To all our college students out there; we’ve been there. It can be super hard to stay focused and motivated with Thanksgiving Break arriving and leaving your life so quickly and finals week on the horizon, but YOU CAN DO IT! We’ve got some tips to help you stay encouraged and carry you through!

  1. Start your morning with positivity.

Google encouraging quotes, grab some dry erase markers and let your creativity shine all over that bathroom mirror! Every morning you’re bound to see it, and hopefully it will make you smile. Ask your roommate to take turns with you and be surprised half of the mornings about what encouraging message you’ll find!

  1. Don’t procrastinate.

Why wait to start studying for finals? Get a jumpstart! Set aside time each day for creating a study plan to brush up on your current subjects. Now is also the time to get caught up on any reading you’ve just been skimming to get by during the semester. [Yeah, I’ve lived your life.]

  1. Take care of your health.

You need to be in tip-top shape both mentally and physically to perform your absolute best on any test. Finals are no exception. Even though TV shows and movies through the years have normalized the picture of studying for finals as if you’re supposed to be without sleep for days, living on pizza rolls and stressed to the max is obviously not the best-case scenario. Eat right and sleep tight now, while you start your studying plan and continue that routine up until the big tests.

Don’t forget that you’ve already made it this far, and you’ll continue to do great things! I’d tell you “good luck,” but if you follow this advice, we don’t think you’ll need it! <3

Y’all it’s so easy to do. You see something that you just KNOW your friend or family member will LOVE for a Christmas present, and you hand over the cash or the credit card to purchase your new-found treasure. Then—Oh wait! You see another something that you just KNOW your friend or family member will LOVE for a Christmas present… and before you know it you’re on the other side of the Holidays and Just. Plain. Flat. Broke.  

You’re left feeling upset that you’ve allowed yourself to get to this place once again because, trust me, as you get older life doesn’t get any easier to get through the holiday gift giving season without a plan. If your future self wrote a letter to you, it would probably look something like this: 

“Dear [Your Name Here],  

Please, for the love, write out a budget for this holiday season. Be realistic about it. Besides gifts, think about the travel to [our holiday destinations] to visit [our favorite or… maybe least favorite people. Your secret is safe with me!]. Don’t forget to take into consideration all of those extra lattes we enjoy while out shopping! (P.S. Did you know we’re probably spending more on our coffee each year than our retirement? Yikes!)  

Watch out for the retail tricks! There’s a reason why the US is expected to spend over 183 billion U.S. dollars for advertising in 2017, which includes market research to explore the psychology behind consumer decisions. Loyalty cards, store credit cards, decoy pricing, etc. are all ways that stores win in the end. If they didn’t profit from these practices, do you think they’d really keep doing them? Taking advantage of sales is a great way to shop if the purchases fit the requirements of our budget. Do not fall for the retailer mind games that convince you to buy a new tablet because you’ll get 72 rubber chickens for free! 

Gift cards can make great gifts, but beware! Hope I got your attention with that statement, but it’s probably not what you’re thinking. When purchasing a gift card at a store or on a website, 72% do some shopping for themselves. Remember, you’re not shopping for us when you’re picking up that gift card for [the name of that person who we know is impossible to buy for].  

Don’t forget that in order to properly execute a budget, tracking our spending is key. A budget is just numbers on a page unless you go back and account for how we spent the money on our budget items. There’s a sense of awareness and self-accountability when you complete the FULL process of budgeting. 

Finally, please know that no one in our circle wants us to go into depression debt on January 2nd, after all of the parties are over and the tree is down. If you have to cut back on gift giving in comparison to previous years, you’ll know as soon as you write out your budget, so be sure to do that early. That way you can talk with friends and family ahead of time to explain your new vision for avoiding overspending during the holidays.  

Sincerely, 

[Your name + some wisdom and sanity] 

 

P.S. You’re welcome, my friend. Also, can you please tell our friends the the future says that man bun is a bad idea? 

As cold weather quickly approaches, it is time to start thinking about ways to stay warm this winter.  These might seem like no-brainers, but they are important to keep in mind while scrambling to find the right winter outfit, but also not freeze in the cold.  Be sure that you wear the following items to ensure you’re warm for the next couple months:

  1. Layers are key. Wearing many thin layers will actually keep you warmer than wearing few thick layers.
  2. Double up on the socks if you are going to be outside. It is perfectly acceptable to wear more than one pair of socks in order to keep your feet warm in the winter.
  3. Wear boots. (Fur-lined boots will actually help keep your feet the warmest.)  But really, any type of boot will keep your feet/legs warmer than regular shoes in the winter months.
  4. Wear a stocking cap/ear warmers. Heat easily escapes from your head.  By keeping your ears covered, you will be sure that your body’s heat is retained and not escaping.
  5. Wear gloves. Dry hands from the winter air is the worst.  Be sure to wear gloves and constantly moisturize your hands.
  6. Enjoy the scarf life. Scarves are a woman’s best friend in the winter months.  No one wants a cold chest.  Stock up on scarves and wear them all of the time.  Scarves are like blankets around your neck, they always ensure that you’re warm.

Stay warm this winter!  <3

Positivity plays a huge role in your life.  Being positive has great benefits for everyone!  Even though sometimes things get difficult, and taking the negative route seems easier, it is best to always steer towards keeping positive vibes.  Here’s why:

  1. You will feel better! When I feel negative about things, I feel like there is a constant “cloud” hanging over my head.  That feeling really stinks.  I have found that turning my spirits around and trying to be positive about things has always felt better for me.
  2. You’ll be happier! If you are always negative and worrying about every single thing that made you upset, you will be miserable!  Focusing on negativity, who upset you, who you are mad at, who said something mean, etc… that is mentally exhausting and boy oh boy is that a gloomy life to live!
  3. You’ll be more motivated! Negativity does not motivate.  If you are gloomy, and the people around you are gloomy, there is a 99% chance that you won’t have positive vibes to boost your motivation.  And come on, who doesn’t love a motivated person?  Trust me… bosses like motivated people, and so do teachers!
  4. It truly does take more effort to be negative. Remember the whole “who upset you, who are you mad at, who said something mean” convo?  Goodness… that takes A LOT of effort to remember and worry about.  So, just don’t.  Ignore negativity around you and save the headache.

Positive people make happy people… and more people will want to be around you if you are shining with positivity!  <3