college – Page 2 – The Grow Up Project

We’re All in This Together

September is already here and classes are in full swing. Coming off of freshman year, sophomore year is a whole new ballgame. I am very involved this year again, being the Student Government Association secretary, a Resident Assistant, and a member of several clubs on campus. I stay very busy, but it’s a good busy.

As many know, I changed my major about two weeks before school started. I was a Business Administration major with a marketing concentration but have sinced decided that my passion is working with kids. For the past two summers, I have been blessed to babysit four wonderful kids and watching them learn and grow just over the summer is such a happy thing for me. As I was sitting at the kitchen counter with the youngest of these kids (3 years old at the time), we were working on sign language. I took a sign language class this summer and taught the kids I babysat a little of what I would learn every week. As I watched the youngest spell her name back to me in sign language, it hit me how fulfilling it is to help someone learn and be successful. That moment was the defining change in my mind.

I am not the only person who has an internal struggle about what they want to do with their lives. But last year, it seemed like I was. Everyone that I talked to had some moment in their lives that helped them decide that they were going down the right career path. I had never experienced that moment, and became very frustrated with the classes I was taking last year. But I didn’t change my major, because I wasn’t confident in what I would change to and didn’t want to lose what I had already started as far as business classes.

This summer, I had that moment. So I’m here to say to all of the high school seniors, the college freshmen, sophomores, or even juniors that you will have a moment at some point. I would say to be on the lookout for it, but mine hit me out of nowhere. When that moment comes, and you make the switch, you will know immediately if it was the right decision. For me, I was able to immediately enroll in a lower level education course. It’s already my favorite class. I come to class so excited and eager to learn. I leave barely able to contain the happiness I feel about choosing this career. And that’s how I know it was the right choice.

So if you’re anything like I was and you feel lost and unsure about if you’re making the right choice, maybe take a step back and evaluate not just with your head, but with your heart, if it’s what you want to do. Check yourself: do you feel that excitement when you think about it? Are you eager to start on it? If not, I encourage you to explore some other topics outside of the classroom to find things that are fulfilling to you and make you feel that excitement.

One last thing, talk to someone about the struggle. I talked to my friends constantly about how I felt taking the business classes. When I told them I thought I was going to switch to elementary education, they supported me 100% and were so encouraging. That was another reason I knew I had made the right choice. If you talk to people about it, they can help you figure out what things you enjoy doing and they can help guide you and encourage you when you need that reassurance. Remember, we all go through this.

Here We Go Again

I have officially been at college a week already! For the 2019-2020 school year, I am a Resident Assistant. This week has been full of all sorts of training to prepare me for any situation that might come up and lots of bonding with our fanastic group of RAs. We’ve had a lot of fun this week, but I know all of us are ready to have our residents here!

Week 1 of being an RA and I’ve already learned a lot and made so many memories. So much training ensued including Title IX, Step-Up (bystander) and CPR and AED, along with a test this morning to see what we learned. We decided themes for each dorm and more specific themes for each floor. We made door decorations, wall decorations, and we decorated bulletin boards. We checked each and every room to make sure they were in shape for the residents coming our way tomorrow. And tomorrow they will come.

My floor decorations had to be within the ‘camping’ theme of the whole dorm, so my residents get little RVs with their names on them.

We start our day not so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:15am tomorrow to get prepped for check-in for our fall athletes. The day will be spent moving in our new residents and helping with whatever needs done around campus. We’ll have our first floor meetings and get to meet the first round of our residents. The real test comes with duty.

All of the RAs make door decs for each other and a few of the ones on my door are pictured here.

Myself and another RA pulled duty for the first weekend and will therefore be keeping watch over the dorms until the wee hours of the morning. Wish us luck…

One of my wall decorations to help students find their way around ‘camp.’

Overall, I’m super excited for this year! So many changes occurred this year and I’m ready to take on being a Sophomore. The first day of classes is still a couple weeks away but I have to say, here we go again!

Sweet Summertime

I’m back for the summer, along with college students everywhere!

A collective sigh of relief has probably gone on around the country for college students. Being home, or at least done with school, is a happy, happy time for us.

