How to Enjoy Turkey

Hey, hey college kiddos! Despite today’s awful, disgusting, and dreadful weather, (36 degrees and rainy) I’m in a rather great mood! Strange, I know. Want to know why?

Wait for it…

Wait for it…….

IT’S THANKSGIVING BREAK, PEOPLE!

I am SO stinking excited! Although I am not looking forward to the two hour drive back home in this yucky weather, I cannot wait to just be at home. There are several things to look forward to in the upcoming week:

1) Thanksgiving Dinner… Duh.

2) Not worrying about ANY work to do that is school related.

3) Sleeping in my very own queen sized bed.

4) Spending time with my very awesome family.

5) Clemson/Carolina game this Saturday! (GO GAMECOCKS, FEAR THE THUMB.)

So, I know what you’re thinking. Emily, your blog is a “how-to”… What’s the purpose of this post? Thank you for asking! Today, I wanted to offer you all some tips on how to make the most of your upcoming time spent at home.

Maybe it’s been awhile since you’ve been home this semester, or maybe you’re one who goes home every weekend. Whatever the case may be, it is SUCH a good feeling to walk through your front door to be greeted by your loved ones. While your at home, love on your family. Not just because it’s Thanksgiving and you’re thankful for them, but because you’re just glad to be home with them. They’ve missed their little pride and joys! Sure, you can go home and plop yourself on the couch for the next week and not move, but don’t do that. Make the MOST of your time at home. Go see friends from home that you haven’t seen this year. Go do fun activities with your family. Really just take it all in. Do not solely focus on the exams that you have to take when you get back. Relax, rest, and enjoy. Eat all of the very yummy foods that will be presented to you on Thanksgiving day! Answer the awkward questions from your dear old grandparents. Then continue to be so stuffed and take a good nap. I think you get the point.

Whatever you do, just enjoy the time that you are spending at home. You’ve earned it! This semester is almost over, we’re almost there! It’s called Thanksgiving BREAK for a reason. (P.S, Christmas is right around the corner…)

Happy Early Turkey Day!

-xoxo, Emily

How to Fight the Germs

YUM YUM

‘Tis the season of runny noses, coughs, sneezes, and yucky sore throats…

Run little college students, run. What’s worse than being sick on campus while still having to attend classes and meet deadlines? All you want to do is be at home with your Mama, as she cooks some soup and caters to your every need.

We are living in tight quarters, like never before… and once one person in your suite becomes sick… well, you don’t really have a chance. I’m going to try and provide you with some tips to stay healthy this season. (However, the motivation behind this post today comes from me being sick, so as you can see I have failed to escape the germs. Maybe you’ll do better than me.)

1. Wash your hands- Do you realize how many nasty germs are on your hands at the moment? When I consider it, it really leads me to gag. After the bathroom, before meals, after meals… whenever you can. You may not think it makes a difference, but it really does!

2. Take a Vitamin- Over the summer, my pediatrician at home kicked me out because I turned 19. I was distraught, honestly. I felt like I was being broken up with. Anyways – the point behind that little sob story is to tell you that I’ve recently seen an adult doctor, and the number one piece of advice they could give me to stay healthy, was to take a vitamin. Now, they didn’t suggest any type of vitamin for me to take, so I took the liberty of choosing “Flintstones Complete Gummies”. Winning. I take two gummies per day, and they’re actually quite delicious. Call me a child. I dare you.

3. Clean- When was the last time you cleaned your dorm room? Yeah, shame on you. Spring cleaning is not the only time to clean every nook and cranny. Sanitize your bathroom sink, door handles, showers, … anything that gets “touched” several times a day. Vacuum, dust, wash your sheets… anything will help. It will make you feel and smell a lot better.

Please do whatever you can to stay healthy. I should’ve written this post earlier… “sniff” “cough” “sniff”

Bye bye germs,

xoxo- Emily

How to Persevere

“Perseverance requires perseverance.”  -Anonymous

What is perseverance? Well, Dictionary.com says this: “not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it’s hard.”

College students, let’s be real for a minute. This time in the semester is probably the worst. Everything is winding down, and professors are trying to assign everything before we go off for Thanksgiving break. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling completely swamped. During this time, the word perseverance is a word that we should definitely put back into our vocabulary.

So how do we persevere? When everything around us feels out of our control, or wrong, or just hard – how can we possibly tell ourselves to keep going?

