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Category: Advice

How to Get Over the Spring Break Blues

It’s never easy going back to school after a break, and it’s even harder when you only have a week off between quarters (or semesters if that’s what you’re on). To make that transition easier, I came up with some tips that always seem to help me!
1. Try and get back into your normal school routine ASAP!
I like to jump right back into my daily routine that I have at college. Since things are so much more relaxed at home, this can sometimes be hard, but I’m definitely someone who has to go for it with gusto! As soon as I get back to my dorm, I like to go work out since that’s what I always do after classes, and eat a nice healthy dinner (because I just had a week and a half full of my mom’s cooking, and ate way more of it than I should have).
2. Look at pictures from your break – but not too often.
It’s perfectly fine and normal to look at all of the pretty pictures you took on a trip, or just your break in general, but don’t get lost and dwell on the past! Remember that you have to get on with your new term at school, and completely focus on that. Don’t just sit around and wish you were still on spring break, or wherever you went during your time off. As Dumbledore said, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” So, if Dumbledore said it, it must be true.
3. Focus on school, and getting your first week back organized.
Focusing on your first week back helps so much to keep your mind off of break. Get excited about your new term and classes! Also, use your planner to plan out your week! I have always been a planner user because they are so great for keeping your life on track, as well as a huge help for staying on top of homework. It’s super important to make sure you have your first week figured out, because you will be stressed enough with trying to find all of your new classes! This also helps to set up your new term on the right foot, and it will definitely have a snowball effect into the next weeks. I don’t know about you, but writing my schedule down in my planner also helps to relax me and de-stress.
4. Spend time with your friends.
Instead of sitting in your room all alone, go out and spend time with friends! If you don’t have time to leisurely hang out (I have already had so much homework, so I completely understand this!), then do homework together! You can actually get a lot more work done this way because you are all encouraging each other to be productive by getting work done. Study breaks can also be thrown in, and you all can just talk for five minutes! I love doing homework with other people because it allows me to get work done, and be social. A lot of my friends are taking similar classes as well, so we can help each other out!
5. Remember that summer isn’t too far away, and will be filled with even more fun.
If you really can’t get spring break out of your head, then just think of how close summer and warmer weather is! There will be more fun adventures to be had over this long break, so keep that in mind. However, don’t wish your time now away! Each day is so precious, and it’s important to have fun now as well, and not to wish whole weeks away. It is a fine balance!

I hope this was helpful to those of you who are missing spring break (let’s be honest, we all are!), and also to those of who are kind of stuck in a rut right now!

Do you have any fun plans for summer yet?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

Why It’s Great Being Single on Valentine’s Day

It’s that time of year again, where all the single ladies (see what I did there) lament and complain about how they don’t have a special someone in their lives. Well, I’m here to tell you that being single on Valentine’s Day is kind of the best thing ever!
1. You can spend the whole day with your girlfriends.
(This is from the show Parks and Recreation, a.k.a. one of my favorite shows)
When you’re in a relationship, sometimes it’s hard to make time for your closest girlfriends; so since you’re single on this day that can be very lonely for people not in relationships, spend the day with your friends! You can make each other feel better about not being in a relationship, and chances are, you’ll have a much more fun day with all of them than you ever would with some guy.
2. If you want to stay in and do nothing all day, go right ahead!
My Valentine’s day will most likely be spent doing exactly this, and I really have no shame about it. The beauty of not having to impress a date is, you can wear your baggiest clothes. All. Day. You don’t have anyone to dress up for (except of course for yourself!), so make the most of it on this day and just don’t try at all. And watch Netflix all day.
3. Treat Yourself.
(Please tell me some of you guys watch this show)
This is also known as “Treat. Yo. Self.” Go out and buy all of the things that a significant other would buy you: jewelry, a nice dinner, a manicure/pedicure, or anything else you might want! This day is all about love, so why not love yourself! It’s perfectly healthy to focus solely on yourself for one day, and being single on Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse!
4. You don’t have to spend hours getting ready for the night.
With all that time you’re saving by not having to get ready for a date, spend it doing something you love. Or, spend it on the couch watching those three extra episodes of Friends (or Parks and Rec because you all should watch it…I promise this post isn’t sponsored by this show)
5. Think of all the money you’re saving.
By being single, you don’t have to go out and get an elaborate gift for anyone, or spend money on a date! Just think of all the better uses that money could go towards, like chocolate, ice cream, movies, popcorn, new comfy pajamas….
Well there you have it, five great reasons why being single on Valentine’s Day is basically the best thing ever! But on a more serious note, don’t worry if you’re not in a relationship because you don’t need to depend on anyone else to have your own happiness! Don’t let a day that pretty much celebrates couples bring you down if you aren’t in a relationship, because there’s really nothing wrong with that! When it’s the right time for you to be in a relationship, and you find a great person to be in one with, it will happen! You guys are all perfect just the way you are (this just got real cheesy, real fast, I apologize.)
Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day! 🙂

