What to Listen to When Studying

You've probably heard it all by now; some have told you to only strictly listen to instrumentals while other's have sworn by their ear drum breaking beats. I'm here to tell you to have the best of all the worlds! Here's a couple of stations that are a go to for me when I'm studying.

Songza:

Songza is a site I refer to a lot when I don't have any particular song in mind. It's great because it caters to whatever is going on in your life! Like the pictures state, you can choose what time of the day it is, what you're doing, and  then it will give you song suggestions!

8tracks

Another one of those awesome music sites but instead you can instantly play someone's playlist that they have so carefully put together for you!












Rainy Mood

Nothing is better than the sound of rain. I play rainy mood all the time- by itself, with other songs, when I'm sleeping, studying, any time.

http://idobi.com/radio/player/

Let's be honest, the Gunz Show on idobi radio is probably one of my favorite stations to listen to. I usually have it open when the show is off air, but the interviews are definite perks.


Pandora

I'm sure you knew I wouldn't skip this one! Pandora is one of the easiest music sites to use. Simply put in an artist or song you'd like to listen to, and it will give you songs or artists like it. My favorite stations right now are Disney, Pitch Perfect, Mayday Parade, and love songs.

Other sites worth checking out!
http://www.stereomood.com/
http://www.soundsleeping.com/index.php

The great thing about these sites are that you can change the music you listen to depending on your mood or activity. Find the music that works for you- whether it be loud, quiet, instrumental, or lyrical. You'll study much better and retain more information if you work with music that you're comfortable with. Even if you don't listen to music and study, that's cool too. :)

How to Lose Friends With Grace

Surrounding myself with good friends is something that I have always worked towards. I'm not the kind of person to be comfortable in the midst of negative and fake people. For me it's exhausting and draining. I never know what's being said behind my back and I dislike that. I'm a pretty confident person, and while I don't care what people think of me, I do care if something I do or say is awesome to their faces but behind my back is the worst thing they've ever heard of. Who needs that negativity in their lives?

With that being said, I have had my share of best friends over the years. Some I have lost because of distance, but most because we don't see eye to eye on things and so one of us pulls away from the other. Even at college this has happened! It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Growth is good. You start to figure out what and who you need in your life and what you would rather do without. 

I had friends who knew nothing about my relationship with my boyfriend but would go to him and tell him that I treated him wrong and he needed to break up with me. To my face, nothing was said. They never tried to get my side of the story and just assumed what they wanted. It's frustrating because these are the people I trust. A lot of them if I tried to come to them with a problem they would brush me off. And then when a mutual friend would sit with me and just listen to me, they would turn on both of us and rush to my boyfriend to say that I was being influenced wrongly. But they weren't willing to listen! I'm not the person to be easily influenced. I'm pretty stubborn and not swayed at all by other's. If I don't believe it's right, it won't be done by me. So for someone to say that I'm easily influenced is insulting. These people who I trusted with everything were spreading rumors saying that I was cheating but when gently called out on it, denied it profusely. 

Here are some signs that you might want to rethink your relationship with somebody. 

• Everything they say is negative. Everybody likes to complain, even me. I'm the worst at it. There's a difference though in complaining occasionally about class and talking crap about everybody. If they can't be there to defend themselves, don't say it. 
• They put you down. Whether to your face or behind your back, this is not okay. Especially since they are supposed to have your back not talk behind it! 
• They constantly bail on you to hangout with other friends. I had a friend who did this a lot towards the end of our friendship. We would have plans and then suddenly she couldn't hang out because she would rather hang out with other girls. Occasionally skipping out on plans is okay, but not every time. If you have plans, try to be the person that almost always sticks to them. 
• When confronted, rather than talk and listen they will immediately get defensive and make it out to be your fault.
• They always expect you to drop everything for them but don't return the favor. 

Nobody's perfect and some of the time your friend might not even be sure they are doing anything wrong. Before immediately jumping the gun, try talking to them. However if they don't want to hear what you have to say, consider walking away from the relationship. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to be surrounded by people that make you feel that way. Do yourself a favor. 

This quote basically sums everything up. 

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5 Ways to be Successful in College

With school back in session I figured now would be a great time for some tips on how to make your semester awesome!

