Well... it's here. The time has come.
In five very short days, I will begin my last semester of college.
Where have the past four years gone? They have disappeared entirely.
I've already pre-determined that this semester is going to be a tough one.
It's going to affect me mentally, it's going to challenge me in new ways,
and it's going to have more ups and downs than ever before.
But I'm not going to dwell on the craziness that's most likely going to occur,
and instead stay positive, and create some methods in order to have the best semester ever.
Hopefully these will inspire you to have a successful Spring.
Whether you're a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior,
completing you're Masters, taking a random class, or anything in between,
having a "game plan" is always a great way to make sure you stick to your goals.
I hope my list helps you determine your own.
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So let's begin!
10 Things To Do In Order To Have An Awesome Semester
1.) Kill them with kindness.
Going along with my "people pleasing" habits, some times, conflict happens.
It can happen pretty often too. Whether with friends, co-workers, or loved ones,
there comes times when you just don't see eye-to-eye,
or when hurtful things are said, to your face or even behind your back.
As much as I would like to be immature when these moments do (and will) come,
that's just not how problems get resolved.
I'm not saying apologize for everything or act like the blame is all on you.
I'm simply going to kill people with kindness, and not let everything affect me emotionally.
I want to have a happy semester, not one filled with worry and anxiety.
Simply killing them with kindness makes people more confused than just reacting back.
Treat people the way you personally would like to be treated.
One day, I'm going to have that big girl job in the city, and if conflict occurs,
I can't just ignore my co-workers or boss and hope the problems disappear.
It just doesn't work that way, so I might as well practice this now.
2.) Celebrate the small things.
Stressful semesters bring more than just loads of work and full schedules.
They do bring small wins throughout the weeks.
But instead of just smiling to yourself and saying "good job" in your head,
go ahead girl, and treat yourself.
You got an A on that 5 question quiz? Get you favorite drink from Starbucks.
Applied for a job? Go jam out in the car.
Lost half a pound? Call your friends and plan a day/night out.
Big accomplishments are awesome, but so are the small ones.
Recognize the little blessings and moments that occur, and give yourself the credit you deserve.
3.) Don't sweat the small stuff.
Just how small wins happen, well... so do the bad.
It's life, you obviously can't predict what's going to happen.
But you can remind yourself that it's just that, life. It's completely unpredictable.
And you shouldn't bring yourself down just because something didn't go the way you planned.
Forgot to put gas in your car? I'm sure you have a friend (or AAA) that will come to your rescue.
Forgot you had work and made plans? Just take a breath and reschedule.
Something breaks in your apartment? Just remember wear-and-tear happens and it can be fixed.
Bad days happen, but I'm realizing you can make them happen less.
Don't sweat the small inconveniences that do pop up, and don't let "life" get in the way.
4.) Be dedicated to staying up-to-date with blogging.
Or whatever passion/hobby you have and love, be dedicated to it.
There's more to college than just going to class and studying.
It's about finding out who you are, what you love, what makes you happy.
For me, I've found an outlet in blogging, and I know I haven't been as dedicated to it as I would like.
But I have big plans for topics I want to share, and lots of editing to do.
I might even start looking into some more hobbies to dedicate my time to.
Whatever makes your heart and soul happy, do more of it and give it the time it deserves.
5.) Apply for a new job every business day.
This is a huge goal of mine.
I see my friends daily applying for their careers, re-doing their resumes, making contacts.
And honestly, I've been slacking when it comes to having a job after I graduate.
But no more, I'm telling myself. My dad inspired me with this goal.
I'm going to apply for one job, Monday through Friday.
No days skipped, this is my future I'm talking about.
And I'm going to continue with this until I have that interview and I nail that job.
Look out real world, I'm coming for you.
6.) Don't constantly "walk in a straight line".
For this one, I was inspire by this quote:
"She sees them walking in a straight line, that's not really her style".
Here's how I took this to apply it to my up-coming semester:
I obviously have a schedule.
I know when I have to attend class, when I have to go to work,
when I have to go to meetings and events, etc.
In college, it's honestly difficult to not live where your days are fully planned out,
sticking to that straight path of knowing what you're doing.
But that's boring, adventure is needed some times.
I don't want this to constantly be how I live everyday, I want some time for that not to be my style.
Whether it's something small like a night out during the week,
or maybe jumping in my car and driving to Nashville,
doing something not regularly written in to your schedule keeps life exciting.
7.) Read more.
I love learning. And I love learning by reading.
Whether it's the daily news, topics regarding my major, other people's blogs,
you can always learn something new by taking the time to read.
I know I'm busy and there isn't always time for me to read for leisure,
but I'm going to make time for me to enjoy a good read every now and then.
Pick topics you know you love learning about more.
Moving to a new city? Read up about local places you have to visit.
Love your job? There's always a time and place for furthering your career.
Maybe you love food? There are so many cooking blogs out there to enjoy.
It's not just picking up a full novel and committing yourself to reading it.
Read the news some times. I'm always learning something new just by doing that.
8.) Dedicate "me" time.
It's college, you're going to be stressed. Tests on top of projects on top of work,
it can be a lot to handle when it starts to pile up.
"Me" time is about doing something you love, even tiny, just to give you
the piece of mind that you might be needing.
For me, I love taking 15 minutes to go to the tanning bed and spending time with my cat.
It's what makes me feel good, and it gives me the motivation to continue on.
Other suggestions: go for a walk/run, retail therapy, eating carbs. All good options.
9.) Take care of our physical and mental self.
Your mind is just as important to take care of as your body.
Feed your body healthy foods, while feeding your mind positive thoughts.
Exercise your body with a walk or run, exercise your mind with some light reading.
Think of your whole body. No part should be neglected.
But I definitely understand when you just need some ice cream
and your mind consumed with a Netflix marathon.
Your body and brain will thank you for those too.
10.) Do what you want to do.
I take this in two ways:
Firstly, in college, you obviously are committing to going to class,
studying, furthering your education, etc.
and I TOTALLY understands that those things don't always sound fun.
So don't forget the things you do like to do, and do them often.
Don't stress yourself out because all you're doing is "college" stuff.
Take the time to enjoy college, not just go to class.
And secondly, know that it's okay if you don't want to do something.
Just because someone invites you to something, doesn't mean you have to go
just to make them happy or just so that individual doesn't get upset with you.
Keep in mind what you love and what is best for you overall.
If you're happy, that's all that matters.
There's no need to put yourself in a situation where you know you won't be happy and yourself.
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And those are it!
I hope these inspire you to have a happy, successful semester,
whether using my methods or creating your own.
And remember:
College isn't just the classes you attend.
Have a great semester everyone!
Here's to graduating in May, and being in a good place when I do!
Until next time,
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