How I Survived My First Finals Week

I just turned a ten page paper in, and I have never felt more free in my life.
For the past couple of weeks, final exams and this impending paper have been hanging over my head, and to finally be done is one of the best feelings! I took a couple of college classes last year (my senior year of high school), so I have had a “finals week,” but they were through my high school, and we were eased into it by having our teacher’s help us through every step. 
Basically, this was me this year:
I figured I had already had a couple of college finals, so it really wouldn’t be too bad, but boy was I wrong!
Now, being in college, my professors gave me a study guide, and essentially just wished us good luck. Dead week was something that I was definitely not prepared for, but at least I had my friends who had never gone through it either. In order to make it out of dead week – and finals – with my mind intact, I did a couple of things that really helped!
Get Sleep Whenever You Can
Sleep can be hard to come by during dead week and finals week – so get it whenever you can! I took a couple of study-break-naps so my mind could be fresh for another couple of hours of studying. When your grades are on the line, it’s a lot easier to stay awake and study, even when it means you’ll get a lot less sleep. This is the case especially when you have multiple finals!
Study With Friends – Even When You Aren’t Studying the Same Subject
Even if you and your friends aren’t studying for the same class, it can be beneficial to study together, because you force each other to stay on track. This is also very helpful because you don’t feel so bored and trapped in one place, and when you all want to take a short study break, you can just talk and hang out for a couple of minutes!
Eat Small (Healthy) Snacks Frequently
They say an empty stomach means an empty brain, and it’s very true! When you’re hungry, all you can focus on is how much you want to eat, and it’s harder to retain information. Make sure the snacks are healthy, though, in order to give your body the most nutrients possible – nuts, fruits, or vegetables are good options (edamame, carrots, and apples are my personal favorite!).
Take a Couple of Study Breaks Per Hour of Studying
It’s a good idea to take short study breaks throughout multiple hours of studying. In order to keep your mind from getting absolutely fried, allow yourself a couple of minutes to focus on something other than what you are studying. I find that this helps me come back and focus on the material I’m studying, so I don’t get bored with it and I can refocus after each break with a fresh mind.
Coffee is Your New Best Friend
I drank a lot of coffee throughout both dead week and finals week in order to wake me up after a particularly long night. I love drinking coffee in general, though, so it was a nice excuse to have even more during these weeks!
Celebrate When You’re Done!
It will be one of the biggest reliefs of your term once you are done with finals – so go celebrate! Get some frozen yogurt with some friends, or simply have some well-earned down time and watch a movie or read a book. Usually after finals, you get some sort of break (yay, Christmas break right now!) so enjoy the time off, because you deserve it for studying so hard!
This will be me tonight since I’m officially done with finals and turning in papers!
How do you study for big tests?


Also, just a side note: I think now that I am on Christmas break, and have a lot of free time for a month, I will be starting Blogmas! I know I’m about a week late, but better late than never, right? I’m super excited to be able to devote all of my time to my blog this month, and hopefully you guys enjoy my December posts! 🙂 So, technically, this is Blogmas Day 1!


Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day! 🙂

Top Ten Beauty Hacks

Hey guys!
So today I thought I would share with you some of the “beauty secrets” that I use on a daily and weekly basis that I feel really help keep my skin clear and soft!

1. Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest! This is my number one tip, because if these basic needs are not met for your body, your skin will suffer! Your skin really reflects what is inside of your body, so make sure you drink enough water, and sleep enough in order for your body to be at it’s best! Remember that eight is the magic number: try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

2. Use a face mask once a week. You can either buy one from the store, or make one at home with simple ingredients in your kitchen already (I’m a huge fan of milk and honey masks). I find that when I put on my face mask every Sunday after a nice hot shower, I can relax so much and my skin feels so great afterwards. It helps you wind down after a long week, and helps your skin out at the same time! I also like to use a mask that is meant for deep cleaning so my pores can “breath”.

3.  Use Vaseline to get longer lashes. Every night I put Vaseline on my eyelashes and right at the base to make them longer. I don’t quite know how it works, but it really does! As a bonus, it also helps my skin at the base of my eyelashes which sometimes gets really dry.

