WHY YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

When we are little, we are often confronted with the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We are encouraged to be creative. We are encouraged to be imaginative. We are encouraged to be daydreamers. 

But at some point, that all changes. Society wants you to be creative but in a scientific and analytical way. 

So, you've probably heard the saying "Don't quit your day job," right? It suggests that you should give up on your dreams, because you'll never make it anyway.

In Tori Kelly's song "Daydream" she says, "Don't quit your daydream." It is such a beautiful lyric, and I wish that more people felt this way.

Imagine. When you have dreams, you have to continually think of new ways to achieve your goals. No matter what your dreams are, it's likely that you spend time thinking about what it will be like when you achieve them. Dedicate time to actively imagining where you want to be and what you can do to get there.

[Related: How to Actively Pursue Your Passions]

Believe. You have to be your own biggest fan. Believe in yourself first, because people can tell whether or not you believe in yourself and that can make all the difference.

Determination. Sometimes your dreams will seem to big--even impossible. Don't let fear get in the way of the rest of your life. You shouldn't abandon your dreams because anyone tells you they are "unrealistic." But don't do something to prove anyone else wrong; do it to prove yourself right.

Love. At the end of the day, it comes down to finding something that you are passionate about. I have been told not to follow my passions. I have been told to do what will get me a job and what will make the most money. I have been told that I will never be financially secure in my industry. And to that I say, that scares me. It is terrifying every day questioning whether or not I will succeed. But then I go back to imaging what it would be like if it worked out. I go back to believing in myself and my abilities. I go back to being determined to making it happen, because I know it is what I want more than anything in this world. What I really want is to really mean it when I say, "I love what I do."

In school, we're told to pay attention. Stop daydreaming. Maybe there is a time and a place. But don't ever let anyone to tell you to give up on your daydream. You have the power to imagine what you want to do with your life, and you have the ability to make it happen.

HOW TO MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF AS A STUDENT BLOGGER

Ever feel overwhelmed between school and trying to manage a successful blog? Then this post is for you. The new school year is just around the corner, and it is important that you make time for yourself as your calendar starts to fill up.

Take a blog break.

Everyone needs a little break sometimes. Even if you have established a schedule, it is okay to take a few days off every once in a while. If you force yourself to stick to your schedule all the time, it might start to feel like a chore, and that's not what this is supposed to be about!

Prevent getting burnt out.

So-and-so posts 5 times a week, so I have to too, right? No way! You get to decide how much of a commitment this is going to be. A good blog isn't defined by how many times a week you post. A good blog has quality posts and fosters a creative community. Figure out how much you can handle, and only post what you are really proud of. Don't focus on quantity just because you think it is what it takes to be considered a good blog. At the end of the day your readers would much rather spend their time reading your best work, and you are less likely to burn out from working on it too much.

Decide how much time you want to commit to your blog during the school year.

This is similar to the last one, but it is even more important in the school year to make blog goals that are realistic. College is busy enough for students without blogs. And being a blogger is busy enough without classes, clubs and everything else that comes back when the school year resumes. Maybe it's only realistic for you to post once a week, and maybe you plan ahead for times you know you will be really busy, like exam weeks. Be honest with yourself, and don't stress if you can't post as much as you normally would.

Consider guest posts.

There are points during the school year that the thought of trying to squeeze in time to write a blog post seems impossible. I noticed last semester that almost all of my posts were ones that I had written for Her Campus and copied over, because it was hard enough to find time to write those articles. So one thing that I am considering is reaching out to other bloggers with similar blogs for guest posts. This presents an opportunity to get to know other bloggers better, and it is mutually beneficial. You have content for your readers and exposure for the other blogger! Plus, maybe they would want you to do a guest post for them in the future.

Take coffee breaks.

So maybe you're not a coffee drinker. Then feel free to take a break to sip on tea or juice or whatever you may fancy. It seems that a lot of college students and bloggers are into coffee (I am definitely one of them now). You could grab a cup with a friend or take some time to just enjoy your drink without worrying about the stresses of blogging and school. You could even treat yourself to a fancier drink or seek out a coffee shop that you haven't been to before around campus.

