How to Bounce Back from Being a Hermit

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So one thing I will fully admit to falling prey to, is that since I moved up to Northern California, I have essentially become a hermit. I stay at home and hardly ever go out, well more so I fall into a routine of work and school and one or two people I see, and for a while there I hardly ever talked to any of my friends or family. Suffice to say, it wasn’t the best time.

But that was just me, for some, you may enjoy being alone and that’s ok! Each person has their own schtick, but if you want to get out more and try to be more social, I hope this helps!

I've reached the point where I consider myself and extroverted introvert.  I have definitely become more of an introvert over the years but with the right people and situation my extroverted, social butterfly side comes out.

Deep down I feel like pretty much everyone in some way wants to connect, to find a group they are comfortable with.  Recently I’ve heard my dad and a few others talk a lot about ‘their tribe.’ Frankly, I have been a little confused by that expression.  But essentially, I think it’s one in the same.  Your tribe, your social group, your crew, etc., whatever you want to call it, the existence of one in your life is important.  In one blog post I read by Claire Obeid, she makes a great point, you need to find balance between your hermit and your social butterfly. (You can check out her post here.)

For the purpose of this post here are a few key tips to getting yourself back out there that I had to learn:

• Sometimes you have to be the one to ask. I’m the kind of person who often, I feel like I have to have an invitation to do something fun. But waiting around for someone else to make the first move doesn’t work out. If you feel the need to get out and want to hang out with people, you need to be comfortable making the first step and asking others to hang out. Even if it’s something as simple as “hey let’s go get coffee” or going for food, for me I like to go karaoke or go bowling (despite the fact that I stink at it lol).
• People are there for you, trust me. Sometimes when you’ve shut yourself off for a while, it’s easy to forget that you have friends who like being around you. So when you are trying to step back out, that can be the scariest part, feeling like no one is there.  I can almost guarantee that there are at least a few friends you are overlooking.  Try posting something on Facebook about wanting to get together and see who responds.  Text people you used to hang out with, they are there.
• Find your tribe. Like I talked about earlier, you want to find that group of people you feel comfortable around and you know you can go to.  Within that tribe, you want to make sure you have at least one or two close people you know you can turn to regardless of if you are having an off day, or just who you know would be willing to make time for you. I have a small handful of people like this, my best friend and “hetero-life partner” (a term I learned from my roommate) is two hours away from me and with conflicting schedules we can’t always see each other, but I do know I can call her whenever. In closer proximity, I have another best friend who is always there for me and I’m very glad they came into my life and has pointed out, none too subtly, that I needed to get a life!
• Don’t push yourself! While the other three tips are all about getting out there and getting in contact with people, maybe forcing yourself out of what has become your comfort zone, you want to make sure you don’t overdo it all at once. If you push yourself to do too much too fast, you could stress yourself out and it may even backfire. So with all these, find your own pace. Be sure to check out the other post I linked above because she does have a lot of good tips about finding a balance in your life.

I definitely fell even farther into being a hermit after my relationship ended.  For a while it was just work and school and that was it.  I know I neglected this blog a lot in the past year due to everything that was going on in my life and I want to change that along with finding a balance between my obligations and my hobbies.  With a new job and summer here its time to push myself into new, healthy habits. Wish me luck!

If anyone has any other tips please let me know, thank you!
<3 Kimmie

Combating Post-Breakup Blues

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Most people have gone through some type of breakup in their lives, and the majority will probably tell you that it sucks and is painful. I have been going through this as of late and personally, I'm with the majority.  So here is what I have learned over the past few months that have been helping me get through this hard time.

- Get your support system! I can't stress how important it is to be around people who genuinely care about you and who want to support you.  By having a strong support system you have people who you can turn to when you are having a bad day, who are willing to listen to you talk, even if you are saying the same thing as before.

- Put some distance.  For me, he moved back home to a different state, so I didn’t have to go through the issues of seeing him on a regular basis.  Bt I did have to force myself to talk to him less.  If you do see your ex frequently or have the same friend group, try taking a step back.  I’m not saying stop hanging out with the friend group, just take some time away from events where you would be in the same place.

- Allow yourself to grieve.  One thing you absolutely don’t want to do is bottle up those feelings, because they will explode in the worst way, and probably the worst timing.  If you need to cry, that’s ok, you’re allowed to.  You need to let yourself go through the grieving process, because in a way, it’s like a death.  Something that has been a big part of your life has come to an end and you have to ride that out.

