in 10 years?" and tagged me to do the same. I thought about it all day long and (like Jesse) decided to find some pictures that match the future I daydreamed up.

Ten years from now I will be thirty-one years old. College will be behind me and I'll love my job as a reading teacher at an elementary school somewhere in Iowa.

I will be happily married to the handsome and funny love of my life... who hopefully turns out to be my current amazing bf. ;)

I will live in an adorable house. It may not be huge, but it will have a lot of character. The outside will be painted a pretty color like pink or turquoise... and I'll have lovely white gingerbread trim.

The inside of my house will be my creative playground when it comes to decorating. The wall colors, throw pillows, curtains, and furniture arrangements will probably change frequently. There will be lots of magazines, books, and vintage typewriters…

It's time for Apartment Therapy's annual Small, Cool contest. :D I love seeing all the photos of real people's small spaces---especially the teeny-tiny ones. Here are some photos of recent entries:

(above two photos via Apartment Therapy: Lacey's DIY in the Details. For more photos + floor plan, click here.) Lacey's space is my favorite of the teeny-tiny entries so far. I love the subtle eclecticism, diy touches, and mix of furniture she has going on. I especially like the dresser her tv sits on. The bed looks comfy. The mirrored nightstand is lovely. And that chair looks like the perfect place to curl up with a good book or magazine.

(above photo via Apartment Therapy: Whitney's Well Organized Home. For more photos + floor plan, click here.) Whitney's small space is appealing because of all the crisp white and sunlight. She's also an organizer extraordinaire---check out that cabinetry! I'm completely smitten with the colorful quilt on h…

(above image via: here.)

Online education (or e-learning) is instrucction delivered on a computer via the internet. It is an option of increasing popularity for not only our own generation, but also for adults going back to school and even high school students that want to get some colleges classes under their belts. There are generally two types of class delivery: self paced and led by an instructor. The learning includes text, video, audio, discussion boards, and other internet media.

There are many strictly-online universities that you've probably seen the commercials for. (Think Phoenix and DeVry.) Community colleges often offer a wide variety of online courses... sometimes entire degrees can be completed all (or nearly all) online. And even four-year schools are jumping on the bandwagon by offering online courses to distance-learners and on-campus students.

If you are curious about online courses, the best thing to do is check out the schools that offer e-learning. Differen…

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This real dorm photo comes from savvymojo's flickr photostream. First of all, I think the pillow patterns are way cute. But mostly, I love the photo collage. By clicking here, you can view the original photo on flickr. Savvymojo added a note to every little photo in her collage explaining what it is or its significance. These include a card from her dad to her mom, vintage postcards, a mini Klimt print, and photos of old Hollywood stars.

The best kind of wall decor is the kind that makes us feel at home and surrounded by things we like.

Amore.

(above image via: here.)

A Hispanic-serving instiution (called an HSI) is a college or university in the US that attempts to assist 1st generation, majority low income Hispanic college students.

An HSI cannot be a for-profit university. An HSI must offer at least two-year academic programs that would lead up to a degree an dbe accredited by a recognized association. Additionally, an HSI must have at least a 25% Hispanic undergrad full-time student enrollment.

There are large grants offered to HSIs through the Department of Education. These grants allow for serving all ethnicities and supplying funds for administration, development, and academic programs, plus facility management, tutoring, and student support and counseling.

Amore.

For more information, visit the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

(above image via: here.)

I stumbled upon this on Miss Kels' Flickr photostream. It is a photo of the post-it note wall mural that she and her roomie created in their dorm. I've seen several all-yellow post-it walls and never much cared for such a display. But I really like this multi-colored post-it mural. The red couch and patterned pillows are pretty fab, too.

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(image via: here.) If your floor has a lot of character to it, play it up. Keep the walls and bed as simple, white, and crisp as can be. Stick to minimal furniture---an essential dresser to store clothes and a retro chair for a place to sit. Leave the windows undressed so that light can pour in. And check out that ethereal ceiling light.

(image via: here.) Daybeds are not only lovely, but boast double function as beds and as places to sit. By filling the daybed with luxurious bed linens and different sizes of pillows, you'll be creating a heavenly oasis to dive into after a long school day.

(image via: here.) In extra tight spaces where you may not have room for a nightstand, this is my favorite alternative. Hang a shelf over the bed---one that's long enough and deep enough for a lamp, alarm clock, books, and whatever else you may need near to you. But keep it to a minimum and make sure the shelf is hung securely---you don't want it to fall down and knock you out …

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Historically black colleges and universities are schools with origins at the time when African-American students were systematically denied access to most other academic institutions in this country. These schools were founded before 1964 with the intent of serving black students. While times have changed and schools no longer segregate races, these schools provide a unique opportunity for African-American students to experience an academic community in which they're part of the majority.

