Balancing work and school

Balancing work and school. This can be one of the most difficult tasks any college, or even high school, student can face. Trying to figure out a balanced schedule with time for work, class, homework, sleep, friends…it can be exhausting, and from experience not that easy. So here are a few simple tips I have come up with.

1. Talk it over with your boss. Most managers or supervisors will be willing to work with you if you take the first step and ask to sit down with them. They will not go find you. Sit down with your manager and discuss a schedule that works around enough time for everything else. Make sure they know the times you absolutely cannot work, so they know when not to schedule you. Remember to proactive and maintain an open line of communication, this is a key to a happy work experience.

2. Don’t over book. It is not a smart idea to be taking a large amount of units and also work a full time schedule. Find a balance. Say you take 15 units and work 20 hours a week. Find something that works for you and doesn’t kill you, haha.

3. You can say no. If it gets to the point of being overwhelmed, it is time to take a step back. If you are trying to add something new to your schedule and it just doesn’t fit, you need to think about the priority in which it falls. Remember, it is ok to say no and reschedule.

4. Have scheduled time for homework. When you are busy a lot it can be easy to forget about all those pesky little assignments you need to get done. So set aside specific times to just sit down and work through your homework. This will save you a lot of last minute freak outs.

5. You don’t have to be super[wo]man. No one expects you to work miracles. Just do your best and that’s all anyone can expect. Don’t kill yourself trying to do everything.

Please remember that each person's situation is unique, finding your balance will take a while so just be patient, know your limits and know your strengths. I hope these few words of wisdom helped you in some way.

Good luck <3 Kimmie

My First Coastal Scents Order and UD Naked Palettes Dupes

Hey everyone,

Was super excited when I got home from work today to discover the spoils of Black Friday online shopping had finally arrived.

Ordered the two Revealed Palettes, a blending brush and two single shadows or "Hot Pots."

The two Revealed palettes I have been wanting to pick up for quite some time as I have heard a lot of people say that they are dupes for the three Urban Decay Naked palettes. You can check out several blog posts about this here, here and here. I really like these palettes and have been using them literally every day since I got them a about a week ago. There are some shades that are a bit chunky or powdery, but overall the shadows are very bendable and I like the texture and overall feel of them. Normally these palettes retail for $19.95 each.

So far I am really loving the hot pots, I bought mine in Flesh Tone which is described as "a neutral pale, beige hue with a golden shimmer finish", and Dark Chocolate which is a "warm, deep taupe hue with a satin finish." They are super creamy and bendable and I think that they are just absolutely incredible quality for the price. These individual shadows are only $1.95 each at full price, I got them on sale for 50% off so they came out to 97 cents each. They are very comparable to Mac or Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Certainly worth trying.

Both the individual shadows and palettes have pretty decent lasting power on there own and longer when paired with a primer. The longest I have worn these were for 12 hours, maybe longer, and they held up to the challenge of my long and busy days.

Finally, I picked up the Pro Fluff Blending Brush because it looked vary comparable to the Mac 217 and I figured I would give it a try. Full price is $4.95. It works really well to blend my transition or crease shade and it doesn't make my shadows patchy or anything. It is made from goat hair so if that is a problem for you, letting you know. The hairs are a bit scratchy but I used a bit of conditioner on the brush and it didn't scratch any more.

Keep in mind that Coastal Scents do have sales fairly often so if you are looking to try something there is a high chance you can get it for cheaper.

So overall I am loving the results of this order. I hope you got some useful information or tips out of this review and talk to you later.

<3 Kimmie

"30 Day"/30 Questions Makeup Challenge Part 1

Hey everyone, so I thought this would be fun to do a bit of a challenge post. I found the picture below and it says it is a 30 day challenge but I am just gonna answer the questions here in this post. Hope you enjoy.

Question #1: When did you start wearing makeup?

