1. Have a planner, and actually use it
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| I have really been loving my Lilly Pulitzer planner! |
Writing your schedule down in a planner is the number one tip I could give you about staying organized. It’s so important to keep all of your important dates in one place, and to write down what you’ll be doing for the coming week. I like mapping out my schedule on Sunday evenings, just so I have a rough idea of what my week will look like. You of course don’t have to put every tiny detail in for the week when you aren’t too sure quite yet, but it’ll help to have an idea of how you’re week is going to go. Plus, it’ll be easier planning things during the week because you already kind of know what you are doing each day.
Using a planner to write down assignment due dates is also very important. As soon as you get your syllabus in the beginning of the term, write down all of the huge due dates for each of your classes because your professors will most likely only remind you the week before an assignment is due. It’s definitely your job now to keep track of due dates and to keep yourself accountable for everything. Plus, you can get a super cute planner from brands like Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, Ban.do….the list goes on and on! Target also has some really cute ones that won’t break your bank.
2. Keep a journal
I like to keep a journal to write down my goals – whether they are my yearly, monthly, or weekly goals, it really helps to keep me on track! I also love to write out organized to-do lists that are more longterm, and focused on my more creative projects. So lists pertaining to blog posts, video ideas, writing ideas, and other creative projects! This helps to keep my brain organized, if that makes any sense. Sometimes it feels like I get so overwhelmed with homework and tests, that I just have ideas swimming around and nowhere to put them! I decided to just write them all down in a journal, and that helped so much. It really helps to give you a creative outlet as well!
3. Use sticky notes
I am seriously a sticky note addict. Honestly, I probably over-use them, but it helps to remind me of important dates, or things that I need to do the next day. When you are finally going to sleep after a long night of homework, it’s so easy to forget things the next morning. I like to hang sticky notes on my desk, or put them on my laptop to remind myself to get important things done, or remember to bring the homework I just finished to class the next day. I know, that sounds crazy, but when you are an exhausted college kid, it’s easy to forget to print assignments, or just leave them in your dorm altogether! Sticky notes are really the best, and should not be underestimated in their importance on your college shopping list.
4. Set phone reminders
This is essentially the digital version of sticky notes, but they can be carried around with you, and remind you of things at certain times! Phone reminders are really great for appointments that you might forget about during the day if you’re super busy. You also most likely always have your phone with you, so you can easily set a reminder when you’re out and about and need a digital sticky note pronto. I personally like sticky notes better because I like physical reminders, but phone reminders definitely have their uses too!
5. Schedule free time and homework time
This goes along with scheduling your week, but having dedicated and consistent time where you are doing homework or taking a break is really helpful for staying sane. I like to get to work on assignments right after I get back from classes, so I can have free time later at night, and not be worried about homework while I eat dinner. Getting to bed early is also a really good idea in college, so getting your homework done right after classes helps you get enough sleep too.
Well, there you have it! Those are my five tips to staying organized in college. If you are going to be a freshman next year, don’t get scared about how crazy your schedule will be! You will find a balance after a couple of weeks of trial and error, and pretty soon you’ll be a college pro!
I made a video about this on my channel as well, so give it a look!
Do you like to use planners?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!
There has been so much women empowerment lately, and I seriously love it. Women all over the world know how hard it is to be successful in any industry. It is still a male dominated world, but their are many women who are trying to break free of this. Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling, Lupita Nyong’o, Michelle Obama (she is definitely more than “just the First Lady”!), Beyoncé, Amy Poehler…the list goes on and on! All of these ladies make me so proud to be a women, and they prove that girls really do run the world (sorry, I had to). Because of all the inspiration lately, I thought I would put together some of my tips on how you can be successful and, ultimately, take over the world. I mean that’s obviously the natural progression of things, right?
Failure isn’t bad – as long as you pick yourself up and learn from it.
Sometimes it feels like we take one step forward and two steps back as a world. That’s why it’s important to always try your hardest in everything you do. That definitely doesn’t mean that failing is terrible – sometimes it’s necessary! It makes you work even harder to achieve your dreams, and can help you realize what you should do differently. It’s really important to not let failure knock you down; that’s when it’s bad. If one little failure knocks you down and causes you to lose sight of your dreams, then you’ve only failed yourself.
Don’t ever lose sight of what you truly want.
Going along with failure, never lose sight of your dreams. This year I’ve dealt with that a lot; it’s really hard trying to decide what to do with the rest of your life, and consequently, what to study in college. Ever since I could read I’ve always wanted to be a writer. To create my own stories and share them with other people has always been my dream, and it makes me so excited that that could actually happen one day. It’s been a constant in my life, and the one thing that I’ve always had my eyes on. It’s so important to never forget those goals – your dreams from your childhood can turn into your future, so never forget that!