1. Go to office hours.

Office hours is the designated time that your professor sets aside to answer your questions. You can also use this time to get to know your professor. Find out what their grading standards are, if they offer extra credit, how much homework they will assign, and what you can do to get the best grade you possibly can in their class. At first it might be uncomfortable, but teachers remember their students. They pay attention to who sits in the front of the class, who attends office hours, and who answers their questions in class. Bonus points: If you get to know a teacher in your major really well, they may be able to help you network and also give you an awesome recommendation. Alternative: If you aren't comfortable or can't go to office hours, email your teacher. You may be able to get a lot of what you need out of the syllabus, but it's always good to build some kind of a relationship with your teacher. They respect a student who puts in a tiny bit of extra effort.


2. Find a place to study. 

Whether it be the library, bedroom, study hall, the forum, student union, or a friend's room; find that space! It is important to figure out how your mind focuses best and then to utilize that knowledge. If you know that you need quiet, go to the library and find a quiet room. Work best while talking to others? The student union, forum, study group, or a friend's room might be ideal. Or if you need quiet but don't mind some interruptions, your room could be perfect for you. Find that place and try figure out it quickly. It might take a little trial and error but once you're settled you will notice that

My Study Life: An app that keeps your schedule in one place. I prefer to write it down in a planner but I also like to have it available whenever I need it.

3. Eat and drink. 

If your school is like mine, you'll figure out really fast that meals aren't exactly awesome all the time. To get around this, find out what will be served and when. I like to get each weeks meal plan and then figure out ahead of time what I'm going to eat. Do your body a favor and please eat! Sure you could use that extra time to sleep, but your body needs it. I have a horrible habit of putting off breakfast and lunch and so to get rid of that I bought a mini fridge/freezer for my dorm and a cooler for my backpack. That way I don't have to venture all the way to the caf for my meal.

My typical week 
For breakfast: Bagel with peanut butter and a sliced banana around the top
Cheerios and an apple Omelette with green peppers
Bagel with egg and cheese on top
Muffin with a banana
For lunch: Bologna and salami wrap with lettuce, spinach, and green peppers.
Ham/turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat bread
Chicken and cheese quesadilla
Sides: apple sauce, yogurt, salad, or fresh fruit
For dinner: Typically whatever they are serving that doesn't sound awful. I usually try to stay safe with pasta, a large salad, or soup. I'm super picky about the meat I eat so I usually try to keep away from it. Although, on Sunday nights the only thing served is hamburgers and I definitely get on board for that.

Water is also as equally important! I try to stay away from juices all of the time because even though fruit juices sound healthy and awesome, they are also packed with sugars. Carry a water bottle with you to class and do yourself a favor.

WaterIn: This app is awesome for monitoring your water intake! I've used it for awhile now and it definitely takes some remembering, but how cool is it to physically see how much water you've taken in?

Food Planner: Keeps your meal plan, grocery list, inventory, and recipe collection in one place. So helpful!

4. Rest. Sure you have that test at 8 a.m. tomorrow and you've been studying your butt of for six hours already but you really could go over the flash cards 11 more times before you crash. But what is this really doing to your mind and body? You can only hold so much information and the more rest you give yourself after studying the better off you will be. And I mean, staying out until four a.m. sounds awesome but how much better will you feel if you get those couple extra hours of sleep? Your body and mind needs the rest so you should be kind to it.

Rainy mood: This site is my favorite go to when I can't sleep. The sound is soothing and you can even add background music to it.

5. Get involved. Motivation will be one of your keys to doing well in college. What better way to stay motivated than to get involved on campus? Find a club, sport, or organization and get your butt in action! You'll meet new friends, try out something new, or help some people out. Alternative: If school work is keeping you so busy that you find you don't have enough time for something like this, incorporate it into your school work! Start a study group instead or get to know the kids in your class! That way you're still involved but still have time to get all your work done.

Have a great year!

