There she was, looking at a masterpiece in the mirror. I couldn’t help but admire every inch of her. She has beautiful brown silky wavy hair, bright brown eyes, smooth caramel skin and a bright smile she tends to hide. I used to despise the color brown for I found it hideous, now it became my favorite color for it reminds me of her. After I finished admiring her exterior beauty I began to examine her day by day, how she is as a person and what her life consists of. Let me tell you, I was in love with her physic but now, her inner beauty has me convinced she is the one. You see, she wasn’t your ordinary type of girl that likes to socialize with everyone they meet, go to parties, and do things people her age do. She has another way to enjoy her days without having to be extra. She loves to read non-fiction books because it helps her feel what the author felt. Sometimes books make her cry because she begins to care about people she has never met. She also enjoys reading poetry because she likes feeling understood. Oh, but what’s even better about this girl is, she L-O-V-E-S to write! She writes fictional letters, short stories and poems as well. She’s not an “okay” writer, she’s a PHENOMENAL writer because she helps the reader FEEL what she feels through her writing. She helps the reader visualize the character and helps the reader feel connected to the character. Her pieces of writing truly helps you understand her as a person as well if you closely examine it. She has a huge heart, which is open to anyone who wants to humbly welcome themselves. She doesn’t realize how it’s not such a great thing sometimes but, she only wants to spread love and support to others. Like honestly, I’ve never seen this girl turn anyone away who needed her, and that should speak loud for itself. I admire this girl, she’s always there for anyone at any time but, she doesn’t have that same type of support. She never complains about it because she’s understanding of others and knows how busy life can get. I have honestly never met a woman as strong as her, because through everything life has thrown at her she is still pushing forward. She finds a way to push through all the bumps in the road and maintains such a positive mind while doing so. I don’t know how she does it day after day but, god bless her for never giving up. She’s also really humble and loves to take care of others! Although, after reading this you might not believe me on the humble part. She has per priorities set up and has goals for herself that she accomplishes. She also never lets anyone belittle her because she knows her value very well. She’s absolutely fearless in everything she puts her heart and soul into as well! You’d think that someone would consider the consequences to something before acting but, she doesn’t like to wait. She knows sometimes the consequences can be harsh but, that’s never stopped her from doing what she knows is going to make a positive impact. Oh! But what caught my heart the most about this girl is that, she has this strong passion for empowering young women. She believes that every young girl should LOVE, VALUE and ADMIRE themselves. She believes that young women are the future, and should not be looked down upon because “they’re girls”. She wants to help other girls realize how amazing they are and how they’re no different than boys. This girl I’m talking to you about grew up with the stereotype “women aren’t meant to go to work, they’re meant to be housewives.” And she hated that so much. She hated being belittled because of her gender so, every day she makes sure she works hard to prove that stereotype wrong. I fell deeply in love with this girl at 18 and I don’t think I can ever fall out of love with her. She’s so great, she’s accomplished so much, and strives for more every day. This girl is me, and I learned to love myself and value myself after years of trying to convince myself I was worthless. You see, you have to learn to love yourself and accept yourself for who you are before you begin to love others. There are going to be times where you believe that you’re not “good enough” but really, you’re already great you just want to become greater. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more from yourself, that’s never going to be a problem. Just as long as you remember how amazing you already are and how hard you’ve worked throughout your life to become the person you are today. You do not have to wait for someone to acknowledge your worth, ADMIRE YOURSELF and LOVE YOURSELF.
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1. The Freshmen 15? It's real.
WARNING: The buffet style campus dining spots are a TRAP. If you're eating and out drinking on the weekends, it is EXTREMELY LIKELY that you're going to gain a little bit of weight. Gaining weight isn't really a bad thing, but staying healthy is definitely important. Take a walk or a run to even out that junk food intake, but feel free to sneak that late night five-cheese panini at 1AM.
2. Make friends with some of your floormates.
Your first year of college is arguably the most memorable time of your college life. You live with your floormates for two semesters, and you see them in the hall all the time. Make it a point to say "what's up", it'll definitely make your year more fun.
3. College is hard. Don't sell yourself short.
Higher education. It's not high school, your professors are a little less prominent than your HS teachers. This being said, you are responsible for your own eucation. It's a little hard having all this freedom and responsibility for (probably) the first time in your life, but it's important to realize that it's a little harder because you're sort of on your own.
