College 101

Welcome collegiate inquisitives! Here you will find a few snippets of there many things I have learned and continue to learn during my time at college. Hopefully it will -- or maybe youll just get a good laugh out of it.

January 20, 2015

• There is so much more to your first day of classes than printing out your syllabi and buying swankified, new pens. Your first day is actually crucial in terms of how you build relationships with your classmates and professors. Take a second or two to meet the person sitting next to you in your lecture hall. You'll be thankful when you can call them up at 4 am when you're up cramming for an exam. Also, find a time to introduce yourself to a professor or TA. Don't smooze, don't babble, but take 5 minutes to stop by and say "hi there, my name is so and so, I am studying this. Helpmebesuccessfulandiwillsellyoumysoulinreturn," or you know, whatever works. 

December 5, 2014 

• I'm all for making mistakes. But not for making mistakes that end up repeating themselves and hurting you in the end. When it comes to love in college, love intelligently. Be free to create and explore and don't be afraid to be daring... but remind yourself that you are in a whole new fish tank. And there are sharks and there are minnows and everything in between. Never compromise your emotions for a night out. 

November 2, 2014

• Sometimes impulse is a good thing. It can get you out of bed at 7:30 when you first open your eyes. It can get you Thai food at 8:55 when the restaurant is about to close. It can get you a new blog post... that one you've been dying to post but keep putting it off for whatever reason. Impulse can offer opportunity. And why would you want to pass up on that? 

June 17, 2014 (For all you new-found workaholics out there) 

• Get up AT LEAST 20 mins earlier than you had originally planned. Because believe it or not, during your first day...
• Your eyeliner will refuse to go on correctly
• Your outfit will scream at you to second-guess it
• You'll probably spill something and have to spend valuable prep time to clean it up 
• You'll be so nervous that you'll start sweating and that shit ain't cute so you'll freak out...which will probably lead to more sweating
• Bring a pad and pen wherever you go. You'll be taking notes at your first 9 AM meeting or start on your giant first day to-do list. (OR more importantly, that cute cubicle neighbor may or may not give you his number, you know, for work purposes... or that bathroom might have a code on it you'll need to remember.)
• Pack a snack. This is more like a generic life tip from Ale, but just do it. Some cubicle areas (like mine) are so ungodly quiet-- your stomach so much as hums and the whole freaking floor knows you skipped breakfast...and then will probably laugh at you.

May 10, 2014 

• Moving it out is one of the hardest processes ever. Chances are your res-hall will have it's own strategically-organized process. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, clear your calendar for the day, and bring tons of extra trash bags. It's like gearing up for war. You vs. all the stuff you didn't realize you had. 

May 4, 2014

• Go check out your university's landmark. The giant building or statue you'll find on the school's website or on the 250 brochures they give you at orientation. One day you're going to find yourself walking to it at 4 AM. You're going to be looking for peace of mind, for inspiration, for answers. It's going to look huge and almost out of reach, but it's also the greatest reminder that you made it to where you are now. 

May 3, 2014

• Embrace change. Someone very wise once told me that the only certain thing about life is change. It's the scariest, most wonderful thing about life. And college magnifies that times 100. People change, your environment changes, and soon, you'll look at yourself in the mirror and see something new. And that's perfectly ok. It means you're alive. And that should be celebrated. 

April 28, 2014

• You may want to try and eat healthily in college. HA. Kudos to you for the far-reaching dream. College is where that dream goes to die as you hand over your debit card to pay for $8 spring rolls when you could be paying for a 6-piece chicken nuggets meal at Wendy's with pocket change. It's going to hurt. A lot. So learn to make that balance. 

April 27, 2014

• Sometimes, 5 minutes of absolutely insane courage is all you need. Especially in college. 

April 21, 2014

• Nothing, absolutely nothing, competes with your theatre group's show weekend and a kick-ass pizza and wine night to celebrate 3 wonderful runs. Treasure these moments. They are rare, and they are perfect. 

April 18, 2014

• Unless you're the type of person that throws yourself onto other people (I mean, hey. Whatever floats your boat), expect little to no hugs in college. This is something I realized almost immediately. College isn't your all-girls Catholic high school. Your Mom doesn't get to tuck you in at night (THIS PART IS ACTUALLY QUITE PAINFUL). So work on finding that one friend who can break that touch boundary with. Or a pillow. My pillow happens to be a great hugger. 

April 14, 2014

• Don't pretend that you're going to be able to stay up until 4 in the morning and not make a trip to Whataburger. You will get hungry. Trust me. 
• Bless you if you've decided to start a new TV series when finals are approaching. That was not smart. May the force be with you. 
• HAVE A CALENDAR. I cannot stress how important this is. Don't try and convince yourself that you can remember all of your appointments, meetings, classes, rehearsals, practices, or study sessions in your head. Your head is wrapped up in other things. Like that cute boy in class, or when your next trip to Whataburger is. You cannot trust yourself on these things. Trust your calendar. 
• The amount of coffee one consumes in college is rather colossal. Somewhat embarrassing even. But hey, whatever gets you through the night. You own that grande mocha.