- Friends on social media. As much as it sucks, you will want to remove them from your social media because it will torture you. If you guys do plan to remain friends, at least remove them for a while. I personally stayed facebook friends with him for a while and I was paranoid about posting anything that he could take the wrong way, etc.

- It’s your business.  On the social media note, don’t post all the details on facebook or anywhere really.  Because really all that will do is probably open up a can of worms of people dumping on them and trying to tell you what you should do and personally that just made me feel worse.  I really didn’t want to hear people trash talking him and I certainly didn’t want to draw the limelight on what had transpired.

- Painful memories.  You probably want to delete your photos together and remove anything that is a painful reminder of the split.

- Don’t drink alone or hole yourself up.  We’ve all heard about the infamous way of getting over someone through the bottom of a bottle.  Alcohol is actually a depressant.  If you do want to drink, invite over someone who makes you feel good and safe and who wouldn’t mind if you got emotional. The day he and I broke up I went over to my now roommate’s house and we drank and watched a movie and hung out.  Going back to the first point, don’t try to fight this on your own, don’t shut yourself off from everyone, in fact, I’ve gone out more than I have in ages because I don’t want to fall into the trap of sitting at home wallowing. I want to be surrounded by good people in a good situation.

- Rebuild yourself.  I started rock climbing more and trying to figure out who I am on my own.  We were together for 4 years, so I hadn’t been an adult on my own, I’m learning how to do that now.  Focus on learning to be happy on your own, you don’t need a significant other.

I hope this helps some of you out there and if you are going through a breakup, I wish you all the best and remember, if no one else, I believe in you!

Hugs from my computer to yours -

Kim

P.s. here is an article that helped me and inspired this: Cosmo.

I've Been Accepted, Now What?

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Now that all decision letters have been sent from universities, here comes the even trickier part of the application process. Taking your acceptances and making a very critical decision about the next few years.

Here are some steps you will need to take:

1.  Evaluate your financial aid packages. There is something we can probably all agree on, college is expensive. It is also equally true that the amount of financial aid you get can sway your decision. It is important that you carefully review the amount of aid you will be getting per school and weigh your options.
2. Intent to enroll. Once you have made your decision it is very important to give the colleges your intent to enroll or not. These do have strict deadlines so keep track of them and make sure you give your decision prior to this.
3. Register for orientation. Orientation is where you will get to meet your counselors, get all information about classes, figure out how to register, etc. These are mandatory and extremely helpful.
4. Follow the check list. Much like the application process, the acceptance process has quite a few important steps and deadlines. Make sure you are frequently reviewing these and completing any necessary documents. Many colleges will have a checklist for you on their student portals.
5. Accept your financial aid. The offer you are given through the portal, or mailed, isn't enough. There are some parts of financial aid you will need to accept. Make sure you understand each parts of your offer, along with what is, and is not a loan.
6. Keep in touch with your counselor. The counselors at both your current and future schools can help you out in so many ways. They are the experts on this process and will answer any questions you may have, and keep you on the right track.

Overall, make sure you stay on top of all the deadlines because you don't want your acceptance to be revoked on top of something small. Such as...

Senioritus! It is a thing! And if not the most important, make sure you do not slack off, just because you've been accepted doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet. Keep in mind, your acceptance is pending the receipt of your final grades.

I know you will all do well and I wish you luck as you begin on the next step of your journey. (And good luck on finals!)

Good luck,

Kim

Items Every College Student Should Have in Their Medicine Cabinet

As I mentioned in my recent post, the cold season has finally caught up with me. I just got back from Walgreens to pick up cold medication and decided that I should do a post about the handful of items I feel like every college student should have in their medicine cabinet for when you get sick.

1. Some kind of Cold/Flu/Cough syrup - I pretty much always have day and night time cold medicine stashed away under my bathroom sink. I feel like you should always have a day and night time version, because when you have a lot of things to get done, the last thing you need is to be kept up all night because of *insert symptom here.* Also, the day versions are specifically meant to be non-drowsy so you can still kick butt.