Related: Why I Have a Love/Hate Relationship With Coffee Shops

Write about what you enjoy.

I have found that when I am writing about topics that I am passionate about it doesn't feel like work. It's fun! And isn't that really why we are doing this anyway? If you are not enjoying blogging anymore, it might be time to sit down and consider why you are still at it. It is a huge time commitment, and a lot of work. But for me, it is every bit worth it. I enjoy writing about college and creativity, so that is what you can expect out of most of my posts.  Sometimes "me time" means hiding in my room and writing about whatever is on my mind.

Hopefully as the school year starts up you can still find some time to take a break and relax a bit. You deserve it.

How do you make time for yourself as a college blogger?

FRIDAY FASHION FAVORITES

Confession: I love dresses. All kinds. One of my favorite parts of summer is being able to wear dresses pretty much whenever I feel like it. On the crazy hot days that I still have to dress nice for work, I feel bad for the guys in slacks and button ups, because wearing a dress makes it much more bearable. 

Unfortunately, it's hard to find an occasion to wear a fancier dress sometimes. I haven't been to many weddings or anything. I never did go to prom. And usually it's more appropriate to wear jeans and cute top than a classy dress when hanging out with my friends. 

For now, I'll just keep browsing Aisle Style's website, waiting for the perfect event to wear a fancy dress to come along. 

Here are some of my favorites this week: 

Wedding Dresses

I think it's pretty much protocol to have a Wedding Pinterest board these days, isn't it? Even though a wedding is something I won't be planning for a long, long time, I still like browsing dresses and decorations. This dress is absolutely gorgeous. I've known for a while that I don't want anything to lavish. This one is simple and elegant, and I love the part over her shoulders. Aisle Style has so many beautiful wedding dresses. 

Cocktail Dresses

Can one ever own enough cocktail dresses? I like this one, because it adds a little flavor to the classic LBD. The lace and one shoulder definitely spice it up. 

Prom Dresses

Like I said, I never actually went to prom, but I always loved looking at prom dresses! Every once in a while, I will regret turning down my offer to prom Senior year, but mostly because I just wanted an excuse to wear a pretty dress. If I had gone, I would have been really tempted by a red dress like this one. I think there is something so fierce about red dresses, so this one definitely caught my eye. 

What are some of your Friday favorites?

*This post has been sponsored by Aisle Style, but all of the opinions within it are my own.

THE ETHICS OF CRUSHES

My first crush was Tyler in the first grade. He lived in my neighborhood, and we rode the bus together. To be honest, I don't remember much else about him, but at six years old I discovered what it was like to get that little flutter in your heart that says you like someone. Crushes are fun. You can have one or you can have many. They can be someone you see every day or a celebrity that you swoon over every time you see them on the big screen (shoutout to my guy Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Sometimes if you're lucky, a crush can turn into something more. But there can also be gray areas with crushes, and there isn't exactly a rule book on how to deal with some of these things. 

Like most people I have dealt with the confusion and frustrations that can accompany the uncertainty of whether or not a crush could ever return your feelings. As I said, sometimes a crush leads to something more, and maybe you get your happy ever after. But what would happen to all those angsty songs about love and lust if every crush turned into a relationship? Tori Kelly's "All In My Head" perfectly describes the feeling when you start to realize your crush isn't going anywhere. "Time for me to move on now. It was probably just a silly crush anyway. But I just cant help but think that we, we could've had something." These people get us, because everyone experiences these feelings. 

When I stumbled upon this article where John Green discusses why girls shouldn't be put on a pedestal, it got me thinking about how easy that is to do with a crush. Having a crush doesn't have any requirements. You really don't actually have to know that much about a person for a crush to develop. 

crush (n): someone you are infatuated by and have a desire to be in close proximity with*

Sometimes--without meaning to--we start to fill in the gaps with what we want them to be. We imagine what it would be like if they returned our feelings, and we don't actually know what it would be like until we experience it.

At the end of this article about John Green, it thanks him for helping guide us through the ethics of crushes, which got me thinking. What are the the ethics of crushes?

