My Life Long Struggle With Body Image

 I want to share a personal story with you all:

During my entire lifetime I have struggled with my weight.

It begin from the moment I was born with me coming into this world weighing almost ten pounds.

Throughout school I was always made fun of for two things: my weight and for wearing glasses. I never asked to be fat and I never asked to be considered legally blind without contacts or glasses. I was also never shown proper nutrition growing up either. It was always fast food and the typical southern cooked comfort foods floating in grease. How is a small child suppose to know this was wrong when she was never expose to what proper nutrition was to begin with? Especially when my guardians never bothered to teach me.

My doctor would always lecture me about losing weight. It was bad. Of course it got to the point where I was so afraid to go to the doctor because of how 'cruel' they seemed. It hurt my confidence and it caused me to begin eating less.

By the time I started middle school I lost about twenty to thirty pounds by simply not eating as much. Of course, I stopped eating the fast food that was offered to me and made some other life style changes such as walking more and focused on swimming and playing outside. When I was twelve years old I was going through a very bad abusive home life. I don't want to go too deep into detail but I remember the foods I put into my body was really the only thing I truly had control over. I then discovered that I could simply take them out by making myself throw up.... so I did. I then became even thinner.

For the next three years of my 'teenage hood' I was still in a terrible living situation at home. My birth mother and I were left abandon and the only food left in the house had maggots roaming all over it so we lived on non perishable items such as oatmeal and canned foods. When I had the opportunity to leave that mess of a life when I was sixteen I remember becoming sick with Mononucleosis (or known as Mono aka "The Kissing Disease"). For two weeks of my life I remember absolutely nothing but sleeping and puking my brains out. I bet I lost about twenty pounds from this alone. After I healed, I finally felt like I had an upper hand - I never let myself fully have my appetite back.

I continue to "eat whatever" in moderation and in secretly got rid of it by throwing up in. Nobody knew about this - not even my best friend. It was the best well kept secret I have ever had.

This continue and became even worse during my freshman year of college. I had the aspiration of joining the Air Force after college so I joined ROTC thinking if I could meet the Army's fitness regulations then I could meet the Air Force's with no problems. I had never been through a 'tough' workout in my entire life so when I began doing PT this was a huge wake up call for me. I was also never a runner - I tried so hard but just could not do it.

I was also intrigue about how I could finally eat anything and everything I wanted whenever i wanted for the first time in my life and never had any supervision. You know, the campus meal plan life!

It was Chick-Fil-A breaded sandwiches everyday (I never had Chick-Fil-A before this because we couldn't afford to eat there) and all of the soft drinks I could swim in. And I thought it was okay because i could just get rid of it later and everything would be fine.

I gained about thirty pounds... in two semesters.

I was crying myself to sleep with my clothes not fitting me anymore and being out of breath by just walking up the stairs to get to class. It was embarrassing!

That summer after freshmen year I started watching what I ate more and tried my best to not make it all go away and to let my body soak up the nutrients the food gave me. I lost a little bit of weight by doing this but still had a long way to go.

I went into my sophomore year of college dating this guy who I thought was ALL that and a bag of pretzels. Three months later and he broke my heart and yada yada.

I remember I was so pissed off from this failed relationship. I was so pissed off at the person I saw in the mirror. I was mad that I let myself put so much into someone and gave myself the short end of the stick. Why do I not care enough to invest in myself???

I was at home for Christmas break that year too and felt so "off". I went to the doctor and discovered that I had Tachycardia. I was told the was,of course, no cure or treatment for this. I also discovered I had a heart mere. They couldn't help me unless I fell out in the floor. That scared me. My health was in jeopardy and I never cared until I had this heart problem.

