It all begins on a chilly January morning, the first day of 2nd semester. *Cue horror movie music.* A lot of things will happen during this five-month game of tug-of-war, but you know you'll come out on top. The key player of this semester is lack of motivation, which ultimately leads to everything else, almost like a domino effect. You procrastinate, you start on something and then..."Oh look, someone snapchatted me!" and then two hours later, you've finally completed your task, which really only should've taken 15 minutes. Of course, this makes for some very long nights, leading to a pair of raccoon eyes and the-largest-travel-mug-you-could-find-in-your-house full of some seriously strong coffee. These days add up, and your grades come down. You trade cute clothes and makeup for messy buns and big sweatshirts. With every passing moment goes a little bit of your energy your patience, and your sanity. And it's not just you. Your entire school has become a zombie movie. Just when you don't think it can get any worse, it does. Allergies. Now you're a sniffly, sneezing version of your 2nd semester self. You're sitting in class trying to pay attention through a pollen-induced fog. And then the allergies pass, but you're staring finals week in the face. But, before you know it, it's summer break. Hang in there everyone!
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Wikipedia Commons
If you need a new series to watch, I recommend One Tree Hill. I watched this series three times now and it only keeps getting better. If you need any more reasons beside the fact that all of the seasons are on Netflix for your binge-watching pleasure, here are seven more reasons to watch it.
1. The Scott brothers
*insert heart eye emoji* Enough said.
2. Brooke Davis
One of my favorite characters, shes confident, intelligent, and is a person everyone should strive to be.
3. The music
Every episode your bound to hear awesome music that you probably would have never heard, but now every song is on your Ipod.
4. Theme song
*screams* "I don't wanna be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately."
5. Friendship goals
P. Sawyer and B. Davis
6. Life lessons and relatability
7. Relationships
Who is your favorite couple? Naley, Peyton and Lucas, Brooke and Julian? Naley is goals.
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Student Life
9 Pieces Of Real, Solid Advice For College Freshman
Not your average, go to class lecture
12m
57
University of Mount Olive
College is the most exciting time of a person's life. It really is. Exciting is not always a positive feeling though. Excited is a feeling that can be associated with nervousness, anxiety and more. Here are some real tips for college freshman that go beyond the typical, "Go to class," lecture.
Find something you love or are interested in and get involved.
When people say, get involved on campus, they are just trying to make you preppy (like I thought years ago), they really want you to be find something you love and be able to grow your passion. If you like writing try applying to be a writer for your school paper, or even better The Odyssey! These activities provide opportunities that classrooms cannot always provide, connections and applications. So whatever your passion (or even your major is), get involved because it's things like that will make future employers notice you.
Be nice to EVERYBODY.
This should be common sense, but seriously be nice to everybody during your freshman year of college. If a girl is mean to another girl on your floor during freshman year, believe me, the whole floor will know about it within a day, probably sooner if they live in a community bath style dorm. If you start off your college experience being known as "the mean person," it will probably be harder to make friends and have the best college experience possible. Plus you never know who could be your next best friend in college and so that is another reason why you should be nice to everybody.
You might need to be a little outgoing than you were before.
In college, it's really hard to make friends if you just sit in your dorm watch Netflix or play video games all the time. People do this their freshman year and then they complain about how terrible college was and transfer to go home. However, putting in an effort to get to know people and make friends is the perfect way to end up like those people. So if you're shy you might just have to be a little more outgoing in order to get a good start in your college experience.
Give it your best effort to get along with your roommate.
I mean you are living with them. Give it 110% before moving out. Yes, some people make for terrible roommates but do try to get along with them. Who knows? If you and your roommate have problems and work them out you could end up finding a great new friend.
Keep a USB of all the important school work you do.
You forgot your flash drive You forgot your flash drive You forgot your flash drive
byu/E7-Durden inbigbangtheory
Keeping a USB of all the important school work you do is something I wish I had learned a long time ago. It is so important to have these works so that you can use them for a portfolio, post them on your LinkedIn or whatever the case may be, save your work. Plus Blackboard will go back and take of classes you took after a certain period of time. So saving your work on a USB is a lifesavier.
Choose the night class over the 8:00 am, every single time.