Here is a little cheat sheet for what you want to look out for depending on your symptoms:
Sneezing - Decongestant
Cough - Cough Suppressant as well as something to get rid of mucus
Acetaminophen - this will help reduce fever and is also a pain reliever

2. Cough Drops. I always, always have cough drops because you never know when you are going to have a sore throat, dry, etc. I keep two types of cough drops around: one with Menthol and Luden's. When you have a painful cough or sore throat, you will want to get a cough drop with menthol in it because it works as an anesthetic which means it will numb your throat and help with the pain. My favorite are the Ricola Cherry Honey ones because they don't taste overwhelmingly like menthol and actually have a pleasant taste. Also, I keep Luden's around because I have been using these since I was little. They taste good and is amazing for just every day.

3. A thermometer - well...duh. You should always have this.

4. Tums - I always have tums or some sort of anti-acid because my stomach tends to over produce acid when I am stressed, but you never know when food is going to disagree with you, when heartburn is going to strike, etc.

5. Soup! Haha I wanted to include this because when you are sick classic Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup is a lifesaver.

For more info, you can check out my posts on how to avoid getting sick and what to do when you get sick.

Take Care,
Kimmie

Pale Princess Makeup Tips

Hey guys, here are some tips I have compiled for those of you who, like me, much resemble Snow White in complexion. I plan on doing a post on my favorite makeup products for fair skin in the future, but for now here are five tips to keep in mind.

Disney Princess Snow White Cinderella Aurora and Belle (clipped to polyvore.com)

1. Make sure it matches! This is basic makeup 101; however, with extremely fair skin it is very easy to tell if your foundation doesn’t work for you. I can’t tell you guys how many times I have blended my foundation down my neck, it looked fine, then walked outside and looked like I had a wave of orange. Err on the side of going lighter and avoid foundations that oxidize.

2. Add some color back. I have been learning that it is very easy for pale girls to look washed out, ghostly or sickly. Looking dead is the last thing we want.

3. Concealer lips = no-no! I know girls love their nude lipsticks and I am no exception. However, especially with pale girls you want to avoid going too light because it will wash you out and make you look sick. Go for a “your lips but better” shade instead.

4. Careful not to go overboard. Ok, so when your face is naturally almost as white as a clown’s, it can be easy to add too much and look like you just got done working a kids party. Once again, I learned this the hard way. Find the happy medium with your makeup application. And this isn’t saying you can’t go dramatic, because if you can do it, rock it.

5. Don’t forget your brows. This is my weakness because brows are often the last things I remember. But, when you are fair, and especially if you have light brow hair, you will want to fill them in to frame your face and it can look weird if you don’t.

Hope these tips helped, and I have learned these all from my own trial and error and looking like a goof. Although, at the end of the day it’s just makeup, it washes off. So enjoy and have fun with it!

Helpful Note Infographic

Hey guys, wanted to share this helpful picture/infographic I found on Pinterest that has really helped me with taking notes for college. I hope this helps you!

This is my first time ever doing a post this simple, let me know what you think.

<3 Kimmie

Tips for Community College Students

Hey guys, since we are in the first couple weeks of back to school, I thought I would make a post dedicated to my fellow community college students. After two years of community and starting on my third, I have come up with three tips for you guys that have really helped me. Hope you enjoy!

1. If you weren't able to register for a class, don't let that deter you. If you are waitlisted, or even not, try and sit in on a couple of different sections of the class. One problem with community college is how over crowded they can be so general ed classes are difficult to snag. Still try for them. Don't underestimate the power of sitting in on a class, I have gotten into several classes by sitting in and talking to the teachers. They will typically help you out and let you know of open sections.

2. Invest in the parking pass. Also, make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your class, because parking can be hell! Especially on the first week or two of school when everyone is trying to get classes and before some people drop. Another tip would be to locate the best parking areas relative to your classes so you don't have to go way out of your way.

3. Create a road map. One of the biggest problems I have seen causing students to get caught in the "community college trap" is many don't know what they need to do to graduate or get distracted. Make sure you sit down with a counselor and find out what you need to do to transfer. Even if you still are unsure of a major, start working off of the IGETC transfer plan and go from there.

Hope these tips helped you guys, let me know anything that has really helped you through community college, or just college in general. Hugs from my computer to yours,

<3 Kimmie

Tips for Job Interviews

Hey guys, so I had a job interview at Macy's today and decided to sit down and give you guys a few tips for job interviews since I know a lot of college students struggle with this and question exactly what to do.