1) Set a Goal – By identifying something that you want to accomplish, you’re giving yourself incentive to get that task done. In my dorm room, I have white board where I write down tasks that I must get done during the week. As I finish the task, I’m able to erase it and my list becomes smaller and smaller. There’s some kind of reassurance in erasing a task off of my list that really helps me. What do you want to get done? How are you going to do it? These goals may be challenging. But remember, meeting them takes perseverance.

2) Get Excited about Something – Do you have something that you can look forward to? I know I do! I am so extremely ready to be home with my family for Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to see a table full of beautiful and delicious foods, surrounded by the people I love the most. That right there – that’s my incentive. I plan to work hard during this trying season, in order to be proud of the work I’ve accomplished and enjoy all of my time spent at home. Find something that motivates you. Let that be your perseverance.

Learning perseverance now as a student, is going to be very helpful to us as we begin our adult lives and careers. When it comes to motivation, your belief in your ability is more important than your actual ability. Believe in yourselves, always. Don’t give up. We’re just getting started!!

I know you can do it!

-xoxo, Emily

How to QUIT Being a Middle-School Girl

Here we are – another Monday. Today, I’m looking at it in a positive light because I know by going through this day, I am another day closer to THANKSGIVING BREAK! Am I right, or am I right?

Anyways, I’m in one of those moods today where I can’t really explain to you what’s wrong but I’m just frustrated. We all have our days. I think that today is going to be another one of those ranting posts. Sorry ’bout it!

One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is gossip. Good gracious, I can’t stand it. Anyone with me?

Saying that you’re someone’s friend, then proceeding to go behind their back and talk about their business that is clearly not even your business in the first place – is a no no. Honestly, how old are we? If it doesn’t concern you, please take your nose out of it. Also, quit being fake. People get mad at me easily because sometimes I can be completely blunt and honest. I’m always going to tell you exactly how it is. I can’t stand when I see someone smile and wave to a friend passing by, and then immediately turn to the friend walking with them and make a disgusting look. What?! 

This is probably the biggest sign of immaturity. Want to know how to quit acting like a middle-schooler?

1) Shut your mouth. Gossip is so nasty! If it doesn’t concern you, keep your mouth shut. It only looks bad on you.

2) Be genuine. Be someone who is an all-around great person, who doesn’t give anyone else any reason to talk badly about them. No one likes a fake friend.

We are in college, people. It’s time to grow up and act like it!

Ever heard of the Golden Rule? Yeah. Use it.

-xoxo, Emily

How to have Effective Friendships

Taking the time to nurture a lasting friendship is worth every single ounce of effort. As the years pass, you’ll find that some people will stay by your side, but many won’t. Friends that I had closer relationships with in high school, are now friends that I only take the time to write a “Happy Birthday” on their wall on Facebook. However, realize that each friendship you keep is priceless. To have a friend, you have to be a friend. To be a good friend, you have to establish a trusting friendship, be there for your friend during hard times, and deepen a friendship to make it last.

The number one piece of advice that I could give you is this:

INVEST, INVEST, ….. INVEST!

Like many things in life, you’re going to get out of the friendship what you put in to it. I’m not saying that friendships are about you – because they’re actually the opposite. Friendship is putting the other person, as well as their needs, before yourself, but taking the time to invest and be involved in their life.

Keep your promises, be someone that your friend can depend on, be honest, listen, and know when to apologize for mistakes that you’ve made. One of the biggest things that I’ve learned by being in college, is that I cannot do life alone. I need people who are there for me to help me, encourage me, and support me along the way. I only hope to do the same for all of my friends.

PS- Shout out to my friends for being completely awesome, all the time! You know who you are (:

“Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.” (Andy, Toy Story 3, 2010)

-xoxo, Emily

 

18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again

College students – Listen up! This is such a great article for us at this particular time in the semester. It’s so easy to get caught up in everything we have going on for academics. Read this post to discover 18 things we should all start making time for again! Thanks Brianna Wiest for an awesome post!!
-xoxo, Emily

How to See the Good

Happy Friday, everyone! Ever heard of the quote “I’m too blessed to be stressed“? It’s great, right?!?

