It is Friday, April 8th, which means it’s my twentieth birthday! I cannot believe I am twenty years old – two decades! The years seem to go by faster and faster with every birthday, and here we are at twenty of them! I really don’t feel old enough to no longer be a teenager, if that makes any sense. For so long I have identified as a teen, and now I am a full-fledged young adult. I know I’m still young – I still can’t even drink – but it’s crazy to think that I have entered my twenties. Even though I’m pretty nervous and scared to be in my twenties, I’m also really excited to see what the future holds. I still have to get through college, but who knows where I’ll be after that! That’s a scary thought to have, and I can’t believe that it’s one so real and applicable to my life right now.
Since I’ve been alive for two decades on our lovely planet earth, I thought I would share twenty things I have learned thus far!
Can I just take a little time to gush about how pretty the weather has been here in Seattle? It’s going to be in the 70s tomorrow. The 70s, people. I am thrilled and have been wearing all of my summer dresses with disregard to the still-chilly-but-sunny weather. However, I did take off my sweater today and only wore a dress! Summer is coming.
On to the post for today; I wanted to talk about why I’m glad I didn’t buckle down a choose a major my freshman year of college. I am a sophomore now, and applied to my major, International Studies, this last quarter, and ended up getting in. I actually came into UW thinking about majoring in International Studies, but changed my mind several different times throughout the year. I’m glad I did this for many different reasons. One, I was able to take many different classes from all of the different majors at my university. Two, in taking many different classes, I didn’t limit myself to only one focus all throughout college. Three, I had the freedom to think about all of the things I could possible do, and in doing so, had the courage to believe in myself, and believe that I could do anything I set my mind to.
As I’ve stated before, I really like to have plans for my life. I had a plan for high school when I was in junior high, and knew all of the classes I wanted to take from talking to my older brother and neighbor. I wrote all of them out on the paper, and while I didn’t take all of these classes, I always had at least a general outline for every term. When I came to college, I fully intended on majoring in International Studies, and only taking classes pertaining to that specific major. Sure, I knew I wanted to take fun classes as well, like dance, but I wanted to be as productive as I could in regards to getting all of the requirements done.
Once I got to school, I realized that maybe International Studies wasn’t the right major for me. The initial requirements for the school of IS were boring classes with content that I had mostly learned my senior year of high school. I wasn’t enjoying myself, and didn’t feel like I could truly engage in all of the classes. After my first quarter, I started to play around with the idea of maybe becoming a vet. I took chemistry, and remembered how much I did not enjoy it in high school, and also that I would never be able to perform surgery on an animal due to my queasiness, or put one down because I would be heartbroken. I absolutely love animals, and still entertain the idea of becoming a zoologist, but being a vet isn’t the right career for me.
After that, I decided maybe communications would be perfect for me. I love to write, and am obviously very involved in the media through my blog and YouTube channel, so I decided to take a communications class. While I didn’t overtly hate the class, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, and I knew I wouldn’t be happy only having a career in communications. The subject matter is very interesting, but it is also pretty straight forward, and contained ideas that most people know about anyway with common sense. I don’t mean to discredit the major in any way; it’s a very important field of study, especially in today’s world, but it just isn’t something that makes me feel inspired, or want to work towards.
Over the summer between freshman and sophomore year, my interest went back to International Studies, and I looked up all of the different career choices you could have after college. One of my dreams is to travel, so the idea of traveling as your job made me very excited. I also looked more into the International Studies school at my university, and I saw that peace, diplomacy, and security are a part of one of the focuses you can choose within the major, which is right up my alley. I want to make a difference in the world, and I really felt like this major and track could help give me the tools to do so. I finished up the requirements for the major in fall quarter of this year, and applied during winter quarter. I got into the school, and now I am starting in on all of the credits required for graduation. After I was done with the prerequisites to the major, the classes have gotten much more interesting, and I find myself really enjoying the subject matter.