So I started a weight loss resolution for that new year and I even tracked my process by keeping an online blog about it! I did everything right except I did not give myself the proper amount of nutrients my body needed. Again, you know why? Because I was never taught that. I ate literally one piece of bread with peanut butter and Nutella on it for lunch and barely half a plate full of stuff for dinner. I did give up sodas and I was stuffing my face with salads. I wish I knew more about macros back then because I feel like if I did I would have been able to maintain my weight better. The good side was that I stopped throwing my food up. I don't know if it was the counselling I went through or what, but I stopped cold turkey.

I ended up losing forty- five pounds. I had a flat stomach and fit into a size small for the first time ever in my life. I religiously counted calories and spent forty-five minutes before every workout doing nothing but cardio. I was finally so damn happy with my body for the first time in my entire life!

Then I met my ex and came the eating out and never cooking at home.The progress slowly went away over the three years with him. I kept working out and hitting the weights hard but I wasn't keeping up with a calorie deficit so it basically maintained my weight.

Then it lead me to now.

Since I've been with my current boyfriend I have put on some more pounds but that is because of his amazing cooking. I have started over again but this time with counting macros and calories and putting some more cardio back into my work out routines. I am losing weight. My clothes are fitting better but I still have fifty pounds to go. It is a long process folks, I've been down this road before but now I am better equipped.

I've been clean of bulimia for six years now.

It took me a very long time before I could look into the mirror and not hate the woman staring back at me.. I used to avoid looking at myself at all costs because I was ashamed of what I saw.

I had to let go of this "Hollywood wannabe lifestyle" as I got older. I could care less if I am a size zero and weigh one hundred pounds now. I stopped focusing on that and focused more on being stronger.

Strong out weighs skinny any day!

I want to have the muscles and have my booty double the size of what it already is (Kim K, I'm coming for you!).

I found self love by changing my mindset.

Also now that I am entering my late twenties I am taking my health more seriously. I am doing my yearly testing and taking the vitamins and supplements that my doctor has requested for me to take so I can continue my weight loss and live a more active and healthier life style.

I wish I could sit here and tell you the magic solution to gain a healthier view of your body image but the truth is I can't. Honestly, I think you have to go through the hell of hating yourself and learn of how pick yourself out of that funk. You have to be aware of how to train your mind whenever you feel yourself going into that state. We can't expect to live a life free of suffering because there is absolutely no growth in it. I know that is not what a lot of you want to hear but it is the honest truth.

I challenge you to take steps to live a healthier lifestyle and to MOVE YOUR BODY! I promise, the more you move your body the happier you are going to be. I have been dedicating time to the gym for the last almost decade of my life and I have NEVER regretted a workout - I only regret the times I did not go.

Talk to your doctor, talk to a nutritionist, and talk to a trainer. But most importantly, talk to yourself and be kind to yourself every day when you look in the mirror.

Your positive body image will come, I promise.

  

 Before my first round of weight loss in 2013

After I lost the first forty-five pounds in 2014.

Recently. 2020

How The Pandemic Has Shaped My Mental Health

Hi friends!

So for this week's post I want to be specific about my experience with my mental health through this pandemic. This post will be a little shorter because I don't want to ramble too much and I am trying to encourage our community to be a bit more interactive so we may learn different perspectives from one another.

I know my experience is different than a lot of people's since I do not live alone anymore and I still have my job, but I want to offer what my mind saw as a different angle of perspective to you all. There is always something positive in something so negative, we just have to train our minds to look for it.

For the last five years my mental health has been a constant battle. It is beyond true that the worst critic lies between your own two ears.

It feels like my mind has been on a hamster wheel - constantly going around and around only to make no progress and ending up with the same outcomes. I was mentally exhausted and I desperately needed a break - especially after all of the trauma from my bad car accident.

When the news of the pandemic began heavily circulating I found myself calm. I typically do very well in staying calm in chaotic situations - I credit my time as a 911 dispatcher for learning that valuable skill. As things began to shift, everything started closing down and we started working from home.

 I noticed for the very first time in a long time my world finally was put on pause and then in slow mode. The hamster wheel broke and I was finally able to catch my breath.