On liking your friends. When you spend a lot of time around someone, you either start to get really annoyed by them or start liking them more and more. I always think of Harry in "When Harry Met Sally" when he tells Sally that men and women can't be friends, because there is always sexual tension--even if just on one side. While I don't know if I believe that, I know that sometimes the lines start to blur, and feelings can develop. But keep in mind, while you can be friends with your exes, if you cross the line with a friend things likely won't be the same as before. 

On celeb crushes. Keep rocking these--unless you have an uncontrollable obsession for any member of One Direction (current or past members), in that case: shut it down. For the most part celebrity crushes are pretty safe. You can watch Ryan Gosling movies all day long and lust after his beautiful smiles, and as Emma Stone so nicely puts, his abs look like they are Photoshopped. 

On liking your coworkers. This is kind of similar to crushing on a close friend. You spend a lot of time together, you think they are really cute, and so the "work-crush" develops. The thing about the "work-crush" is that since you work together, sometimes it is best left as a crush (unless your names are Jim and Pam). 

On admitting feelings for someone other than your SO. This puts you and that other person in an awkward position, and you are not being fair to your SO. If you are not happy with the relationship you are in, that's something that you need to work through and think about whether or not you want to continue it. By telling someone you have feelings for them when you are in a relationship you are saying: (1) I like you, but not enough to risk losing the relationship I am in if you don't feel the same way, and (2) I am going to keep seeing this other person if you don't tell me you feel the same. 

On a person of authority. Let's all take a moment to acknowledge how creepy it would actually be if Ezra and Aria were real people. Pretty Little Liars is fictional for a reason, friends. In real life we wouldn't be cheering this couple on, we would be indulging in the gossip surrounding the fact that a teacher is secretly dating his minor student. Gross. Having a little crush on your young TA with adorable dimples is one thing. But crushes on teachers, bosses, etc. should probably stay as crushes. 

On random crushes. Personally, these are my favorite. That guy that always rings you up in the dining hall. Your friend's friend that you never actually talk to. You know exactly who I am talking about. We might not actually know anything about them, but we perk up just a little when we see them.

The thing about the ethics of crushes is that sometimes your head might want to play by the rules, but your heart has other ideas. Face it: your heart is a rebel, and it wants what it wants. But if your head can stay ahead of your heart, then you are golden. Now, excuse me while I go watch 500 Days of Summer, and pray that some day my Tom comes along (preferably in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

*My own definition. 

CONFESSIONS OF A COFFEE ADDICT AS TOLD BY GILMORE GIRLS

It's Monday morning, you hit the snooze a couple times, but now you have to get going. You start your normal routine, eat some breakfast, and you try to resist the coffee. But how could you? After surviving midterms, nearly sleepless nights writing papers, and classes that always seem too early, you need the coffee, don't you?

When you are an avid coffee drinker:

Nothing in the morning excites you, unless it involves the words mocha or creamer.

The sun hasn't come up until you have had your cup of joe.

And the thought of a world without coffee is not the kind of world you want to live in.

How do people expect you to accomplish superhuman productivity without it?

People don't understand why coffee is an essential part of your diet.

Or why you will do almost anything to get it.

I mean anything.

People are starting to think you have a problem.

But they don't know what they are talking about, right? 

You clearly don't have a problem. 

You just don't know how to function without it. 

So what if you need coffee to get up in the morning? 

You don't have a problem with it, and if you're lucky, you might one day find someone who understands.

True friendship is when you know your friend's coffee order, right?


*This post was also published to Her Campus.

HOW TO ACTIVELY PURSUE YOUR PASSIONS

The other day I heard someone talking about how they don't like calling pursuing your passions "dreaming", because dreaming is for sleeping, and you should be active in going after what you want. You have to chase after what you want and put in a lot of hard work.

I agree with that to a point. I believe that reaching your goals involves actively making decisions that will get your closer to what you are working towards. However, I think the concept of dreaming is beautiful. Everyone should have something that gets them so excited that it keeps them up at night thinking about sometimes. Everyone should have that one thing that makes them excited for the rest of their life, because they cannot wait for what the world has in store for them.