Throughout all of these decisions, there was one more thing nagging me in the back of my mind. As you all probably know, I have always wanted to write a book. English has always been my favorite subject in school, and is the subject in which I excel at. It excites me, and keeps me desiring to improve myself more and more. After a lot of thought, I decided I wanted to double major with International Studies and English – specifically the creative writing part of the major since there are technically two different kinds of English majors at my university. I was always afraid to major in English due to the stigma of “never getting a job from an English degree” surrounding it, but it’s what I’m passionate about, and will make me happy.
Double majoring is hard due to all of the credit requirements, and I’m making it even more difficult on myself with a minor in Spanish. Since I am so passionate about all three subject materials, I know that I can do it because I’m willing to put in the work. I’m going to have a lot of late nights ahead of me, but I know it will all be worth it.
As for choosing my major(s) this year, rather than freshman year, I’m so glad that I took the time to find out what I truly want to study and have a career in. I didn’t want to get to senior year and realize that I hated my major; I wanted to be absolutely sure that I was in the right place. Being incredibly indecisive, I think it was important for me to try out all of the different classes I could, within reason. It takes me a long time to come to a decision about anything, so choosing my major my freshman year could’ve been a disaster for me. Through taking a ton of different classes, I also got to really experience all of the different schools that are at my university.
I know I will probably question myself later down the road, as every college student and young adult does, but for now I’m happy with my decisions. I’m excited for my future and to see where my studies will take me. Who knows where I will end up! That’s a scary thought to have, especially for someone who is so anxious about everything; however, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I cannot control life, no matter how hard I try.
How are you feeling about college?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
College can be super stressful, and it’s difficult to find time to actually unwind and relax. Whenever I do find time to do nothing, I always feel guilty and like I could be doing something productive. It is a never-ending vicious cycle, and one that makes de-stressing very hard!
There’s a club at my university that is $5 for the whole quarter of yoga, so it’s basically unlimited yoga classes! It’s pretty amazing, and the classes are great because they have fantastic yoga instructors. I have done yoga here and there in the past, but never consistently, and ohmygosh does it do wonders for your body and mind! During the classes, I can feel myself relax into a place where I don’t think of anything else but what I am doing in the current moment. It’s calming as well, which is fantastic for my anxiety.
It can be really hard to be present in the current situation at hand; we are always so worried about the future, and how we handled the past, that we forget to live in the now. This is so important to do, however, because your whole life will pass you by without you even knowing it. Living in the moment is one of my goals this year, because I want to make sure I am making the most out of everyday. I am so guilty of worrying about the future to the point where I’m not even paying attention to the present. Yoga has really put that into perspective for me, because it makes you focus on the here and now.
Okay, I just had to quickly show you guys my new Nike’s as well! I got them for Christmas, and I have been loving them so much. They are so bright and cheery, but also super comfortable!
Look at those pastels, oh my gosh.
If we are talking about the logistics of yoga, I usually wear short or long yoga pants (okay, duh Kendra), with either a flowy long sleeve shirt, or a tank top of some sort.
Shirt: This was a Christmas present, so I don’t actually know where I got it. I think JCPenny’s!
Pants: Lulu Lemon
Shoes: Nike
I am so in love with these pants! The marble print is so cool, and they are really comfortable for yoga.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to make time to relax, and forget about the stress you are feeling. These last couple of weeks have been so difficult and stressful for me. I have been applying to my major, applying for study abroad programs, and I have had a multitude of tests and papers. Basically, it’s just been what every normal college student goes through by their sophomore year! As you get further into college, the stress gets more and more overwhelming, and I am trying to adjust to that. Going to yoga, though, has helped me have at least an hour a day to find time to relax and forget about all of my worries.
Even if it isn’t yoga, find something that de-stresses you, and allows you to have some relaxation time! It is invaluable to have an activity to alleviate stress, so go out and find one, and feel better. Your mental health will thank you.
How do you manage stress?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
1. Get festive pillows and put them on your bed, couch, etc.
Christmas pillows are always so pretty, and there are so many to choose from! I love to go to Michaels to get them because they have a lot, and they also have a lot of coupons you can use! This makes the cost of the pillows go down a lot, and also allows you to get a lot!
I found my little Christmas tree in the dollar section of Target (it was $3), and later found the little ornaments for $3 as well! I had the little firefly lights already, but I know Target has some for super cheap as well. It’s super easy to find really cute and small Christmas trees that don’t cost a lot, and also won’t take up a lot of room in your small space! It was also super fun decorating it, even though it didn’t take that long at all.