Coming home made me realize something, though. I have a lot of stuff. Like, a lot. As I unloaded my car into the living room, I had a mini panic attack at the fact that I was going to have to find a home for all of the stuff that was living at my dorm.

On top of that, I realized how much stuff I have in general, because I don’t really have any room for the things I brought back. It’s probably time for a purge…

I’m sure that there were a few things in the pile of stuff that I could’ve gone without, so I thought I’d share some things I didn’t need for those high school seniors (or their parents) who are going to start buying things for college .

A Lamp – It’s always a good idea to check the measurements of your dorm, along with any features it may have. My dorm desk actually had a built in lamp, so technically, I could have definitely gone without it. Not all college dorms are the same though, so make sure to check.
So Many Pillows – This seems to be more of a girl thing, but believe me when I say, you’re going to wish you had less pillows. They look nice when the bed is made, but let’s be honest here…. how often will that actually happen in college? Plus, they take up a lot of space and collect dust and dirt when you throw them on the dorm floor.
Blankets – For many of the same reasons you don’t want all the pillows, you should try to limit the amount of blankets you bring. You really only need your comforter and one extra blanket for in case you get cold. Usually, your dorm room will probably be sweltering, unfotunately.
Shoes – Okay so obviously you need shoes, but shoes take up a suprising amount of room. Try to limit your shoe choices to ones that you wear regularly or you know you will need for an event. If you still want to bring more, consider buying a hanging shoe organizer to conserve space.
School Supplies – While yes, you will need school supplies, you probably don’t need as much as you think you do. Try to have a method planned out about how you will organize your schoolwork and separate classes before move-in day. I had a binder and notebook for each class. I also had 5 extra notebooks and 3 packs of notebook paper. Not necessary at all. If you want to buy supplies in bulk, consider leaving the extras at home instead of lugging them to your new one.

I’m sure there are many more things I didn’t need, but these are the basics that pop into mind. Obviously, every dorm is different and every person will have different preferences. I know I saw all sorts of lists of things I would/ wouldn’t need for college, but it turns out I know me best. You won’t fully be prepared until you experience it for yourself, but I hope these tips are helpful.

Now, I have to get back to unpacking…

Busy Bee

This might be weird, but I am happiest with a busy schedule.

For a lot of people, being busy just means stress. While it sometimes does for me too, I walked out of a meeting today feeling motivated. Having a full schedule is actually a good thing.

Why? A full schedule keeps you active and interactive with people, which is actually very important. Being active with people during my day just helps me to feel so much more involved in school and in the lives of people around me.

I am a planner by nature. I love to have everything written out, color coded, and highlighted if extremely important. When my planner is full of meetings and my to-do list is overflowing, that is when I am the most productive. I don’t know why, but it just is that way.

I know the end of the school year is quickly approaching for many of us, so I wanted to send a little encouragement to current college students, high school seniors, and anybody else who might need it.

Get involved. Being involved is going to be one of the best things that ever happened to you. You meet new people, have experiences you never otherwise would, and you can impact others.

At the beginning of this school year, my university put on an activities and clubs fair where we could walk around to sign up for different clubs. I signed up for a number of them and being involved in those has led me to many friendships, as well as involving me in things I wouldn’t otherwise consider.

So incoming college freshman, sign up for the clubs. You don’t have to do all of them, but you might find that you’ll meet your people there.

For my busy self, I ended up getting involved in things for next year that I hadn’t really considered before connections made through other clubs.

Next year, I’m going to be a Resident Assistant, which basically means I’m in charge of a floor of one of the dorms. Before being involved with ResLife, I would NEVER have considered signing up for that. We have to come early, we are responsible for the actions of our residents, and we have to go through a lot of training for potentially bad situations. But, I decided to step out of my comfort zone.

Next year, I’m also going to be the Student Government Seceretary. It’s not a huge position, but it means I am on the Executive Board for SGA, and therefore am in charge of a lot of things on campus. I’ll be adding these to my plate next year, on top of all the other clubs I’m currently involved in.

The moral of this story is, GET INVOLVED. And if you’re school doesn’t have something you want to be in, start your own club! I promise you, being involved makes your school experience at least 10x better.

