Tips for the thrift inexperienced How to navigate sc second-hand stores By Natalie Serafini, Contributor ou know that amazing VY icine when you find a quality piece of clothing for next-to-no money? Well, it’s even better when you have to dredge for those gems! I’ve recently rediscovered my love of thrifting and the deals you can find. With garage sale season just around the corner—thrifting is, of course, always a trend—it’s time to brush up on how to shop effectively at second-hand stores. Strap ona fanny pack and get frugal with this list of tips for the thrift inexperienced! My first rule of thrifting is to bring hand sanitizer. I know chances are I won’t get sick from touching clothing that has (hopefully) been washed, but unless I’ve packed my handy dandy hand cleanser, I’m not touching my face. Or any other part of my being and clothing, for that matter. I might be paranoid, but you don’t know who owned what before you. It could be a grandmother, or it could be someone with a transmittable disease. You just never know. Another important preparatory step is to wear loose and comfortable clothing. Slumping off to the dressing rooms to try ona Life&Style. sweater is a waste of valuable time and energy. Better to wear very few layers and slip on what you can in the aisles. Similarly, try to carry as little as possible into the store. A gargantuan bag of stuff will only weigh you down as you attempt to navigate. Think of second-hand stores as a separate realm, filled with desperate people hunting for the best bargains; you don’t want to be at a disadvantage! The confident people wear fanny packs; I wear a cross-body bag. Bring a snack and a watch. You could spend hours in a second- hand store, meaning you need sustenance and a way of knowing if it’s day or night. Another great accoutrement? A friend! They’re great at making the whole process more fun, spotting things that are perfect for you, and talking you out of terrible buys. Be strategic in your search. Go with an open mind—know that there will be both awful and incredible finds—but go witha plan of attack, too. For example, if I’m looking for a purse, I won’t focus as much on the shirt section. Be persistent by passing over a section multiple times to find buy- Running my way to the end of the semester By Dominique Leclair, Contributor pring is around the corner— Gen three weeks left—and so is the end-of-semester stress. Essays, projects, and final exams are looming. With all these competing demands, I feel my brain start to get foggy. But, spring also brings back one of my favourite activities: running. It is my all-purpose activity. I get my exercise combined with meditation and stress release. I have been running since | was 11 years old. I’m not a natural runner. I’m slow. For years my breathing was shallow and I felt winded within a few minutes of starting. But, my stubbornness didn’t allow me to give up. I was determined to keep running; | would not let it defeat me, and I’m glad I did. Through the years I have learned how to work with my body and improve. I’m still pretty slow, but what I learned is that I’m built for endurance rather than speed. I figured out how to concentrate on my breathing and my heart rate so that I don’t feel as out of breath. Figuring this out has an added benefit; it calms my mind, puts me in the moment, and while I’m running, | have much better focus and clarity. The end of the semester can be overwhelming. Sometimes when I see all the things that are still left to do, I can’t decide which takes priority. I get caught up in indecision and in the end I waste more time trying to figure it out then if I had just picked the top task on the pile. This is where running comes in. I lace up my shoes, head out the door, and within 10 minutes all that fuzz starts to thin out. I know exactly what I need to do and how I need to do it. The sense of accomplishment that I feel when I run often gives me the motivation and the inspiration goal, it gives me that confidence and verve to complete all the other “The end of the semester can be overwhelming. Sometimes when | see all the things that are still left to do, | can’t decide which takes priority. I get caught up in indecision and in the end | waste more time trying to figure it out then if had just picked the top task on the pile. This is where running comes in.” to finish whatever it is that I am working on. It is like a competition inside. Can I push myself to go that bit further to reach that next block or two? When I achieve that next tasks on my to do list. We all hear how finding ways to reduce stress are beneficial. From my own experience, I see how valuable and necessary it is to worthy items. Also, don’t discount anything until you’ ve tried it on; what's tarnished by surrounding polyester nightmares on the rack, could fit you like a dream. Prepare to get aggressive. I don’t mean start an all-out war at the second-hand store! Just be ready to defend your bevy of bargains. There are those at the store who will resort to pawing through your finds rather than looking for their own, and you have to be ready to politely but firmly tell them to move along. Set some sort of a limit for yourself. It sounds counterintuitive, but you can spend a lot of money if you feel like you're getting a deal. So, know what you’ re buying, if it will work in your life, and whether you actually need it. If it’s not gonna work, it’s not gonna work, so be realistic before leaping into any iffy purchases. That’s that. Your crash course in thrifting is over, and hopefully you've been inspired to stop by some second-hand stores. Just remember to wash your purchases once you get home—again, you never know who owned it before you. Now go out there and buy someone else’s stuff! find a stress reducer that works. It may be one of those buzz words, but productivity is important. Eliminating my stress so that I can get work accomplished helps me to achieve my goals. This is why I’m at school. I want to complete my program and start a career I enjoy. Running is one tool that helps me succeed. It may not be for everyone, but finding what does help you relax and feel focused will give you that boost to sprint through the home stretch.