I know in high school a lot of schools start at 8:00 am so in college you think 8:00ams will not be that bad. That is a lie and stop telling yourself that now! In college, you are usually staying up a lot later than you did in high school and getting a lot less sleep. So 8:00ams in college is not a good idea. If you have to take an 8:00 am see if there is any way you can have this class twice a week, so you can sleep in the most you can
The Master Schedule Is Your Best Friend
The Master Schedule WILL save your life when registering for classes. Trust me. I live for the day the Master Schedule comes out.
Have patience.
In college, things take time. Don't be upset if you haven't found your best friends in just the first two weeks of college. If you don't make it into the organization you want in the semester (or even year) of college, more opportunities will open up for you! You just have to go out and look for them.
Don't wish your freshman year away.
I know firsthand it is very hard sometimes to not wish your freshman year away. I remembered I was so ready to live off-campus, only to miss living on-campus by the time sophomore year started.It's easy to wish that you were not having to sit in your Gen Ed classes, but trust me major classes can be very hard and plus freshman level classes are freshman level classes for a reason.
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Relationships
The 5 Pros and Cons Of Long Distance Friendships
Being friends with someone thousands of miles away has its drawbacks and perks.
22m
892
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
True friendship is incredibly rare, and to find a friend that will be there for you through all of life's curveballs is something quite unique. To add distance into the equation, maintaining a real, true friendship can be a struggle. There are good and bad parts that come with long distance friendship.
1. Pro: You have someone to tell all your secrets (and other people’s) to.
When your friend lives far away, you can tell them just about anything about anyone and they will just listen. You don't have to worry about them telling other people or repeating it because you guys are so far apart.
1. Con: You sometimes go a few weeks without talking.
Because life does get crazy at times, it can be difficult to stay in contact. Even though it is unintentional, you always feel bad when you see you never responded. Once you remember everything you have to tell them though, you immediately send them a long message.
2. Pro: You have a newfound appreciation for technology.
Without technology and apps like WhatsApp staying in contact with your friend would be next to impossible.
2. Con: The time difference makes phone calls or Skyping difficult.
When you have time to talk, chances are they are either busy or sleeping because of the time difference.
3. Pro: You get to go on vacation to meet up.
Whether they come to you, you go to them, or you both decide to meet up in some random place you get to have a vacation with your friend. There is nothing better than creating memories while traveling with one of your best friends.
3. Con: It’s expensive to see each other.
Yes, when you do see each other you are creating so many memories but traveling internationally to see each other is expensive and can't be done as frequently as wanted.
4. Pro: They help keep things in perspective.
It is so easy to get caught up on the small things in life, but when you message your friend who is away from all your chaos and they have their own, it helps you see that not everything is as big of a deal as it seems.
4. Con: It is easy to get jealous of the friends they have that live near them.
You always see the pictures of them out with their other friends, and you have serious FOMO by not being there.
5. Pro: You share a special bond with that person that not every friendship has.
Because you have to make an effort to keep in contact this friendship has an added layer of authenticity to it. You both take time out of your lives to message one another when a friend you have who lives five minutes away might not do.
5. Con: You miss out on being there for big and small life events.
For example, chances are you rarely if ever get to spend birthdays together or attend each other's graduation.
Overall, the good always outweighs the bad which makes for a lasting, special friendship.
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Relationships
What I've Learned About Friendship During My First Year Of High School
Friendship isn't always as easy as it's made out to be.
1h
597
Tori Horne
Friendship. It's defined as the state of being attached to another person by feelings of affection or personal regard, but what really is friendship? Is it that occasional hallway talk with that one person who always manages to cheer you up? Is it that relationship you have with someone where they can be gone for a long period of time, but when they come back, it's like they never left? Is it spending every waking hour with someone, and knowing every detail about their life? Is it the relationship that's filled with fighting, but filled with even more resolution? I've learned that it's all of these things, and every friendship is different. It's a beautifully dysfunctional mess that should always be cherished and never be taken for granted.
Friendship can help you get through tough times, but it can also cause tough times. The crazy thing is, the same friendship can do both. You might be wondering how this is possible, but trust me, it's not as far fetched as you think. All it takes is one small action to cause a friendship to make a complete U-turn and go into a downward spiral. The scary thing about this is that it might turn back around, or it might not; friendships are completely unpredictable.
Another thing I've learned about friendship is that it's a total wild card. You can find your greatest friendships in the most unlikely places, like in your desk group in fourth grade when you didn't have many friends and needed someone to talk to, in an awkward conversation in your third period class on the first day of freshman year, or in the car ride home from play practice that you desperately needed because your parents couldn't pick you up.
