I Am In Love With Your Boyfriend

Haven’t been in this situation thank God, but I really enjoyed today’s thought catalog by Maggie Waller.

xoxo,
-E

Post-pone that Transfer App!

Hello Folks,

It seems since getting back to school I’ve done quite a few posts on college advice for first years. Well I’m going to try to put it on ice for a little while but before I do, I’m going to give one more piece of advice.

This is for the unhappy ones. Bored, or lonely, or are simply positive they just don’t fit in. You’re ready to transfer. Certain that the problem is the university, and sometimes it is. Often however, (and I’m not bashing you) it’s that you haven’t pushed yourself out to find your niche.

You might be worried about your protecting your scholarship, or not getting caught up in the partying or even overwhelmed by clubs. But listen, I promise you won’t regret it. Go out and find one club to get involved in. One club, or team, or organization.
Devote yourself to it. Get to know the members. Learn something new from them, take on a little responsibility. No growth or good can happen in the comfort zone. Finding a small passion can change your entire outlook on where you are and why. You will be bored if you hang out in your room constantly looking at YouTube videos. You will be lonely if you’re constantly texting friends from home and going to McDonald’s for dinner. You will not fit in if you don’t try.

I promise your university isn’t going to snatch away your scholarship after one semester, and part of college is learning to balance. You can’t learn to balance if all you do is attend class, do homework, sleep and occupy your room. Making friends is great. You might’ve made a few already, but even making friends won’t always make you feel attached to a university. You need to empower yourself, and see yourself grow there. That’s what will make you feel at home, like there you can do anything. The bigger schools are always going to have more parties and bigger sporting events. So while you’re moping about that, remember that at smaller schools you usually have more power as a student and more one on one attention from professors and advisors.

I’m not asking you to go join five clubs, stop doing your homework, bash other schools or to stay all four years at a school you despise. But I do dare you to stay one or two semesters where you truly try to engage in something you might be interested in. You may be surprised at how different things can turn out.

Best of luck,
-E

Related articles

• Lonely in freshers week? You’re not the only one (guardian.co.uk)
• Club Fair Gets Students Involved, Builds Chances of Success (gantdaily.com)
• Freshmen Worries: Find Your Niche (uloop.com)

College Cooking

Can’t get enough of Small Kitchen College.

Those sweet potatoes look freaking amazing. Enjoy my dears, enjoy.

xoxo,
-E

Not Yet Legal

Hello Ladies and Gents,

Not Yet Legal was the theme of the party my friend hosted this weekend. It was celebrating her 20th birthday and christening her apartment as her first party of the year. All went mostly well. A couple girlfriends went over that afternoon while she was out and party-proofed and decorated, streamers and balloons galore. Early that night we pregamed and then the dj came and things really got started.

However, as fun a night as that was, it’s not the topic of my post today. In fact it’s underage drinking, specifically freshman drinking. Most know coozies and cups become the barrier between underage drinkers and the law. What’s in the cup? “Who knows?” We all sing in unison. However, when people start falling, (on the ground, asleep, face first on the toilet, into walls) concerns arise.

Friday night too many girls were falling over vomit machines preaching, “But I’m a heavy-weight!”

So here I am my dears, asking all those underage freshman drinkers to lend me their ear. Trust me I’ve been there, although with all due credit to me, I’ve always held myself together until we’ve left the party. Not your fault, but  always try your best not to gather the attention of the hostess, or her inner circle. (It’s just wise, you risk not being invited back by upperclassmen, and having worried eyes follow you all night. Can you blame them though? They want to make sure you’re okay and no one wants to be responsible for inviting the freshman who died. )

Okay, here’s my advice.

#1 Stop excitedly exclaiming you’re a heavy-weight and can keep up with the boys. Not only am I doubting you, I’m flagging you to watch for the rest of the night as a possible mess waiting to happen. Plus being a heavy weight means more expensive. Lose, lose, lose. Learn your limit, we’ll all be more impressed.

#2 Keep it to one drink per hour. One Shot is equal to one beer. Measure your mixed drinks. You’ll get there slow and steady instead of “Oh I don’t feel a thing!! Still sober as a whip girl! …. Have you seen my panties?”

#3 If you know you’re drinking later, eat filling well-rounded meals during the day, and don’t forget to drink a healthy amount of non-alcoholic beverages during the day too, an extra water wouldn’t kill you. Nothing’s worse than being sick on an empty stomach, and chances are, if you have an empty stomach, you will get sick. Even snack while you drink if you can.

#4 Bring flats. Sure those three-inch heels are cute. You’ll probably get compliments all night. But a pair of flats or sandals stowed away under the bathroom sink can be the difference between a twisted ankle and scabbed up knees and a safe and sound walk home. Everyone doesn’t have to know it, but you’ll be smarter for it.

