My experience with a blog, content creation, and social media promotion has not been easy, but it has been a helpful one. Many of the tools used were very effective by helping the blog standout and look professional. The “about me” section helped give a quick sum of what the blog would be about and why it was started. The “contact” page was also useful, although no one really submitted any questions or feedback, it can be helpful in the future when dealing with a career. Some of the tools that I didn’t find helpful, which is why I didn’t use them, were Flickr posts, upcoming events, and goodreads that are all under widgets. A way that I could improve this site is by adding more color or even just a better theme that would draw more people in and give it a “college feel”. This experience could benefit me in the future if I ever have to deal with having a website or information page. With wanting to go into publicity, depending on my client, they will more than likely have a social media or a website that would have to be updated so I believe my  experience with this website will be helpful.

My most popular week was the week of October 15 with 17 views and 1 visitor. My most popular post shows that it was the homepage with 7 views and Being a dog parent with 5. Nothing was really surprising to me about my Site Stats and I don’t have many impressions/ stats from social media.

Mayloo’s at it’s calmest.

The Porch’s beautiful outside.

Green Parrot isn’t so green during the day

The Historical Marc

A drive through the square during the day will show you the calmest most relaxing time before the craziness happens when the sun goes down. All of these buildings have so much history behind them and it is interesting to be a part of something so historic. Although these buildings may look like they should only be looked at for their beauty, so much more goes on with them.

Lots of memories are made in and around these places. Yes, they are bars but engagements, weddings, birthdays and so many more priceless memories are made in the square. A drive through the square shows how amazing this town really is, even though it is very small, it’s beautiful and so much fun. There’s also more than just bars, there’s cafe’s, restaurants, and even little shops that surround the courthouse. It’s a great place to spend the day, especially if the weather is good.

When I saw the square was when I was really sold on this town. The small feel of the square really makes you feel at home. If you are ever wanting to visit San Marcos or thinking about coming to Texas State, I highly recommend driving through the square.

Although college is full of fun activities, getting your degree is the main reason you’re there. Developing good study habits is important for your academic performance and helps keep your stress levels down. Everybody studies differently, so it’s important to learn what works for you and what doesn’t. I’ve learned some study tips over the years that have helped me a lot through college.

My first study tip is to try studying somewhere other than your room. I like going to the library or the study rooms in my apartment, but other options include a park or a coffee shop. This helps me because it puts my mind in study mode. If I try to study in my room, I get distracted too easily or too tempted to lay in my bed and take a nap. When I go to the library my mind stays on track and I use my time more efficiently.

My second study tip is to write down what you need to remember. Re-reading to study helps but writing things down is proven to help you learn it better. Studies have even proven that writing things out helps you memorize things better rather than typing on a laptop or a phone. I like to write out review guides or write flashcards. I also like to use highlighters or colored pens, because color coordinating my notes helps the information stick in my head more.

My final study tip is to begin studying a couple days before your test instead of the night before. This significantly reduces your stress, and studying over the course of a couple days helps you actually learn the information instead of just memorizing it. I like to set time limits for myself, such as studying for 30 minutes every night and an hour the night before the test. This way your mind doesn’t get burnt out and the information is reinforced multiple times. There are so many different ways to study and I hope the ones I shared can help you, but if they don’t there’s always another way!

Being in college is definitely about studying, getting good grades, and finally getting to graduate with a degree for a career but it is also very important that you have a good time doing it. College, whether it’s community or a University, is an experience that you can only really experience once when you’re young. It’s important to make memories and have fun while building some knowledge for the future. In San Marcos, there are so many things to do and if you get bored there are big cities like Austin only an hour away. There are plenty of fun things to do in those cities like going to eat, clubs, bars, concerts or even museums.