Once the shut down hit, I had JUST finished about eight weeks of therapy. I suddenly had more free time to dive deeper into the mindfulness techniques and other new perspectives my therapist taught me. It was also when I launched this blog and community group!

I was able to focus on breath work and yoga. From practicing yoga I found the art of meditation. Since you know everything was shut down, I no longer felt guilty for not hitting the gym four days a week - I worked out at home - or not making it to this place or that place. My mind finally erased this mile long list of obligations I was in chains to and if I did not do I would beat myself up about it. 

As I dove deeper into meditation I felt the beginning of my awakening. I was letting go of the old templates that no longer served me. I was letting go of things that were installed into my head as a child that no longer brought value to my life or mentality.  I finally had the alone time to work on healing abuse from my past and dealing with the difficult things I've been putting off for so many years. 

I finally received the quiet time and stillness that my soul so desperately needed and it has improved my mental health more than ever.

It is still not perfect but heavy improvements have been made and I plan to continue them.

This has shaped me into the spiritual person I am to this moment. The Universe always has a way of giving you what you need in order to adventure on to the next phase in life. I needed this slow down in order to receive the clarity and instructions for my next chapter. 

The universe has our backs we just have to trust and surrender ourselves to it. 

No matter how bad this year gets, you can still thrive if you have the right mindset!

Please, do not ever feel ashamed for asking for help if you are struggling with your mental health. Always reach out to someone!

Inside Sarah's Kitchen: My Ranch Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe

Hi Friends! 

Are you guys ready for another amazing recipe?? I cook this one from time to time and Jonathan goes crazy over it every single time I make it. It is 'sorta' healthy and very delicious! I literally just made this up one day as I was trying to figure out new things to do with chicken breast and it turned out very good. SIo here it is!

You will need however many chicken breasts you want to make, ranch sauce, butter, seasonings, and maybe a few toothpicks.

The Sauce

I literally use left over Chick-Fil-a ranch packs that I have in my fridge. You can, of course, use any ranch. I also put a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, and Oregano. Mix it up and put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Once it is melted, stir it some more.

 The Chicken

Wash you chicken. Always wash your chicken! Then you are going to cut the chicken breast open into a butterfly shape. This can be tricky to do so be careful.

This is sort of difficult so if you have never done chicken like this before it will take you a few ties before you master it. Just get it open to where you can stuff it.

Paint it

It really is what it sounds like! Paint your sauce all over the breast. Make sure you get the inside and outside.

The Stuffing

I use the pepper/onion blend with some spinach and cheese. Be mindful of how much you put in there because you will have to fold or roll this breast back up. 

Roll it up!

This part can be tricky - you can either fold it back up and use a tooth pick to keep it in place. If you do not have tooth picks and it refuses to stay in place when you fold it you can always roll it into a ball. It will be tasteful either way! Be creative!

Once you roll/ fold it up then put more sauce on it! I also sprinkle more cheese on top as well and a little more seasonings. Cook it on 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Once your chicken is fully cooked then you're cook to go! You can pair this with a carb or eat just the breasts like we do!

I failed at life and didn't get a final photo of my creation but this is right before I put it in the oven to cook. If you end up making this let me know what you think!

An Introduction To The Law Of Attraction

Hi friends! 

This week I want to briefly touch on something that I am currently in the process of learning more about myself - The Law Of Attraction. In my recent studies and healing I have came across this teaching MANY times. This is a very powerful method and it makes you not only question your way of thinking but it makes you more conscience about the thoughts that you let come in and out of your head. We all know that the brain is a powerful thing, but the skill lies in on how well you can control it.

History

Here is a brief history on this teaching. Of course, I had to reference some sources and I applied them at the end. Please check them out if you are interested in learning more. Many thanks to these articles in helping me to obtain more in dept education on this concept.

The Law of Attraction was first thought to have been taught to humans hundred of years ago by the immortal Buddha. It is historically believed that he wanted it to be known that 'what you have become is what you have taught'. This belief creates the foundation of The Law of Attraction. As this concept was spread throughout western culture the term "Karma" was eventually discovered as well. That is an entire blog post on its own though!