- I think I started wearing makeup when I was 14 and it really wasn't too often or very much (haha oh that black eyeliner!) Mostly for formal events for Jobies and for holidays. 

Question #2: How did you learn to put on makeup?

- At first it was just a lot of trial and error and watching my cousin, but then, I discovered YouTube! The first people I watched on YouTube were Kandee Johnson, Michelle Phan and MakeUp Medic (who sadly doesn't do YouTube anymore).

Question #3: Favorite Brand?

- I don't have too much of a favorite brand to be honest as I am still trying to branch out and try more brands and makeup. Drugstore, the one I own the most of is Maybelline and I really do love them so I guess they would be my favorite. High end, as I said I am still trying to branch out and so far I only own a few things my Mac, BareMinerals, TooFaced and Tarte. Haven't picked a favorite yet.

Question #4: Do you like wearing foundation?

- Actually yes, at the minimum a BB or tinted moisturizer. This is mostly because I do have uneven skin tone and acne so I like wearing foundation to even everything out.

Question #5: Favorite lipstick, lipgloss and lip liner.

- I hardly ever wear lipgloss but I really like Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Evelyn. Lipstick would have to be a tie between my Kat VondD Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw and Wet n Wild Bare it All. Lip liner: I LOVE my Maybelline lip liner in Toast (it goes with Bare it All and so much else.) For a darker color I love Jordana's Cabernet (great dupe for Mac's Nightmoth).

Question #6: Do you wear false eyelashes? (Strip or Individual?)

- Just bought my first pair not too long ago for halloween. Still honestly trying to figure out false lashes but I haven't tried individuals yet.

Question #7: Favorite eyeshadow color?

- I am a huge fan of neutrals. Nuf' said.

Question #8: Favorite daytime look?

- Honestly when I am lazy I just do concealer over my lids and pop a neutral transition shade in my crease, run some nude eyeliner in my waterline, through on eyeliner and mascara (maybe blush and bronzer if I have an extra minute) and I am good.

Recently my favorite look has been using the bareMinerals "The Magic Act" holiday palette. I take the shade Celebrate and put it all over my lid, then use A-Ha in my outer v and crease with a bit of Foreshadow to darken it up and put Foreshadow along my lower lash line. I also use the blush Close Call to contour with The Indecent Proposal on the apples of my cheeks.

Question #9: Picture of your makeup collection.

- I recently reorganized it so here for your viewing pleasure:

                                                So this is where it all hides

 

Top drawer is mostly face stuff or stuff I use on a daily basis.

Lip stuff and eye stuff with my DIY Z-Palette

Where I have been stashing my friends christmas presents and misc stuff

More misc

And my brushes and larger sets.

Question #10: Favorite makeup brush?

- I would have to say it is a toss up between three. My Real Techniques Buffing Brush, my Real Techniques Contour Brush and my Crown double-sided brush that I received in my ipsy bag.

If you are reading this please let me know if you liked it and I will post answers to the next 10 questions soon!

<3 Kimmie

Holiday Makeup Haul

Pretty excited because this year was the first time I had money to really spend around the holidays and splurged on getting myself some of the holiday collections. This was over a couple weeks of collecting stuff. Enjoy :) 

Tarte Bon Voyage kit from Sephora. You get 20 eyeshadows, a full sized lip gloss, full sized lip stain, a sample of Lights Camera Lashes mascara, a sample size limited edition cheek stain, sample marajuca oil and sample of the finishing powder. The shadows have good color payoff and are smooth. Haven't tried much else yet out of the set though. Full review on Temptalia here.

   

This is the Too Faced Everything Nice palette and I have been loving it. Occasionally the shadows blend weird but I love the color variety and it comes with the Chocolate Soleil bronzer which I have been loving along with the Papa Don't Peach blush. Full palette review on Temptalia here. 

