Tag: school

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Fabulous living

Let’s Get Real: Homesickness

Hello All!

Todayā€™s post is going to be a bit more on the serious side. Besides, showing you the latest trends and how to organize areas in your home, I like to be real and honest about what life as a college students is truly like. So, we are getting real about homesickness. What a fun topic for a Tuesday. In all seriousness, letā€™s get real.

Before I started college, almost two years ago, I was worried about being homesick. Many family and friends had assured me I would be so busy I wouldnā€™t be able to get homesick, or it would go away after a month, someone had even told me that by Fall break I wouldnā€™t even want to come home because I would be loving school so much.

They were all wrong.

Yes, I was enjoying school, and I was making friends and I was most certainly busy, but that didnā€™t change the fact that I was homesick. There would be times when I was lonely, or I craved a homecooked meal or I wished I was back in my own room. But, I didnā€™t let that stop me from enjoying college life. Christmas rolled around, and I was told that I wouldnā€™t want to be home for a whole month and I would soon get bored and I would be thrilled when I could go back to school.

Nope, it was still hard going back.

Spring semester brought more hope and more experiences. But I still had my moments of weakness and some tears. Once May rolled around, I was so proud of myself for making it through a full year. I thought, if I could accomplish that I could do anything.

A few months later, Year Two rolled around. It brought new experiences, new friends, new challenges and new beginnings. I didnā€™t get homesick as much, mostly when I was getting dropped off from being back home from a break. I had gotten used to falling back into my routines at home, it was hard to get adjusted back at school. There were times when I was overwhelmed and stressed and wanted a break from school and just to be home, but I had to push through. Thatā€™s the thing about homesickness, you can take a bad situation and make it better.

How can you handle those moments of weakness and homesickness?

  • Have a good cry (yes, we all need a good cry to let ourselves go and feel all our emotions that we keep buried deep within.)
  • Take that time to be alone but not too long, make plans to go out with a friend to grab dinner or go to study.
  • Share how you are feeling. It may be uncomfortable, but who knows you may find someone who feels the same way and doesnā€™t know who to talk to about it. You can be there to help each other through it.

Homesickness is different for everyone, others donā€™t have it all, some only have it until their first fall break, but for few like myself, it never goes away. As I close on my second year of college, I still have my moments where I am homesick. I donā€™t let that dictate my life. I push through the pain, sometimes I cry, sometimes I watch my latest binge show, sometimes a phone call homes helps. But, I carry on, and I keep on living life. As i look back on the past two years, I don’t remember being homesick or sad but rather the joy, the laughter, and the memories that came with friends and family.

Whether you are a first-time college student leaving home for the first time or you are gearing up to start your first job in the new world, we all miss home, it just means you feel so much love from home that it’s hard to be without it.

Until next time,

Elspeth

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Fabulous living

Fall Semester Recap

Another semester has come and gone. Last week I wrapped on my third semester, by far it has been the busiest and most challenging one. In the past few short months, I took 19 credits worth of courses, started a new job, joined a Honorā€™s Society, and made many new friends. I grew as a person, and a changed in more ways than I thought. Back in August, someone told me, by the time Christmas rolled around I would be a different person than I was back in August, and boy they werenā€™t wrong.Ā  The top five things that had the biggest impact or that I learned this semester are:

– Heavy course load- I took more credits and classes this semester. It was a challenge to accomplish everything, but I did it. I found new places to study and made new friends in my classes. I learned so much and the courses I took helped point me in the right direction for what I want to do as a career. I also made the decision based on credits I brought in from high school to graduate early. I will be graduating college in December 2019, a semester early. Two years from Saturday I will be a college graduate, which is both exciting and nerve racking.

This is just a small peek into how I stay organized and on top of everything related to school.
I wouldn’t have survived my classes if it weren’t for these girls. Love them to pieces.–Ā 

– My new job. I took on a new job this semester and it has most definitely impacted me. I have more responsibilities and I had to step out of my comfort zone several times this semester. To be honest, this job has caused me stress, like any job does, but I have grown a lot this semester. I am more assertive and confident (well, thatā€™s something Iā€™m still working on). But, a lot of good has come from this job. I have met a lot of good people that I work with on a daily basis. People that started out as strangers are now some of my closest friends. Although, I am using this Christmas Break to catch up on some much need rest and relaxation, Iā€™ll be excited to start back again in January.