1. Do your research. I can’t stress how important it is to do research on the company(ies) you apply for. It really impresses managers if you walk in with that kind of knowledge and it will give you extra points. Also, you can usually find the interview questions online, review and rehearse! You don’t want to memorize answers because managers can tell if your answers are stiff or not true. Be honest and genuine, but go over potential answers so you aren’t using tons of filler words.

2. Dress professional! I know you guys are probably reading this and thinking “well duh” but I have seen people go to an interview wearing blue jeans and a plaid button down, and stuff along those lines. I highly recommend going with neutral colors. You can’t go wrong with black and white; you can throw in browns or blues, or for girls maybe a colorful blouse, but I typically stick to black and white. For shoes, DO NOT WEAR TENNIS SHOES! Guys, invest in nice dress shoes, girls a pair of black flats or simple black heels.  If you need ideas for outfits, Pinterest and Google are your friends!

3. Bring a resume. Regardless of whether you attached your resume to the online application, bring a printed copy. The manager is not going to take the time to print out all the resumes for all applicants. Bringing your resume will once again give you brownie points. Speaking of resumes, make sure your resume is well put together! If you need help…

Additional tips:
- Show up early (once again, duh) you do not want your first impression on the manager to be that you are irresponsible and tardy.

- Girls, keep your makeup natural and not overboard. I have linked below two of my favorite natural makeup looks for your reference. Also, don't go crazy with jewelry.

(Wouldn't recommend false lashes though.)

- Just overall, behave and dress professionally, you want to be taken seriously and like you can operate in the work environment.

I hope these tips help you guys and good luck!
<3 Kimmie

Dealing with Loss

These past couple weeks have been some of the hardest I have faced in a very long time. Not only did I loose one of my best friends, one of my DeMolay boys, that I had known since he was 12, was murdered. Shot to death while sitting in his car. And (since this post was sitting in my drafts for a while) I lost my dog Lemi.

While sitting here in front of my computer mulling over the traumatizing and emotional events, I keep hearing my boyfriend's advice playing through my head. When I found out about Quincy's passing he hugged me tight and told me "don't torture yourself with the 'what if's' or the 'why didn't he's.' You'll only drive yourself crazy. Remember who he was, remember the times you spent together and the memories of the happier Quincy."

His words really impacted me and so I just wanted to come, sit down, and write. To have a bit of a heart to heart, to let you all know that if you are grieving if you are hurting, it will all be ok.

Loss is never easy. It tears at your heart and claws at your soul. Sometimes all you want to do is cry  out from the sheer pain you feel inside. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. What has been helping me through this extremely difficult time, aside from just going on autopilot which I know isn't really the best thing to do, is thinking about what my boyfriend told me.

Granted, I can't listen to the song "See You Again" I even yell at the radio and change the station any time it comes off. But overall, I have been trying to remember the fun times, the times that we were happy, the times that we spent together that shaped our friendships. I always try to take a moment to think about something funny about the,. Like the fact that Quincy, when he and my boyfriend came to visit me, kept making jokes about how Johnny bought him on the corner for $20. Or Lemi had a super sonic bark., and whenever we came home, she was so excited to see us that she would run outside and do laps in the front lawn.

That being said, one very important part about grieving, let yourself feel. You need to allow yourself to go through the stages of grief, you need to allow yourself to go through the natural emotions that are going through you. Denying yourself from being allowed to feel will only make things worse. If you need to cry, let yourself. Give yourself say, 10 minutes to be absolutely miserable and ugly crying. Then, take a deep breathe, pull yourself together, and keep going.

Another important thing, take advantages of your friends around you. Friends are there for a reason, especially when you need them. Even if you just need to be surrounded by people who are going to accept that you are going to be out of it and not fully participating, then do it.

Before I go, I wanted to say that loss is a natural part of life, but that doesn't make it suck any less. It is a process and it is perfectly fine to feel, to cry, to hate the world some times. Just know that you are not alone. You shouldn't judge yourself for feeling what you are, it is ok. I'm still working through this myself. You have people who are there for you, even it is just this girl behind the words.

I'm sorry this post is really randomly ordered and probably repetitive and just all over the place, but I hope you guys got my points. Sending big hugs from my computer to yours,

<3 Kimmie

Finding a Baby Humming Bird!