Too Faced La Belle Carousel. This one the packaging is just so ridiculously cute. I love how you have seperate little sections that you could take on the run. You get three eyeshadow quads, two blush/bronzer duos and a sample of the Better than Sex mascara. Check out Temptalia's review here.

bareMinerals The Magic Act Palette. Can't express how much I have been loving this palette, I have pretty much been using it every day since I got it and it has been spending a lot of quality time in my purse lol. I talk about one of my favorite looks with this palette here. And Temptalia does a full review here.

bareMinerals READY Convertible Eye Shadow Palette 2014. This palette is pretty fun because you can move shadows around and take out the little section and throw it in your purse. Karen from Makeup and Beauty blog does a review here.

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot. This one I was pretty excited for because I don't own any of the Benefit Box o Powders and in this palette you get Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugar Bomb, Rockateur, Coralista, Hoolah and a sample of Watts Up highlighter. Full review here.

Mac Holiday Keepsakes Plum Eye bag. This bag was actually a gift from my sister because I was obsessing over the eyeshadow duo and the lighter shade "Triple Impact" in particular. It is the most beautiful eyeshadow I think I have ever seen. It is a described as "Opalescent Pink" but it also has shades of purple and blue and it is just so incredibly beautiful. See swatches here.

Hope you enjoyed my first ever haul post. Hugs from my computer to your,

<3 Kimmie

Lustables Pt. 2

Hey all my fellow makeupgeeks out there. I am back to do a part 2 to my Lustables post inspired by BlushableMe. You guys should check her out.

So once again we are delving into my ever-expanding makeup wishlist, which seems to only be growing longer with the release of the Christmas/Holiday collections. I feel like Ash, gotta catchem' all!

This is the Tarte Away Oui Go set. I asked for it for Christmas and I am really hoping I get it because it is all sold out on Ulta's website :'(

Nars Virtual Domination Cheek Palette. I currently don't own anything from Nars and I think this would be a fun way to start because you get four blushes and their cult favorite bronzer Laguna Bronzer.

Kat Von D Monarch and Chrysalis Palettes. They both have beautiful artwork on the cover and the shadows are creamy and pigmented. 

Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows. These are the latest collection to come out from Makeup Geek. Marlena does a full video on these that you can see here.

I love Tarte's Park Avenue Princess bronzer and the formulation of their blushes. You get a full sized Park Avenue Princess bronzer and an Amazonian clay blush in Posh and a highlighter in Champagne Gold.

Hugs from my computer to yours 

<3 Kimmie

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone out there,

I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all out there. I hope you are all having a wonderful day with those you love.

I love Thanksgiving because it is a holiday that isn't about gifts or flowers or decorations, but instead about something truly meaningful. Thanksgiving is a time to be with those that you love and care about and take a step back from every day life and the stress, the deadlines and negativity that comes along with it, and just truly think about the good things life has given us.

If someone out there happens to be reading this, please know that I am thankful for you, simply taking the time out of your day to read the words I write. I know I am not the most consistent blogger but if anyone out there reads my blog I want to say thank you so much. It really does mean a lot to me when I see that my post has been read and even though I only see numbers in the stats page, each and every one of you who reads this, it means so much to me.

I am truly thankful for everything I have in my life: my wonderful job and co-workers, my family, friend and boyfriend. It is so easy to forget about the good things that happen to us so I love that Thanksgiving reminds us to remember all those things and for at least one day, forget the bad.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, eat lots of food and embrace the food coma, embrace it! Lol!

Hugs from my computer to yours,
<3 Kimmie

Controversial Talks: Welfare and Drug Testing

Disclaimer: if you don’t like reading about controversial topics then I am going to stop you right here. If you are willing to continue reading then I must expressly remind you that this is my opinion and you are free to disagree. However, even though you are free to disagree, have your own opinion and believe whatever you want, I kindly ask that you refrain from leaving any mean comments, and just keep those to yourself. Also, please also note, I say “you” a lot in this post to express my point, I don’t mean you the reader, it is simply subjective to some nameless “you” in which this rant post applies.