For centuries it has been a common understanding among many cultures, including ours, that what you give out to the world (happiness, anger, hate, or love) is ultimately what can be return to your own life.

The power of attraction, however, is not a new concept.

 Many civilizations and religious groups have actually practiced the Law of Attraction.

 For example, in Christianity Proverbs 23:7 reads, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he."

Author Nina Amir provides good example of how this method is used in the Judaism religion. The belief of "What we think is what we get" has been a longtime teaching to its followers. Kabbalists, known as Jewish mystics, were aware that thoughts and words - especially combined with feelings - would manifest our wants. They taught that the Hebrew or known as the "Holy Language" was very special because the letter posses an extraordinary energy force which made it a primordial tool for creation.

This is proof that the Law of Attraction can be uncovered, demonstrated, recorded, and taught in may different ways throughout our history and is still available for humanity to discover. There is even science behind this teaching that includes quantum physics, which is a very popular science in spirituality, that proves this teaching. I encourage you all to dig into those studies!

I highly encourage you to research this method in reference to all religions to see what their view is on it.

The Seven Rules Of The Law Of Attraction

1. Focus on what you want, not on what you don't want.
2. Expect the best and you will get the best.
3. Never mind "what is" but imagine it the way you want it to be.
4. Notice and appreciate every little good thing in your life.
5. Change your beliefs to reshape your reality.
6. Focus on possibilities and not limitations.
7. Practice gratitude like a religion.

How To Use The Law Of Attraction

This is a concept that can be simple yet challenging at the same time. You have to change your response to daily situations. You will need to change your way of thinking to focus more on the things you want out of this life. You also can focus more on the things that make you feel good and get involved in the creation of your future by controlling your thoughts and emotions. 

This is something that was heavily taught to me in therapy when it came to dealing with depression and anxiety - control your thoughts and emotions!

You will need to ask God and/or the Universe and/or your creator more of what you want and less of what you don't want. You must be aware that you attract things into your that you give you energy and attention to - whether it is wanted or not. You can manifest anything you want, but you have to learn how to control the mind. See the pattern here?

You will have to firmly believe that you will get what you want. 

Now Sarah, what do you mean by this? 

This means that you stay positive knowing that you put your future into the hands of your higher power whether that is your creator or the universe (whichever spirituality or religion you practice) and know that your higher power will always have your best interested in mind. However, this is far from easy because our beliefs just always seem to get in the way which creates a blockage from us receiving abundance and happiness. 

If you struggle with this like I use to, the first thing you have to do is the change your perspective. I cannot stress enough how powerful perspective is!

 You have to change your mindset into thoughts that you deserve love, you are worthy, you are desirable, you are capable of doing anything you want, and that you are strong enough. You must change your thoughts to mirror that you are good enough in every way possible.This is a challenge but it is not impossible to do. This is why yous should practice daily affirmations. Once you believe that you are enough to get what you want you must then take action. It is not just enough to think it - you have to put in the work as well. 

You will then need to match your vibration to the desire that you want. Viberational matches attract what you want into your life. If  you are new to this spiritual phrase it simply means you need to match the energy that you hold within yourself and the energy you give out to what you are wanting. You must raise your vibration to match what you are wanting. 

In order to change or raise your viberational match, you must focus on creating more positive emotions such as love, happiness, joy, and like I said above practice gratitude like a religion! Also, practicing the emotions that you would feel as if you are experiencing receiving what you want will help too. These emotions are, of course, created through our thoughts. If you didn't know, your thoughts are creating feelings all the time which is why it is important to catch yourself when your emotions begin to tremble off towards the negative side.

This is something that takes time. I learned this concept in therapy and I am still working on trying to master it. Like I said above, the mind is a powerful thing but you become even more powerful when you learn how to CONTROL it!