Losing a Pet While at College

This topic is something that I am unfortunately pretty familiar with. My first semester as a freshman was about halfway done when I got a call that my male shepherd was not doing well. I had been blind to the fact that while I was getting older, completing high school, and starting college my dog was getting more grey whiskers and aching more in his hips. Gunther was a rescue from one of the local SPCA's and kind of tore your heart out to look at when we first brought him home. He was thin and underweight for his age, didn't bark for months after we got him, and was terrified of any loud noises. We're not sure what events brought him to the shelter but we can guess. However it never felt like we adopted him. It was more like he adopted us. Even though he went through whatever he did, he still let us into his heart. He trusted us with everything he had and loved us with everything he was. A little while after I got the first call, I was on fall break still out at school when I got the second. This call I only vaguely remember. All I really recall was that when my parents woke up, as Gunther always slept in my parents room, Gunther didn't. I was heartbroken. Especially because he was my family. Gunther was my extra sibling growing up, my guard dog who would raise his hackles and scare the daylights out of anyone you didn't like, and a warm old soul who was the best for telling secrets to. Losing him was losing a family member and when I was finally able to get home over Christmas break I definitely lost it when I realized that for the first time in over a decade he wouldn't be there to welcome me as he always did with thundering and happy barks. The other day my female shepherd was barking and without thinking I called her Gunther and asked her to hush. Definitely strange. Losing a family member like that will still take some getting used to.

Fast forward a few months and it's the day before I'm scheduled to come home for summer break. I remember that around the time Gunther wasn't doing well, my cat Mr. Man had also been struggling with a tumor. My family had it taken care of and it was pushed to the back of my mind because I would rather think of him as being healthy. So when I get the call, I'm sitting in the library lab furiously finishing with my works cited page for my English final. I'm surrounded by classmates who are also trying to finish their paper before the deadline in a few hours so imagine their shock when I get the call that my cat is going into emergency care. When my mom woke up and went downstairs, Manny wasn't doing well with circumstances that are hard to repeat and was rushed to get help. When I got called he was being seen but they had already been told that it would be best for him if he was put to rest as to ease his suffering. Again, I missed out on a time where even though my pets had been there for me all through my life and hard ships I couldn't be there for them to say what a good boy they were and how much they were loved. Luckily the vet was amazing and kind and let my parents skype me in the office in order to see him right before to tell him how amazing he was and how much he meant to me. He was so perky when I was talking. Mr. Man was born in my bathroom when I was in first grade. I was good at getting away with things and so I was the only one allowed in there and so I was there when he was born. He was a sickly little guy and we actually almost lost him. Since that moment he continued to be a fighter. Also a sweetheart. He knew if you were upset and would curl up with you. He loved to curl up under blankets, on your chest, at your feet. He especially loved his morning coffee and Bible readings with my mom. He was such a love bug.

A few days later I left school to meet my family at my grandparents in Florida. I spend a few days with my grandparents before they arrived and the day my family got there we got a call from my brother who had stayed behind. He was watching our female shepherd, Bella, and our two adult rabbits and three baby rabbits. He was calling to tell us that one of the babies had passed away. I had never met the little guys but they were my sisters and oh so small so that tore her up. For the third time in a year I was away from home for something like this and it ripped open the not even close to being healed sore from both Gunther and Bella.

My family has definitely felt the holes left by these guys and it was a little tough being away for that transition because some of my friends at school just didn't understand. So if you're like me and going through, went through, or are fearful that something like this will happen; know that you aren't alone. Luckily I had amazing friends who listened to me and cried with me. Also my family was a huge help. They did everything that they possibly could to help my love bugs and knowing that they did everything possible helps. Maybe only a little, but helps. Anyway, if you're reading this far and want to know how I coped I have a few ideas.

1. Cry. A lot of people didn't understand why I was so upset and that's fine, but I lost best friends who I had grown up with. I was alone for all of fall break because I live so far from school but one of my best friends came into my room the day she came back and found me upset and just sat with me and cried and listened. It was the best therapy in the world.

2. Find somebody who knows what you are going through. Your family will know best of all but find someone at school who you can talk to. A few months later I was talking with one of the seniors on my softball team and she mentioned that she had lost a dog also. It was sweet to be able to talk about how big an impact animals can have on our lives and also have someone who understands exactly what I went through!

3. When the wounds aren't quite so sore consider adopting again. As I'm typing this a new ten week old male shepherd puppy named Koda is snoring at my feet. He doesn't fill the huge hole that Gunther left but he has his own place in my heart. No one will replace my boys but it's nice to see a puppy who is still growing into his feet being mentored by our female shepherd who had once pestered Gunther as a puppy. It's bittersweet.

I still miss them every day. As previously stated, I still call my other dogs Gunther. I still think I hear Manny's little pattering feet walk down the hallway at night. I'm always going to miss them but I am so so thankful for all of the years they spent with me. It doesn't matter that they couldn't speak English. They were exactly what a little girl needed growing up and I will never forget them.