Now, on with that out of the way, onto the actual post…

Listed among the numerous controversial topics of today enters onto the playing field the subject of drug testing for welfare and how we should deal with it.. The bomb, a.k.a. subject of this post, has been dropped, are you still with me? If you are, the biggest debate of this subject is should we drug test people in order for them to receive welfare benefits.

Some of the biggest arguments for each side:

Now, here is my opinion: Yes, I do feel that applicants for welfare should be drug tested. No, it is not just because “I had to get drug tested for my job, pay taxes and pay for your welfare” argument, but this statement does still hold a lot of validity, and yes, I do agree with that statement.

BUT, if you are getting welfare, you shouldn’t resign yourself to living solely off welfare, if you have a job and are working to get off welfare then, you go and I am here cheering for you in spirit. But if you don’t, you are going to have to get a job, and you are going to have to apply, try and support yourself and you will have to get drug tested if you get a job. So I feel like we should treat welfare like applying for a job. If you fail a drug test then no, I don’t believe you should have welfare. As stereotypical and mean as this may make me sound, I have seen enough instances of people abusing the welfare system to say that if you fail a drug test, how do I know that you aren’t wasting the money on buying more drugs rather than actually trying to support yourself? (I feel like the whole welfare system is flawed and has a lot of issues, but that is a rant for another time.)

Plus, you are applying for FREE MONEY! The least I feel that the government and tax payers supporting these social programs can ask of you is that you be freaking sober and are willing to put in the work to get back on your feet.

It annoys me so much when people say drug testing for welfare is against some kind of right. No it isn’t. Excuse me, I had to get drug tested for my job and so has everyone else I know. This is where I will say it: if it isn’t against a right to be drug tested for a job to pay the tax money for social programs, then it sure as hell isn’t against any right to be drug tested for welfare and receive said tax money.

So if you are applying for free money, say it with me, FREE MONEY!, then you should damn well be able to pass a drug test and prove in some small way that you are capable of being smart with the money you are being given. The reason I agree with the earlier statement is because yes, if I am going to work my butt off and have a chunk of my paycheck taken off for government taxes, which guess what, a portion is spent on social programs, I feel you should be able to pass a drug test, because I would really rather not have that money go to feeding some person’s drug addiction.

So in conclusion to my semi-rant/opinion on this topic: yes I am absolutely for this policy. I don’t even think it should be controversial because it is, in my opinion, pure logic.

Autumn 2014 Tag!

Hello, interwebbies! I hope you are all doing well, I have a new type of post I haven't done before! I was tagged by the awesome Blushable Me to do the Autumn Tag 2014, so here we go:

1) Ok we’re talking coffee- what’s your favorite seasonal drink from Starbucks or another coffee shop?

In all honesty, I really don't like coffee, I drink Mocha Frappachinos and that is about it for coffee, mostly tea. The thing I love around this time of year is Peppermint Hot Chocolate :)

2) Accessories- What do you opt for, scarf, boots, gloves?

One of the things I am definitely on the hunt for this year is a good pair of riding boots! I have always loved wearing knee high boots over skinny jeans with an oversized sweater.

(If leaves were like this where I live this would so be me! Everything else will still be me in fall though...)

3) Music – what’s your favorite music to listen to during Autumn?

Um, I don't really know if I listen to music seasonally. I listen to a very wide variety of music. Recently I have been listening to more musicals and music from old and old-ish Disney movies. (My old-ish I mean like Camp Rock and all those from when I was watching Disney channel.)

4) Perfume – what’s your favorite scent for this time of year?

I fell in love with Givenchy's So Irresistible perfume and I also love Avon's Secrets to Keep Kiss.

5) Candles – what scents will you be burning this season?

I don't own very many candles at the moment, but I love the Yankee Candles Cinnamon Rolls candle and I also like any of the candles that smell like the outdoors, the pinecone or tree smelling ones (reminds me of Christmas Trees).