I hope this provides a great new perspective on life and I hope you learned a lot. Please visit the sources I listed above if you want to dive deeper into this concept and do some research of your own. You will be so amazed at what you learn!

References:

Amir, Nina.A Jewish Mystical Perspective on Law Of Attraction.

 https://ninaamir.com/jewish-mystical-perspective-law-attraction/

https://www.thelawofattraction.com/what-is-the-law-of-attraction/ 

I actually recommend this website if you would like to read up more on this teaching. 

https://www.jackcanfield.com/blog/using-the-law-of-attraction/  is a good educational source as well.

Making My 5 Favorite Pleasures Healthier.

Hello friends!!!

So if you guys follow me you can probably tell that we love food in our household. We are always trying different dishes, adding this and that to make things better, and mix a little rum with almost everything we drink.

Well, health wise that may not always be smart. So since I am back on my weight loss journey I want to share five things with you all that I absolutely LOVE and I found ways to make healthier so I can reach my fitness goals.

These are in no particular order either.

1. Cheeseburgers.

Y'all, I love me a big, fat, greasy cheese burger to clog the system. LOL! It's the best hangover meal too! BUT, it is not always the best for you so I found ways to have it while staying healthy.

I leave the bun off when I have just about reached my carb intake for the day.

I ALWAYS grill it so the fat can be cooked off and it is not cover in grease.

I keep my toppings simple. I hate cold items on hot sandwiches. I just keep cheese, onions, and olive oil mayo.

I will also switch it up and do either a soy burger or veggie burger instead - just as much protein if not more and tastes waaaaay better to me.

2. Brownies/Cakes

While nothing will ever substitute the deliciousness of a bundt cake, I do have measure that I take upon the rest of it!

I am lactose and tolerant to begin with so I have been doing these tricks for a while now:

I don't use butter or oil. I just put a little extra water in the mix. Trust me!

I also don't use milk. IF I do it is lactose free milk but I rarely buy that since I don't like milk much to begin with.

I have left out the eggs before as well. 

I swear it sounds so weird but THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE in taste and you save so many calories.

This my friends, is how you make "dairy free" goodies.

3. Water

So I always say that I was a mermaid in my past life because ever since I can remember I have been addicted to water- swimming in it, drinking it, submerging myself in it - I always have to be around water in order to feel relax and calm.

Water is the most important building block of your body. It flushes everything out of your system, it makes your skin glow, it keeps you healthy all around. I know some people find it difficult to get water down because I want some type of taste. I get it, I go through that stage every now and then as well. So here is what I like to do to ensure I drink enough water everyday:

Fresh fruit is amazing in your water. Lemons, limes, strawberries even - it is all delicious! Throw it in there!

The crystal light packets are also a good way to get your water down. Just make sure that you read the ingredients list and know what is in them. I personally drink Kroger brand raspberry lemonade powder almost once a day in my water. Usually after I finish my 30oz cup of that I am craving normal water again.

Keep a turvis with you. This is honestly how I drink so much water. I HAVE to have ice cold water so I keep ice in my off brand Yetti tumbler and it keeps it nice and cold for me. 5 of the 30 oz ones equal to about a gallon. 

4. Alcohol

I looooooooooooooove my wine! However, I recently had to cut back. Now I have maybe two glasses a week...sad I know.

Alcohol is so tricky. There are some red wines that are good for you and there are some things out there that is just good in moderation - like everything in life.

SO you best believe I found a way around this one:

I will drink the Selzier beers.... don't unfriend me. 100 calories and you got to get used to the taste.

2 glasses of wine a week if I have wine in the fridge.

If I know I am going to drink a lot but want to stay good for my diet I will put water in my tumbler cup with ice, the raspberry lemonade packet, and about 3 shots of rum. Mix it up and you're basically drinking water with a little kick! You can do it with vodka too Thank you to my queen Miranda Lambert for sharing that is what she does.

5.Carbs

I love my rice. Rice is everything in life. I will eat it three meals a day! However, I have had to slow down my intake for it.