4. You don't HAVE to have sex to "get it over with".
This is IMPORTANT. Deciding to have sex when you get to college? Cool. Deciding you want to wait? Awesome. Having sex because you just want to get it over with? Hm, think about that. Your decision is your decision, but if you're iffy about entering the "college hook-up culture", PLEASE really think about how important it is for you to have sex.
5. Be careful who you hook up with and who you open up to.
As I said earlier: beware of the infamous "college hook-up culture". IMO, it's a chance for college guys or gals to lead the other on (the majority of the time). It's not possible to control your feelings, but it's possible to cut a hook-up off/talk about how you feel. Better for you in the long run, trust me.
6. Work around scheduling a class before 12PM.
You might have the idea that, "Oh, I got up at 8AM in high school. I can do it again." No. No, you can't. I have very little explanation for this. You'll enjoy the extra sleep. If you don't believe me, schedule a morning class, and see how you feel.
7. Dress how you want to dress.
You wanna dress up? Slap on some make up, put on some heels, and head to your lecture. You were up late last night? Roll out of bed in what you fell asleep in last night. The good thing about college? You realize that no one is really focused on you, so it's a good time to just "do you" and rock it.
8. The drinking every chance you get? Not healthy. Stop that.
9. When you DO go out, be safe.
Check your drink, make sure you're pacing yourself, don't wander home by yourself, etc. The essentials.
10. Spend your money frugally.
Living the ramen/ easy-mac life is a real thing. There's a reason why it's a college student's go-to: it's easy to make, and it's cheap as heck. It's important to practice money saving tips- even though it seems almost impossible.
11. Those events your RA hosts? Go to them. Some of them are awesome, some offer free food.
As a poor college student, the word free resonates in all of our ears. RA events are not only a gateway to free food, but are also a way to meet more people on your floor/ in your building.
12. It's not all about school- enjoy yourself.
College is a new time in your life where you're working towards your future, but it's also a time where you meet people and have experiences like no other. Let yourself breathe sometimes, and just enjoy this experience.
What about combined income from two minimum-wage workers? Wouldn't that put them above the poverty line? In a nuclear family with two working parents and two children, their combined yearly wage would be about $30,160. That's only $7,846 above the poverty line. Now, let's take into account rent, food, gas, utilities, car insurance, health insurance, school supplies, clothes, and tuition. Try and see how $30,160 would cover all those expenses in a year – it doesn't. The minimum wage is not a living wage.
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
StableDiffusion
Here are some myths that I would like to present and debunk:
Raising the minimum wage will kill jobs. This is false. In a March 2011 report, the Center for Economic and Policy Research concluded that raising the minimum wage would not only help workers but actually have the possibility of increasing job openings. Better pay leads people to spend more money, and the cycle repeats.
"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."
influential nations
StableDiffusion
On June 2, 2014 , Seattle changed the city's minimum wage to $15 dollars. Following that procedure, unemployment decreased 17.46 percent – falling from a previous 6.3 percent to 5.2 percent.
Raising the minimum wage will hurt small business. Not only has a higher minimum wage worked in cities across the United States, but a 2006 study by the Center for American Progress and Policy Matters compared small business performances and found that the small businesses who paid the higher wages were more profitable.
Mostly teenagers work minimum-wage jobs. Again, this is false. Half of minimum-wage workers are 25 years old or older. Most minimum-wage workers support their family on this income – and 28 percent of these individuals have children.
Raising the minimum wadge
The minimum wage is not sufficient to uphold and support an individual, especially individuals with families. I've often heard: "It isn't fair that someone working in a fast food restaurant will get paid the same as a college professional!" If we raise the minimum wage to, let’s say, $11 an hour, it would still be a lower amount than that of a college professional. Even so, someone not having a college degree doesn't make their worth any less valuable. Nobody deserves to live in poverty. Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet. We are a nation of equality and opportunity – it's time to let some of that opportunity flow.
What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?
Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. Many states also have minimum wage laws, and the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?
A higher minimum wage means less workers living below the poverty line, more workers being able to make ends meet and potentially spend beyond that, and workers would be more productive upon the increase.
What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?
California is at $15.50 per hour, Washington is at $15.74, and Massachusetts is at $15. These are the only states to have a $15 minimum wage as of Jan. 1, 2023. (The Economic Policy Institute Tracker)
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