Halloween is just around the corner, and for many of us, thinking about how to prepare for this day is a chore! With exams coming up, it is completely understandable that we might not even have time to prepare for anything at all. If you are one of these people facing the dilemma of preparing for exams vs preparing for a party, we have made your life a tad easier! We have gathered for you 4 simple suggestions to make this day unforgettable!

1. Prepare your spooky makeup set!

Whether you are a girl or a guy, your Halloween would not be complete without the right face disguise. Get that smoky eyeliner, prepare your face paint kit, or even get some scary masks to save yourself the trouble of painting your face altogether. Look for YouTube Tutorials on different makeup styles for Halloween. Ladies, no matter what you do, do NOT attend your next Halloween party with red lips, black eyeliner, and cat ears. Nothing is more cliché than this costume.

2. Pick out a party!

If you are on a budget, aim for school or university parties! Schools and universities host parties all year long to collect money for their proms, graduation ceremonies, social clubs, and so on. Their ticket prices are usually fair and they have a lot to offer for the money worth. If you are not into school or university parties, many NGOs also host Halloween parties as part of their fundraising activities. Check if your favourite NGO is on the list of Halloween-party hosts, gather your friends, and party the night away. This way, you would be hitting two birds in one stone: partying AND helping society.

3. Option for house cats

If you are not a party animal, you can still make Halloween special: Host a party in the comfort of your own house. Decorate the place with orange balloons, have some scary props set at the entrance, invite your closest buddies, and enjoy. You can set up some fun activities like pumpkin carving and piñata busting to keep everyone entertained. Turn off the lights, turn on a flashlight, and share your horror stories. Prepare a delicious meal, or better yet, order some pizza! The possibilities are endless, make them your own!

4. Spread joy

You know how people wear their scary costumes and knock on doors asking for candy? You can do the same thing, but in reverse! Put on some fun masks, buy tons of candy, and give it out to people around you! Schoolmates, co-workers, university friends, even strangers on the street! Everyone loves candy, and you just might make someone’s day with your small gesture of kindness! You can even visit your local public hospitals, schools, orphanages, or elderly homes and spread your sweet surprises over there, just to make sure that everyone gets a taste of the happiness you’re spreading around, even those who are not able to go out and celebrate. Of course, before you offer candy to anyone in those institutions, you might have to get someone in charge’s permission. You wouldn’t want to give a Mentos to a diabetic man by accident!

Imagine a dull Sunday afternoon, a long break between classes or simply a day off without having anything to fill your time. It’s times like these when Netflix can save your day. I mean, who needs to go out or even sleep when you can just lay in bed and binge-watch all your favorite series? The catch though is finding the perfect show to match your mood and preference. Browsing for good shows aimlessly can be boring especially when you have an unlimited number of options to choose from. So,  if you’re struggling to decide which show to watch next, allow me to help.

Suits (IMDb: 8.6/10): A drama set in a law firm in New York tells the story of a lawyer who never attended law school. It focuses on the power duo Harvey Specter and Mike Ross as they attempt to keep Mike’s secret. A must watch!

Black Mirror (IMDb:8.9/10):  A twisted show! Set in the near future, it tells a different story in each episode and focuses on the consequences of high technology.

How to Get Away with Murder (IMDb: 8.2/10): When a brilliant, charismatic law professor and a group of her students get involved in a murder, they attempt to apply what they learned in class to real life.

Sense8 (IMDb: 8.4/10): 8 people from all around the world are physically and emotionally linked. This show features an amazing multinational cast and explores diverse subjects.

Dexter (IMDb: 8.7/10): A blood splatter analyst by day and serial killer by night trying to keep his two lives separate? Yes please! This show takes you into the mind and life of a brilliant, psychotic, serial killer.

Breaking Bad (IMDb: 9.5/10): When Walter White, a chemistry professor, is diagnosed with cancer, he decides to use his expertise to produce and sell meth with his former student Jesse Pinkman. This show will have you hooked.

Brooklyn Nine Nine (IMDb: 8.4/10): The immature, but very talented detective Jake Peralta attempts to deal with his stern commanding officer. A hilarious and intelligent show.

Orphan Black (IMDb: 8.3/10): Sarah witnesses the suicide of a woman that looks exactly like her and decides to steal her identity, only to realize, she’s part of a cloning experiment.

Riverdale (IMDb: 7.6/10): Based, on the Archie comics, this teen drama gets you wrapped up in the mystery packed life of Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead. It’s an addictive, drama packed series with an undertone of romance and dark comedy.

Sherlock (IMDb: 9.2/10): An updated version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. A brilliant, captivating, often funny and sometimes tragic show.

While some of these shows are well-known, others are underappreciated yet equally as good. Find the show that captivates you most, get some snacks, and binge away!

Now what’s your favorite Netflix show? Tell us why in the comments below. Share with us a funny experience 🙂

With the rise of social media and the dominance of influencers and bloggers, it can be a bit difficult to be a young adult. Older generations always tell us: “When we were your age, we used to play outside” and similar sentences that make social media and advanced technology look bad: but have we ever stopped and seriously thought about the possible side-effects and influence that social media might have on us?

1. SOCIAL MEDIA’S PRACTICALITY

You can now learn anything, and fast. Some accounts on social media are actually useful for traveling, cooking, DIY, make-up tutorials, etc. Also, everything is more accessible through social media: you can shop online, create a blog or begin a startup, all through the click of a button!

2. GAINING INSPIRATION

When it comes to bloggers, sometimes people need the influence! How many times were you lost and didn’t know what to wear, so you just checked out your favorite blogger’s profile for inspiration? But it’s not always about superficial things, in fact, some influencers use their platforms to do good by encouraging their followers to donate to certain charities, or just by raising awareness about a certain cause.

And how about you surf the social platforms with high-tech products? Get your favorite iPhone, iPad, MacBook or Apple Watch thanks to Banque Libano-Française iLoan.

However, social media has some negative effects on our lives.

3. SHOWING OTHERS

Nowadays, it seems as though everyone is doing things and going places for social media. When you go out, travel or even go for dinner, you absolutely have to take pictures and videos to post them on social media. This is a habit that most of us have without even realizing it has become a serious issue, because most of us are only doing it to show instead of just enjoying the moment for our own sake.

4. FEAR OF MISSING OUT

The fact that most people post what they’re doing at all times, and everyone has access to that through social media, has led rise to one of the worst phenomena of our generation: FOMO or fear of missing out. Have you ever watched someone’s story on Instagram and thought, “Hey, I should have gone to that party!”? That’s pretty much what that is, and it might not be that important of a feeling, but over time, it might become more intense to the point where you may have constant anxiety that something is happening and you aren’t part of it.

5. CREATING YOUR IDENTITY

Bloggers and influencers can also have an impact through their social media platforms. Sometimes, due to the intense observing of an influencer, we might get too immersed in who they are and how they look, that we might not be able to create our own identity or our own style, because we’ll try to be something or someone we’re not.

Basically, social media requires moderation and balance. You can always find other activities to do like exercising, reading or watching a movie. It’s true that it kind of has become a solution to our boredom, and that’s great! But, let’s not get too immersed in it and forget about the real world out there!

Now, do you agree with Sarah? Tell us what you think.

What would be, in your opinion, the biggest influence social media has on us?