Can we all agree that we have once stalked our crush or ex on social media. It's a guilty pleasure to know what your ex been up to. Social media make it easier for us to stay up to date with our past or future crushes.I can't speak for everyone who stalks online, I'm only speaking for myself. This is how I stalk my crushes.
This year started off in a fog. With complications with school, finding work and the upcoming post college life has left me a little discouraged. I don't have any guarantees right now and that alone has left me not wanting to do anything and wanting to give up. Luckily, I have my husband and great friends to talk to. Being able to vent and talk to them about my problems let me know I'm not the only one who doesn't have it all figured out. I'm starting to put my goals in front of me so I have something to work towards.
I know I'm not the only one who seems to be stuck in place. My advice is to rememeber that you cannot predict the future, but you can always plan for it.
I know I'm not the only one who seems to be stuck in place. My advice is to rememeber that you cannot predict the future, but you can always plan for it.
If you feel like you've been stuck in a rut, then I have the perfect pick me up- a giveaway! We're joining in with other bloggers for a Sweet Start to 2016 Giveaway were we'll be giving away $300 worth of products!
We will be giving away a $150 Visa gift card, a $10 Starbucks gift card the Naked Smokey Palette, Origins Charcoal face mask (3.4 oz bottle), three wire wrapped bracelets, a custom Koozie and monogram keychain, and a "Good things comes to those who hustle" mug. Our total prize package is worth about $300!
Enter to win below!
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They were the best of times and they were the worst of times. That pretty much sums up our college experience thus far. It's not as wild and crazy like all those movies made us think it'd be, but it wasn't always an easy road either. Shannah and I wanted to share our some of our favorite and worst parts our college life with you thus far.
Tara Simone
Favorite
Getting out of the country was the best thing that's happened to me. It really made me realize I don't have to be stuck in one place forever. And I met some amazing people and saw some amazing things.
Pictures of New York and a Boston bakery |
I began writing for my school's newspaper, The AUMnibus, during my sophomore year in college and have been writing there ever since. It's a great feeling to see your work actually be printed and published online for everyone to see.
Picture with BigBang's guitarists outside the concert |
Getting a car. I spent a good amount of time taking and missing the bus to get to my classes, which sucked because I had to wake up at least two hours before school to ready and wait on the bus. But then I bought a car which quickly eliminated all of the waiting.
Least favorites
Getting a car. I know I listed this in favorites, but the car was a lemon. I felt like I got sucked into buying it and I wasted lots of money fixing it up. I could have payed off a semester of school for all the money that thing cost me.
I worked a lot during college. I had to. That's not a bad thing in itself, but I allowed my work to consume valuable time I could have taken to spend with friends and family. I now know how to balance work and life a lot better now and I won't let work take me over me like that again.
Shannah
Favorites
Movie Nights were always a favorite memory in college. At my University there is $1 movie night, which allows me to see any movie in the theater for $1. $1 movie nights were only offered the first and third Wednesday of each months. Last year I went to every movie night.
Living in an Apartment. It's always great to have my own room and bathroom. I just love the privacy.
Dinner Nights
Sometimes my friends will have dinner nights at their apartment which were always fun.
Going to college football and basketball games were also a highlight from my college experience
.
Least
Being alone.
It seems like the older I got the more alone I was in college. One of my old roommate said it best "you can always tell a freshman from a senior, freshman usually come in packs, while seniors usually walk alone."
College Food.
The food is okay at times, but whenever the dining hall doesn't have a great dinner, I'm usually stuck eating a burger or pizza.
Rework your résumé
You may actually have the experience you need, but may not have worded it correctly on your résumé. Instead of saying you worked the cashier at your retail job, elaborate to show the leadership, management, and customer service skills you exhibited during the job. If you're a little stuck on how to write it all out, take a look at the job description of your current/past position to help you with the wording.
Go for Another Position
You may not qualify for the position you want, but is there another one in the company that you can take up that will give that experience? Or another that will put the skills you possess to good use? Check the company's openings to see what other positions are available that fit closer to the skills you currently possess. If you're hired on, you can ask to receive training in that area in the future.
