On What to Do When You're Feeling Burnt Out

Have you ever liked a song so much that you just kept playing it on repeat every single day until you were absolutely so tired of it that you couldn’t even stand to listen to the first note? That’s quite literally how I feel right now, except it isn’t for a song, but rather for many things that typically make me happy – writing, dance, my extracurricular activities. In other words, I feel pretty burnt out. 

What to Consider When Choosing a College

To all of you high school seniors out there - hello! Congratulations on your impending graduation; I know you've worked super hard to get to where you are, and we are all very proud of you. You've submitted all of the applications, received them back with answers (hopefully all yes's!), and are looking at all of your options now, pondering where you're going to spend the next four years of your life. Am I right?

May 1st is quickly approaching, and between scholarships, college rankings, campus tours, and accepted students day events, having so many different options thrown at you is enough to keep your head spinning for a long time. I was in your shoes just two years ago, and I promise you that if you're feeling confused and overwhelmed you're not alone.

Even though I was incredibly stressed at the prospect of picking a school, now I can truthfully say that choosing my current institution was the best decision I've ever made thus far. Choosing your future college is a big deal, but with the right things in mind, you'll definitely be able to pick a school that's right for you.

Here are a few things you should consider (in no particular order) when picking a school:

3 Ways to Avoid the Mid-Semester Slump

We did it, guys! We made it halfway through the semester, and I can almost taste the fresh air and relaxation that is waiting at the end of finals week. However, since the end is so close and spring break has just finished, it's easy to find yourself lacking motivation to do literally anything at all. I know I've definitely caught this strange form of undergraduate "senioritis", and I am none too happy about it!

That's why I've compiled a list of things that will help to beat this mid-semester laziness so that we can all complete all of our goals for the semester and end strong. I hope you enjoy!

Make Your Next Advising Meeting a Success!

Ugh, advising meetings. Despite your advisor's best efforts to make it a good experience, not only do advising meetings signify the beginning of the end of the semester (Finals! Research papers! Moving out of your dorm!), but with course scheduling for the next semester they can be a hassle and a half in their own right.

Even though I did not enjoy my first advising experience, with more preparation and tweaks to my approach my most recent advising meeting was relaxed, productive, and (dare I say) enjoyable! I was able to plan out my next semester, get transfer courses approved, and ask about recommendations for electives. With that in mind, here are a few things that I adopted in my approach to advising meetings that will hopefully make your next meeting great:

#STEMBabes: Dealing with the Gender Gap and Sexism in Classes

Hi, and welcome back to the #STEMBabes series!

(If you haven't read my introductory post to this series, please click over and read it now!)

Each month, I will be featuring a woman doing cool things in her own STEM-related field in the hopes that they will be able to answer any questions you might have about navigating the world of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering as a female. There are so many girls succeeding and truly making a difference in their respective industries, and I hope getting to know some of them better will help/inspire/motivate girls out there who are getting ready to embark on a similar path.

This month, Caitlyn of College with Caitlyn has written on her experiences with the gender gap and sexism in classes as a Mathematics major and Computer Science minor, and how to handle being the only girl in a classroom full of boys. (According to recent statistics, gaps in higher education and the workforce do exist between men and women in the STEM fields)

I hope you enjoy Caitlyn's post on this subject - I know I did! 

5 Ways to a Self-Care Spring Break

For one week every Spring semester, hundreds of thousands of students take on adventures during their spring break, exploring a different place in the short period of time they have before school kicks into high gear. While many students will be jetting off to Disney World or volunteering in South America during spring break, many others will be taking a much needed staycation at home (including me!), and that's totally okay.

Even though they may not be out traveling and having a massive adventure, I personally feel that a week of pampering and self-care can be just as rewarding, as it can be used to recharge and prepare for the rest of the semester. It's easy to lose track of yourself with a full course load and extracurriculars to boot, and you definitely deserve some "me" time to make all of your stress worth it.

Here are a few things you can do in order to make your staycation of a spring break rewarding, rejuvenating, and still tons of fun!

February Favorites

Can you guys believe it's March already? I swear it was just yesterday that I was writing my January favorites post - now I'm halfway through the Spring semester and basically drowning from all of the work I have to do. Even though I do feel like I'm doing a lot, I have been pretty happy this past month, something that I talked about in one of my last blog posts.

Anyway, here are a few things that I've loved this February - enjoy!