Hipster Starter Kit

Concept piece yang dibuat oleh desainer asal Kroasia, yaitu Mihael Miklošic ini lucu banget! Guess what, Mihael Miklošic makes it easy to be a hipster or just look like one with his “Hipster Starter Kit”, hehe.. Nah, kotak ini udah berisi berbagai macam barang, mulai dari kacamata, kaset yang berisi rekaman berbagai lagu, 6 tongkat mustaches, dan satu buku owner’s manual. Sayangnya, Hipster Starter Kit ini tidak untuk dijual, tapi idenya boleh juga ya?

Photos:

http://miklosic.dizajnsvakidan.com/international/hipster.html#.UHaCT9lEXKR

Change the perspective!

One of people who inspire me the most is Nick Vujicic. I believe many of you know about this man. If you don't, well, he's a man with no arms and no legs. Although he has this disability, he still lives his life to the fullest. He swims. He surfs. He married. He does whatever he wants. Even he inspires many people around the world with great stories about his amazing life. Isn't he really a huge inspiration?

I'm sure you know what I'm gonna write here. Many things we can learn from him, like being thankful, enjoying life, creating your happiness, or living the life you want no matter what the circumstance is. But I want to talk about his great life from a little bit different thing.

He inspired me in one thing when I read his book. If there's one thing I can learn from him, it's that you can't always change your problems, but you can always change the way you see it.

You can't always change your problems, but you can always change the way you see it.

You can't always change your problems - He's born without arms and legs. Well, imagine if he had a faith like "Someday I'll have two arms and two legs. It will grow from the inside of my body. I believe that." It seems like a good attitude, an optimistic thing, but it's not right. If he set his mind like that, he would never live his life like now, because he would always look for something that doesn't exist, and he would just be frustrated. That solution will never come. He's born with no arms and legs. That's it. But wait, it doesn't mean there's no hope. That solution doesn't exist, but it doesn't mean there's no right solution.

You can always change the way you see it - First thing first, he has to accept what happens in his life. Be grateful though he's not as "lucky" as others. Second, change the perspective! It's about the way you see it. Take something good from your challenges. See your problems as opportunities. Take a chance to change your weaknesses into something powerful. Just like Nick, he learned to swim without arms and legs instead of saying "I will never be able to swim like others, because I have no arms and legs".

Don't let your life be controlled by the circumstance. You're the one who should control your life, no matter what the circumstance is.

I don't say that you can always control your circumstance. Sometimes it's just far from what you expect it would be, but you can still design your own life with whatever life throws at you.

You can still change bad things into good things. It's an opportunity to change the worst into the best. Just set it right. It's not easy. Sometimes it takes a long process and time, but it can really happen. Even when the situation is bad, life can still be great when you live it right and see it from the right perspective.

How to Manage Your Money Freshman Year of College

Creating a smart financial plan now will pay off later in life. Learn about credit scores, line items, and online resources that will make balancing your budget easier.

The good news about starting college: you have more control over your life! But this power also comes with responsibility, especially when it comes to your finances. Even if you're not supporting yourself (thanks, Mom and Dad!), you need to be smart about managing money while you experience your newfound independence. The monetary behaviors you instate now will carry through to your adult life. According to financial expert Alexa von Tobel, the average college senior graduates with $4,000 in credit card debt, not to mention $30,000 in student debt. We asked her and other experts about what you can do to establish an easy, practical plan for spending and saving.

Create a budget.

"No matter how little your budget is, it's never too early to start a budget or spending plan," says Galia Gichon, the founder of Down-to-Earth Finance, a financial resource for women. "Money from your parents, financial aid, and your job are the three main sources. Start setting up a regular savings account around those few line items. For example: if you have $400 month, put $50 towards your cell phone bill, $50 towards spring break savings, and $50 towards going out at night. Take those few minutes at the beginning of the month or week to plan. I like to do things on a weekly basis because if you deviate one week, you can start over the next."

Set priorities.

"Now is the time to decide what is important to you and what you can go without," says Nicole Lapin, the founder of Recessionista.com. "Can't live without your weekly Bikram class? That's fine! Need a monthly manicure? That's fine, too! These small indulgences will keep you on track from splurging on other unnecessary expenses."

Consider opening a credit card in your own name.

"You should have a credit card that you only use to buy small things like a coffee or lunch so that you can establish really good credit," says Alexa von Tobel, the founder of LearnVest, a financial website that aims to empower women. "Your credit score is the only grade that matters after you graduate from college. Scores range from 300 to 850. If your score is above 760, that's fabulous. By having a good credit score, it means anytime you need to borrow money—like when you buy a home or car—it's a big signal of your responsibility. The more responsible you are, the less risky you are to the bank, so you'll get a much lower interest rate on the loan that you're borrowing. Your credit starts the second you have your first credit card in your own name. You need to pay your bills on time and in full every single month."

