5 Things Not to Worry About Freshman Year of College

Freshman year is a time of great excitement for students who will be away from home for the first time in their lives. Navigating a new city, a new campus, while attending new classes with new people presents many opportunities for reinvention and experiencing new things.

(c): Tax Credits/Flickr

However, this time is often overshadowed by a lot of stress for students who might not be used to being so far away from the comfort zone of what they have always known.

Because everything is so new, teachers, peers, and family members will all try to be offering their own advice to help you navigate your new journey.

Take it from someone who has been there, stressed about it, and survived partially unscathed, worry about all of the things that I didn't need to worry about right away.

Despite what anyone might tell you, these things should not cloud your vision during your first year of school, if ever.

1. Declaring A Major: Freshman year, especially your first semester will likely be spent taking pre-reqs like math, science, art, and a general elective. These courses are required for all students on campus. Most students do not start taking courses for their intended major until second semester or their sophomore year. In the meantime, choose a general elective that interests you, explore different clubs that suit your varying interests, and talk to older students who are pursuing different majors to see what path you might be interested in pursuing. Many students who do declare a major first semester end up switching one or two times before graduation. This is also perfectly OK. In the grand scheme of things, a major is on average four years of study, while a career will be the majority of your adult life. You want to be sure.

(c): Matt/ Flickr

2. Having the Perfect Resume: This is another point that will frequently be stressed your freshman year. While yes, it is nice and smart to get a jump start on adding extracurriculars, volunteer activities, and part-time job experience to your resume, you also have plenty of time. Aim to add 2-3 things per year to your resume, and make sure there is not a major gap in between responsibilities. You want to show that you were able to hold a position for an average of at least 3-6 months, and did not take too much time off before pursuing a greater opportunity.

3. Your Weight/ Time Spent in the Gym: Life is too short not to eat the pizza. Looking back on your time spent in college, how do you want those memories to look? Do you want to remember the stress of scouring over a menu for calorie content, or do you want to remember sitting on the floor of your dorm room sharing pizza and laughs with your roommates? Do you want to remember nights spent exploring your new city, or nights spent sweating in an overly crowded gym?

(c): Ivywoodavenue/ Flickr

4. A Distinguished Friend Group: The friends you meet during orientation will likely not be the friends you have as you're packing up at the end of your first year. Different course directions, different sets of priorities, and several other factors can come into play why friends drift apart. Keep yourself open to making new friends, and don't take it personally if things between you and a friend drift apart. If it was important to both parties, you'd find a way to make the bond last. If not, you make new ones and move on. College is the time to be a 'floater' and get along with everybody. Open your mind and hangout with different groups of people and you will learn a lot in the process.

5. The Future: Sometimes, it might look like everyone has it all figured out, but you: spring break plans, summer jobs or internships, post-college life plans, etc. Scrolling through social media, you will be bombarded with this false sense of reality. It's important to take a deep breath and remind yourself that everybody posts the highlight reel of their life. Nobody has it figured out, regardless of how old they are or where they are in life. We are all learning as we go and doing the best we can.

(c): Cynthia Niklas/ Flickr

4 healthy on-the-go snacks for back-to-school

With back-to-school approaching all to quickly, there is still a lot left for students to prepare for. Once you're past creating the 'perfect' schedule, there's shopping for school supplies, back to school clothes, and making sure you get the most out of whatever you may have left of the summer.

(C): Pixabay.com

One thing I am always conscious of when thinking of back-to-school is making sure that I am properly fueling my body and my mind for the long days ahead. Working part-time while attending school full-time, I am often on the go running from one activity to the next left with little time for a sit down meal.

During the week I rely heavily on snacks to power me through my day and ensure I am getting a proper amount of calories and nutrients for my busy lifestyle.

Below are some of my favorite products that I often pack in my lunch box during the week for healthy and quick mid-day pick me ups that don't require refrigeration.

*Note: these are just suggestions and can be altered to fit your needs/dietary preference.

1. Dried Edamame 

(C): Amazon.com

Edamame is naturally high in protein and fiber and also contain a balance of plant-based protein and carbohydrates.