So today when I got back to my friend's house (staying with my friend temporarily), I discovered her holding this little guy. Today when she was taking out the garbage, she found him on the ground and stayed with him for a while. Although the mother did come back, she unfortunately abandoned the poor thing!

(Sorry it is so dark! I will try to post a better picture later.)

So he is now snuggled up and warm inside of a box with tissues until the morning when we can take him to a bird sanctuary. My friend wants to keep him but sadly, especially as a baby, it will need a lot of nutrients and things we cannot provide if he hopes to be able to fly and live outside.

Interesting things we discovered today:

1. It is actually a myth that if you pick up a baby animal and get your scent on it the mother will not want it any more. 
2. If you find a baby bird, or animal before even thinking about keeping it, you will want to take that animal to the appropriate veterinary care facility to see if they need treatment or medical care. In the case of my little friend, he still can't fly, and if he continues to try without the nutrients he needs his bones wont develop correctly and could easily break something.
3. Contact said local sanctuary or veterinary office to find out the correct steps you should take to care for the animal until you can get them over there.
4. Treat them with care and love. If they lost their parents or were abandoned they are probably incredibly scared.

Hope you enjoyed and please keep this little guy in your thoughts and hope that he develops into a strong adult birdy!

<3 Kimmie

Life Update, and Learning Not to Worry

Hey Everyone out there in the blogging universe. For those who read this blog I apologize for always being sporadic with posting. To say that life has been hectic lately would be a massive understatement.

So many things have been going on in my life with huge changes coming very shortly in the future, working on average 25 hours a week at my job, balancing 16 units this semester, and as the icing on the cake, my stress level has been through the roof. As a matter of fact, last Monday I collapsed at school, temporarily lost consciousness and had to have the paramedics called on me because I had a panic attack to the point that I couldn't breathe.

So yeah, my life has been a massive roller-coaster of change, emotion and stress and everything else you can imagine. But in all this there is one thing I have learned, and it is that we can't always fix everything. Some things we simply cannot control and we waste our time worrying about these things.

A few weeks ago my boxing instructor asked us all to sit as he shared his secret with us. He told us that when he was in his 20's he was assisting his elderly neighbor with her lawn. He asked her, if she could change anything in her life, what would it be. She sat and thought for a moment, then she looked him in the eyes and said "I wouldn't worry so much. My husband and I bought this house after we were married, we have two beautiful children, and our own business. And I can't say how many times I worried about if we were going to make it. Worried about if my children were going to have a good education. Worried if we would have enough money for the house payment, or if our business would be successful" he looked at us and commented that these are all things that seem worth worrying about in life but she finished her story by saying "My house is paid off, we sold our successful business for quite a bit of profit, my children are grown and all had wonderful childhoods and wonderful educations. If I could change one thing, I wouldn't worry, because in the end we can't change if some things fail or succeed, but we can change how we approach it."

My Sensei, as he prefers to be called, often sits us down for these life lessons. He told us that if he could impart to us any lesson out of the entire time he has with us, it would be to not worry. To look at the things that make us worry and ask ourselves "can I fix this?" And if the answer is no, set it aside for now and continue on. There is no sense wasting precious time out of our lives worrying about the things that we can't change, the things that we have no power over. Because in the end, that worrying wont change the outcome, it will only add more stress on us.

With the recent events in my life, at first I thought he was wrong. I thought "of course I should worry about what is going on, it is going to affect my life in a huge way." I stressed for so long that I put myself in the hospital. And only now that I found my solution do I realize how silly I was for putting myself through that much stress. I refused to look at the bright side, I just filled my head with everything that could potentially go wrong and cried and was scared. I never stopped to think about the good and I let it interrupt my whole life.

So I would like to pass this lesson onto you. Even though I am not deeply religious I would like to share with you the words of the Serenity Prayer, because no matter what religion you are, or even if you are not, it is a wonderful message. It says: "[God] grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

These words have meant so much to me since the moment I first heard them. We should change what we can, but be able to understand and accept what we cannot. It does not do to dwell on what we cannot change, what we regret, or things that have passed. One character from the movie Under the Tuscan Sun says another line that I cherish, "regrets are the past crippling us in the present."

Don't let your fears control your life. Don't let the negative people in your life deter you from your path, even when they are the ones closest to us. And remember, not to worry. Because in the end, it will all come to a resolution whether it is one we can control or not, we must accept that.