Some friendships you've just always had and don't really know where they started, like with people from your church or with family friends whom you've always known. None of these friendships are more important than the others, they just all began in completely different ways. On the other hand, friendships can come to an end for a variety of sad and unlikely reasons. Sometimes friends grow apart, and there's not much you can do about it; unfortunately, it just happens. It could be a slow and gradual thing that you see coming, or it could completely blindside you and leave you wondering what went wrong. In some cases, you find out that your friend was never really a friend at all. This ending typically takes the biggest toll on a person, but leaves them better off in the long run. This type of friendship is completely toxic, and should have never happened in the first place.
Although friendship is commonly associated with positive things, not all friendships are good for a person. Friendship should never be one sided, but far too often, it is. You can make sacrifices and put everything you have into a friendship, and your friend still might never do a single thing for it. Some people take it a step further; they'll not only fail to contribute to the friendship, they'll do things to destroy it. They'll talk about you behind your back or even ridicule you to your face without hesitation. These "friends" will do everything they can to tear you down and make you feel like a lesser person. If your "friends" treat you like a punching bag, then they're not really friends at all; they're bullies. These people use your loss of self confidence to boost their own, so you should never take what they say to heart; you can't give them the satisfaction of successfully tearing you down. The things they say are wrong with you are the faults they see in themselves and their own insecurities.
So, I guess the big question is, why do we put ourselves through this and continue to be friends with this person? Well the answer to that is actually quite simple. The person has convinced us that we're nothing without them. We think that if we stop being friends with this person, we won't have any friends because we're so awful nobody would ever want to be around us. This game of psychological warfare has been going on for so long that our chances of actually working up the courage to leave this person are slim to none, thus allowing this toxic friend to keep their confidence crutch close. This type of friendship, if not dealt with accordingly, can be detrimental to a person. This toxic friendship is one of the main reasons why we need true friends in our life.
True friends are extremely hard to find, which makes having a true friend even more special. True friends are like puzzle pieces; even though they're nothing alike, they somehow fit together, creating a beautiful masterpiece that is completely unique. A true friend is the person that you never get sick of; you can spend every minute of every day with this person, and you still get excited every time you see them. It's the person that your family loves and claims as their own. The person who you know will always have your back and listen to your problems. The person who you can truly be yourself around because they love you for you. True friendship is one of the most important things in a person's life. When your life is constantly changing, it's the one consistent thing you have.
Your true friends are like the calm in the storm.
They're like a breath of fresh air when everything around you is going up in flames. Although true friends could possibly be the only thing keeping you sane, at the same time, they can drive you crazy. This happens when they make you eat healthy, go to the gym, or really do anything you don't want to do but know you really should do. This is another amazing thing about true friends; they always push you to be the best version of yourself. They love you and always want what's best for you, despite the fact that at times, you don't even want what's best for yourself. In addition to this, a true friend is also your number one fan. In everything you do, true friends will always be on the front row, cheering you on. They constantly shower you with endless love and support. All of this proves the most important thing I've learned about true friends; a true friend is your "person." I know that being called someone's "person" is a cheesy, outdated term, but its the best way to describe a true friend, or more specifically, your best friend.
Your best friend knows everything about you, from your favorite color to your medical history; this person knows you better than anyone else does. Also, best friends always know how to cheer you up, whether it be your favorite food or a reminder of the endless inside jokes that the two of you share. A best friend makes the hard parts of life a lot easier and the good parts even better. They're the one person you want by your side through thick and thin; you always wonder what you did before you met them and how you would ever live without them. Despite all of this, I know that every friendship is different, and you might not have been able to relate to a single thing I've said, but there is one thing I've found remains true in every pair of best friends. Your best friend is the one person you love most in the world.
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Relationships
25 Things I Want My Younger Cousins To Know
A little advice for my original best friends
20h
1974
Bailey Totten
I've known you your entire life. More than likely I held you in the first three days of it and at least one of us cried. Cousins are truly one of the best things in the world and while sometimes I complain about how many people crowd Grandma's living room on Christmas Eve, I wouldn't trade you all anything.