4. Coconut oil can be used for anything and everything. There are  so many great uses for coconut oil – hydration for your hair, mixed with sugar for an exfoliant, and you can also cook with it! It can be used for virtually anything, so it’s worth buying and having around!

5. Exfoliate a couple of times a week. I use the exfoliating face wash from Simple, and the Buffy bar from Lush on the rest of my body to exfoliate. I find that exfoliating a couple of times a week (don’t go too overboard – three times a week should be the max) really helps your skin “glow”, as it gets rid of a lot of dead skin cells. It also makes your skin feel really soft!

6. Use vitamin E oil to get rid of scars. My mom has always done this, and it works really well. We get the vitamin E capsules and poke them open with a needle and use the oil inside to put on scars. Doing this every night for a little while really helps to get rid of unwanted scars.

7. If you have eczema or extremely dry skin patches, use cortisone creme to get rid of them. I get little flare ups of eczema in the form of dry, flaky patches, so I rub some Cortisone 10 cream on it, and within one or two days, it is completely gone. It also helps get rid of stubborn dry patches that just won’t go away.

8. Take your makeup off every night before you go to sleep. I cannot stress the importance of this! It is so  bad for your skin to go to sleep with your makeup still on – it clogs your pores which leads to bad breakouts. If you like not having to do a whole lot before going to sleep, buy some make-up removing wipes to quickly remove your make-up and cleanse your skin.


9. Try and have one make-up-less day a week. I don’t know if this helps a whole lot, but I like to have one day a week at least that I don’t wear any make-up at all. I just wake up, put on some lotion, and wash it at the end of the day, followed by more lotion. I feel that it just gives my skin a nice break, and allows it to “breath” for a whole day.

10. Rub toothpaste on pimples to get them to dry up and go away quickly. I have been doing this for years, and it always works like a charm! Just dab some toothpaste onto the center of the pimple, rub it in, and when you wake up in the morning, it should be smaller and easier to conceal! Sometimes the pimple goes away in a day, but other times I have to do this for another night to get it to completely go away.

What are some beauty tips/hacks that you swear by? 
Thank you so much for reading, and as always, have a great rest of your day! 🙂

Top Ten Beauty Hacks

Hey guys!
So today I thought I would share with you some of the “beauty secrets” that I use on a daily and weekly basis that I feel really help keep my skin clear and soft!

1. Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest! This is my number one tip, because if these basic needs are not met for your body, your skin will suffer! Your skin really reflects what is inside of your body, so make sure you drink enough water, and sleep enough in order for your body to be at it’s best! Remember that eight is the magic number: try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

2. Use a face mask once a week. You can either buy one from the store, or make one at home with simple ingredients in your kitchen already (I’m a huge fan of milk and honey masks). I find that when I put on my face mask every Sunday after a nice hot shower, I can relax so much and my skin feels so great afterwards. It helps you wind down after a long week, and helps your skin out at the same time! I also like to use a mask that is meant for deep cleaning so my pores can “breath”.

3.  Use Vaseline to get longer lashes. Every night I put Vaseline on my eyelashes and right at the base to make them longer. I don’t quite know how it works, but it really does! As a bonus, it also helps my skin at the base of my eyelashes which sometimes gets really dry.

4. Coconut oil can be used for anything and everything. There are  so many great uses for coconut oil – hydration for your hair, mixed with sugar for an exfoliant, and you can also cook with it! It can be used for virtually anything, so it’s worth buying and having around!

5. Exfoliate a couple of times a week. I use the exfoliating face wash from Simple, and the Buffy bar from Lush on the rest of my body to exfoliate. I find that exfoliating a couple of times a week (don’t go too overboard – three times a week should be the max) really helps your skin “glow”, as it gets rid of a lot of dead skin cells. It also makes your skin feel really soft!

6. Use vitamin E oil to get rid of scars. My mom has always done this, and it works really well. We get the vitamin E capsules and poke them open with a needle and use the oil inside to put on scars. Doing this every night for a little while really helps to get rid of unwanted scars.

7. If you have eczema or extremely dry skin patches, use cortisone creme to get rid of them. I get little flare ups of eczema in the form of dry, flaky patches, so I rub some Cortisone 10 cream on it, and within one or two days, it is completely gone. It also helps get rid of stubborn dry patches that just won’t go away.

8. Take your makeup off every night before you go to sleep. I cannot stress the importance of this! It is so  bad for your skin to go to sleep with your makeup still on – it clogs your pores which leads to bad breakouts. If you like not having to do a whole lot before going to sleep, buy some make-up removing wipes to quickly remove your make-up and cleanse your skin.