I found a little kit at Target (I promise this isn’t sponsored by Target!) with gift tags and a bunch of twine. Instead of using the trees as gift tags, I decided to make a little banner out of them and put them by my desk! It was super easy to do, the kit was $3, and it looked so cute once I hung it up! This would also be really simple to do with simple construction paper and twine if you can’t find a kit like the one from Target!
4. Hang up twinkle lights. Everywhere.
I have little fairy lights in my room year-round, but they definitely feel super festive around the holiday season! You could even get some red or green colored lights to layer on top of twinkle lights already there.
Do you like decorating for Christmas?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!
When I first heard of “Sophomore Slump,” I didn’t think it would affect me that much. At the end of freshman year I felt like I had a pretty solid plan of what I would be studying after struggling with it so much for the whole year. As I am about halfway through my first quarter of sophomore year, I am definitely in a slump. Honestly, it really isn’t a bad one, rather just a stressful speed bump in my motivation. I love most of my classes, so I am very motivated to do all of the work for them, but I really cannot stand Economics, so it’s so much harder to actually sit down and force myself to study and do all of my homework. I do in fact get around to it, it just takes a lot longer.
1. Have one solid day of rest.
This can be so hard to do, especially when you are worried about missing classes. If it won’t be the absolute end of the world to miss some of your classes, stay in bed for the day! A lot of my classes are recorded, so it’s fine to miss a couple and just catch up online. Having one day of full rest can give you a head start on the whole getting better process. If you absolutely can’t miss class – I definitely have some of those classes – just try and rest in between, and make sure to go to sleep early and take some naps during the day. This leads me to my next tip…
2. Make sure to get lots of rest!
Go to sleep early. Take a nap after classes. Whatever you have to do to get enough rest is worth it! Sleeping allows your body to heal and get better, so make sure you give it enough time to do so. It’s so important to get at least eight hours a night, especially when you are sick. Trust me on this one, sleeping for longer than usual when you’re sick can really help you get better quicker. Gone are the days where you yearned to be sick in order to miss a couple of days of school; in college, it’s so much harder to take a sick day! Getting better faster will be your best option for not falling behind.
3. Try and get your homework done early in the day.
If you get your homework done before nighttime, you will be more focused, not worried about falling behind, and again, you will be able to sleep more! Once all of the work you need to do gets out of the way, you will be able to relax a lot better, which will also help your body heal. Sitting around worrying about all of the work piling up will help no one, so make sure and get it done before you are too far behind. If it is work that can wait a day or two, don’t worry so much, but try your hardest to not fall behind.
4. Drink lots of fluids.
I know your mom and doctor have told you this before, but it really is important. I carry my water bottle around with me pretty much everywhere I go, and even more so when I’m sick. Drinking more fluids truly does help you get better faster, which is what we’re working for here, if you haven’t noticed. Emergen-C is also a great thing to add to your water, because it loads your body up with the vitamins it needs to get better.
5. If your throat is killing you, invest in some sore throat tea.
Having the flu right now, my throat has been extremely sore. I couldn’t eat anything without my throat hurting the first day I got sick, so I got some sore throat tea, and it helped immensely. If you can’t find a tea specifically for sore throats, peppermint tea is really good as well as lemon-ginger tea. I’m not the biggest peppermint fan, so I usually go the lemon-ginger route, and it really works wonders!
6. Get cough drops before you start coughing.
You know when you get to the coughing stage of being sick, and you become that person coughing during lecture? Make sure to avoid this whole situation, and get some cough drops before this stage occurs. Having mild asthma, I usually get a pretty bad cough while I’m sick, and I won’t be caught dead without my honey cough drops. They help a lot, and also relieve sore throats, so really you can’t go wrong with them. Try to avoid the super sugary one, because they really aren’t that great for you and are basically candy.