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about the importance of seeing the good in things around you, as well as being grateful in all circumstances! In the midst of all of the deadlines, papers, tests, and other activities we’re so wrapped up in during the week, it’s so difficult to take time to look around us and celebrate where we’re at. We have SO much to be thankful for! Thousands of people would kill to be in the position that you’re in right now! Let’s not waste it. As the season of Thanksgiving approaches us, let us be intentional to think about all of the blessings that are right at our fingertips.

Something that I’ve picked up from my Mom is the love of making lists. Strange, I know. But really – they’re so helpful! I recently learned about a girl who goes to school with me, who makes a weekly “Blesses & Stresses ” list. I’m going to piggy-back off of her idea, except I’m going to leave off the “stresses” part.

This Week’s Blesses:

1) The opportunity to register for another semester’s worth of classes at the campus that I love.

2) Sweet friends who will do whatever it takes to see me smiling.

3) Random & pointless phone calls with my Mom just to see what she’s doing.

4) Money for gas!!

5) Fuzzy socks and warm scarves to keep me warm.

 

Try making a list of things that you’re grateful for, and let me know how it goes! Maybe it will change your perspective! Also, I found this video today… and felt that it was fitting for today’s post (as well as just something to make you smile!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnG3MKos87A 

Here’s to being grateful!

-xoxo, Emily

How to Study

Let me tell you a secret real quick: high school did not teach you how to study. .

Everything prior to your college career has been handed to you on a silver platter, catering to your needs. Welcome to the real world, people! If you think that just reviewing some notes the night before your first college final is going to cut it, think again. I know that studying is different for everyone, but here are a few tips that I’ve picked up that can hopefully help you out.

1) READ THE BOOK – If your professors ask you to buy a book that is basically breaking your bank account, wouldn’t you think that you should probably spend some quality time with it? Yes! In high school, it was very rare that I ever opened a textbook. Now, my books are my life lines. Spend time reading through the chapters that are on your test. I promise that it won’t be a waste of time. Another helpful thing to do is to use sticky notes while your reading to jot down some of the highlights on the page. Don’t wait until the last minute to read your book. Read a little bit every day up until time for your test. You won’t be sorry!

2) NOTECARDS – It feels like I have note cards spewing out of every part of my dorm room and book bag. I love making note cards to help me study. Whether it’s important terms or just an idea that you’d like to remember, note cards are the way to go! They are portable, so you can keep them in your pocket or purse and study when you have a little free time. Also, by taking time to write out your note cards, you’re secretly studying! Imagine that..

3) DO NOT WAIT –  It is not unusual to have only two or three grades for the whole semester. With this being said, you have to understand that college midterms and finals cover a lot of material. You cannot study two nights before your test and expect to be okay. Put time and effort into your study habits in order to get a grade that you can be proud of.

4) STUDY GROUPS – Study groups are one of my favorite things to utilize as a college student. If you know some people in your classes, get together and go to the library or a coffee shop and study collaboratively. It’s great to piggy back off of one another, quiz each other, and gain new ideas or perspectives on certain topics. Group studying can be extremely helpful!

As crunch time in the semester approaches us, I hope that you will incorporate some of these studying habits into your routines. Let me know what studying tools help you out!

Happy Studying!

-xoxo, Emily

How to Include Family

For me, my family is what will always keep me sane amidst all of the crazy that college entails. My family is very important to me, so moving two hours away from them was a hard thing. At times it has been easy for me to feel like I’m missing out on important things that my family is doing at home: (My sister’s softball games, Church functions, Family dinners..etc) Maybe it’s not normal for you, but I tend to call my Mom at least once a day. Usually, I don’t even have anything to talk about – but just hearing about her day and what’s going on at home is so comforting to me.

Today, I wanted to make the point that just because you have gone and moved away for college – doesn’t mean that your family has forgotten about you. It’s your job to not forget about them too! In most cases your family is helping you pay your way through your college years. Keep them involved in what your doing while your away! Don’t forget to pick up the phone every once in awhile. Maybe you have a busy schedule and are involved in a lot of social activities on your campus, but making time to spend the occasional weekend at home means a lot to your loved ones. I’m sure you have plenty of friends that you may have made a “family” out of, but don’t forget the ones at home – because they definitely haven’t forgotten about you.  Determine ways to stay involved in each other’s lives and remember to say and do the little things that remind someone of how much you love them.

Friends will come and go, but family is forever! Take advantage of the time you spend with them, and never forget to say “I love you.”

Happy Monday!

-xoxo, Emily