9. Try and have one make-up-less day a week. I don’t know if this helps a whole lot, but I like to have one day a week at least that I don’t wear any make-up at all. I just wake up, put on some lotion, and wash it at the end of the day, followed by more lotion. I feel that it just gives my skin a nice break, and allows it to “breath” for a whole day.

10. Rub toothpaste on pimples to get them to dry up and go away quickly. I have been doing this for years, and it always works like a charm! Just dab some toothpaste onto the center of the pimple, rub it in, and when you wake up in the morning, it should be smaller and easier to conceal! Sometimes the pimple goes away in a day, but other times I have to do this for another night to get it to completely go away.

What are some beauty tips/hacks that you swear by? 
Thank you so much for reading, and as always, have a great rest of your day! 🙂

Top Ten Beauty Hacks

Hey guys!
So today I thought I would share with you some of the “beauty secrets” that I use on a daily and weekly basis that I feel really help keep my skin clear and soft!

1. Drink lots of water and get plenty of rest! This is my number one tip, because if these basic needs are not met for your body, your skin will suffer! Your skin really reflects what is inside of your body, so make sure you drink enough water, and sleep enough in order for your body to be at it’s best! Remember that eight is the magic number: try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and get at least eight hours of sleep each night.

2. Use a face mask once a week. You can either buy one from the store, or make one at home with simple ingredients in your kitchen already (I’m a huge fan of milk and honey masks). I find that when I put on my face mask every Sunday after a nice hot shower, I can relax so much and my skin feels so great afterwards. It helps you wind down after a long week, and helps your skin out at the same time! I also like to use a mask that is meant for deep cleaning so my pores can “breath”.

3.  Use Vaseline to get longer lashes. Every night I put Vaseline on my eyelashes and right at the base to make them longer. I don’t quite know how it works, but it really does! As a bonus, it also helps my skin at the base of my eyelashes which sometimes gets really dry.

4. Coconut oil can be used for anything and everything. There are  so many great uses for coconut oil – hydration for your hair, mixed with sugar for an exfoliant, and you can also cook with it! It can be used for virtually anything, so it’s worth buying and having around!

5. Exfoliate a couple of times a week. I use the exfoliating face wash from Simple, and the Buffy bar from Lush on the rest of my body to exfoliate. I find that exfoliating a couple of times a week (don’t go too overboard – three times a week should be the max) really helps your skin “glow”, as it gets rid of a lot of dead skin cells. It also makes your skin feel really soft!

6. Use vitamin E oil to get rid of scars. My mom has always done this, and it works really well. We get the vitamin E capsules and poke them open with a needle and use the oil inside to put on scars. Doing this every night for a little while really helps to get rid of unwanted scars.

7. If you have eczema or extremely dry skin patches, use cortisone creme to get rid of them. I get little flare ups of eczema in the form of dry, flaky patches, so I rub some Cortisone 10 cream on it, and within one or two days, it is completely gone. It also helps get rid of stubborn dry patches that just won’t go away.

8. Take your makeup off every night before you go to sleep. I cannot stress the importance of this! It is so  bad for your skin to go to sleep with your makeup still on – it clogs your pores which leads to bad breakouts. If you like not having to do a whole lot before going to sleep, buy some make-up removing wipes to quickly remove your make-up and cleanse your skin.


9. Try and have one make-up-less day a week. I don’t know if this helps a whole lot, but I like to have one day a week at least that I don’t wear any make-up at all. I just wake up, put on some lotion, and wash it at the end of the day, followed by more lotion. I feel that it just gives my skin a nice break, and allows it to “breath” for a whole day.

10. Rub toothpaste on pimples to get them to dry up and go away quickly. I have been doing this for years, and it always works like a charm! Just dab some toothpaste onto the center of the pimple, rub it in, and when you wake up in the morning, it should be smaller and easier to conceal! Sometimes the pimple goes away in a day, but other times I have to do this for another night to get it to completely go away.