7. Take cold medicine during the day, and at night if need be.
I get to worst sleep while I’m sick, so I always take some kind of nighttime cold medicine. This helps a lot, because you are actually able to sleep, instead of just toss and turn all night. Cold medicine also helps a lot with body aches, which I have been suffering from with this flu. They are pretty miserable and make walking to class even more difficult! I don’t really like to take a lot of medicine, but when it really comes down to it, cold medicine can help out a lot if you are feeling really under the weather.
8. Eat food that will sit well with your stomach.
Generally, I don’t have much of an appetite when I’m sick, so I like to stick with things that won’t upset it. Toast, eggs, oatmeal, crackers, and soup are all really great options. I don’t know why, but every time I’m sick, my mom fixes me boiled eggs and toast, and it does wonders. Being at college, however, I don’t have my mom to take care of me, so I just stick with really simple and easy to make food, like microwavable soup.
Well, those are all of the tips I have, and how I survive being sick in college! Getting sick for the first time away from home can be pretty brutal, but if you follow this guide, I’m sure you will make it through. You can always give your parents a call, and beg them for a care package to help you make it through. Flu season truly is the worst, and with all of the germs in college, it makes catching a cold that much easier. Hopefully I get over this one soon!
Also, check out the video I did on my channel about being sick in college!
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
A year ago, however, I was so nervous to start college because it was my freshman year! I was terrified I would hate it, or that I wouldn’t be able to stomach the homesickness. Your first year of college is a big undertaking; you’re leaving home for the first time, and it’s on a whole different level when compared to high school. Since it can seem so overwhelming, I thought I would do a post all about how to survive your first year! I read so many last year to try and get caught up on all the things I needed to know for freshman year, so I knew I had to do one of my own now that I’ve been through it.
1. Don’t get too overwhelmed on move-in day.
This can be a very hard day, because you’re unpacking all of the boxes you overfilled, you have to say goodbye to your family, and you’re living in a completely foreign place. Don’t let it get to you too much! Just stay calm, get your boxes (or bags as I did last year) to your room, and just start unpacking. It only gets overwhelming if you let it, so just try and stay calm and excited.
2. Unpack right away.
Don’t let your boxes just sit in your room forever! This gets annoying really quickly, and it’s best to unpack right away while you still have help from your family, and while you still have the energy. If you don’t unpack right away, chances are you will just leave for the next day, and the next day, and the next day…you get it! Unpacking also makes your dorm feel more like home, which really helps when you start to feel homesick in the coming days. So get your closet done, your decorations up, and your supplies out!
3. Wear a comfy outfit with layers.
You will get very warm while lugging up boxes to your dorm, and then unpacking them. I suggest you wear something that is first, comfy, and also an outfit with layers so you can take them off as you get warmer. I did this last year and it really helped! I definitely broke a sweat moving all of my stuff in, so it was nice to just take off some of my layers when it got to be too much. Make sure all of your layers are comfortable and easy to move in as well!
4. It’s okay to be a little sad.
Once your family leaves, it’s totally normal to be sad and to cry a little bit. Everyone is saying goodbye to their loved ones, so you’re all going to be in the same boat! It can be hard saying goodbye to the people who you’ve lived with for 18 years, but try and remember this is an exciting, new adventure. It will get easier as the days go on, but it’s natural to be a little sad at first!
5. Get to know your roommate ASAP.
You are going to be living with this person for the next year, so make sure to get to know her! This will help break the ice, and help you feel more at home once you know the person you’re going to be living with. You both are going to be really nervous, so just talk to her about what all you’re excited for, scared about, etc., and you’ll start to feel better! I talked a lot to my roommate while we were unpacking, which made the whole process go by a lot quicker, and made it easier to not focus on home.
6. If you don’t get along with your roomie, immediately talk it out.
The other side of living with someone for a whole year is the negative one; it’s easy to get annoyed with someone whom you’re sharing close quarters with, which makes dorm-life miserable. The second you start getting annoyed or angry with your roommate, just talk it out. Calmly explain what’s bothering you, and maybe try and come with alternate solutions to problems. This can be really hard and awkward, but those couple minutes of a difficult talk can result in a much better year.