I hope that this in some way helped you. And if you are in a hard place in your life, remember that you are not alone, you are strong enough to face this challenge and it to shall pass, and you will be stronger because of it. And even when you are feeling low and may feel like no one believes in you, remember that I believe in you, even if I am just some words on a screen, I have faith that you can overcome whatever comes your way!

Hugs from my computer to yours,
<3 Kimmie

The Fear: Getting Sick!

It is the bane of pretty much everyone I have ever met, but it is worse when you have class or work or various other commitments in life. Yes, I am talking about the thing we all dread, getting sick. Especially this time of year when it is the cold and flu season, we are all a bit more susceptible I am going to share a few tips for avoiding getting sick or just getting over your cold faster.

1. This is the most basic of all tips, the thing they have been teaching us since we can remember, WASH YOUR HANDS! This little thing is so incredibly important because it prevents the passage of germs. I would also suggest carrying around a small thing of hand sanitizer from the drugstore or Bath and Bodyworks. They are inexpensive and fit in your backpack, purse, pocket, etc. and especially with how germy college campuses can be, this will come in handy!

2. Don't over work yourself and get those Z's. One of the biggest reasons I get sick is because I am famous for burning the candle at both ends, over working myself and not getting enough sleep. So this is defiantly one area I need to work to improve on. But the more strain and stress you put on your body, the more likely you are to catch a cold because your body isn't fully on its game or it is exhausted. Your sleep is your body's time to repair itself and fight off any potential threats, it is why when you are sick you just want to sleep.

3. Make sure you take your vitamins. I would seriously recommend just everyone, make sure you take a daily vitamin, or at the very least vitamin C to help keep your immune system up and to just help your over all health.

4. Don't forget the C. Vitamin C seriously is amazing stuff and really does wonders. According to WebMD, "the benefits of vitamin C may include protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling." So yeah, it recommends taking 500 milligrams a day. I would suggest either just daily vitamin C supplements or EmergenC powder packs. This stuff is amazing, especially when I am getting sick it helps so much.

5. Tea time! I absolutely love tea, and let me tell you why it is amazing. Tea has antioxidants which can prevent cancer, hydrates your body, can lower the risk of Parkinson's Disease, and has a whole boatload of other health benefits, some of which were reported on by a little publication called Time Magazine. Health.com quotes ear and throat specialist Dr. Murray Grossman who said "drinking the tea and breathing in steam stimulates the cilia—the hair follicles in the nose—to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus, and honey is antibacterial."

6. H2O! Water, water, water! I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated and believe it or not drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body. It helps flush out your system and when your body is 80% water, it is good to keep that level up and water in stock lol. One of the main reasons people get sick is dehydration and being sick also makes you dehydrated, so...enough said?

7. Get vaccinated. The flu shot is really a life saver. Many places offer the vaccine for free or at a low cost. Make sure to check the wellness center at your school.

If you are sick:

Take advantage of the wellness center on campus. They have actual doctors and nurses that can steer you in the right direction and help make sure you get back to feeling like yourself quicker.

Don't risk it. Get some sleep, don't push yourself. If it comes down to going to class or work when you feel horrible, possibly getting others sick and making yourself worse vs. taking one day off to sleep, go with the sleep. Your health should never come second. I know I said in my post about going to class that I am the kind of person that goes to class when I am sick, but I still know my limits and I know when to take the day off, you should too.

To reiterate,  drink lots of water, get sleep, take the right kind of medicine for your cold or flu and make sure that you are taking the steps needed to feel better.

Hope this helps, good luck!

<3 Kimmie

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

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

   

Money Talks - Budgeting Tips for Students

Growing up, our parents are always talking to us about budgeting, trying to instil the habit in our lives of saving and sticking to a strict breakdown. Most of us don’t really give budgeting much thought during our adolescent years, however, when entering the college/grown-up world, it becomes a necessity. So here are some tips to get you going and figure out how to master at least this aspect of adulthood!

First step, write down all your reoccurring monthly expenses, the huge blocks that you know you have to pay regularly (ex. Tuition payments, car payments, insurance, gym membership, subscriptions, etc.) By mapping out these regular expenses you can see where your money is going, where you have spending room and/or what items you could cut out.