Be the CHANGE

Hello everyone! Long time, no blog…

My spring break ended yesterday and sadly, I had to resume classes today. Over spring break I realized that the time I spend in furthering my education will be over before I know it. On the way to class a couple weeks ago, there was some loose change on the ground. I stopped abruptly and picked it up because, ya know, poor college students and all….

I realized something as I was doing that. Picking up loose change is SO easy and for me, an attractive way to get easy money. It might not seem like it amounts to anything, but after four years at college it might. I have a jar on my desk with loose change that I have picked up only on my campus from last semester. $5.86. By no means does that make me rich, and $5 a semester over four years only gets me $40 but honestly, that’s pretty good money for not doing anything.

That chance at $40 is something that drives me to continue picking up the loose change I find-that and the fact that I’m a saver when it comes to money and will do everything in my power to keep saving. But what if I (and you) looked at picking up trash as profitable? What if everyone picked up trash (or other things not intended to be blowing around in the wind) with the same attitude we use when picking up loose change?

Think about the feeling you have when you find a dollar on the ground. You feel pretty good, right? It’s only a dollar but it’s one more dollar than you had. If we had that mentality about cleaning up the world around us, we’d live in a cleaner place. It might just be a little bit cleaner, but a little bit more than it would’ve been…

Food for thought today. Why not be the change? Pick up loose change and trash. Make a difference. I believe that everyone wants to make a difference in the world in some way. Do the little things, and you will. Growing up in sports I was taught that the little things matter. I truly believe that doing the small, menial tasks really will make a difference in the world.

And hey, you might find an extra $5 along the way!

Don’t Wish It Away

On this gloomy afternoon, my roommate is playing country music while we do homework. “5 More Minutes” by Scotty McCreery happened to come on and the song jolted me back to high school. Although I don’t like to admit it, I had senioritis upon entering high school. I was as guilty as the next person of wondering why it couldn’t just be Friday. During high school, and even now, I found myself always wondering that and being mentally and emotionally disengaged from what was going on around me. I didn’t “live in the moment.” (I am not saying you shouldn’t plan things out, but I do feel that it’s important to be present in what’s going on NOW.)

Anyways, as I sat here listening to the words, I realized that even though I vowed I would never miss high school, I do. Even though I was so excited to move away from home the majority of the year, I miss living there. And I really miss getting everything paid for…

In a lot of ways we all, myself included, are wishing for 5 more minutes at the same time as we’re wishing for it to be Friday. My senior year was when these thoughts started to really intertwine in my life. While I was wishing for it to be Friday, I was praying that my last Homecoming week would slow down. Even while I counted down the weeks until graduation, I thought about how sad it would be to lose contact with the people I’d gone to school with for 13 years. These thoughts impacted me so much that I decided to give short stories about my classmates and I from every year that we went to school in my speech at graduation, a last chance to reminisce together before it was all over.

In many ways, I find myself following the same pattern in college. About a week ago I found myself on a loop thinking about how different things will be in a few years. I know that we should always be grateful for what we have and where we’re at, but graduating from high school and going into college really makes me think about how much I took for granted when I was younger.

Honestly, college is sort of a final attempt to avoid growing up.

With these thoughts, I wanted to share a little piece of advice with the high school seniors that are so ready to “get out.” You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but you’re gonna miss it. Please, quit wishing it away. Sure, high school is not “the best time of your life” for everyone. But high school, and school in general, teaches you so many things about yourself and the people around you. Don’t wish it away. When you find yourself wishing it was Friday, wishing graduation was this weekend, or wishing you were officially an adult already, think about everything that you’ve learned from school. I’m not talking academically, I’m talking life lessons.

Your life could change in a split second, so why wish all those seconds away?

Poor College Student?

Can I just say that my winter break felt so incredibly short?! I so enjoyed my time home with family and friends, relaxing and watching my favorite TV shows, no stress about upcoming assignments, and back in the gym that I’m used to. Being home as a college student (at least for me) is a mix of happy/sad emotions. Happy because I’m with my family and I love them but sad because there’s no avoiding the fact that in a few short years, I won’t be going back to my house for college breaks anymore. Before I know it, I’ll be living on my own and won’t be surrounded by my parents, siblings, and pets when I go home….I guess those thoughts are just my gentle reminder to not take the time you have with family for granted.