I have no idea what I will actually end up doing in the future. I don't know where I am going to live after college or what my first job will be--or what the one after that will be. Yet, I feel something burning inside of me every day that knows I should be excited for whatever my future turns out to be. I am certainly not wishing away the present, because I am thrilled to be where I am in my life right now, but I am not afraid of the future either.

 

1. Establish your goals.

Having a dream is one thing, but if you want your dream to become a reality, you need tangible goals that will help you get there.

2. Envision the steps to achieving your goals.

Take some time to think about steps that you can take right now to achieve your final goals. Are there skills that you can be refining? Are there people you can talk to that can give you advice? It is never too early to start working towards your dreams.

3. Set deadlines.

I don't know about you, but if I don't have a deadline I tend to put things off. There needs to be something to keep you in line and make sure that you are actually putting the work in. When you have deadlines, you are more likely to keep yourself on track and actually accomplish something. For instance, maybe you want to improve your Photoshop skills. Make a goal of how often you want to have projects done by or a number of tutorials you want to have completed by a certain date. 

4. Take time to refocus.

Sometimes you need to step back and look at the reasons you chose to go after whatever it is you are passionate about. Why do you have these dreams? What is pushing you further? What is it that fire burning within you that tells you this is all worth it? You need to remind yourself of why you have those dreams.

5. Don't let yourself get stuck.

This one kind of relates to number 4. If you took the time to refocus and you realized that you couldn't figure out why you had these dreams, maybe you need to reconsider what you are working towards. For years I wanted to be a doctor. I tried to teach myself medical terms in my spare time. I narrowed down my specialty by the time I was 12 and stuck with it for years. But then one day, I realized that it wasn't actually my dream. Maybe it had been at one point, or maybe it was just easy to stick with it because I had been saying it was my dream for so many years. Either way, I realized it's okay to change your mind. Don't feel anchored down by one idea. Be open to other possibilities, because there are so many things you can do with your life that you might not even know about now.

6. Accept failures, and move on.

One of the best talks that I have ever attended taught me that you should move onto the next thing before you find out how the last thing turned out. So maybe you're a writer, and you want to be published. Part of the gig is facing rejection letters sometimes. Instead of getting stuck on whether or not your work will get accepted, start working on your next project. That way you are not letting your successes or failures dictate your path. You are moving forward, regardless of how one thing turns out. There will always be other opportunities, so make sure you are open to finding them.

7. Finally, invest in yourself.

You have to your biggest fan. If you want other people to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself first. Your confidence and your passion will be your greatest assets, and they will be invaluable in achieving your goals. Treat yourself well. Don't push yourself too hard, and always remember that your dreams matter.

Dreaming might be something that we do when we're sleeping, but I think it's one of the most amazing things that our mind can do. When I am daydreaming, I don't scold myself, because I know how important it is to my creativity. My imagination is one of my greatest strengths, and I don't ever want to deny it. If you take anything away from this, please remember: never stop dreaming.

You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. -John Lennon

FRIENDS: COMING TO NETFLIX

So you heard Gilmore Girls was coming to Netflix and you were like, How much better can it get? All you wanted to do was sit in your room and binge watch Lorelai and Rory drink too much coffee and consume unreasonable amounts of food.

You were prepared to take Netflix binging to a new level. "Continue watching?" Yes, please!

You know there will come a time when you will have to leave Stars Hallow and rejoin actual society, but that time is still seven seasons away. When it ends you might feel like:

But then, only two weeks after releasing Gilmore Girls, Netflix announced exciting new releases for 2015.

January 1st, Friends shows up in your queue like:

Friends. All 236 episodes of Joey, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe will be available.

The best part of it is that it comes out during Winter Break. This means all the time you aren't in school, you can spend on Netflix, right?

Your parents and friends (the ones outside of Netflix) might be concerned about how much time you spend watching Friends, but it's okay. You deserve to enjoy a little down time.

So there.

Eventually, you will go back to school, and your responsibilities resume. So why not take advantage of this time while you have it?

