Be Your Own #SquadGoals

So it's the beginning of a new year in my life, which means it's time to reflect on my life up to this point.

(happy birthday to me!) 

This has been a year of transition for me, starting college and moving away from home, so there's definitely a lot to think about. 

But the one thing that is super prominent, is my friendships. I had a really rocky year with friends. I had a fight with one of my best friends before I left for college, I became close with some of the girls in my dorm who actually hate me, I gained over a hundred new sisters, and I've been separated from some of my best friends in the world.

It's been an experience, I can tell you that. I learned a lot about myself and my friends.

See, I've never been the type of person with a big group of friends that always hangs out and parties; in high school, I just didn't fit in and I accepted it and I was bullied out of my elementary school. I expected that in college I would have a huge group of friends and I'd love each and everyone of them and that they would all love me. 

I was completely wrong. 

I became friends with a bunch of superficial girls who wanted me to go along with whatever it was that they wanted to do. Frankly, I'm too independent for that. I won't give compliments if they aren't sincere and I won't do something I don't want to do. They weren't about that. They didn't invite me to go on the big spring break trip with them (lol bye). 

At first, I was really sad. I was convinced there was something completely wrong with me because I couldn't seem to ever have friends. Then I realized that I am a strong, independent, young woman and I have friends that love me for who I am. 

(This is where the squad goals part comes in)

I have great friends at college and I have great friends at home, but many of them are from different social circles. But that doesn't mean that I don't consider my friends to be on Taylor Swift's Bad Blood Squad Level. 

Each and everyone of my friends is someone I can trust. I know that I can go to them at any time and they'll be there to support me. I know that if I want to grab food they'll be down. I know that while they may mock me for my Starbucks order, they actually love me a latte. 

From impromptu coffee runs after class, Friday night Chipotle dates, running errands, trips to the beach, to late night drives around town, my friends from home have been there through it all, and I'm eternally grateful for their love and support, even if we fall out of communication sometimes. 

Surprisingly enough, I pretty much do the same things with my friends from college and I love them just the same. 

I don't have any desire to want someone else's group of friends. I don't need to covet what someone else has when I have such a golden group of friends. 

I wouldn't want to be weird with anyone else. 

How to Nail an Interview

The season of summer internships is upon us, which also means you're going to need a killer interview. 

They get it; you're qualified for the position. You go to a good school, you have good grades, and you have enough experience that you won't colossally mess up. 

So they call you in for an interview and now you have to talk to someone. 

Yikes. 

But have no fear! It really isn't that bad. 

You just have to relax and be a more polished and professional version of yourself (like sorority rush!). 

Obviously, you should be able to talk about anything on your resume, but other than that, don't feel the need to prepare statements or anything. I'd advise against it, because it will seem like you lack adequate social skills, which could hurt you, especially if your job is like mine and you have to spend a lot of time talking on the phone. 

So tip #1 is to just be yourself and have a natural conversation. 

Tip #2 is to look presentable and memorable. 

This means makeup, but just enough to look professional (a thinly lined eye, foundation, mascara, concealer, nude lipstick, little bit of bronzer) and hair done. Your outfit should be professional but have some aspects of your personal style--even if that just means tying a cute scarf to your bag!

Here are some outfits that I've worn to interviews before.

                                  

Obviously each outfit is appropriate for different types of offices, but use your discretion! 

Now go get hired!

Brace Yourselves, Finals are Coming

(and coincidentally, so is the new season of Game of Thrones, which personally, I'm super excited for)

The post midterm-season is great. There's not much homework to do, there are plenty of parties, you have ample free time, and if you're like me, you binge on Netflix. The school year is almost over and you're ready to squeeze in those last few things you haven't done yet.

That's the thing though--the school year is almost over.

And that means it's time for finals.

Finals come faster than they should. It's the beginning of the semester and then suddenly it's the end of the year and you have to cram three days before your exam.

But that's not what you should be doing. Yes, it's easier to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to study, but it's way less effective. 

So here's a basic list of my study tips and habits. It's not comprehensive, and they don't suit everyone's learning style, but I recommend you check them out!

1. Take advantage of whatever resources your professor or TA gives you. This may seem self-explanatory, but you'd be surprised. If your professor or TA gives you old test questions, practice problems, practice tests, or anything else, use it. If there's a review session, go to it. There's a good chance it will be similar to what they expect you to know for the final, because they want you to do well. 
2. Go to office hours or to a help session if something is unclear. It's super easy to get confused in class, especially since you learn so much. So if you don't understand something, go to office hours and get clarification. Or if you're too shy, go to a help or tutoring session with another student. Check out your school's resources to see what's available to you!
3. Start studying at least a week or two in advance. It's easier to learn material in little chunks. You'll have more time to fully understand. Plus, your professor will be more willing to help you if you come to them with your questions more than two days before the final. 
4. Synthesize your notes from the readings and from lecture. Sometimes professors will leave out information from the textbook because they think it's self-explanatory or common knowledge. Whatever the professor doesn't cover in lecture but is covered in the textbook will probably be something you need to know. That's just how the universe works.
5. If you have friends in the class or that have taken the class, ask them what they think is important. It will be different from what you think is important, and it'll give you an idea of some of the major themes in the course.
6. Find a nice and quiet place to study. For me, this is a specific place in the library. For you it might be your room, the lounge in the dorm, or somewhere else. But quiet is the key. Places like the quad or the Lawn often have lots of people, which creates an easy distraction. 
7. If you study with music, listen to music without words. Music with words also creates a distraction. If you're thinking "I don't like Mozart or Bach or any of those guys," you're in luck. Here's a great playlist created by yours truly: it's movie scores! Relive Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones while you study for Intro to Macroeconomics. 

Got any tips? Comment below!

Good luck on your finals!