On a happier note, I did something weird over break. Some people go on vacation, travel to other states, or get jobs over Christmas break, but not me. I sold my hair. Yep, sold it. I’ve been asked by several people how one even goes about finding information about how to do that, so I thought I would share my experience and pictures from the whole thing.

The idea that I could sell my hair actually came from a teammate. She was holding onto my ponytail one time and casually made a comment that I could probably sell several “bundles” of hair and make quite a bit of good money off of it. I’m a college student so obviously the idea of some extra cash sounds great, as it does to almost everyone I’d assume. I pondered that idea a little bit, but I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to cut my hair off yet. I knew that I would probably have to cut off quite a bit in order to sell it, and I didn’t know how short I was willing to go. My previous encounters with short hair haven’t been the best, might I add.

Finals week came and left and I realized that I hadn’t talked to my teammate about it anymore. The more I thought about it (and the more I sat on my hair, got it caught in the door, hit people in the face with it), the more I realized that I was ready. I was ready to cut my hair. I looked up some YouTube videos (because YouTube has everything) and watched a few girls share their experiences with it and also looked up several places that you could donate hair. For a while, I thought I would go the donation route, but the more research I did, the more I thought my hair had a better chance of being used if I sold it to someone directly instead of donating.

I decided to go ahead and do a little more research about a website that had popped up several times: hairsellon.com. After a bit of research, I learned that you had to pay for an ad (differing amounts for differing days that the ad would show up on the website) and it was pretty much as simple as that. I looked up a hair price calculator first to see how much my hair would probably sell for. I had to input hair color, texture, length I was willing to cut off, and if it was virgin or not; virgin hair is hair that has not been chemically altered and some only consider it virgin if heat has never been used on it. I got the estimated selling price and decided I would bump it up for my listing price.

I ended up buying a 60-day listing ad for $15. I entered my asking price, the title of my ad, and a short description along with pictures of my hair. Also, it’s important to note that if you decide to sell your hair you should never use your real identity. I made up a fake name, email, and PayPal account under that name just to ensure my real identity wasn’t given to anyone on the website.

Within 3 hours of posting the ad, I had several inquiries. I was asked to do all sorts of different hairstyles and got weird photo and video requests. Thankfully my mom and sister were very patient with helping get those videos and pictures. About 3 days after I posted the ad, I got an offer. I countered but the emailer never responded. About a week later, I decided I wanted to cut my hair before I went to school. I was still getting several inquires but wasn’t getting serious offers. I decided to lower my price. I cut my asking price in half and set my cut date for the 2nd of January and immediatly got an offer. However, the offer was good if I cut 20 inches off instead of the 17 I had listed. I went through my emails and sent an email to the people who had been interested but hadn’t yet responded to my last email, telling them that I had an offer and planned on taking it unless they wanted to offer because they had emailed me first.

I felt very businesswomenesque (is that a word?) as I corresponded back and forth trying to get the most money I could while still being able to cut my hair before I went back to school. The night before I cut my hair, one of my earlier correspondents sent back a better offer. It was higher than my reduced asking price, but the buyer wouldn’t be able to pay me until Friday. I was weary of being scammed but I was ready to cut my hair off. Also, the transaction was occuring through PayPal to protect both myself and the buyer, and I wouldn’t be shipping my hair until the money showed up in PayPal. I accepted.

The next morning (morning of my hair cut) the buyer sent me all the shipping information and details of how they would like the hair cut and packaged. At 12:30, I went to get my hair cut. With the combined efforts of my mom and hairdresser, my hair was pulled into a ponytail and measured 22 inches. I allowed an extra 2 inches because there was definitely some dead ends that wouldn’t be usable for the buyer. My hairdresser started to cut my ponytail off, but couldn’t get the whole thing in one cut because it was too thick. So, she cut layer by layer. With every layer I could feel my head getting lighter and that was the weirdest feeling ever! Pretty soon, she was holding my ponytail in front of me and I was staring in the mirror at my hair that was now above my shoulders.