Whether you're hanging out with friends or staying in for the night, you are guaranteed to have a great winter break with Friends. 

Why I Write 2.0

I first started blogging in September of 2011. It had been something I heard about and some people even told me it was something I should try when I told them about my writing. But it wasn't until that first day of AP Comp that I actually made it. It was called "Write Away", and my reader base consisted of my teacher and sometimes my classmates. This was the first time I was forced to articulate why I write. Up until this assignment I hadn't thought of it that much. Why do I write?

In 2011 I wrote this small post with seemingly banal reasons of why I write, essentially saying, because I like to, because I want to get better, and because it helps me keep my thoughts straight. At that time all of those things might have been true. All I knew was that I enjoyed spending hours in front of an empty page or blank document. I could carefully craft sentences to create meaning, and that made me feel powerful. Most of my writing up until AP Comp was fictional--I spent hours upon hours dreaming up characters and plot lines that sometimes I imagined myself in these made up worlds.

The semester after AP Comp I took a creative writing class. One day we were going around our usual circle talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. In AP Comp I had finally overcome my fear of being a writer, and decided to admit that I enjoyed it, despite the negative stigma often associated with choosing a "creative path". I wrote my final paper about my decision to become a writer, and ditching my dreams to be a doctor. My final line was something like, "Just call me Dr. Wordsmith." I had come to terms with my decision to follow my dreams, even if that meant sacrificing the stability that came with going into a field like medicine--or so I thought. That day my creative writing teacher asked me what I wanted to do I said, "My ultimate dream would be to do something in the film industry, but that isn't really possible...so, I don't know yet."

She looked at me funny and said, "Why not?"

I had never told anyone that I had this kind of dream before, and I definitely didn't expect that kind of response. The possibility of making it in the world of film seemed so daunting (still does) that I wrote it off before I let myself really want it. But when she questioned me I didn't really have a good reason not to do it. If telling people that I wanted to be a writer was difficult, admitting that I dreamed to make movies someday seemed next to impossible. Yet, once I got it out there I allowed myself to accept this dream--it was a challenge that I was ready to take on. Again, or so I thought.

Last November I wrote a post "Ten Thousand Hours" about my dedication to my passion. But I struggle with my goals every day. I worry that I am not good enough. I worry what other people think about my dreams. I worry about what it will be like if I actually try to go after my dreams. I worry that I will fail. I worry that the people who doubted me along the way will be there to say, "I told you so." I worry that these people exist--but I think I create most of the doubt. We really can be our own worst enemies.

Custom "Hey Girl"

However, these doubts and worries fuel my passion even more. They push me to get my writing out there. They push me to prove myself (if only to myself). They push me to keep going, even if I am busy or drained from the day.

A year ago, I wrote about someone telling me that I wouldn't make money from writing and I should keep it as a hobby. And it stung. It made me feel like I wasn't good enough--and it made me consider other options more seriously. That's part of the reason I thought about becoming an engineer last fall. That person still thinks it is simply a hobby to me, and that I spend too much time blogging and writing. They think of it as a waste of time.

But that's ok, because I think of it as happiness.

I write because:

• It makes me happy.
• At the end of a long day there is nothing I would rather do.
• I want to maximize the time that I spend doing what makes me happy.
• It's something I can share with others.
• I want to encourage other people to do what they love, and I want something I say to resonate with someone else. I want my words to mean something. 

11 Things I Wish I Knew Before Freshman Year

Going to college is exciting. It is a new chapter of your life, and it is a transitional period. You are becoming an independent adult, and that is an incredible thing. But it is also scary. You are in a new place with a lot of unfamiliar faces, and if you are living on campus, you have to adjust to a new home.

Last year when I was getting ready college, I spent a lot of time finding articles (mainly from pinterest) with lists about things I should know before I go and what I should bring. No list is going to be able to cover everything you want to know before you head off, but I know they brought me a lot of comfort. So I want to share a few things I wish I would have considered before I moved in.