The snack satisfies the craving for potato chips and desire for a crunchy snack without any added oils. It makes for the perfect snack for in-between classes or a unique way to dress up your salad at lunchtime. My favorite brand is cruncha ma me® original flavor (naked).This particular brand is also available in lightly seasoned, sea salt and black pepper, onion and chive, jalapeno, and savory sesame. Another favorite is SeaPoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame in spicy wasabi. 

2. Chia beverages and squeezes 

(C): Amazon

Our body needs Omega-3s to function properly. These can be found primarily in fish and those on a plant-based diet can also receive them from nuts. However, unless you are also taking supplements, it can be tricky to ensure you are getting a sufficient amount from diet alone.

(C): Amazon

Mama Chia products pack a powerful nutritional punch with each drink offering 2500mg of Omega-3s, while also providing a healthy dose of protein, fiber, vitamin A and calcium. Mama Chia has a line of veggie and fruit flavors. Despite the label, you get more of the chia seed texture than any overpowering fruit or veggie flavor. If you've ever tried boba, it's along the same lines texture-wise. The chia seeds expand in liquid, which makes it taste more like a desert. 

If you'd rather have a snack than drink, the chia squeezes are another great option offering 1,200 mg of Omega-3's and come in a variety of flavors. 

These snacks are a clean and quiet option to satisfy hunger for those times when you're stomach starts to growl in the middle of class. 

(C): Amazon

(C): Amazon

3. Protein bars or shakes

(C): Amazon

Protein bars or shakes are a great choice, because there is a lot of variety of what you can do with them. 

You can have a bar by itself, or for a more complete, balanced meal add a packet of peanut or almond butter with a banana.

Protein shakes can be mixed with any toppings you enjoy, and used as a meal replacement or for a tasty treat to sip throughout the day. This is also another great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

4. Dark chocolate:

Unlike many of the traditional chocolate bars offered in gas stations and check out lines, dark chocolate offers us many health benefits when consumed in moderation (one square 2-3x/week). These benefits include: lower blood pressure, improved blood flow to the brain and heart, which improves cognitive function, regulating blood sugar, and offers antioxidants.

Dark chocolates offering at least 70% cocoa provide the most benefits.


Question: What are some of your favorite snacks to pack for school or work? Which brands offer your favorite products?

Quitting Conditional Happiness and Living Now

Over the past few weeks, I've been engaged in a lot of new blogs and inspiring TED talks and YouTube videos that I'd like to share.

You may notice all of these links, though from different sources share a common theme: conditional happiness. 

Via Flickr/ Asja Boros

Placing conditions on our happiness is when we find ourselves wrapped up in the never-ending array of excuses that start with, "I'll be happy when..." 

When we put conditions on our happiness, we take away the potential for happiness in the here and now, which is already possible. By saying we can only be happy when, we take ourselves out of the present and project ourselves in a time that may or may not come. 

If we can't be happy now with what we already have, it's unlikely that anything materialistic or physical we obtain in the future will present us with what we've been seeking. What we're seeking is already inside.

All of these links serve as a gentle reminder that happiness is possible now. We have every condition we need to be happy in our bodies and in our current circumstance. The only thing standing in our way is ourselves and our own mindset. 

Let go of the conditional belief, and grab the reigns of the life you have always wished to live and start living it now. 

TED Talk: Living Without Shame: How We Can Empower Ourselves

-Whitney Thore, star of My Big Fat Fabulous Life talks about her lifelong struggle with shame surrounding her body image, which started when she was a mere 10-years old. Sound shocking?According to News Medical, statistics show 81 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, while 72 percent of 7 year-olds are dieting. 

-Where is this fear coming from? Even if the diet industry is primarily targeting adults, these habits, behaviors, and products that are being marketed are being passed down to our children, who are observing all of our behaviors and attitudes towards our bodies and our food. 

-Whitney recounts her belief that when she got thin, she would finally be happy. Despite her work allowing her to travel the world, she said, "All of these experiences that should have been so wonderful were tinged with that disgusting and insidious shame that sucked the life and the color out of my memories and left me nothing but black and white, and a never-ending wish to be thin so I could really start my life."