Flash forward to January 4th. My buyer sent me the money (plus extra for shipping) in PayPal and I shipped my hair out that morning. Talk about weird, watching yourself put your own hair in the mailbox…

All in all, the whole process (for me) took around 2 weeks! I got my hair cut and shipped before I went back to college and I’m super happy with the new cut that I now have. Based on this experience, I would definitely reccommend selling your hair; it was a very positive experience for me. Plus, I have a little extra money which makes me a happy college student!

As my mom liked to tell me, “Selling hair is a lot more convenient than selling plasma.”

‘Twas the Week Before Finals

‘Twas the week before finals, when all through the dorms

All the creatures were studying, until they were worn!

The clothes were packed up, in the car without much care

In hopes that the end of finals week soon would be there;

The students were nestled all snug in their rooms

while math equations and proper citations danced the song of doom;

And my roommate in fuzzy socks, and I in my Grinch shirt,

Had just settled in for a long night of studying trying to become experts.

When out in the hall, there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the door I tip-toed kind of slow,

Turned the door knob and threw open the door.

The girls of fourth floor

Were shouting and dancing galore.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a normal-sized sled, and a girl fighting tears.

The girl was laughing and headed for the door,

I knew in a moment I must follow to see more.

She zipped down the staircase, and out of the dorm

Calling out names as she destroyed social norms.

“Now Hannah, now Erin, now Gabi and Reagan!

C’mon Anna, let’s go Lauryn, get Shannon and Megan!

To the top of the hill, right in front of the dorm,

Let’s sled and race down it to see who can perform!”

And I awoke the next morning, only to find

That I dreamt it all, dreaming the whole time.

So I rubbed my eyes, and got ready for class,

Because finals week was yet to be had!

Good look to all the students who were lucky/unlucky enough to have this be their finals week! But to those students in the same boat as I am, let us not procrastinate and actually study this week…

One Week before finals So it Begins - One Week before finals So it Begins So it begins

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know I’ve been a little absent the last few weeks but this Midwest blizzard is giving me a little extra time. As everyone travels home from their respective Thanksgivings and family gatherings, I’m sure we all have been thinking on what we’re thankful for.

As for me, I had to drive back to college a little earlier than planned due to the weather, and the drive kept me reflective on what I was thankful for. It’s almost harder to leave home after a long break than after a weekend. BUT, being home allowed me to compile a list of things at home and at college that I am most thankful for, and that you graduating seniors should keep in mind as you are about to embark on the last part of your journey in high school.

HOME

Family- Okay, this one may seem like an obvious one but I truly think we take our families for granted. When I was home for break my sisters and brothers went almost everywhere with me when I left home (so did my dog!) and although they didn’t say it out loud, it was clear to me that they miss me being home all the time. And I miss them, too! It’s weird going from 3 siblings around you all the time to none.
Food- Another obvious one, but especially because it was Thanksgiving, home-cooked meals taste a heckeva lot better than cafeteria food! Enjoy a variety of meat instead of frozen hamburger patties and chicken. Eat the vegetables while they are prepared. Eat some fruit. College seems to be lacking in those areas…
My House- There’s something about being in your own house that puts the mind at ease. I feel more comfortable being in my own house than being in a dorm, and I also enjoy having carpet( which college also lacks in). And the Christmas decor at home puts my 3 ft dorm tree to shame.
My Community- This weekend my high school was talented enough and worked hard enough to make school history. Our football team made it to the State Semi-Finals game! I was blessed enough to be able to watch it, surrounded by family (biological and not) and friends. We ended up losing, but the sense of school pride and the amount of people from the community who came out to watch was amazing! Being surrounded with that kind of atmosphere can make a girl miss high school…