 

My new job has brought me both smiles and stress, like any job.
So blessed I met mt friend Liv through my job. She has been the best mentor and friend. I was told I would meet some of my best friends through this job and I’m so glad i met Liv.

– Try new things. I applied and got accepted into my collegeā€™s Honorā€™s Program. After a lot of persuading from both friends and professors, I decided to apply, and I got in. As a member of the Honorā€™s Program, I will be taking more rigorous courses, and I will be attending activities as a group. One activity I went to was an Opera performance of ā€œThe Marriage of Figaroā€, it was very well done and I was happy I made the decision to attend. I am excited to see what other things we do as a group.

A night out for the Opera.

– Letting Loose. Between school and my job, I worked a lot this semester, so when I had a weekend free, I took advantage of it with friends and family. I had movie nights with friends, went on trips to the city, danced the night away at semi formals, and headed home for a few weekends to spend time with family. I learned this semester there always must be a balance between work and fun. Thankfully, I had great friends who made sure I had fun even when I wasnā€™t always up for it. Even my friends from high school were always there if I needed a laugh or a pick me up. Ā Whether it was a night out or a chick flick night in, my friends and I knew how to have a good time.

My bestie Danielle and I before a Halloween Dance
A night out with Shay at semi formal. I have no idea where I would be without this girl. She truly is a forever friend.
A night out in the city to celebrate Christmas!!

– Self Care. With a busy semester, I learned how to take care of myself. Whether it was calling it an early night, working out at the gym,Ā  reading a new book, rewatching my favorite guilty pleasure on Netflix (hello, did someone say, Gossip Girl?!?!) , or even doing my nails. I learned that I am not helpful to anyone if I donā€™t take care of myself first. I am still learning to take care of myself. I will always try to say yes, but I need to learn to say no more. I over commit, and I try to please everyone. Towards the end of this semester, I learned to slow down more. That is something I plan to work on more for the spring semester.

Smiling is the easiest way to spread happiness. At the end of the day, all we can do is keep smiling.

Some days it felt like this semester dragged on, and other days, I can hardly believe it is already December! Overall, I had a successful semester. I learned a lot and I gained a lot. I canā€™t wait to see what next semester has in store for me. Until thenā€¦.xoxo

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

How to Study for Finals and Prepare for the Holiday Season

Itā€™s the most wonderful time of the yearā€¦.or worst if you are a college student like myself. Finals week is upon us. Time to grab those note cards, pull out the highlighters, and make those study guides. Whether you are studying for finals, or if you arenā€™t a college student, making your Christmas lists, here are some tips to stay organized this time of year.

Studying for Finals:

-Prepare in advance. – Look to see when your finals are scheduled and plan out of when you want to study for them.

Here’s my day planner. I write down every assignment, meeting, and final down so I don’t forget anything.

– Prepare on your own. – Read through both your notes and textbooks and make your own study guide so you arenā€™t going back and forth between book and notebook.

-Seek help. ā€“ Although we donā€™t always like to admit it, we sometimes need help. Go to a tutor if you need help in a subject. See your professor with questions you may have while studying. Organize study groups to make sure you are covering all the information.

-Take Care of Yourself. ā€“ Finals and the end of the semester are stressful. But donā€™t forget to take care of yourself. You wonā€™t do well on a test if you are half a sleep or if you are sick from not eating healthy. It may be tempting but try not to skip meals and allow yourself for enough sleep or take a nap if you need to.

Preparing for Christmas:

I am always on my laptop, these post it icons make it easy for me to remember what things I have going on from finals, homework assignments, and extra things I need to get done. Like my Christmas gifts. I like to have it all in one place

-Make a List (and Check it twice). ā€“ Make a list for everyone you want to buy gifts for. Think relatives, coworkers, friends, any gift exchanges. You donā€™t want to leave anyone out on your list.

-Plan out your Gifts. ā€“ Do some research and plan what gifts you want to purchase and for whom. This saves time walking around a store waiting for the perfect gift to find you.

-Buy then Wrap. ā€“ Get all your purchasing done then wrap your goodies. Put on a Christmas movie and wrap while you relax. Itā€™s easier to wrap everything at one point rather then wrapping things separating at different times.

-Enjoy the Christmas Season. ā€“ The holidays can be stressful but Itā€™s important to remember what really matters; family, friends, Jesus. Take time for the family traditions and make memories.

I hope these tips help with preparing for your finals or your Christmas shopping. Itā€™s the most wonderful time of the year, be sure to spend it well with friends and family.