What are some beauty tips/hacks that you swear by? 
Thank you so much for reading, and as always, have a great rest of your day! 🙂

Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it

So today I just wanted to write about something that has really inspired me lately: believing in yourself.
I was watching a video the other day (one of the Shaytards video, if anyone watches YouTube videos – you should check them out if you don’t! They are a great family who vlogs their daily life) and Shay was saying how important self-belief is. It basically breaks down to this: if you are trying to achieve something but you think to yourself “Oh, I could never do that” then you never will. If you are giving up right as you begin something, then you will never get far enough to actually achieve it. You have to stay positive and keep telling yourself that you will be successful, and that all of your hard work will pay off in the long run. People like Bill Gates and J.K. Rowling did not become extremely successful by constantly putting themselves down and not believing in themselves; at some point they had to have said to themselves “You know what, I am going to work as hard as I can and make  myself become successful.” I guarantee you they didn’t just sit around and wait for their success – they went out and achieved it themselves, with the help of self-belief and positive thinking.
 I know all of this sounds so cheesy, but the power of positive energy and thinking is extremely important to success. Your mind is a very powerful thing, and can oftentimes be the only thing holding you back. In many cases, you are the person who limits yourself the most with self-doubt, and the belief that you truly cannot do something. If you want to be a doctor, then great, go for it! If that isn’t your cup of tea and you would rather be an artist, hats off to you! Just make sure you don’t doubt yourself, and constantly put yourself down. When you tell yourself that you can’t do something you instantly put a road block in your mind, and in your life. With thoughts like that, you won’t be able to achieve anything because you will start to truly believe you can’t. Your negative thoughts eventually turn into your beliefs, so if you keep limiting yourself with “I cannot’s” then you will never achieve “I did’s.” You have to act as if you know  what you are trying to achieve is going to come true. However, just because you unabashedly believe you will succeed, doesn’t mean there won’t be any hardships. The road to success isn’t a smooth one, but the power of positivity helps make it a little bit easier.
The well known saying “never say never” (ugh, insert Justin Bieber reference here) is known throughout the world because of its truth; you will truly not learn the outcome of all the “what if’s” if you say “never” to all of them. Who knows what you could achieve if you stopped doubting yourself?
I think the reason why this stuck with me so much is because I will be starting college soon, and I’m anxious about my future and what I will do with my life. I still don’t have a solid plan about what I want to study, major in, or even make a career out of. It’s also exciting, though, because I feel as though I am finally beginning my life, and I want to have a positive start. I am one of those people who can’t be negative all the time or I will give myself a heart attack! I am much more productive when I am surrounded with positivity, and I think that is true about most people. Allowing yourself to be positive and have a great outlook on life truly goes a long way. Positive energy attracts positive energy when it comes to the ways of the world, so it is a great practice to always look on the brighter side of things.

What do you think about self-belief? Have you ever struggled with it?

Thank you so much for reading, and as always, have a wonderful day! 🙂

Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it

So today I just wanted to write about something that has really inspired me lately: believing in yourself.
I was watching a video the other day (one of the Shaytards video, if anyone watches YouTube videos – you should check them out if you don’t! They are a great family who vlogs their daily life) and Shay was saying how important self-belief is. It basically breaks down to this: if you are trying to achieve something but you think to yourself “Oh, I could never do that” then you never will. If you are giving up right as you begin something, then you will never get far enough to actually achieve it. You have to stay positive and keep telling yourself that you will be successful, and that all of your hard work will pay off in the long run. People like Bill Gates and J.K. Rowling did not become extremely successful by constantly putting themselves down and not believing in themselves; at some point they had to have said to themselves “You know what, I am going to work as hard as I can and make  myself become successful.” I guarantee you they didn’t just sit around and wait for their success – they went out and achieved it themselves, with the help of self-belief and positive thinking.
 I know all of this sounds so cheesy, but the power of positive energy and thinking is extremely important to success. Your mind is a very powerful thing, and can oftentimes be the only thing holding you back. In many cases, you are the person who limits yourself the most with self-doubt, and the belief that you truly cannot do something. If you want to be a doctor, then great, go for it! If that isn’t your cup of tea and you would rather be an artist, hats off to you! Just make sure you don’t doubt yourself, and constantly put yourself down. When you tell yourself that you can’t do something you instantly put a road block in your mind, and in your life. With thoughts like that, you won’t be able to achieve anything because you will start to truly believe you can’t. Your negative thoughts eventually turn into your beliefs, so if you keep limiting yourself with “I cannot’s” then you will never achieve “I did’s.” You have to act as if you know  what you are trying to achieve is going to come true. However, just because you unabashedly believe you will succeed, doesn’t mean there won’t be any hardships. The road to success isn’t a smooth one, but the power of positivity helps make it a little bit easier.
The well known saying “never say never” (ugh, insert Justin Bieber reference here) is known throughout the world because of its truth; you will truly not learn the outcome of all the “what if’s” if you say “never” to all of them. Who knows what you could achieve if you stopped doubting yourself?
I think the reason why this stuck with me so much is because I will be starting college soon, and I’m anxious about my future and what I will do with my life. I still don’t have a solid plan about what I want to study, major in, or even make a career out of. It’s also exciting, though, because I feel as though I am finally beginning my life, and I want to have a positive start. I am one of those people who can’t be negative all the time or I will give myself a heart attack! I am much more productive when I am surrounded with positivity, and I think that is true about most people. Allowing yourself to be positive and have a great outlook on life truly goes a long way. Positive energy attracts positive energy when it comes to the ways of the world, so it is a great practice to always look on the brighter side of things.