(I want to introduce you all to Sam of Traveling Sam Kay. I met this woman last year in Korea and knew she was an awesome person, but only recently found out about her amazing blogging skills. She writes about her time as a teacher in South Korea and is sharing her travel experience here. Enjoy! - Tara)
When I was a little girl, I remember very specifically asking my mother why we lived in the United States. My parents had friends who lived overseas. These people enchanted me with gifts from afar and stories of things I couldn't imagine existed. But, I guess I didn't know much existed outside of my home city. I was obsessed with the prospect of adventures abroad. I would make elaborate plans for my future and all of the places I would travel, always receiving an endearing eyeroll and words of encouragement from my parents. Travel became a goal of mine. And I knew that if I was going to do it, it would have to be on my own. So, when I was 17, I found a way.
When I was 17, I made the declaration to my parents that the following summer, I would be going abroad. They sighed in a sort of "yeah, right" way, but told me that if I could find a way to do it, I should. And so, as a motivated person does, I did. I found a volunteer group that would take me to Hong Kong. At age 18, I went half way across the world with a group of strangers, and I fell in love.
My goal then shifted from simply travel to living abroad. I wanted to make a life for myself in a place I didn't belong. Walking the streets of Hong Kong, feeling completely engulfed in a new culture was a sensation I was willing to chase as far as it would take me. I ventured on to college and began life studying International Politics. I made mental lists of all the places I wanted to live. My goals became greater and more solidified, and my lust for adventure only grew.
Of course, I studied abroad. In my opinion, every person should. Due to various circumstances, I was led to Ulsan University's Ulsan International Program. In the summer of 2014, when I got on that plane to South Korea, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I didn't know anything about Korean culture or language. I hadn't heard of the city of Ulsan. But more than anything, I completely underestimated how that experience would change my life.
I can confidently say that the time I spent in the Ulsan International Program is one of the best times of my life. I spent the summer traveling around Korea with a group of equally as curious people, having adventures so crazy and experiences so growing that my life was deeply impacted.
That's the thing about travel, though. It can be expensive or scary or overwhelming. But the reward that comes from that risk is greater than anything a person can buy. Those memories and the impact made in your life, and the impact that you can make in the lives of others, is something that can never be taken away from you.
Dancing on the street with a random Chinese lady in Kowloon. Busking in a park in Macau on a Sunday morning. Staying out all night in Itaewon. I often think of the millions of memories I've made on the adventures I've had and my heart feels incredibly full.
I am now 22, and my dream has come true. I am an English teacher in Ulsan, South Korea. The process to get here wasn't easy, but it was absolutely worth it. Everyday is an adventure for me. Even if all I do is go to work, go to the grocery store, and go home in a day, I have still had an amazing and growing cultural experience. It's not perfect. Being away from home is hard. But just as they did when I was a young girl, my family is supportive of my goals and proud that I have already achieved so much.
I often walk around my neighborhood, and bask is amazement at where I am. The risks have been immense, but the reward has been greater. Because the thing I am given everyday is something I will treasure the rest of my life. The adventure that I am on is great, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.
Sam graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in Political Science and International studies, is now a Guest English Teacher with the EPIK program in Ulsan, South Korea. You can read more about Sam and her adventures abroad on her blog Travelling Sam Kay.
This time last year I was fuming because I knew I would be missing half my Thanksgiving day working behind a register. This time I'll be with my family,but I still feel bad for the workers all over spending their time serving others. I'm sending you all virtual hugs and kisses as well as this advice on how to handle one of the most hectic days of the year for retail workers.hb
Be Well Rested
I know some of you are already going to be tired from Thanksgiving parades and even early Thanksgiving lunch since you'll be missing out on dinner, but be sure you're well rested to start the day. Nothing is going to stop this day from being a never ending slaughter of deal seeking customers and you'll want to have enough energy to put up with it all.