The anxious college girl's journey to success.

The anxious college girl’s success.

College is without a doubt a rollercoaster of emotions.

You will experience happiness, stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger (probably) all in one day. Being able to control these emotions will help make getting through college a little easier. 

Here are a few tips I’ve learned to get through all of this craziness in one piece:

1.    Take it day by day. (Exam by exam)

College has a way of throwing many curve balls your way before you even have time to put your glove on, but I’m sure you know that already. My advice is to take it day by day. Don’t allow yourself to look at your schedule for the week and get completely overwhelmed to the point that you call your mom and tell her you can’t do it anymore. If your mom is anything like mine she will tell you to calm down and breathe. After your mini panic attack and the phone call where your mother builds back up your confidence you will learn God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle. So, to save a lot of tears and frustration, learn to breathe and work through each day individually, not as a whole week.

2.    Allow your friends and family to be your backbone, but don’t take out your stress on them.

Your family and friends will always be there for you, but I’m sure you already know that as well. The difference in asking them for guidance and taking your stress out on them is the key to mutual happiness. There will be times when you are so stressed you cannot think of any nice thing to say to anyone. This is the time where you keep your mouth shut. The people on the other end of your complaining did not schedule that exam or even post that homework assignment, so, remember that when you speak to them. How would you like it if your friend continually complained and responded in short snappy sentences? You wouldn’t. So don’t treat your loved ones that way. Yes, it will be hard to separate school and your personal life, but if you don’t it will possibly ruin both.

3.    Don’t rush it.

Who cares if you graduate a semester late because you decided to change your major? Odds are no one. Stop painting a picture in your mind that you will be graduated, have a successful job, and cure cancer all by the age of 22 because you will most likely be disappointed. My go-to quote in this situation is, “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” This is the best piece of advice regarding time that I have found, thanks pinterest! So, stop rushing your life and being so hard on yourself because you will succeed, just in God’s timing.

4.    Have “you” time.

This is very hard to find in college because of your hectic schedule, but it is a must. Everyone, even professionals, need time to relax. It could only be the 15 minutes between classes that you get to enjoy your coffee or the extra long bubble bath before you go to bed. Whatever it is, enjoy it and make time for it.

5.    Believe in yourself.

The cold truth is, if you don’t believe in yourself you might as well quit now because you will not make it. How you perceive yourself is a huge reflection of how you handle day-to-day situations. You have to want it more than you have ever wanted anything in your life. You will give up many things for it so instead of thinking “I will never be able to achieve this” think “With as much hard work as I have put into this there is no way I will fail”. Picture yourself achieving your goal whether its buying the car of your dreams with your hard earned money or walking across the stage and becoming a college graduate. Whatever it is, be confident in yourself!

Hope this helps on your journey to success!

If yall would like me to write about a specific topic feel free to comment below and I will work on giving you my best advice!

xoxo

Handsome college boys.

BOYS.BOYS.BOYS

“OMG there are cute boys everywhere!” says every freshman girl.

The difference in high school and college is you meet many boys who you haven’t had in every class since elementary school. And by all means, enjoy it! Crush on that boy in psych class. Slow dance with that boy you met in the quad. Stay up all night talking about absolutely nothing with the boy you met at lunch with friends. Like I said, enjoy it! You will never be 20something years old again…. so live it up. 

But there are a few things you must know before jumping into the big pool of boys called college..

One thing that you will learn in college (& very quickly) concerning boys is some are PIGS. No, not the pink and smelly animal that rolls in the mud. The pig I’m talking about is the good looking, polo wearing mcdreamy who only wants one thing.

Yes, your daddy has warned you about him your whole life, but I'm here to tell you he is real. 

Let me give you an example of the boy your daddy warned you about:

John, the president of KA, just so happens to run into you while the bar is closing and asks you to come back to his apartment to “have a little fun”. RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG! Do not lower your standards or forget about your morals just because a boy is “really cute and is in a fraternity”. It may seem like fun then, but for the next week (& possibly longer) you will regret every decision you made that night because guess what- he didn’t call you like he said he would. John is the college boy who just recently moved out of his hometown and wants to "have fun in college". Don't settle for a "John" or you will be like Taylor Swift and have many heartbreaks. 

So learn quickly what kind of reputation you want to go through college with. Just because it seems like Jill (who sleeps with all of the boys) has SO much fun and all the boys’ love her doesn’t mean you should lower your standards to be like Jill. Stay true to yourself,  and never lower yourself because you think you will get the boy who doesn't know you exist. In God's timing, you will find a boy who respects you and doesn’t just want you for the night. & thats worth being yourself for. 