What do you think about self-belief? Have you ever struggled with it?

Thank you so much for reading, and as always, have a wonderful day! 🙂

What I Learned From High School

It is official. I have graduated from high school!!!
Me (left) and two of my best friends
I can’t believe it’s over and that I’m going to be going off to college at the end of September. Honestly, I really don’t feel any different, just happy! I am completely stress free now since finals are over – being stress free is pretty great! If any of you guys still have finals going on, keep studying and it’ll all be over soon, and you’ll be able to enjoy the summer! 🙂
In this post, I want to talk about all the great and wonderful life lessons (ha yeah right) that I learned from good ol’ high school, and not just graduation, since there really isn’t a whole lot to talk about.
1. Following the crowd just means you’re not leading yourself. I know this is something that is said a lot, but it is very true: always  be yourself. It’s no fun trying to be someone you’re not in order to fit in with everyone else. Not having the latest and greatest technology, not liking the newest pop songs, not having brand name clothes that still smell like the factory they were made in, or not being caught up on the latest trends is fine. You should be more concerned with who you are, and what you truly like instead. Like country music, vintage collectables, and have clothes that aren’t designer? Great! Just as long as you are being true to who you are, carry on living your life the way you want to.
2. Being a “cool” kid is not the most important thing in life, and won’t even matter after high school. I don’t know about other schools, but the “popular” kids at my high school were the party-ers who went out every weekend, drank, and did drugs. I wish I was over-exaggerating, but I’m not. Most of them were extremely rude and hated everyone (including their “best friends”) and believed that everyone loved them. In reality, they were not well liked (surprise, surprise) and had very few true friends. So, again, be the person you want to be, and find friends who truly care about you.
3. People will change, for better or worse. It is inevitable that change will happen in high school, both physically and mentally. Some of these changes are good, and in other cases, bad. Sometimes, changes aren’t really good or bad – they can just mean that you are going down a different path then someone else, which is sad, but does happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one person is better than the other, it just means that you are becoming different people who don’t really fit into each other’s lives anymore.
4. Having a solid group of friends is very important. It’s really nice to have a group of people whom you can depend on if anything ever happens. If you have an awful day you can vent to them about it, or if you aren’t feeling safe, you have people to go to in order to solve the problem. I’ve always been very close with my family in addition to having a great group of friends, so it’s nice being able to get advice from them, but I know that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a close relationship with theirs, so a group of close friends is even more important.
5. Your parents do actually know what they’re talking about sometimes. I know sometimes it’s hard to believe, but this is, in fact, true, and sometimes they can relate to your problems. They, too, went through high school so they have had much of the same experience as you. I always go to my parents for advice since they’ve lived much longer than me and have a lot of wise words to offer, and it usually helps me figure out tough situations. Sometimes the advice your friends give isn’t as good, because they’re basing it off of hypothetical experience – they haven’t always gone through the situation you are asking advice about. Because of this, advice from your parents can be particularly helpful. But don’t get me wrong, advice from your friends can be great as well.
6. Find something that you love to do. With the stress of school, friends, and just life in general, it really helps to find something that you love to do in order to relax – whether it’s a sport (I was on the swim team all throughout high school), art, writing (I also did a lot of this), reading (huge fan of this)…there’s plenty of options. I found that having something you love that you can throw yourself into helps keep you sane so you aren’t drowning in stress. It also helps you to find other people who are interested in the same thing, and enables you to connect with them.