1. Befriend your RA. Your resident adviser--house fellow, floor adviser, community adviser, or whatever you call it at your school-- is there to help you. Sure, they get paid to make sure that you are behaving and not harming yourself or floormates, but they are more than that. They are people, too--often people with a lot of experience on campus. These guys know the best restaurants, the best ice cream, and best discounted text books. If you need advice, they are a great resource just down the hall. Take the time to get to know your RA, because upperclassman friends can be the best kind.

2. Find out what makes you look like a freshman. But don't be afraid to look like a freshman, because news flash: you are one. (Unless you're not, and you're just reading this for fun. In which case, I hope you realized this at one point, too.) As soon as I got on campus, I learned there are many indications that you are a freshman. Some of them include, having a lanyard for your keys and/or Student ID, not starting to walk into the crosswalk before the walk sign turned on (this one is not necessarily an indication, but it quickly became apparent that most people who had been around a while knew exactly when they could start walking), walking around with large groups of people at night (because no one knows what is going on yet and everyone wants other people to be lost with), and of course, the obvious one, asking for directions to any building. Like I said, it's okay to look like a freshman; just know, it might be painfully obvious at first that you are a newbie.

3.You don't need to be in a sorority or fraternity to find friends. You will make friends! This is the scary part: coming into college without your best friends that you have known since kindergarten. It doesn't mean that you won't keep your high school friends (I still love mine!), but you need a little time apart. "It's not you--it's college. And I think we should see other people." Just kidding. I am telling you that you don't have to break up with your old friends--just find new ones, too. And you don't have to join a sorority or frat to do it. If that's not the reason you want to join one, and you want that experience, by all means go be recruited! Personally, I found out quickly that sorority life was not in my future.

4. It's okay to be "undecided". Unless you are considering being an engineer. If you think you might want to become an engineer, you should start on that track right away. It is much easier to switch out of that program than to try to get into it once you start taking other classes. But if you don't want to spend your time engineering anything, than you probably have time to get it figured out. Don't feel like you need to know what you are going to do by the end of your first lecture freshman year.

5. Be Yourself.  Everyone wants to "reinvent" themselves in college--to be someone different than they were in high school.  This desirable person is more mature, good-looking, suave (uses words like suave). It's okay to want to present yourself differently, but make sure you are being true to yourself. You can still be a more mature version of yourself with doing a 180. Don't pretend to be someone you're not.

6. College is not, at all, like the show Greek. When the show Greek came on ABC Family, I thought it had college spot on. All of the movies I had seen always involved endless wild parties and people standing up in lectures to profess their love for someone or tell their opinion on life. Maybe I am not taking the right classes, but usually when I go to class I can expect to listen to a professor drown on about whatever the subject is without any significant disruptions. With that being said, I did have a professor dance Gangnam Style last semester while we watched the music video--so I guess they are somewhat entertaining. But I remember watching an episode of Greek with my mom one time and saying that I hoped my college experience would be as exciting as that. My mom warned me not to expect it to be like that. College involves work--a lot of work, and that means sometimes saying no to fun because you have study or write a paper. Even on--gasp!--a Saturday night.

7. Don't try to be an engineer just because all the cool kids are doing it. That one is a bit specific, I know. But this can apply to any field that other people revere. Your major is a MAJOR decision. And it should be 100% your decision. You are here for yourself, and you know what makes you happy. At the end of the day, what you are the most passionate about is what you will be the most successful in, because you will enjoy doing it and put more work in. First semester I talked to a lot of people who were going for engineering, and I have heavily considered engineering in the past. So I thought, maybe this is it. Maybe it is worth staying in school longer to have a more successful career. But then I realized I don't have to be in a STEM career to be successful. After talks with a fellow classmate, Nan (my wonderful floor-mate), my grandma, and best friends, I knew I should pursue my dreams. But it was so scary--but one of my favorite quotes is "If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." So do what you want to do, and don't become an engineer, businesses person, medical professional, etc. unless it is 100% your dream.