7. Find your way to classes before they start.
Once you are all settled into your dorm, get to know your new campus, and find your way to all of your classes! It’s really important to do this before they start, because you don’t want to get completely lost ten minutes before your 8:30 AM class, and end up missing it altogether. I was so glad I did this last year, because I ended up having some difficulty finding a couple of my classes. Instead of figuring this out right before class, I did it a couple of days ahead and found the best possible route to and from my classes. This can also be a chance to make a friend! Just ask someone on your floor to go with you, and chances are they will be totally down.
8. Print out pictures of home, and talk about it to combat homesickness.
The first couple of weeks are going to be the hardest. You’ll probably be a little bit homesick, stressed about classes, and a little overwhelmed from living on your own for the first time. It really helps having pictures from home hanging up in your room, as well as simply talking about your home with your friends. I underestimated how much this would help, and how much it would allow you to bond with others. They will want to hear about your home, and also tell you about theirs. This kills two birds with one stone because you’re able to make really good friends, and help keep homesickness at bay.
9. Leave your door open whenever you’re in your room.
Leaving your door open to your dorm is kind of a single saying “Hey! I want to make friends so come say hi!” People will actually swing in and introduce themselves, and it makes it so much easier to get to know people! Your floor will become closer if you all meet each other through open doors, and you’ll most likely meet some of your best friends this way. My first week was filled with awkward introductions that we all laughed about later, and most of these people became my closest group of friends.
10. Ask questions in class, and go to office hours.
Okay, this can be very scary, especially when you’re in a lecture hall full of 500 students. I am a very shy person, so it took me a little while to fully become comfortable with asking questions or answering them. This can be really beneficial, though, because you don’t want to be confused in any of your classes! That confusion can pile up very quickly, and make learning other concepts difficult. It’s better to just clear the air as soon as possible, and your professors like being asked questions! It shows you are an engaged student who really wants to learn, and they get to know you better and put a name to one of the many faces they see. You can also go to your professor’s office hours if asking questions during lecture scares you too much, or if you have a lot of questions.
11. Form study groups and actually study with them.
A great way to make friends in your classes is to ask people to study with you! Forming a solid study group you can meet with the whole term is a great way to do well on exams. Your first finals week can be really scary, so it helps you study with other people who are in the same situation as you. It’s also a very collaborative process because you can all learn from each other, and it really helps when you teach someone a concept, because it solidifies the knowledge in your own brain.
12. Make good decisions….
You are on your own for the very first time, so it’s important to make good decisions, because you will have a lot to make! You’re now entering the real world (albeit a more sheltered one being in college), so you will have to make real life decisions. Just make sure you keep yourself safe, and that you don’t put yourself into any dangerous situations. You can always call your parents when you need advice, because they will most likely gladly give you some!
13. …but don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
You will make mistakes, and that is okay! How else are you going to learn? I made my fair share of mistakes last year, and I know I have many more to make. We’re young, so it is to be expected. Don’t beat yourself up over these mistakes, though! Mistakes can be learned from, and the next time you are in the same situation, you know not to make the same decision as last time. Think of them as real-world-life-lessons, and also realize that all of the successful adults of today made the very same mistakes.
14. It’s okay to change your major.
It’s okay if you change your major three times within the same term, we all do it! I had a plan of what I was going to study in college, and it is not the same one I have now, or probably the one I’m going to have by winter quarter. Some people do stick with their original major, and total props to them, but plans can change very quickly in college. You are able to take classes about what you truly love for the first time, and it’s okay to take a class and realize you actually hate it. Everyone does this, and it’s better to figure it out your freshman year, rather than a couple of months before you graduate!
College is the time to get to know yourself, find out what your dream and aspirations are, make mistakes, and to ultimately have the time of your life. You will have so many ups and downs, but at the end of the day, college is really incredible. You have to rely on yourself for the first time, and you make some of the best friends you’ve ever had. These people turn into your family, and you really will make memories to last a life time. So don’t take yourself too seriously (although, take your classes seriously!), and enjoy the ride! Home is also always a phone call away, so when you’re feeling too overwhelmed, take some time out and call your loved ones.
I also made a video all about this, so give a watch to hear me talk about all of these points a little bit more! 🙂
Are you excited for school?
Thank you so much for reading, have a wonderful day, and good luck on your freshman year! 🙂