There are over 100 historically black colleges in the US today---these include public, private, two-year, four-year, community colleges, and specialty schools such as medical institutes. Most were established after the Civil War, but there are a handful with antebellum origins.

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P.S. For a list of the top historically black colleges in the US, click here.

Here at LovelyUndergrad, it's all about budget-friendly ways to style your college living space. I don't spend a lot of time promoting expensive products, but I'm going to make an exception because I believe this product is well worth the money.

I recently heard about the new Philips LivingColors LED lights. These babies are small, easy to operate, and saturate your white walls with whatever color your heart desires. (There are 16 million color possibilities!) You change the color with a simple remote. And voila! Your walls are purple, pink, orange, or any other hue.

I think these lights go for about $200, but if color is a big deal to you and you're fretting about living in a white box when you go to college---I think this is a great solution. It might be something to think about saving your money up for this summer.

Or maybe you're lucky enough to win a giveaway. Enter to win one of the LivingColors lamps here.


Here's a video that shows the LivingColor…

(above image via: here.)

Bring Springtime into your dorm or apartment with these easy decor tips:

♥Undress or re-dress the windows. Rethink the heavy drapes you've got going on. By taking them down or replacing them with sheer white curtains, the sun's rays will be able to flow in more freely. For an even lovelier affect, open up the windows so that the Springtime breeze can come in! (You might want to avoid opening the windows if your roomie has allergies...)

♥Bring in some fresh flowers. A bouquet of pretty tulips in purple, pink, or yellow cost about $5 from your local Wal-Mart. (Daisies, carnations, and peonies are lovely, too.) Stick the flowers in a cute vase and enjoy. You'll be surprised at how a simple bouquet of flora can instantly cheer up a room.

♥Clean. It isn't called "Spring Cleaning" for nothing. Take a day (or weekend, depending on the size of your place) to do some deep cleaning. Scrub the floors, walls, bathroom, and windows. Wipe d…

(image via: here.)

Religiously-affiliated colleges and universities are private schools that were established by religious groups or organizations. These schools do not limit admission strictly to students who share the school's affiliated faith, but the school administration is ruled by religious principles.

There are many colleges in the country that you may not realize have religious affiliations. For example, Notre Dame and Georgetown are both Catholic. Brandeis University and Yeshiva University are both Jewish. Bringham Young is Mormon and Earlham College is Quaker. If you are curious about whether a school has religious affiliations, check out the mission statement. The mission statement will clue you in on whether the school is affiliated at all, whether or not is historic only, and how the affiliation impacts academic and social aspects of college.

If a college's religious affiliation is historic only, that means the school was established by a religious group or organ…

If you choose a simple table instead of a desk you gain clean lines but lose storage space. To make up for the missing drawer space, stack large boxes underneath the desk. These green ones with their their metal edges and handles are an attractive option. Chairs on wheels are always convenient because you can move around easily. Tuck all your supplies away into colorful boxes of varying shapes, sizes, and colors.

If you want a minimal workspace, chose a simple desk like the one above and paint it. Use restraint with what supplies you leave out on the desk---it's not a large surface and you don't want to clutter it. (Keep often-needed supplies out; tuck occasionally-needed supplies away.) Go with a monochrome color scheme, but add a pop of color with one accessory such as an orange desk lamp amid an array of moody blues. Patterned (or plain) clipboards hung on the wall are a fun alternative to the traditional bulletin board.

Mirrored furniture and see-through acrylic furn…

1. Light Flight EVA shower curtain from Urban Outfitters.
2. Mud Hut bath rug by Modern Home from Target.
3. Plastic/Chrome bath coordinates from Target.
4. Chrome nesting basket by Room Essentials from Target.
5. Hot Coffee 4-piece towel set from Target.
6. Soap & Glory bath and beauty products from Target.

Amore.

(above image via: here.)

Women's colleges are undergraduate institutions (often liberal arts schools) that are comprised exclusively or almost exclusively of female students. Some women's colleges allow small numbers of men to be admitted into an undergraduate or graduate program. But these schools are almost always entirely female.

An all-women's college may be right for you if:

You want to be more focused on academics and less distracted by guys. At a women's college, you'll be paying less attention to that hottie in chem class and more attention to the professor's lecture. You will be able to focus more on your personal academic goals, homework, study habits, and degree and less on dating.

You are more comfortable expressing yourself amid company of other young women. At a women's college, you won't have to worry about impressing guys. You may feel more willing to express your opinion in class discussions, debates, group projects, speeches, etc. T…