#5 For those of you that don’t drink, good for you. That’s healthy and legal, you’re an all around good citizen! But if you’re going to a party where there is going to be a lot of drinking, be ready to be asked a lot, “Want a drink? Why aren’t you drinking? Where’s your drink?” It’s annoying and after the third time it’s going to get old. My advice? Bring a non-alcoholic beverage in a tumbler and sip on that throughout the night. You’ll avoid the nagging, avoid dry mouth and have something to do with your hands if you meet someone new.

That’s all for now folks. Drink responsibly, please and thank you!

xoxo,
-E

Note To A Frat Boy:

Dear Frat Boy,

You’re cute. No, really, you’re cute. I’m giving my friends the eye every time you casually rest your finger tips on the small of my back as you lead me through the dance floor. When you stop at the acoustic band, for some super adorable swing dancing before the heavy grinding, I’m literally melting. The fact that you aren’t smoking in between your natty lights, makes me smile too. My Daddy would approve. Oh you own your own business? Oh you’ve been self-sufficient for the past year now? Oh you own a dozen Ralph Lauren bow-ties? Oh you’re not a hard-core republican? Swoon, Swoon, Swoon.

Oh you can keep up with my witty banter? I’m literally forcing back my mile-wide grin now, and begging my doe-eyes not to give me away.That is until it’s time to head in for the night. Now,  you definitely acknowledged my comment when I told you I would be staying in the women’s guest house and not your room… But now you seem angry? Oh you are angry? You think I strung you along tonight? You think I owe it to you to follow you home now because we made out and got a little NC-17 on the concrete dance floor? Is that so?

You think it’s wise to get snarky?  Your best tactic is to become a bit aggressive? You think I can’t hear the inflections in your tone? Question: Do you realize what a 3rd degree creeper you sound like right now? No… Hmm, well newsflash, you’re scaring me a little.

Ahh, I see you aren’t sensing this. I’ll put a little distance in between us. Oh you want to walk me to the door still? Oh you’re going to put your arm around me for the rest of the walk? How about No. You’re an ass. And a creepy ass at that. Go the Hell Away.

Sincerely,

A College Woman with Some Self Respect.
xoxo

Memories in the Making

Hello Lovelies,

Tailgates, traditions, sisterhood, block-parties, the first day of classes, service projects and a frat party as the cherry on top, this week is bound to be good.  Not to mention I got my first pair of cowgirl boots today! Y’all I’m pumped. Stay tuned, because there are bound to be some stories out of this one. <3

 

I’ll Ripen on the Way

Hello folks,

You might not know this about me, but  I am incredibly impatient. If I was the local farmer, you’d buy the imported stuff because I’d never wait for the vegetation to ripen. Green bananas and coconut sized watermelon.

Last week one of my friends was discussing how she’d held back freshman year, tested the water before she dove in. Her and another friend chatted about the benefits of taking in the scenery before venturing too far out into the woods. I thought about myself and my freshman year as my club advisor tapped my shoulder and asked me to take the stage and make an announcement to the new freshman class.

I gawked at her for a minute at the irony of the situation, and made my way to the microphones. This is where my impatience had gotten me. Standing on a stage at the beginning of my sophomore year during opening ceremony asking the first years to please remember to sign up for Day of Service. Plugging in a bit about sisterhood and seeing the area and an added incentive.

You see this is a huge leap for me. While, Sitting, Waiting, Wishing has never been my theme song, I used to be chronically quiet, as in I didn’t speak when I was younger. I never slept the night before a presentation. I never volunteered to be first, to be the voice of a group. I didn’t ask, or share my opinion. I was silent.

Now I’m far from the little girl I was. I love presentations, I am uncomfortable not being the leader and my general motto is what doesn’t kill us, or Would Hillary Clinton do it? These past two weeks, I’ve been so pushed out of my comfort zone, I’ll probably have to start building a new one.

I’ve forced my way from Vice President of a club, or professional head nodder, as I sometimes refer to it as, to President. I’m leading the biggest event I’ve ever been put in charge of. I did an improv skit in front of roughly 150 people, and I spoke alone in front of the entire freshman class, their parents, my classmates and the President of the University as well as her cabinet.

It’s possible I’m a little in over my head, but who makes history without facing the possibility of drowning for a second? I’ll let you know how this turns out.

xoxo,
-E

Related articles

• Five reasons sophomore year is the most stressful year of college (and what to do about it) (cardboardmagazine.wordpress.com)
• Why This Year Will Be Better (uloop.com)