Cook your rice in a rice cooker. It makes the world of a difference trust me. Just do a little tiny dab of oil, and make sure your rice is clean! Portion control matters!

I don't really like pasta but if I do eat it I will eat the veggie pasta so I get more of my veggie nutrients in.

Bread. OMG, I have a love - hate relationship with bread. I've learned over the years to use as little bread as possible with things. If I make a sandwich I will fold it and only use one slice of bread. I will do bun-less burger and hot dogs as well.

I hope you guys enjoy these tips!

When You Give A Girl A Grandfather....

When You Give A Girl A Grandfather

 By: Sarah McMahan

                                                             

 

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her confidence to accept the skin she's in and to stop wishing that she was someone else.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her hope that even though her actual "father" is not in her life she can still have some type of normalcy.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her that "father figure" symbol that she never knew she was missing because she never missed it - you were it!

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her unconditional love no matter how many times she fell down or messed up. You helped picked her back up and told her it is okay to make mistakes because that is how we learn.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you gave her the basic necessities that she was missing - money, food, clothing,and love.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her hope. Hope that one day she can blossom into the woman she wants to be.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her humor.. You teach her to not take life so seriously and to laugh at the small things. You teach her how to be witty and to make people laugh.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her a friend.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you teach her how to defend herself. Psychically: Gun safety and self defense. Verbally: With her words to people that try tear her down. You teach her to not take crap from anyone and to stand up for herself. You teach her how to not let people walk over her and how to stay strong and grounded in who she is.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her memories and lessons that she will treasure for the rest of her life.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her advice on how to navigate through this crazy world.

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her love. You give her a safe place to be. 

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her things that money just can't buy. 

When you give a girl a grandfather, you give her the world and you make her unstoppable.

Happy Father's Day to both of my grandfathers who are no longer here with me. I miss you both each and everyday. May you always live in my heart.

Inside Sarah's Kitchen: Chick-Fil-A Nugget Bowl Hack

Good Day Friends!

For this week's post I want to share this amazing Chick-Fil-A hack I saw on Tick Tok and tried for myself that I ended up LOVING!

Here is what we will be making today: I'm not sure exactly what it is called but it is chicken nuggets, waffle fries with ranch, Chick-Fil-A, and buffalo sauce.

   When you go to Chick-Fil-A you will order the following: chicken nugget combo (whichever quantity you'd like) it can either grilled or fried - I get the grilled because I typically like to eat healthier- along with the waffle fries, and your drink of choice. Also make sure you ask for Chick-Fil-A sauce, Ranch sauce, and Buffalo sauce. I've heard of some people use the sweet and sour sauce as well but I haven't tried it with that yet. You can also ask for a salad container but I honestly just came home and put it all in a bowl.

So I start with my grilled nuggets in a bowl. You can cut them up into smaller pieces if you'd like.

Next, you put the waffle fries in with the nuggets. You can tear these apart to make them smaller if you'd like.

Next, you put the ranch sauce on them. I had extra left over Chick-Fil-A salad ranch dressing in my fridge so that is what I used.

Then you put the Chick-Fil-A sauce on there.

Finally, you put the buffalo sauce over the rest of it and mix it up a little bit.

There ya have it! Enjoy!

Make sure you tag me if you end up making this and let me know how you like it!

To the High School Seniors Going To College...

These are some very abnormal times for our world right now. Due to this recent virus I know that many of us are affected in many ways including our high school and college seniors. 

I personally want to extend my deepest condolences to you, I can only imagine putting in ALL of the blood, sweat, and tears that I had to put in just to get to the very end of my senior year and have something unpredictable stand between me and celebrating my accomplishments. However, I want to tell you that once things begin to lift and become normal again, I hope that you celebrate with your friends and family like no other!

 So for this week I want to dedicate this blog post to you guys and offer some advice that I wish I knew going into this stage of life. 