-As she continued to gain weight, people began making assumptions that she was lazy and unmotivated, in turn causing her sense of self-worth to plummet. The decline in her sense of self-worth led her to quit her favorite activity of dance, and fail academics. 

-"I'd do anything to avoid going out in a world that didn't want me."

-It wasn't until she made the conscious decision to not allow other people's opinions of her to affect her sense of self-worth and stop her from living the life she so desperately wanted, and the one she deserved to live.

The Blessing of Living Unfinished

"We don’t get started on our priorities because we’re always trying to finish something else first. We live under the illusion that the to-do list will shrink and, once we’re done doing, we’ll get to start being."

• I love Dr. Kelly's honest approach to each topic he covers. He writes in a way that is aligned with the Buddhist philosophy that says we're not independent, but interdependent. Regardless of what we're going through, others are either going through it or have been through it and survived. 
• We spend so much time creating conditions for our happiness and making excuses for why we keep putting off what we really want to do in life. Dr. Kelly reminds us that our time is limited, so why wait for conditions that might never come to start living the life we truly want? Why not start now?

Not So Little Mermaid

• Plus size vlogger, Loey Lane recalls a time she was at Disney, and the park allowed kids to choose princess names. After writing "Ariel" on her name tag, a bully crossed it out and changed it to read Ursula. She recalls the damage it had on her self esteem that the closest character that resembled her body was considered a villain. 
• If we expect these characters: princesses, barbies, superheroes, etc. to reflect the characteristics we want our children to grow up to encompass, it is extremely important that these characters also reflect the diversity of our children in terms of body size, shape, race and ethnicity. 
• Going back to Dr. Kelly's blog post, we cannot and should not have to wait for 'ideal' conditions to start loving ourselves and our bodies. We need to set the standard that it is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to love the bodies we are in in this given moment. 

Barbie's Running for President, Too

• Continuing the trend of having role models for young girls and boys (dolls, princesses, superheroes) reflect our diverse physical appearance, Barbie has now furthered the initiative to include our diverse characteristics and career aspirations.
• No longer does Barbie simply reflect all the glitz and glamour that we see come out of Hollywood, but the new Presidential Barbie, available in six different skin tones encourages girls to aim as high as they wish with their dreams. The new Barbie encourages shattering glass ceilings. Because what we were once told was impossible, is becoming more and more possible with each passing year. And yes, that includes the possibility of a female president in 2017.
• The new Barbie shifts focus away from physical appearance towards aspirations, dreams, and creating effective change in the world. The box features encouraging sentiments to young girls like, "Are you interested in making the world a better place?" and "Nowadays there are more women running for public office at all levels."

One Size Does Not Fit All

If you've walked through any major retailer in the mall lately, you may have noticed the increase in "one size fits all" labels making an appearance inside the seams of many of our favorite brands. You know, the brands that typically have a celebrity ambassador, and overly sexualized print ads.

Upon first glance, that tag can cause anxiety in many people. "What if" tends to be our first thought. "What if 'one size fits all' means 'all, except me?'" 

Credit: Rachele Cateyes

These are not clothes you want to buy. 

You want to buy clothes that make you feel good about your body, whatever size you are right now. You want clothes that make you feel like the confident being that you are. Why are we still supporting brands that are trying to trick us into believing that in order to fit into their labels, we first need to change something about our appearance? Until this happens, the ads mock, we cannot possibly expect to look good in the clothes. 

These are clothes I will not buy. Or try on for that matter. 

Recently, I have started shopping small, from local designers [Esty], or thrift shops. On one shopping adventure on the gypsy junQue bus, I noticed the designer I was shopping from had all of the labels cut out of her clothes. 

Initially, I thought it was a mistake, and I was a little annoyed:

How was I supposed to know whether or not the clothes were going to fit me or not? 

Little did I know, the owner of the boutique, Elke Lockert, had intentionally cut out the size labels on all of her clothes to promote body positivity and divert our attention and preoccupations with the size of our waists and hips, and back to the craftsmanship of the clothing. 

"I've worn a size 4, and I've worn a 3XL," said Lockert. "If it fits, it fits. If it doesn't, something else will. You shouldn't have to look at a tag and think, 'I can't fit in it, because I've been programmed to think I'm a certain size." 