College

Independence- Ironically, while at home I miss college and while at college I miss home. When I’m at college, I’m pretty much on my own, leaving anything I do up to me. It’s a weird balance to come home and need to tell your mom where, when, and what you’re going to do when you leave the house. I think I speak for most college students when I say that the sense of independence is one of the most rewarding things about college- you have to learn to make adult decisions and you are in charge of your own wellbeing.
The Dorm- As weird as this may seem, I actually really enjoy living in the dorms. My high school College Prep teacher once told us that college was the only time in your life where you lived surrounded by your best friends 24/7. And she was absolutely right! I know a lot of the people I live with, and my floor regularly does things together. Last week we had a floor decorating party complete with sparkling grape juice before we left for break! Around halloween, we hosted a trick-or-treat in the dorms! Now, if I could only track down who stole my flamingo socks from the laundry room…
Wifi- Now this isn’t something everyone agrees with me on…In fact, I hear a lot of people complain about the Wifi at my school. But for me, it’s fantastic! My Wifi at home is spotty at best so having Wifi 24/7 at college has been great.
The Non-Judgemental Atmosphere- In all honesty, there will probably never be a 100% judgement free zone. But college is pretty close! In college, you become a lot more open minded-to everything. You have many people with varying opinions on all sorts of topics, but somehow it’s all okay. The openmindedness allows for friendships to blossom that probably wouldn’t in any other atmosphere.

All in all, I have nothing to complain about. Life is great! Life is very different now than it was a year ago, but it’s a good different.

To all my fellow college students, good luck on the upcoming finals! And to everyone in the Midwest, have a great blizzard day!

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Mid-Term Evaluations: What is College Really Like?

Hello and welcome back to The Grow Up Project! Us college students have been getting hit with midterms the past few weeks, and I thought that this would be a great time in the semester to point out the differences I see between college and high school. I’ve put together a list of 5 things that stand out to me at this point in college.

My First Year Experience Class (also known as the McGilley House) won the first house competition-trivia!

Meetings: College is all about meetings. I know I’ve said it before because I was amazed at the amount of meetings that I have to go to. Meetings for my volleyball team (on top of practice), weekly student government meetings, professors want to meet with students outside of class. If you want to talk to someone who is not a student while in college, you have to schedule a meeting.
Tests: I have had all of 1 test (max) per class this semester. ONE. I’m scheduled to have about three total tests in most of my classes, including the final. It’s weird not having a test after every chapter or unit like happens a lot in high school.
Teachers: I don’t know about you, but most of my high school teachers didn’t have a PhD. Almost all of my college professors do. And surprisingly, these people are honestly very lenient. They take attendance at my school, but not at most bigger institutions. They almost always let us out of class early (there’s a few exceptions, of course). A lot of my professors are hilarious, too. The thing that I like best about the professors at my school is that they care. One of my teammates was going on a visit to a different college this week, and my theology professor called (yes, like on the phone) her to try to convince her to stay. That’s dedication.
Living Conditions: Okay duh Reagan. But hear me out. Yes, clearly I’m in a completely different place than I would be at home, but it still feels like home to me. I feel like I live in a giant apartment building where I know all my neighbors. Where we hang out and watch scary movies in the lounge. Where we have the loud side of the hallway and the quiet side. Where there’s music playing at almost all hours of the day. Living in the dorms is actually pretty fun if you make it that way. That’s the thing about college, it is what you make it.
My house won the second competition, too! We Escaped!
The People: At my little school in Kansas, we have a lot of people from California. The first few weeks, our dorm hosted several meet and greet opportunities and a lot of people showed up. People from California repeatedly told me that people from Kansas were “so nice”. That we weren’t super judgy or materialistic. Now, despite what some may be thinking, I actually agree with them. And my college showcases that well. I have met some of the most amazing people here on campus. People are really nice because everyone is in the same boat. At the beginning, no one knows each other, then the friend groups form, but for some reason college students are extremely open to meeting new people and trying new things. It’s honestly a great atmosphere.
BONUS–The Homesickness: I am only 45ish minutes from home. But I have friends who are 2, 3, 4+ hours away. If I get homesick, I know they must, too. Going away to college has its appeal, until you’re there. It is weird being “removed” from your old life. I notice how much I’m missing when I do go home. My siblings are growing up, my pets are getting older, and my high school has changed a ton. You take for granted all of that when you are right in the midst of it. But when you’re gone, even for just a few weeks, a lot does change. And goshdangit, it is really hard to shop for presents for people you aren’t around all the time!

College so far has been all it’s cracked up to be. I love the people here, classes aren’t bad at all (right now), and this is for sure one of the best experiences of my life.

I also want to let y’all in on a little secret. Well, I’ll give a hint. A few of my friends and I had an idea over breakfast for dinner (at 11pm). It involves cameras. Stay tuned next week for the big reveal!