You are my best friends, the only people who can understand what it's like on Thanksgiving, and you are the spunkiest people I have ever met. But you as so so young, most of you are just now starting your adventures in the public education system. I mean, I'm so very young too. I'm not married, I don't have children, heck, I just started my adult life, but I do want to give you what little advice I have. My dears, these are the things I want you to know.
You are young
Like I said earlier, you are young and you have so much in front of you. It's okay to make mistakes, and be a kid, and get your hands messy. Take advantage of your youth and realize because you are young you don't have to have it all figured out right now, when you're 18, or ever.
You will be scared
With so much of your life and so many decisions in front of you, there will be things that scare you. Getting called on for an answer when you weren't paying attention, your eighth-grade vaccinations, walking into the hospital after someone you love had a heart attack, and going off to college, to name a few, will make you think it's easier to run and hide under the sheets.
But be brave
No matter how much of a 'Big Kid' you are, some days you're going to have to dig really deep to find your bravery. I would be lying to you if I told you that this entire summer--the summer before I start college-- didn't involve me having to carry my bravery with me every day. It's okay that you're scared, but don't let your fear determine how you live your life. Let your bravery (as minuscule as it might feel) be bigger than your fears.
You are your own person
There will be thousands of people who will tell you how you should live your life, but at the end of the day, it's yours.
Take Chances
There will be opportunities that will change your life forever as long as you're willing to take the chance. The best endings have the riskiest beginnings; don't let your life pass you by because you are afraid to take the leap.
When you get the chance, play.
Right now I know playing is a part of your daily life, but it won't be forever. The older you get the more responsibilities and technology will take forever. That's okay and completely natural, just make sure when you're given the chance, run around barefooted for hours and play with your cousins.
Listen to your parents
I know, I know. That is literally the lamest and most stereotypical thing I could have ever said. I probably just lost the status of your favorite cousin, but as the big kid I am I've never regretted listening to my parents and every life lesson they offer.
God First
It won't be easy, but putting Him first is the most important thing you will ever do.
Family second
Friends come and go, but family is here forever. You will never look back at your high school years and regret spending the day helping your grandparents instead of going to the popular girl's party.
Everything else comes after
School, friends, and jobs are important, but never as important as God and Family.
The opposite sex doesn't matter
Yes, they are going to break your heart, but don't let them break your spirit. Also, you will have your entire adult life to worry about dating, don't throw away your teenage years chasing after 'The One'.
Life moves fast
I graduated high school last May and I'm asking myself how that happened. Enjoy every second and every stage. Never take a moment for granted and don't rush anything. You're exactly where you're supposed to be.
Put money into your savings account
Yeah, you might not be able to buy that new computer game, but your 18 year old self will thank you for it.
Study hard
It might not be cool to study the week before your big test, but more opportunities will be opened by good grades than by cool stories.
Just remember your life isn't made up of numbers
No matter where that number is coming from: the grade book, the scale, or the dollar amount in your bank account you're so much more.
Learn how to shake hands
Shaking hands is the foundation of introductions, business building, and promise making. Make sure your foundation is a sturdy one.
Things will fall apart
Not everything is going to go as planned. There will be some points in your life everything falls apart whether that be when you're trying to figure out what to do after graduation, when someone passes away, when you don't make the team, or when your dad loses his job.
But almost every time it's better in the long run
The best changes and the most rewarding opportunities happen when life doesn't go as planned.
Choose kind over cool
No one ever remembers the cool kid. You will never regret being kind.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
The benefits of staying hydrated are insane. Drinking water will solve roughly 97 percent of your problems.
Have a hobby outside of your phone
Yeah, scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest is a great boredom killer, but it's not a hobby. Do magic, learn an instrument, or read a book. Not only do hobbies engage your brain, but you'll be genuinely happy when you do them.
Take care of your skin
Sunscreen, wash, moisturize, exfoliate, tone, and moisturize again.
Always put your name on the cover of your books
One of the best parts of having actual paper books is being able to loan them out to your friends. Loaning a book is like showing the reader a piece of who you are. Just make sure to clearly mark that they're yours or you might never see them again.
Take care of your teeth
Brush at least twice a day for two minutes a day and your pearly whites will look good and you won't have to occupy the dentist's office every six months.
I'm always here
I'm just a phone call, text message, or short drive away. A thousand miles, next door, or somewhere in between, I promise to be there for every girl/boy problem, family event, and fight with your sister.
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