7. Having an incredible love life is not the most important thing in the world. I know, I know, at this age it can be hard not to want love and an incredible relationship, but do not make it your only goal. I knew people like this in high school and they often ended up miserable because they’re whole life was centered around finding a significant other. Do not, I repeat, do not think that your happiness is centered around finding someone to be in a relationship with, or finding someone to fall madly in love with and have some epic love story. You are the only person who can make yourself happy! Don’t let your happiness depend on someone else because you will not end up very happy, or it will take a long time to get there. As cheesy as it sounds, allow yourself some time to get to know yourself and realize who you are, separate from other people.
8. Not everyone is going to like you, and you’re not going to like everyone. This is completely okay, and a natural fact of life. It would be impossible to get along with every single person you encounter, and to like all of them. Sometimes you meet people who you simply do not like; when you do come across these people just nod your head and walk away. I’m not a confrontational person (I loath confrontation and try to avoid it at all costs), so I have found that it is easier just to focus on the people who you do get along with, and just spend time with them. However, sometimes it is hard to avoid people you don’t like, so you have to find someway to coexist with them. This has happened with me, and I’m sure most everyone has been in this situation, and when this does happen just try your best to act “professional” and, if possible, try to avoid talking to them. If you have to, just think of them as any other person, and disregard your feelings toward them and try to work together. It is easier said then done, but in the end it will all work out.
9. Try to be the bigger person in arguments, and simply walk away. This can be really hard in some cases, but it is, a lot of the time, the best option. When dealing with a bully or someone you simply have conflict with, just realize that you don’t want to lower yourself to their level and say things that you wouldn’t if you were calm. This is a great trait to have for your whole life, so why not start in high school.
10. The saying “what Suzie says about Sally says more about Suzie then it does Sally” is very true. I really hate drama, and having it in my life, so I tried to avoid the whole gossip and rumor mill in high school. It makes life a lot easier, and you find better friends this way. I knew a lot of girls that were “best friends” but would then go and talk about each other like crazy behind each other’s backs. This said a lot about what kind of person each girl was (and still is), because it showed just how petty and rude they are. So, once you make friends, it’s usually best not to talk about them behind their backs, or anyone for that matter. It doesn’t matter if you know them well or not, it is always a horrible thing to start rumors about other people.
11. Be comfortable in your own skin, love yourself, and be true to who you are, no matter what anyone says. Bullies are cowards and are more often than not, very insecure about themselves. Don’t let anyone make you feel less about yourself, because the only opinion that needs to matter to you, is yours. My dad has always told me this, which has really helped me to not care (as much) what other people think. Yes, it is very hard sometimes not  to care about what other people think, but always try to stay true to yourself and what you like. You shouldn’t ever have to change for other people; the people who truly care for you won’t care who you are, because they’ll love you just the same. And never be afraid to be yourself! Fitting in is over-rated, and the most interesting people are never clones of other people. Remember that there is only one you, so be the best you possible, and be proud no matter your ethnicity, sexual orientation, financial situation, and all sorts of other factors: BE YOU.
Thank you so much for reading; I hope you have a great rest of your day! 🙂