San Marcos is the perfect college town. The Square is an area downtown containing around 15 bars set up in the shape of a square. They cater to the college students in San Marcos by offering lots of cheap drink deals. Chimy’s is the perfect pregame spot, since it’s located on The Square and has decently priced drinks and cheap, yummy Mexican food. Mayloo’s, Green Parrot, and Rooftop are some of the most popular bars for college kids on The Square. When the bars close at 2 am and everyone is hungry, Buzz Mill is open and even offers vegan options. Gumby’s Pizza stays open until 4 am and has some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Spending your night at The Square is guaranteed to be a good time!

Austin is known as the music capital of the world, making it the perfect place for concerts and festivals. The Austin amphitheater holds numerous concerts and shows. I myself have been to a few and it is always a good time. Austin also holds one of the most popular music festivals of the year, Austin City Limits, located at Zilker Park. Every year the line up contains mainstream and upcoming artists, so there’s always something for everyone. They sell plenty of alcohol, amazing food, and souvenirs as well.

Apps and social media are a key tool in the everyday life for our generation, especially while attending college. This ranges from meeting new people, staying organized, and finding the best deals.  

Every college kid is on a budget but also trying to avoid the ramen diet that’s why a daily app I use is “Hooked”. This app has new food deals popping up every hour from every different restaurant. What’s really cool about this app is that it’s specifically designed for college students, requiring a student email for sign up. Before any out to eat meal, I check this app to see if some of my favorite places has a deal going on. My friends and I even sometimes base our meals off the best deal going on at the time. I would recommend this app to anyone even if you don’t have a tight budget it’s always worth saving some extra spending cash.  

Another favorite of mine is called “Bumble” this app allows you to meet people in your area who are close in age and share similar interests as me. There are three different modes in this app called, “date”, “bff” and “bizz”. If you’re interested in meeting new friends, finding a date or businesses opportunities “Bumble” is the app for you. I think having an app like this is useful in college because you can make new friends and find new experiences. Whether that means finding a friend to have a Netflix marathon with, a date to go to a Haunted House with, or a business to be able to grow your own. This app is useful in every way. 

Almost every university now a days also has an app specifically for their university, like I attend Texas State and use the app “TXST Mobile”. This app is great because it’s everything you need to know about your college in your pocket. I can find out where the buses are, where my classes are, home works I have due, upcoming tests, and any holds on my record. In the past students would have to buy organizers just to keep track of all of this but with this app you can add all of this straight to your phone calendar and be able to set reminders and keep up with all of your classes.

Being a dog parent in college is a different experience. Some days you can barely manage to keep your own life together yet have the responsibility of an animal. But in the chaos, it’s nice to have a companion along for the journey. In a fun town like San Marcos there are many outdoor adventures that are perfect for a dog. Everyone loves dogs and with the Texas weather most days you can always find something fun to do with your four-legged friend. A lot of restaurants are pet friendly and have patios where you can enjoy a good meal with your friends and dog.  

Having a dog in college has become very popular and most students have at least one dog in their homes. Dog Parks are a great way to get exercise while socializing with other dogs and people. You get to meet cute and fun new dogs along with people who share the same interests as you. Because what’s the fun of having a good dog if you’re just going to keep them for yourself? Being a dog parent in college is fun because you always have a furry friend to explore and try new things with.  

There is definitely a difference of lifestyles between dog owners and students who don’t have dogs. College is a time period where you’re on your own living without having to answer to parents or rules. A lot of kids take this time to be reckless and do whatever they choose but you can’t really do that when you have a dog. You have to feed, let out and obviously care for your dog. This kind of responsibility is good for me because it forces me to stay accountable and manage my time wisely around school and social activities. I love having my dog Miley she is a cute good girl who has definitely enhanced my college experience at Texas State.

Going into college we all want a little insider of what it’s going to be like and how we should prepare ourselves. DormDelicious is an amazing blog that gives lots of advice on what you need, where you can find things you might need or want, and even things about what to expect when moving into a dorm. They have five tabs on the top of their homepage that include: Home, Blog, Store, Advertise, Contact Us. I would say that the blog and the store are the most popular of their tabs because that’s where most people are going to go to look for dorm decor or essentials. The advertising and contact us pages are for business inquiries and questions anyone might have on the website.