To the high school seniors going into college:

• Don't take 8am classes (unless you really want to)!! This is the only time in your life that you can enjoy sleeping in every single day and not be judged for it. Enjoy it while you can!
• Find a healthy eating balance- freshmen fifteen is a REAL thing!
• Do not forget to exercise! Find the time to get your workout in! The gym on campus opens early and closes late to accommodate students' needs - take advantage of that! Also, try out the workout classes. If it wasn't for my college experience, I would had never took up belly dancing, kick boxing, spinning, and HILT classes.
• Get involved with as much as you can on campus! Whether it is Greek Life, clubs within your major, religious organizations - find something and get involved!
• Focus on making as many meaningful relationships as you can. Network, network, network!! This will help you  later on in your career!
• Greek Life is ALWAYS worth it.
• Do not be afraid to reach out to tutors, aids, or professors if you need extra help. They want you to succeed. You are not being an inconvenience. Plus, your tuition pays for it.
• Having a social life is great but please remember that you are here for an education. Stay on top of your grades!
• Stay up to date on your scholarship requirements. They may possibly change after each semester. 
• Explore off campus! This is especially true if you are like me and moved to a new city. You will have a new appreciation for the world around you.
• Strive to always look presentable even if you are roaming around on campus and going to class - you never know who is watching!!
• Do as many internships as you can! You will thank yourself later when you go to build your resume.
• If you do an internship, NETWORK! A lot of internships turn into possible jobs and/or references for future employment.
• Stick to a weekly budget. Don't blow through your money!
• Take advantage of the on campus resources like counselling, the medical unit, the career center, the math and writing labs, and other student accommodations that your university may offer.
• Take care of your mental health. This is a transitional period and more than likely this is the very first time you are on your own without your family or parents.Universities usually offer free counselling to students - take advantage of it! Thank me later..
• Relationships come and go. Listen, not everyone ends up with their high school and college sweethearts. Again, you are there for your education, do not let your relationship cloud your goals. Dating during this time of your life is fun and it helps you figure out what you want in a partner. However, do not go to college to earn your MRS degree - be better than that.
• Failure happens, learn from it and let it make you better. The very first time I had ever failed a class was college freshmen math. I was devastated and thought it was the end of my world. I was able to retake it and have my retake replace the bad grade in my scholarship to where I was able to keep it. Do your best to NOT fail a class. Take precautions, heck, drop the class if you feel like you won't be able to pull it up. A "W" is better than a "F" in reference for scholarships.
• ORGANIZATION IS YOUR SAVING GRACE!!! The number one thing you will need to do is to stay organized!! Keep a planner! I had a mini planner and a wall calendar. I would write every single due date assignment, project,paper, and test on both whenever I first got my sylybi. Of course, things got changed or pushed back and I just made those changes as needed. I also kept all of my sorority meetings and events, my church events, and club meetings in these as well. I even wrote down my work outs and possible workout classes I wanted to attend. I was a very busy woman!
• Try new things! Whether it is a dish, a class, a workout class, a club - whatever it is just try it! Embrace the opportunities to explore new things because they will not be at the tip of your finger later on in life. Do it now! You may find new hobbies and passions.
• If you change your major and get behind don't beat yourself up. I was fortune enough to stay with my major and got in and out within four years. If you get into something and realize it is not for you then do not be afraid to change your mind. I changed my career goals probably a hundred times throughout college (criminal justice is such a broad field so I was able to get away with it). Do it while you can!
• Don't forget to go visit home. I barely went home the first half of my college career, and at the end of it I felt like I went home too much. Find a healthy balance. Don't forget where you came from but don't go running home every chance you can. Enjoy your time away!
• If you get in there and begin to realize college isn't for you IT IS FLIPPING OKAY I don't care what anyone says!  Trade schools are just as amazing if not better!

I am sure there are so many other pieces of advice I have forgotten but I want to leave you with these. I hope they inspire you and get you excited for this next chapter of your life! College truly is the best times of your life! Enjoy your time and congratulations on this next step!