What I Learned From High School

It is official. I have graduated from high school!!!
Me (left) and two of my best friends
I can’t believe it’s over and that I’m going to be going off to college at the end of September. Honestly, I really don’t feel any different, just happy! I am completely stress free now since finals are over – being stress free is pretty great! If any of you guys still have finals going on, keep studying and it’ll all be over soon, and you’ll be able to enjoy the summer! 🙂
In this post, I want to talk about all the great and wonderful life lessons (ha yeah right) that I learned from good ol’ high school, and not just graduation, since there really isn’t a whole lot to talk about.
1. Following the crowd just means you’re not leading yourself. I know this is something that is said a lot, but it is very true: always  be yourself. It’s no fun trying to be someone you’re not in order to fit in with everyone else. Not having the latest and greatest technology, not liking the newest pop songs, not having brand name clothes that still smell like the factory they were made in, or not being caught up on the latest trends is fine. You should be more concerned with who you are, and what you truly like instead. Like country music, vintage collectables, and have clothes that aren’t designer? Great! Just as long as you are being true to who you are, carry on living your life the way you want to.
2. Being a “cool” kid is not the most important thing in life, and won’t even matter after high school. I don’t know about other schools, but the “popular” kids at my high school were the party-ers who went out every weekend, drank, and did drugs. I wish I was over-exaggerating, but I’m not. Most of them were extremely rude and hated everyone (including their “best friends”) and believed that everyone loved them. In reality, they were not well liked (surprise, surprise) and had very few true friends. So, again, be the person you want to be, and find friends who truly care about you.
3. People will change, for better or worse. It is inevitable that change will happen in high school, both physically and mentally. Some of these changes are good, and in other cases, bad. Sometimes, changes aren’t really good or bad – they can just mean that you are going down a different path then someone else, which is sad, but does happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one person is better than the other, it just means that you are becoming different people who don’t really fit into each other’s lives anymore.
4. Having a solid group of friends is very important. It’s really nice to have a group of people whom you can depend on if anything ever happens. If you have an awful day you can vent to them about it, or if you aren’t feeling safe, you have people to go to in order to solve the problem. I’ve always been very close with my family in addition to having a great group of friends, so it’s nice being able to get advice from them, but I know that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a close relationship with theirs, so a group of close friends is even more important.
5. Your parents do actually know what they’re talking about sometimes. I know sometimes it’s hard to believe, but this is, in fact, true, and sometimes they can relate to your problems. They, too, went through high school so they have had much of the same experience as you. I always go to my parents for advice since they’ve lived much longer than me and have a lot of wise words to offer, and it usually helps me figure out tough situations. Sometimes the advice your friends give isn’t as good, because they’re basing it off of hypothetical experience – they haven’t always gone through the situation you are asking advice about. Because of this, advice from your parents can be particularly helpful. But don’t get me wrong, advice from your friends can be great as well.
6. Find something that you love to do. With the stress of school, friends, and just life in general, it really helps to find something that you love to do in order to relax – whether it’s a sport (I was on the swim team all throughout high school), art, writing (I also did a lot of this), reading (huge fan of this)…there’s plenty of options. I found that having something you love that you can throw yourself into helps keep you sane so you aren’t drowning in stress. It also helps you to find other people who are interested in the same thing, and enables you to connect with them.
7. Having an incredible love life is not the most important thing in the world. I know, I know, at this age it can be hard not to want love and an incredible relationship, but do not make it your only goal. I knew people like this in high school and they often ended up miserable because they’re whole life was centered around finding a significant other. Do not, I repeat, do not think that your happiness is centered around finding someone to be in a relationship with, or finding someone to fall madly in love with and have some epic love story. You are the only person who can make yourself happy! Don’t let your happiness depend on someone else because you will not end up very happy, or it will take a long time to get there. As cheesy as it sounds, allow yourself some time to get to know yourself and realize who you are, separate from other people.
8. Not everyone is going to like you, and you’re not going to like everyone. This is completely okay, and a natural fact of life. It would be impossible to get along with every single person you encounter, and to like all of them. Sometimes you meet people who you simply do not like; when you do come across these people just nod your head and walk away. I’m not a confrontational person (I loath confrontation and try to avoid it at all costs), so I have found that it is easier just to focus on the people who you do get along with, and just spend time with them. However, sometimes it is hard to avoid people you don’t like, so you have to find someway to coexist with them. This has happened with me, and I’m sure most everyone has been in this situation, and when this does happen just try your best to act “professional” and, if possible, try to avoid talking to them. If you have to, just think of them as any other person, and disregard your feelings toward them and try to work together. It is easier said then done, but in the end it will all work out.
9. Try to be the bigger person in arguments, and simply walk away. This can be really hard in some cases, but it is, a lot of the time, the best option. When dealing with a bully or someone you simply have conflict with, just realize that you don’t want to lower yourself to their level and say things that you wouldn’t if you were calm. This is a great trait to have for your whole life, so why not start in high school.
10. The saying “what Suzie says about Sally says more about Suzie then it does Sally” is very true. I really hate drama, and having it in my life, so I tried to avoid the whole gossip and rumor mill in high school. It makes life a lot easier, and you find better friends this way. I knew a lot of girls that were “best friends” but would then go and talk about each other like crazy behind each other’s backs. This said a lot about what kind of person each girl was (and still is), because it showed just how petty and rude they are. So, once you make friends, it’s usually best not to talk about them behind their backs, or anyone for that matter. It doesn’t matter if you know them well or not, it is always a horrible thing to start rumors about other people.
11. Be comfortable in your own skin, love yourself, and be true to who you are, no matter what anyone says. Bullies are cowards and are more often than not, very insecure about themselves. Don’t let anyone make you feel less about yourself, because the only opinion that needs to matter to you, is yours. My dad has always told me this, which has really helped me to not care (as much) what other people think. Yes, it is very hard sometimes not  to care about what other people think, but always try to stay true to yourself and what you like. You shouldn’t ever have to change for other people; the people who truly care for you won’t care who you are, because they’ll love you just the same. And never be afraid to be yourself! Fitting in is over-rated, and the most interesting people are never clones of other people. Remember that there is only one you, so be the best you possible, and be proud no matter your ethnicity, sexual orientation, financial situation, and all sorts of other factors: BE YOU.
Thank you so much for reading; I hope you have a great rest of your day! 🙂