6) What do you love most about Autumn?
I love wearing boots and sweaters, like I said above, and being able to get away with wearing it every day! I also just love the atmosphere of this time of year. The air becomes crisp, the trees change (very small change in So Cal =_=) and you can find me in leggings, fuzzy socks and a hoody curled up with a book. But overall, I love spending the holidays with my family. It is the one time of year we get to all be together. And of course, hilarity ensues!

7) Favorite makeup?
I love being able to let out my darker side in fall.
Here’s some of my favorite makeup for fall:

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette
Wet n' Wild Sugar Plum Fairy lipstick
Darker reds and purples and I also love darker brown/mauve nudes
Benefit Rockatour
Maybelline Make a Mauve

In love with these looks:

8) What are you looking forward to most in Autumn?
I am most excited to just spend time with my family. I am also really excited because we will be having a dog at Christmas for the first time in years! (My grandpa is legally blind and just got a service dog)

I tag:
Tamzen Temple
The Mile Long Bookshelf
Kandee Johnson
Hope the Happy Hugger

Car Accident!

Hi everyone, so about two and a half weeks ago now I got in a pretty bad car accident (then had to jump full swing into mid-term exams) which is why I haven’t been here for a bit.

It was pretty terrifying because my boyfriend was driving me to class and a lady came zooming out of a parking lot and T- Boned us on my side of the car. It was definitely a night of firsts. I got my first ambulance ride, first time on a gurney, first time being in wheelchair (my knee was screwed up and it hurt too much to walk), my first x-rays and my first time really in a hospital when I was the one injured.

Overall damage to me: whiplash, sprained shoulders and knee and pain.

My poor car :( They said it is gonna be about $5K in repairs. Thankfully, I only have to pay my deductible and we are trying to get the other peoples insurance to pay it since they were 100% at fault.


So yeah, just wanted to give a quick update on where I have been and I am jumping back into blogging. Expect some new fun posts soon!

From my computer screen to yours,
<3 Kimmie

Why "Secrets" by Mary Lambert is an Important Song

Recently a new song hit the radio stations. A song called Secrets by Mary Lambert.

When I first heard this song come on the radio, I didn’t really care for it. But one day I decided to listen to the song rather than changing the station. I really listened to the lyrics that flowed through the car speakers. And as I listened I was truly and deeply impacted by the powerful message that flowed to a catchy rhythm.

This song shouts a very key message, loud and clear into a world where the truth of this message has been lost in the plastic and superficiality of a lot of media today.

What I love about this song is Mary Lambert points out that you have the right to be whoever you want to be. You don’t need to hide who you are or change yourself to be beautiful. You don’t need to be someone you are not. This is something I have to constantly remind myself of, and it is really nice to see it pop up in a media so built around this idea of unattainable perfection.

I think this song is incredibly important, especially for young kids to hear. When they look at a magazine and see this perfectly thin woman or a tall and muscular man, especially with both genders being so sexualized, their ideas of what is beautiful, how they should act, dress and what they should be is constantly skewed and filtered into this laundry list of things expected of society. (As you can tell I really don’t like this about media.)

But that is why I like this song so much. It combats this imagery and this message by saying you are fine just being you, what does it matter if the world knows the things you don’t like about yourself, or your quirks or the fact that you wear jeans and t-shirts all the time rather than dressing up. WHO CARES! Is what this song shouts. You should be whoever you want and that is ok.

I love songs like this such as Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, Pink’s Pretty Pretty Please and Bruno Mars Just the Way You Are. All these songs are so positive and I love it!

So always remember, that you just have to be yourself and you should love yourself truly and completely. And don’t worry if this doesn’t happen right away, it is a process and a journey, one that I am still on as well. Like Dr. Seuss said “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” So go forth and be you!

 

Hope this post helped perk up some people or gave a bit of motivation to someone out there. As always, good luck.