But don't open multiple credit cards.

"In college, you can open a credit card and get a discount on pizza," says von Tobel. "Opening a card is a big thing for your finances, and it shouldn't be something you do freely for a 15 percent discount."

Monitor your ATM usage.

"Start off conservatively when you're budgeting your living, food, and transportation expenses," says Lapin. "Then, hit the ATM for any extra 'fun money,' but set a tight limit—for example, five to ten percent of your monthly paycheck. Take out just that amount of cash and stash it somewhere safe. When you run out, guess what? Show's over until next month."

Buy gently used textbooks.

"Your college bookstore will typically mark-up textbooks for convenience," says Lapin. It's just as convenient—if not more so—to buy your books online and save money. TextbookRecycling.com even donates a portion of each sale to charity, and BookRenter.com lets you rent expensive textbooks a semester or entire year."

Use apps to track your spending habits.

"Mint.com is an excellent app to look at where your money went the prior month," says Galia. "You can get a snapshot of your spending history. There are also a lot of apps like Pennies and You Need a Budget. Each time you spend, you can plug it into your phone and keep a tally."

Plan ahead.

"A lot of students want to travel, whether it's for spring break or a semester abroad," says Galia. "If you save $50 a month towards that, it shows your parents that you're taking on responsibility towards planning towards a future goal. You're communicating about money with your parents, which is something that students often don't do."

Spring 2013

Source & Photo:

http://www.imaxtree.com/
http://www.gettyimages.com/
http://www.fashionologie.com

Bandung LOOKATS Market 2012

Forming Friendships the First Week of College: What to Know and Expect

As you start freshman year and settle into campus life, aim to meet classmates who share your interests and values.

If you're like most incoming college freshmen, it's been a while since you started from scratch and made new friends. Rest assured: almost everyone's in the same position as you. The classic rules to making new friends certainly apply—be open-minded, friendly, and make sure to smile! But you can also use the unique social situations on college campuses to your advantage by joining student groups and meeting people who share your major. Remember that it takes time to settle into campus life, and the students you meet during orientation probably won't comprise your friend group for the next four years. We asked the experts about what you should keep in mind as you meet your classmates.

Look for friends with common interests.

"Figure out what you like and what you want to achieve at college; after that, seek out the communities that are involved in those kinds of activities and have similar values," says Kelci Lucier, an education writer for About.com and US News & World Report. "You can meet people through a sports team, club, and your major's department. Head to programs, speakers, or events. If your community doesn't exist, go ahead and make one! College campuses are always open to new groups—chances are, if you're feeling a lack of community around something, other students are too."

Aim for variety.

"One nice thing about college is that you can have different friends who play different roles in your life," says Lucier. "You can have your studious friends with whom you know you can cram for a midterm and as well as more social friends with whom you know you can go out with on weekends."

Step outside of your comfort zone.

"Stay open to meeting new friends, even if you already know people from high school going to your college," says Jenny Blake, author of Life After College. "Challenge yourself. Think about the quote, 'do one thing each day that scares you.' Talk to one new person each day and try to expand beyond that initial comfort zone of a clique."

Try to avoid cliques.

"Cliques in college are very different from high school," says Lucier. "Because people travel in so many different circles—for example, people who live in your residence hall, chemistry majors, students in the organic farming club—cliques in college are pretty fluid. So, it's important to always be open to meeting new people. Each semester will bring changes to the groups you belong to, so you'll always have a chance to break out and meet new people if you feel stuck. The challenge is really figuring out which community to join, not finding one!"

Prioritize quality over quantity.

"There's a window when new students will be much more open to connections, and that window stays open for about the first six weeks of school," says Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out. "There are positives and negatives to that. The good part is that you can connect easily and quickly with a lot of people. The bad part is you can go overboard and read too much into the connections you're making."

Don't be afraid to distance yourself.

"You may wake up one day and ask, what am I doing with these people? This is not me," says Simmons. "It's important to spin that in a positive way. It means that you're getting more confident about your life at college and what you want. That's exciting! It doesn't mean that everything's a mess. You don't want to burn any bridges, but it's important to start scheduling time to be in situations without those friends. If you're in a pack of friends, you probably don't look like someone who wants to make new ones."

Realize that some of your friendships are fleeting.

"It's important to remember that some friendships may last, and others may not, and that's totally normal," says Simmons. "You're in a new place, and you're going to get overwhelmed by a very large social community. It takes time to find your tribe. It doesn't mean you're bad at making friends."

HiVi! - Orang Ke 3