So for clarification here- not all college boys are pigs… With the help of your moral compass you will filter through the John's, until you meet the boy who respects you for you! 

 Even though you have heard this advice a trillion times, temptation has a way of making these decisions very hard. College makes you rethink every single view you had growing up and that's okay because it will shape you into the woman you want to be.

So, believe in your beauty and never stop striving to be the best version YOU!

Xoxo

5 tips for all “soon to be” freshman in college:

5 tips for all “soon to be” freshman in college:

1.    Don’t fret over all the drama that consumed your life in high school.

High school is the time of your life where you switch friend groups many times, have a different boyfriend each year that “you’re going to spend the rest of your life with”, and have many love/hate relationships with fellow classmates and THAT’S OKAY! Fast forward a few years and you’re finally in college and many miles away from Sally the head cheerleader or Rick your boyfriend who just so happens to be the captain of the football team. The problems that seemed to be “life or death” in high school seem so small in college.  In high school, you are a big fish in a small pond. In college, you are a small fish in a huge pond. So don’t worry about who “hated” you in high school or who didn’t accept you because you weren’t “as cool” as them. College is a time to meet friends who will be in your life forever, learn your stance on many different views (politics, religion, etc.), and most importantly enjoy the ride.

2.    Be prepared.

Being prepared for college is one of the first tasks you must tackle to be successful. College is a whole new ballgame when it comes to professors, class lectures, and studying. First off, don’t think that your college professor is going to know your name and actually care if you pass or fail because that is wishful thinking. College professors aren’t like “Mrs. White from American History” who loved you dearly and let you makeup the exam you missed because you had a cold. You must be disciplined in every aspect of college because before you know it you will have 2 papers, 4 exams, and 2 presentations all in ONE week. Stay calm and prioritize. This means PLANNERS PLANNERS PLANNERS! Every student in college should have a planner with all of the dates off of the syllabus inputted into the calendar. This makes life easier because when you look at your planner you think to yourself “Okay self, I have a college algebra exam Monday, a speech due Tuesday, and a group project due Wednesday.” After you have a mini panic attack, you sit down and prioritize when you will do each assignment.

3.    Choose your friend group responsibility.

The girl you met in your history class that is always late/absent, has multiple bar stamps on each hand, and has a boy’s oversized T shirt on probably shouldn’t be your first pick for a best friend if you want to be successful in college. Yes, going out to free drinks once a week and having a huge headache during your 8 AM class is totally acceptable, but you must be disciplined and responsible. With that being said, you should know when you can go out and when you should probably stay in and study (even though it may seem like EVERYONE is partying that night). For example, you shouldn’t go to free drinks the night before a presentation worth 25% of your grade is due. So, what this means is find a happy medium. Find friends who will pull all-nighters with you to study for that Anatomy exam, but will also celebrate with you after you kick that exams butt!

4.    Stay true to yourself.

This sentence basically defines itself.

Be you.

Don’t let your views and morals become blurred just because you want everyone to like you. You know the person you want to be in life so don’t let too many free drinks lead you in the wrong direction. In college, you have more freedom than you have ever had and knowing right from wrong will lead you to success (even though it may seem like it is just making you a party pooper).  This seems like one of the hardest things to conquer your freshman year because everything is new and exciting. Now, as a freshman in college, if you stay out until 2am and spend the night with a boy your parents will never know, but just because you wont get in trouble for it anymore doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. You know how your momma raised you and 99% of the time if your mother would not approve of your situation you shouldn’t be doing it.

5.    Don’t be afraid to show people you miss them (AKA your parents)

Your parents were there during your first few steps, when you got your first pimple, and as you walked across the stage at graduation so don’t let the freedom of college allow you to forget about them. Make sure to tell your parents you love them every day because tomorrow isn’t promised. In college, you encounter many situations that make you think, “Wow, my mom was right about that all along”. And guess what? She will be right a million more times in your life. Even though it may seem like your parents are “too old” to know what you are talking about, college quickly proves you wrong. History repeats itself. Even in your parent’s time, there were parties, boy’s who only want one thing, and 8 AM classes that seem impossible to go to. Whatever the situation is, I promise, your parents have been through it. So confide in them for advice and guidance because they are your #1 cheerleaders and want nothing but good things for you.