Top Ten: Romantic Movies/Comedies

So there is one fact I think you guys should know about me: I love romantic comedies. Yes, I know they can be cheesy and often times the plot lines can get redundant, but this is still one of my favorite genres. I love the fact that love conquers all and you can escape into a reality you wish your life was more like. So today I will be sharing with you guys my favorite romantic comedy movies, the ones I watch over and over again and feel like everyone should watch.

1. The Princess Bride - This isn't really a comedy but this is like the romantic movie of all romantic movies, you need to watch this movie at least once in your lifetime, it is that amazing! The characters are incredibly developed, the storyline is beautiful and it is just all around amazing! I have talked about this movie before and I just cannot say enough good things about it! Seriously, if you have never seen it then go watch it, right now!

2. 10 Things I Hate About You - Most people don't realize that this movie is based off of a Shakespearean play "the Taming of the Shrew." I think it took a classic tale and brought it into a modern light very well. Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles are a great pairing and on top of it all, you get to see Heath Ledger sing!

3. Ever After - Definitely a movie that everyone should see. I love this take on the story of Cinderella and Drew Barrymore shines in this role. A beautiful tale that I watch over and over again. Just, you need to watch it.

4. She's the Man - This is another movie that is based off of a Shakespeare play, believe it or not. Based off of the Twelfth Night I love how they blend in pieces of the original story, Duke's name, the school's and all the other names are pretty much the same as well as the main story line, but the screenwriters brought it to a more modern and relatable front.

5. Bridget Jones Diary. This movie is absolutely hilarious. I love how they combing the comedic factor with a more down to earth take on the "boy meets girl, live happily ever after" stereo type. Definitely worth watching.

6. Warm Bodies. Ok, I swear this is the last Shakespeare based one! Warm Bodies is a very different zombie version of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet. There are some not-so-subtle nods to the play such as the names of the two characters and the two "houses" the Humans and the Corpses. However, instead of the two houses coming together over the death of the star-crossed lovers, they come together because through their love to fight a mutual enemy. I got to see this movie with my boyfriend for one of our first dates on Valentines Day last year.

7. Can't Buy Me Love. Can't Buy Me Love is such an iconic film from the 80's and is one of the movies that put Patrick Dempsey (a.k.a. Dr. McDreamy) on the map. Dempsey plays a nerdy kid who pays his popular neighbor to pretend to date him so he can gain popularity in his senior year. For those of you familiar with Easy A, when she references "I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey" guess what, she is referencing this movie.

8. One for the Money. One for the Money takes kind of a different spin on a rom-com. Stephanie Plum becomes a bounty hunter and winds up having to track down the an ex. They team up to find the people trying to make him seem like a dirty cop.

9. You've Got Mail. I love the chemistry that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks have together. This movie is an absolute classic when it comes to Rom-Coms. At first they think that they hate each other and are enemies but when Joe Fox (Hanks) finds out that his "rival" Kathleen Kelly (Ryan) is actually his anonymous pen pal ShopGirl, he begins to realize the feelings coming out that he started having for ShopGirl.

10. Breakfast Club. Ah me with my 80's movies. This movie should come as no surprise as I have mentioned it several times for those of you who have been reading. This movie is one of my absolute favorites. It is a movie that challenges the norm and redefines status quo's. I feel like no matter who you are you can relate to this movie. The Criminal, The Brain, The Athlete, The Princess or The Basket Case. Again relating back to Easy A (didn't make the list because it wasn't really a romantic comedy, but still an amazing movie that I love!) anyway, this is the last part of her 80's movie reference when she says "I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me."

You know, I agree with Emma Stone. Just once, I want my life to be like an 80's movie!