Now that you have your regular spending blocks set aside, think about how much you spend on other stuff such as gas, food, personal items, etc. These are the categories that fluctuate each month and where it is really easy to spend above your means. One thing I like to do is establish categories (gas, food, personal expenses, etc.) and then look at how much I spend on average and try to find a balance.

Take advantage of online tools and apps. The one that I personally swear by is Mint.com (they have the app for both Android and iPhone). They track your spending, allow you to set budgets and track it for you, and so many other features. For a busy college student trying to manage their own expenses, this is a heaven sent. It is definitely worth checking out to help keep track of expenses.

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! I can’t stress how important it is to not spend outside your means or just blow all your money. Focus on the stuff you need to pay first, then look at the money you have left, put some of it into savings and you can spend the rest. You always want to have extra money in case or unexpected emergencies or expenses.

The hardest part about a budget is sticking to it. So until the habit develops you really need to watch your spending. One thing that helps me is I have my boyfriend by my budget inforcer, he will even listen to me talk about how there is something I want to buy and will remind me if I have the budget for it or not (then listen to me complain if I don’t LOL!).

Side tips, one way I made extra money was from being a note taker for the disability center. At Concordia they paid me $20 a unit for the classes I took notes for and all I had to do was take clean and decent notes then go to the office and photo copy them. Done. Also, on campus jobs are great because they will work around your schedule more so than most part time jobs.

For more budgeting tips, Mint.com has a blog, newsletters and advice forums and two webpages I went to were Yahoo Finance and Debt.org.

Hope these tips helped and, as always, good luck! <3 Kimmie

Summer for College Students and Incoming Freshman

School years have to a close, the weather has been getting warmer, people are going to the beach and it certainly feels like summer is finally in full swing. I want to say congratulations to all the high school graduates this year. Four years of hard work has finally paid off. By now you have already picked the college you plan to attend, probably ordered some gear and are on your way.

But how do you prepare for that much anticipated fall?

1. Start narrowing down what you would want to take and put together a packing list. Remember that dorm rooms aren’t that big.

2. Remember that being homesick is perfectly normal. Some people get hit more than others but don't feel bad if the waterworks turn on every now and again.

3. Don't expect college to be like the movies. The way college life is portrayed in movies is so ridiculously over-dramatized and glorified and just flat out unrealistic. News flash: despite what Hollywood wants you to think, college is not one big party. I have a whole post planned on this so stay tuned!

4. Start checking things off the list. Bed, Bath and Beyond has a pretty good dorm checklist, as well as an apartment checklist, for what to bring and what not to bring to college. While not everything on that list is necessary it is definitely a good outline and hits all the major points of things you do need. Don't wait to the last minute to buy your items!

5. Enjoy your summer! Even though you should be preparing for fall there, one of the most important things to do this summer is to enjoy yourself, spend time with your friends before you all go different directions and make memories that will last.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and wish everyone luck in the fall! <3 Kimmie

The Nitty-Gritty of Internships

The benefit of internships is that you get to work for a company and gain valuable experience and contacts that could really help you in the future. So make friends with your boss.
When it comes down to internships and deciding whether or not to take up one there are several factors you need to consider:

Keep in mind whether or not it is a paid internship. A lot of internships have you doing full time work without getting paid. There are both ups and downs to this yes you get work experience but you are working 8 hours a day with no pay off. If you are looking at an unpaid internship then you have to decide if the benefits are worth it to you.

However, one of the pluses is that there are paid internships, like the one I am at.
The reason why I advocate for internships is because it is like having a job that normally there is no way you would be in. So not only do you get job experience and a paycheck (depending) but you can also learn an incredible amount from the experienced people around you.

One of the biggest parts of an internship is networking and gaining contacts for later. Make friends with your managers and the people you work with because this could be a tremendous resource in the future when you need a job or are looking for a letter or recommendation.

Since it is summer now is the time to start brushing off those resumes and looking into applying, will you be?

Good luck<3 Kimmie

How I Deal with Difficult Days

A very common question people think about is “What do I do when my day turns to crud?” Everyone has their own way to cheer themselves up, or make light of a bad situation, so here is what I do.

Often when I am feeling down in the dumps and just don’t want to do anything my first instinct is to curl up into a ball on my bed, put a blanket over my head and just shut out the world. Lately I have been trying to break this habit.