Credit: Pretty Pear Bride

About two weeks after this initial encounter with no labels, I was browsing a local thrift shop, and noticed there were no labels in the shirts. Rather than feeling similar irritation, I felt a sense of calm. 

I didn't feel the need to know the size, and I liked not knowing. 

I didn't have anxiety attached to a number, because it didn't matter what it was. 

If I liked the shirt, I would try it on, and if it fit, I would buy it. If it didn't, I would put it back on the rack, without giving it a second thought and avoiding the disappointment or shame which is often involved in trying on clothes when we make ourselves hyper-aware of labels.

Who cares what the label says? We are the only ones that know what it says on the inside of our jeans, or on the tag of our shirts. We are the only ones that hold the power to let that number either dictate or destroy us. Don't let it. That number does not give, or takeaway our worth.

Our character is what gives us our worth: our kindness, our heart, our sense of wonder and creativity, our sense of humor, and our loyalty to our friends and family.

This is what matters.

I Am Not My Body

"The body is imaginary, and we bow to the tyranny of a phantom. Love is a privilege perception, the most total and lucid not only of the unreality of the world but of our own unreality; not only do we traverse a realm of shadows; but ourselves are shadow."

                                                   -Adolfo Bioy Casares-

Today was one of those days where I was waging war on my body for no apparent reason other than to have someone to fight with.

I have always been conscious about my health, and really proud of the progress I've made in whatever sport I'm practicing at the time: boxing, weight lifting, resistance training, cycling, track, soccer, etc. To me, nothing is more rewarding and nothing has the ability to make me feel better than a good workout with a nice heavy sweat.

However, these last two weeks have presented a challenge for me. Between working on final assignments for school, work, and having to pack up my belongings and move within the next week, I have fallen off track so to speak.

My nutrition has amounted to grabbing a handful of whatever snack I can open quickly, and eat while walking out the door, or too stressed to eat at all. With a change of routine I haven't been able to commit as fully as I would like to my workouts.

I was feeling pretty down about it, until my philosophy professor said something that liberated all the internal feelings of guilt and doubt.

"Anything good or bad that happens to the body will not make or break us, because we are not our body. We are a soul."

The body merely serves as a vehicle to get from point A to point B. However, this statement made me realize, I am often guilty of not treating my vehicle as I should; either I refuse to put any gas in it at all, or fill it with so much gas, that it starts to spill out the sides.

If our bodies were actually vehicles, my vehicle would be long overdue to breakdown on the side of the highway, threatening to abandon me in the middle of the night, knowing I didn't have my AAA card on hand.

This short phrase brought me so much freedom that I thought I might cry the longer that I reflected on it.

My biggest pet peeve has and might always be getting complimented on my outward appearance.

It's not that I can't appreciate a compliment, because I can. But to me, it's the most superficial form of compliment you can receive. There wasn't much thought there, not much connection. Your mind merely connected with your eyes for a few brief seconds, and your mouth said the first thing that came to mind. There was no depth to the observation.

In my opinion, compliments about my looks or my physical body are superficial, because I put little to no thought into my appearance every day. Everything I do from eating healthy, going to the gym, and dressing professionally is for my mind, and for me to be able to feel and function to my best ability. But to me, there is so much more to me than just my body.

Yes, I am proud of the fact that I have strong legs, but I also have a big heart that inspires me to help anyone in my community that might need a helping hand.

Yes, I am proud of the fact, more than I should be that sometimes I brush my hair in the right direction, but I also have a powerful mind that is always running, churning, trying to crank out new ideas and topics to write about, trying to imagine new worlds to create.

I am so much more than my body, and more than I have been known to give myself credit for.

My body is capable of amazing things, but my soul is the driver that allows my body to get me there, and through all of those activities and obstacles I encounter on a day-to-day basis.

So I challenge you this: look in the mirror tonight. Stand there and really look for a few minutes until you truly see the picture staring back at you. Know that you are much more than the image reflecting back at you. Under that image, however you may choose to see it, live amazing things. Don't forget to open your eyes to those things, too.

You are not your body. You are a living, breathing, and beautiful soul.