I personally love this blog because mostly everyone’s first thought when going into college is what their dorm is going to look like. It’s the first home away from home and it’s something that people want to be homey and personal. This blog shares lots of decorating advice, tips, and ideas to make one’s space more attractive. The store shares lots of things that you could need or want for your dorm such as stylish comforters, mattress toppers for a more comfortable bed, and comfy chairs as well as other decor. I’ve even taken some of their ideas and applied them to my dorm room when I was coming into college.

Dorm Delicious is very unique because they basically stick to one topic and that is dorm rooms. Whether it’s decor, ideas, or tips about what dorm life would be like, it all revolves around that one topic. I like that because it make it easy to not get lost in the website which can and has easily happened with others. I recommend this blog to anyone who is living in a dorm, or even in an apartment, that needs ideas on how to decorate, what to expect, and what you need. I love this blog as I’ve found it very helpful and I hope you do too!

Stokes Park is located on Cape St. behind The Woods apartment complex. You park on Cape St. in the parking lot they have provided, walk across the street into the field and you will see the top of the waterfall. You find your way down by climbing over it or you can walk all the way around onto the path the park has guided for people. Theres an area where people bring blankets and hangout by the water while others jump off the waterfall and theres also a trail you can walk that goes along the river if you want to explore a little more. Some people even use this spot to fish or kayak down the river.

When I went to the waterfall myself, I went with a couple of friends and we stayed there for hours not even knowing how fast time was going by, it was so much fun. It doesn’t seem like much but its a place most people in San Marcos don’t even know about.  When we had gone up to jump off the edge, a few local kids gave us the advice of jumping right in the center, otherwise we would just be jumping onto a bunch of big, jagged rocks. Jumping off the waterfall was definitely an adrenaline rush, I have to admit, but it was so worth it and very exciting. It’s very scary and intimidating but, just like anything else, you can’t let your fears get in the way of letting you do what you want to do.

This spot doesn’t just have to be a place to go hangout and have fun with your friends, it can be a place to go be alone, read a book, or even just to study. I’ve been multiple times and I’ve seen many different people use this sweet spot for many different things, it’s up to you on how you want to use it and if you want to take anyone. I highly recommend visiting this place even if you’re just passing through the town. It’s a beautiful amazing experience even if you were just to see the top of it. If you want to know more about what this beautiful park has click here.

First off I want to introduce myself; my name is Lauren, I’m a junior at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. A little about me is that I am from San Antonio, TX (not too far from San Marcos), I’m majoring in Mass Communications Public Relations with a minor in Studies of Popular Culture, and I love adventures. Anything from taking exploring my cities and new hangout spots to long road trips is a day well spent to me. I love to explore new things. My blog will cover things like good places to eat, hangout spots, what goes on during my day, and things to do in San Marcos.

I chose the topic “College Life” because well I’m in college and to me, I’ve found that theres a lot more to the stereotypical college life. I want to be able share and show what actually goes on, at least at Texas State. I plan on sharing things that will show how amazing college is and even if it doesn’t have to do with college itself. To me, college is more than always being in the library studying (although that is very important) or staying home with friends watching Netflix. Being on your own away from home is a refreshing experience that teaches you lots of things and gives you an opportunity to find new interests and experiences.

My target audience for this website is incoming college students or even transfer students interesting in coming to Texas State. I believe it will help give a feel to what college is actually like and be able to give you insight to what there is to do, where to eat, and where to go in San Marcos. I hope it will also give students encouragement to want to come here or even any college in general. I want it to show that college is not as scary or intimidating as it’s made out to be our whole lives prior to it. My twitter account will have links to blog posts and other shorter posts.

https://www.txstate.edu