Don’t let other people’s words get you down.
My dad has always told me that no one can ever make you upset unless you let them. I never really understood that as a kid, but now that I’m a young adult (what?!) I definitely get what he’s saying. You are the only person who can let other people’s words bother you or not. If you choose to ignore them and not let their words get to you, then you will have such a better life. The world can be a hard place, especially when you go to college and meet new people every day. Some people feel better about themselves by bringing others down, and it’s really important to realize that. A person’s mean words about you most likely aren’t even about you; they are merely a way for the other person to make themselves feel bigger and better than everyone else.
It doesn’t make you weak to ask for help.
I am definitely guilty of this because I’m extremely stubborn. It can be hard to realize that asking for help won’t make you look weak, or that it’ll be a bother to other people. Strength isn’t measured only in the things you do by yourself, and in fact can be shown by the things you achieve with others. Admitting you need help can also help you grow as a person because you learn from others, and oftentimes learn more about yourself.
Celebrate the little victories.
All of your little victories add up over time, and nothing is too small! If it’s important to you, then it matters. Period. Life can be hard, so being happy about all of the little things can make it easier and more exciting. Everyday is filled with both sad and happy things, so it’s your choice which ones you let affect you for better or worse. But just remember that every minute spent upset is one you could’ve spent being happy!
Treat others as you want to be treated.
This is simply the golden rule, and the courtesy that every human being deserves, no matter how much you dislike them, disagree with them, or how different you are from them. I am a very firm believer that this will get you far in life because people will notice how you make them feel. When you try and treat everyone the same – with kindness and respect – it reflects on the kind of person you are, and shows people that you are someone worth recognition, and support. Plus, the “golden rule” is something that everyone should live their life by, even (and especially) when dealing with people whom you don’t get along with the best.
Well, those are my tips on how to take over the world. On a more serious note, I believe that being a woman should not give you a disadvantage in any way. The world can be a very hard place for women because of reasons out of our control. We shouldn’t let those reasons keep us down though, and should rather work extra hard to overcome them. Women should also always support each other, and it makes me so sad to see girls tear each other down. If we all supported each other, we could make leaps in bounds in terms of equality, in a shorter amount of time.
What is your tip on how to take over the world?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
When I found out I had to stick to a gluten free diet – you can read more about it on my post How To Eat Gluten Free – I knew breakfast would be a little difficult to figure out. I usually ate some kind of cereal that had wheat in it, so at first it was kind of hard adjusting. But, after reading from sources online and just simply going to the grocery store to check out my options, I’ve come up with some really solid go-to recipes for breakfast!
2. Gluten Free Toast and an Egg
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| Can we just appreciate how good this egg looked before I tried to flip it? |
Since I was a kid, toast and an egg has been one of my favorite breakfast foods. It really fills you up (especially this 7-grain kind!), and gives you a lot of energy for the rest of the day. I have also been obsessed with Cajun seasoning lately – I have been putting it on everything guys – and I put some on my egg and it tasted amazing! You seriously need to try it. I just put grape jelly on my toast with no butter or anything since I’m not the biggest fan of butter, and it tastes great! This is also a really fast breakfast for days that you don’t really have time. And nowadays, gluten free bread doesn’t taste any different than regular, so you can have your toast and eat it too!
3. Omelette With (optional) Salsa
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| You know this is full of Cajun seasoning. |
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| Another obsession of mine: salsa. |
Omelette’s are such a great breakfast food! Not only do they taste great, but they are great for you! I fill mine with sautéed vegetables, Cajun seasoning, and a little bit of cheese, and top it all off with a generous amount of homemade salsa! My taste buds are probably numb from all the spices I put them through, but ohmygosh does it taste amazing. Seriously, add in some bell peppers too and this is heaven!
Well, there you have it! Three different ideas for gluten-free breakfasts! There are definitely more that I love (gluten-free pancakes, oatmeal, Puffins cereal…) so if you want some more ideas, just let me know! I seriously always wake up hungry so it’s super important for me to always have solid breakfast ideas I can regularly fall back on. And since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I like to keep them healthy so I can get my body ready for whatever!
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
So, what is endometriosis anyway?
Endometriosis is a condition that a lot of people don’t know about, but is becoming more and more prevalent among women today. It’s a disorder that is oftentimes very painful, where the tissue that usually lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it, usually around the ovaries, bowel, or the tissue lining the pelvis. The extra tissue outside of the uterus causes cysts to occur because the tissue has no way to exit. These cysts are very painful and sometimes have to be removed with surgery if they don’t go away on their own. Endometriosis can also cause scar tissue around the uterus, which can lead to fertility problems later in life.