Hope you all enjoyed this. And as always, good luck and take care.
<3 Kimmie

http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/romantic-comedies-you-need-to-see-before-you-die

Lustables Pt. 1

One fact about me I’m not sure if I have shared on the blogsphere is that I am a major makeup geek. When I am not reading, doing homework, binge watching a tv show or enjoying my sleep, you can often find me watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. I’d say I started falling in love with the world of makeup artistry a few years ago, but it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I started courting the idea and slowly dabbling into the world more and more. I think now it has been moving more and more into a full out love affair.

I was inspired by BlushableMe to start doing these little collective posts called “Lustables” because as a college student with a car payment my wish list seems to ever grow longer and rarely get smaller. While I still day dream that I will one day win the lottery, this is where I just thought it would be fun to share what I am currently drooling over and lusting after, hence the title. Here we go!

1. When I discovered that Mac would be releasing a Rocky Horror collection in honor of their 40th anniversary my thought process was literally me screaming like a fan girl. Long story short, I love Rocky Horror. End of story. Even my boyfriend told me he would go with me to buy it and he doesn’t really like makeup.

2. Rhianna’s Viva Glam 2 lipstick. Just a really gorgeous crystal mauve shade that I think would look great on my pale complexion.

3. Lorac Pro Palette 2. So beautiful! All the wants!

4. Tarte’s Fall Palette. I am absolutely loving all the fall makeup collections. Ugh why can’t I be rich?

5. Nars blush in Orgasm. Ah yes, the cult favorite. Me Gusta.

Let me know if you guys enjoyed this wishlist type post.

5 Tips for a Successful Semester

There is one universal truth that we will all experience throughout our college career: Life can be stressful. Especially with an average of 15-someodd units, a job, and trying to balance a social life on top of all that! From experience, this can definitely get a bit hectic. So here are some small tips that can help make for a happier, more productive and less stressful semester.

1. Find a creative outlet. You need some way to get your mind off of school every now and again. Find something that makes you happy, makes you laugh, or just take a deep breath. For some it is art, for others it could be journaling, or even meditating. For me, it is either curling up in my blanket and reading, or writing this blog. Find something that gets your mind completely away from what is stressing you out.

2. Get up, get out, get moving! Exercise and being outdoors is such a great way to relax your mind and help you refocus. You could try working out in the on-campus gym, or if that isn’t your scene, work out along with YouTube exercise Gu-Ru’s. Even if it is just taking a walk around the dorms when you feel like your eyes start going cross-eyed from studying haha. Do something to get the blood pumping and the endorphins flowing. In the words of Elle Woods (Legally Blonde actually does teach life/college lessons)

3. Plan Ahead! I did a whole post on time-management, IT IS ESSENTIAL PEOPLE! There is nothing that screams “stressed” more than not being sure what you need to do, forgetting deadlines, or cramming last minute because you didn’t make time. Save yourself a lot of trouble by just planning ahead and taking a few minutes at the beginning of each day, or just every week to make a study schedule or plan of attack.
                    

4. Get enough Z’s. I know personally one thing that can always make for a less than fun morning, or day, is when I am constantly yawning and counting down the minutes to when I can return to bed and go to sleep. So make sure you take enough time to get a good 8-10 hours of sleep each night. There are so many reasons why sleep is important, your health, being on top of your game and improving your retention, to name a few. So make sure you make sleep a priority. All-nighters don’t have to be an essential part of college, make them a rarity.

5. Remember that you need to put yourself first. (This is for all aspects of your life.) I met a lot of people who don’t remember that partying and hanging out all the time aren’t the most important things. While social interaction and being with friends is important, you need to prioritize and remember that partying vs. studying for an exam or doing your homework should be a no-brainer. Or, most commonly, your health. You just overall need to make sure that in the end you are acting in a way that will be beneficial for you in the long run, not just “fun” in the moment. I know I sound like a parent but this is something I have had to learn as well. Sometimes you have to make the less fun choices. As callous as it sounds, you will have to push distractions, and sometimes people, out of your path to success.

                             

I hope these tips helped a bit, and as always, good luck.

<3 Kimmie