In Malaysia, we have either the dry or wet season. Sometimes during the dry season, we have the most annoying occurrence -the haze. The smell of that annoying, dry, thick smoke is just plain horrible. It is very important to stay healthy in school when there is haze. You don't want to be inhaling dangerous chemicals (excessively) into your system that will leads you to being sick, especially the fact that the exam season in coming so soon!

1. Park at the basement

Why? it's because the basement parking is so much closer to classes compared to the free parking. But, you got to pay your RM3. Just remember, health first!

2. Wear Your Face Mask

You get get a free face mask from the Health Services Centre at Block C Level 1. Remember, every time you need to go outdoors, just wear these babies. I know for most people, it may look very ugly. After all, you need to wear them because it's all for your health. 

3. Stay Hydrated With H2O

Plain water guys- not any sweetened carbonated drinks. Water is important to flush all toxins from your body. Just look out for water vending machines on campus near the library. When you're on the go, just pop in RM1 and instantly you will receive a bottle of water. Remember, you need 8 glasses of water a day.

4. Stop Smoking!

The haze is already killing us. There are still many smokers that like to continue smoking in public areas and this only contributes to more smoke to the environment that leads to so many dangerous effects to the human body. Please, all of you smokers just lay off the cigarettes during the haze season. 

5. Stop Drinking Coffee.........for a little while

We all love coffee do we? But, did you know that caffeine is recognised as having a diuretic action, and consumers are often advised to avoid beverages containing these compounds in situations where fluid loss will occur. So, it is advised to drink more plain water instead and ditch your favourite green tea Frappuccino.

Living in the digital age, simply means everyone owns a smartphone. Imagine the time when you just bought a shiny new smartphone, what is the first thing you do? Obviously, it'll be setting the phone up and....installing new apps! Apps makes our everyday smartphone usage so much simpler and easier; apps are our best friend as well.
In this blog post, i'm going to provide a list of essential apps to own for Taylors students. I can guarantee you, my list of essential apps will make your everyday life simpler.

1. Dropbox

Dropbox is basically an online file storage service. And the best part? it is FREE and it is available on IOS, Android, Blackberry OS. I don't know about you guys, but have you ever had days where you don't know whether to bring your laptop or tablet? Dropbox is here to help you, I like to keep my important files in dropbox (course notes, course outlines, important documents etc.). Keeping these important files saves you the hassle of logging onto Times portal, which does not work and very slow sometimes! You'll also get to be able to keep all files in your dropbox in sync with all your other devices.

2. Evernote 

Evernote is basically an app for note taking and archiving. I would say that it is kind of like a note taking app and it is in sync with your other devices. Yes, it is free and available to be downloaded on IOS, Android, Blackberry OS. I use this app to take notes every time i go for classes. What I absolutely love about it is that you can highlight text, use different cool fonts and different note backgrounds. Look at the bright side, you don't need to bring your pencil case to class, save paper and save trees!

3. Waze

Waze is a GPS-based geographical navigation application. It it is free and available to be downloaded on IOS, Android, Blackberry OS. Most of us, have no choice but to drive from far distances to Taylors early in the morning. Don't get me started on traffic jams! With waze, you can forget about buying expensive GPS navigators like Papago and Garmin. Waze is kind of like a social navigation app. So, other drivers report on traffic jams, accidents, police check etc. And it also gives you alternate routes when you are in a jam.

4. MyTeksi

This app is an instant taxi booking app. Myteksi is local and is known as the fastest and safest taxi booking app. It is free and only available on IOS and Android only. This app is useful for all of you Taylorians who lives in the U-Residence and do not own a car. Just one tap, you can get a taxi instantly. For you girls who are afraid to take a taxi alone, this app is great because the taxi driver's personal details will be kept open. You can also track the location of the taxi driver when he is on the way to pick you up.


5. YouTube

We are know what YouTube is. YouTube carries all forms of user generated content, whether it is entertainment, tutorial videos, gaming videos, educational video etc. This YouTube app is free as well, and available on all mobile operating systems. I think everyone should have a YouTube app on their smartphones and tablets. If you are taking any advanced course like calculus, physics or chemistry, YouTube is awesome. When you are facing any problems in any course, there are numerous educational videos to choose from. I personally like Khan Academy, he makes all my homework difficulties go away!

6. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Paid)

An offline dictionary in your pocket. This app costs about RM45 and only available on iOS. Although expensive for an app, it's all worth it. With Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, you get so many advantages. One of the advantage is simply having an offline dictionary- no wifi and data roaming required. You get to star new words and browse through your word search history.

All you need is these 6 apps to make your study life at Taylor's Lakeside simpler. Enjoy!

As student studying in Taylor's University, it is crucial to be frugal on personal needs (such as food). As a Taylor's student in my opinion, everything IS expensive. I mean, talk about textbooks, which costs about 80 ringgit per book. Not to mention also, parking fees and car petrol, which we spend A LOT on every week.
First of all, i personally am a foodie. My friends and I would be always finding ourselves driving around to find good food all around Taylor's university. For this blog post, i've come up five not only cheap, but also super tasty foods/snacks to have if you're on a low budget (like me). I've managed to come up with 5 good food/snack places to try. The list of restaurants I made are 5 kilometre radius within Taylor's Lakeside.

1. Backofen 'fluffy ones' pancakes.

Backofen is an Austrian bakery and cafe. This place is very cozy and yet polished as well. Thus, it makes a great place to spend for breaks in between classes. I always look forward to have breakfast here. Okay, I know most of you guys would be thinking, the restaurants at Taylor's Lakeside are boring and horrible. But seriously, what's not to love their 'fluffy ones' pancakes? Just look at the picture above, heavenly, pillowy, sweet, thick, smooth, rich.......There are just so many words to describe this heavenly delight. The portion is quite big (three pancakes stacked on top of one another) for a single person and it costs 6 ringgit. But if you really do the math, you get share it with your friend and you'll only need to spend 3 bucks. Awesome place for breakfast!

2. Restoran Super Kitchen: Chilli Pan Mee

Hands down, the best Chilli Pan Mee in town. This place is always packed, you will need to come early just to get a place. This restaurant is of course famous for its main dish: behold, the Chilli Pan Mee. It costs about RM 5.50 per dish, which is cheap and cheerful! What I love about this chilli pan mee is that it is served without chilli. I like my dish subtle and not too overpowering when it comes to spiciness. You get to add in the chilli flakes manually to your liking. 

27, Jalan SS15/8A,
47500, Subang Jaya
Selangor.
Tel : 03-5637 0998

3. Restoran Wong Soon Kee- Lim Fried Chicken Stall- Nasi Lemak

This place is obviously known for their fried chicken, which goes perfectly with their nasi lemak. The price for one person costs about usually below RM10. The food here is so well known until it very often for them to be out of food within 30 minutes after opening. So, it is advisable to start queuing in line before they open.

1, Jalan SS14/1,

47500 Subang Jaya.

Business hours: 2.30pm to 5pm.

Closed on Tuesdays

GPS Coordinates: N 3 04.358, E 101 35.354

4. Gong Cha - Taiwanese Drinks

Gong Cha is known for their famous Taiwanese drinks. My personal favourite is their popular pearl milk tea. Their refreshments are of course, cheaper than the usual Starbucks drinks which are ridiculously expensive. Their kind of drinks ranges from juicy to creamy drinks. I personally prefer Gong Cha rather than Chatime and Orchado. Overall, their drinks are around 5.90 and you can add RM1 for delicious extra toppings.

3, Jalan SS15/7, Subang Jaya,Subang Jaya, 47500

5. Snowflake- Taiwanese Dessert Place

Taro balls, herbal jelly, pearls on shaved ice= BEST COMBINATION EVER + great dessert to eat during a very hot day. The best seller is their grass jelly shaved ice. All of the desserts begins with RM6.50. 

No. 61A, First Floor, Jalan SS15/8A,

Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor.

6. Asia cafe

The best place is hang out with friends to have great food and to drink. Here, there are so many stalls with different foods from Western, Asian, Middle Eastern and so on. Not only main courses, you can also find awesome desserts and snacks. Now, that's a plus!

57-79 Jalan SS 15/8a, Ss 15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia +60 3-5636 4653

 So overall, these food + snacks places are really budget-friendly for Taylor's University students. Enjoy!