8. Go to the Student Organization Fair, but don't give everyone your email. My friends and I really enjoyed the Student Org Fair, and we even joined a couple Orgs. However, my roommate and I gave out our email to almost every stand that seemed interesting. And that was a big mistake. We received so many emails over the course of the year that I felt like I was a part of some of these organizations that I never attended. As a student you will already get a surplus of emails, and it is overwhelming. Don't make the mistake of trying to join every organization on campus (don't worry we didn't try to join every org, but it was bad).

9. Be prepared for encountering situations that you don't know how to handle. Whether or not you want to admit it, you were at least somewhat dependent on your parents to help you deal with your problems until you went off to college. It's not like you can't call them to help you through certain dilemmas, but now is the time to start figuring things out for yourself. And there will be certain times that you don't know what to do, but you won't want to talk it through with Mom and Dad. You won't have all the answers, and sometimes you will mess up. Learn from those times, and be really proud of yourself when it turns out well. Now you take all of the responsibility if it goes wrong, but you get all the credit if it is a success.

10. Find your friends, but don't worry if you are not friends with everyone. I found the majority of my college friends within the first couple weeks. Throughout the year I felt bad that I didn't even know some of the people on my floor, and that I wasn't very close with certain people. But you can't be friends with everyone. If you were, you would be a crappy friend, because you would have limited time to dedicated to all of them. You have the opportunity to make a lot of great friends, so take this time to figure out who you click with, and work on time management so that you can spend time getting to know them. (Late night talks are the best! Who needs sleep anyway?)

11. Go to Welcome Week events. I put this one last because it is the first thing you will encounter. At the beginning I remember we spent time considering what we should really go to, because some of the events sounded pretty pointless. But these events are created for you. They are to help make this new place seem a little less scary and more like home. One of my first experiences on campus was sitting on a bus for over an hour, because my roommate and I didn't know which stop to get off on to find one of the unions. We completely missed the introductory event for our dorm. Later we learned, if we would have just walked there, we would have only been a couple minutes late. So I guess this one is two tips: wait to get to know the bus system until you have the time to get lost, and make sure to make the most out of welcome week. Plus, there is always tons of free stuff. Who doesn't love that?

If you enjoyed this, you should also check out "10 Things You Learn At College."

More college:
"Finals, Freak-Outs, and Other Fun"
"Ten Thousand Hours"
"Time Management"
"I've Been in Love With Love"

Happily shared with "Seeking Individuality."

Blog Envy

This summer I have been working a lot to improve my blog. Even though I have had this blog for three years, I have never been very consistent with it. I only posted when I wanted to--basically whenever I had time and deemed an idea worthy of writing about. This all started when I came upon the blog "Life Could Be a Dream."

The one thing I distinctly remember is being so impressed with her blog. Soon I discovered that there was a lot more to the world of blogging than I ever dreamed. The power of hyperlinks is outstanding. By visiting a fairly popular blog, you discover more blogs: people sponsoring them, people collaborating them, and people creating for them. This blog has become like an unpaid job for me. I have been working hard to create a more aesthetically pleasing blog, with the necessary features to become successful.

I know that I still have a long way to go, but since these blogs have given me so much inspiration, I decided to give back a little. Check out some of my new favorite blogs.

1. Life Could Be A Dream
 Jana Toloman is a designer, life and style blogger, and a culinary school graduate. She has great posts on a variety of topics, and if you happen to want some blog consultation or redecoration, Jana is the person to go to. She also has many posts on tips for improving your blog and what makes a blog successful.

2. The Daily Tay
Taylor Wolfe is a stand-up comedian and writer currently living in Chicago. She is hilarious, stylish, and charismatic. Also, she has a pretty cool name.

3. The Modern Tulip
Maegen is The Modern Tulip. Stop by and be sure to peak through her boutique. You just might find something you have to have. (Also, you should definitely congratulate her on her recent news of a little one on the way. I don't even know her, and I am excited for her!)

4. Living in Yellow
Erin is passionate a witty. Her blog is well-designed and fun to read. One of my favorite parts of her sidebar is her little introduction under her picture. It's makes you feel comfortable right away.

5. Always Ashten
Ashten is a funny Californian currently residing in Georgia. It's a lifestyle blog filled with lots of laughs. Be sure to check out her "Best of Always Ashten" page.