My Story
(Side note, this story contains a lot about periods so if that isn’t your cup of tea, you have been warned)
How I Deal With Endometriosis
Now that my endometriosis is mostly under control, the pain has lessened immensely. Before we knew that I had it, the pain was sometimes unbearable which caused me to occasionally stay home from school and lie down for most of the day. I had no idea that other girls didn’t get such bad cramps, or feel pain in their lower stomach throughout the month. I’m actually really allergic to ibuprofen so I can only take pain medication with Tylenol in it, so I typically just lie down and let the pain subside. Using a heating pad can really help sometimes, too! Since the hormones that cause the tissue to grow uncontrollably are under control, I have a lot less pain, and a lot fewer cysts.
Why I Decided To Post About Endometriosis
When I first heard the term “endometriosis” I had absolutely no idea what my doctor was talking about. We of course came home from the doctors office and researched it as much as possible, and found some great resources. It turns out it is a hereditary disorder, and affects the women in my own family on my dad’s side, and a couple on my mom’s side as well. Endometriosis is something that needs to be talked about a lot more because it’s affecting more and more women. It’s something that can easily be controlled once known about, but also something that can get out of control if let alone. There are some great resources, like the Endometriosis Foundation of America, that have information about endometriosis and just general support. I learned a lot from their website when I found out I had endometriosis, and it made the whole situation feel a lot more manageable!
I wanted to post about endometriosis, though, so there’s a little bit more awareness about it. I really think more people should know about it, because it’s something more and more women are suffering from, but they don’t even know it. Early detection can literally be life-saving, because some women become infertile if left untreated. This has happened in my own family, and it’s so sad when it happens, especially to women who really want children.
Symptoms
-Pain in the lower stomach and back, especially during your period
-Excessive cramps during your period
-Heavy flow
-Excessive fatigue, especially during your period
-Basically, every symptom during your periods are far worse than normal
Treatments
-Pain medication
-Hormone Therapy
-Low-dose birth control pills
-Surgery (laparoscopies usually)
When should I see my doc?
If you are having sever symptoms during your period, you should just go see your doctor to get things checked out. Periods suck in general, but if they are debilitating to you, then you should really go in. Early detection is key with anything, so it never hurts to ask your doctor if you could be experiencing endometriosis. It can be a little scary at first (I was only fifteen at the time so I was quite terrified to say the least), but it’ll work out in the end, and you can always take someone with you to the doctors! I had my parents with me every step of the way, and the rest of my family was there for me after my surgery to constantly check in on me, so that was really wonderful.
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Wow, this ended up being long! I’ve been wanting to write about endometriosis for a while now, though, because like I said, it’s something that I believe needs more awareness. I’m also in the middle of dead weak (finals are in a couple of days!), so it was nice to take my mind off of studying and just write about something that’s been a big part of my life in recent years.
Have you ever heard of endometriosis?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Is there anything you’ve dedicated yourself to?
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I usually exfoliate on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s, so twice a week, but it’s important to exfoliate at least once a week! It helps to remove the dead skin cells that can clog your pores up, and just keeps your skin happy and healthy!
4. Use a face mask.
I use the Clear Improvement mask from Origins once a week to clarify my skin, but you can use any type of mask you want! There are some really great moisturizing face masks if your skin is particularly dry (I usually do this in the winter), or masks to help reduce oiliness. I really love this mask, though, and it works really well with my skin! I’ve always had really good experiences with Origins products.
5. Use a good moisturizer.
I use the Daily Face Cream from First Aid Beauty in the mornings and night, and I really love it! It’s super important to make sure your face is properly hydrated day and night, so I suggest using lotion at least twice a day. Sometimes I even like to pop on some lotion in the middle of the day when my skin is really dry!
What are your skincare tips?
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned that I have to eat gluten free because of an allergy, but lately I’ve really been wanting to spread the word about living gluten free! I found out I was allergic to wheat about three years ago, and man was it rough cutting out all gluten! Just think of the best foods (bread, pasta, and for me, my mom’s dumplings), and imagine never eating them again! Okay, okay, it isn’t that bleak, but it was definitely a challenge! Today, there are so many gluten free options available so it really isn’t even that hard, you really just have to readjust your taste buds! I thought it would be cool, though, to start sharing my gluten free tips with you guys, and just break down exactly what gluten and gluten free eating is!