When dealing with horrible days, especially during my freshman year, I basically had to remove myself from whatever was bringing my day down. Basically I force myself to do a form of meditation. Taking a couple moments to myself whenever I was feeling overloaded helped me be more calm and collected rather than scattered and stressed.

One of the best ways I have found to bring yourself back together is to take a couple moments and just breathe. Yes, breathe. I like to take deep breaths and try and clear my head and forget about whatever it is that is upsetting me. I love to think about something peaceful like lying in a hammock on the beach, just something totally different from what I am going through. When I do this I imaging that on each breathe I take in I am relaxing more and more and good stuff is coming my way, and when I exhale I imagine the negativity and stress just leaving my body and going away.

When it comes down to freaking out over assignments, tests, essays or whatever the case may be, I am an expert at overstressing. My boyfriend constantly has to remind me to stop freaking out and that I can do it. Reminding yourself that you CAN actually do something is one of the best self-confidence boosters and motivators. If something is getting of track or going wrong, you have the power to fix it.

This whole thing is mind over matter. When I am having a horrible day and feel as though everything is going to swallow me whole, it is important to take a step back and reconvene. 

That is my main way, other little ways include watching movies or reading or just being silly. Those things I detailed in my post about cheering up. 

Good luck with making the most out of difficult days. Hugs from my computer to yours, <3 Kimmie

College Survival Guide: How to Create a Transfer/Graduation Plan

One day I got bored in between classes and was trying to think about what classes to take this upcoming fall semester, staring at the list of required classes I would need to transfer. So I just opened up Microsoft Excel on my computer and started putting all the requirements into one place. You could say I went OCD because I now have all my remaining semesters mapped out and a separate tab for my overall classes I need to take, the IGETC requirements and transfer requirements for my majors.

Ok so you are probably thinking, wow that is really in-depth and complicated. But in reality it really isn't and I'm going to show you how!

1. Find out the requirements for your major and general ed needed to graduate/transfer.

2. Write them all down and figure out how many units each class is, this way you can find a balance of units to take per semester. If you are working like me, or don't handle stress well, aim for 12/13 (enough to be full time) to 15 units. If not you can to anywhere up to 18 units, but let that be your maximum.

3. Think about the classes you have to take and figure out the prerequisites. If you have any try to get those out of the was ASAP.

4. Go from there mapping out your semesters or quarters going from your lower classes and prerequisites to the harder, higher up classes as time goes on.

*One key thing to remember, make sure you balance your time. Don't over run yourself and allow yourself to take a couple elective classes.

I will be putting the template I created on Google Drive as a public document if you want to use it or just take a look for reference. If you would like an excel version instead you can always comment and I will email it to you. (For some reason it wouldn't let me upload it as a template but the document is linked and you can copy and paste probably.)

Got any questions? Let me know down below.

Good Luck

College Survival Guide: Go to Class!!!

So as we all know college is EXPENSIVE!!! So one thing you want to avoid at all costs is missing class. Why, you ask. Well that's because you are paying to be in there and any class you miss is loosing you money! Most people don't think about it this way but it really is important to remember.

Also, if you miss out on class most professors will just tell you to get the notes from someone else and you could miss out on important stuff. Missing class is not worth it if you "just don't want to" or you are gaming or whatever. For me, the only good excuse to miss class is if I am really sick and just don't feel good at all. But there have even been a couple times I would get up and go to class when I was sick, even though I seriously didn't want to and I felt like:

Another incentive to go to class is that if you miss a certain number of classes, usually specified on the first day or the syllabus, the teacher can drop you.

I am going to show you how to calculate how much you would loose if you miss a class. If you go to a private university use the amount of your tuition. For example, at Concordia the tuition was (rounding up $5) $15,000 a semester. I know its a lot! So what you do is divide the cost of your tuition by the number of units you are taking. For me, last semester, it was 17. So you just figured out how much you pay for each unit you take. Ex. for me it was approx. $882/unit. Multiply that number by how many units one class is, most are 3. From there just divide that total number by how many class days you have for that class a voila. For community college, most JC's tell you off the bat how much each unit is because that is how you pay. So you would just do the last two steps. You will be surprised and I know I'm making you do math but if you do this it will make you never want to miss a class.

I know this is a really short post but I just wanted to share this advice with you and, again, I am sorry for the math! haha