Catch the Feels...Don't Post Them.

            Hello people! Okay, so my question for the week: How do you be a better version of yourself? It's very difficult to answer; let's take this from the top. A lot of you will see that the title of my blog is called "Glowed Up!" and some of you may not know what that means. As some may have guessed, it is a combination between "grow" and "glow." It means to mature and come into being the you that you want to be. I am still trying to come into that person myself and this blog is part of that process, hence "glowed up." Now, in college there are a lot of people trying to find themselves and learn who they are and who they want to be. The first step to that is balance. You must find a way to balance work and play if you don't, it could lead to repercussions.
            College is where you can reinvent yourself and become someone new or continue to work on who you were. Embrace this opportunity! Find things you like to do, explore and get to know your campus, meet new people. Especially, meet new people! Doing great in college and having good job experience is great, but the way to go the furthest is to know people that will vouch for you and ultimately, believe in you enough to give you a shot. So, be innovative and come up with ways to set yourself a part and be different. Also...be careful what you attach to your name. Facebook, Twitter,Tumblr, Instagram, whatever it is, think before you post on it! Your name is attached to it, employers, teachers, peers, will look at it and see if they can get a read on your character based on the things you post. I know we use these things to vent our feelings, but just play it safe and go old school and keep a journal and if you actually need to talk to someone, tell someone you trust who will respond to you, not 50 people who will just "like" your status.
             My next point, allow yourself to feel. This was something that I struggled with for a very long time. When you move away from home, it is a happy time, but it can also be sad because your leaving friends and family behind. Allow yourself to feel that pain otherwise it's just going to build and build until it's forced out of you. It's all a part of growing up; it's a learning experience. Finding people who will talk with you or just listen to you will help make the transition easier. It's okay to be homesick, but never bottle up your emotions.
             Glowing up is definitely a process but it's not one that you have to take on alone. Sometimes you just need to ask for help...and you know what? That's okay.

Are You Ready?

            College, college, college!!! How many of you are excited for college? (Don't raise your hand, I can't see it anyway.) Okay, you probably have loads of questions and if you don't, you're either really prepared or not prepared enough. Now, I'm not going to tell you that college is the greatest thing ever, and I'm not going to tell you that you're going to have loads of fun in college. Do you know why? It's because college is entirely what you, the individual, make of it. It also depends on where you choose to go, but that's for another time. This blog is not just for seniors in high school, it's for everyone who even feels like college might be the right path for them. However, I will specifically be making references to and probably talking to more students that go to the International School of Communications on the Marysville Getchell Campus. Yes, it's because I went there. A question that you hear a lot is "Did high school prepare you for college?" My answer: ISC, specifically, made me ready for university. The staff at ISC is more like family than anything, but they can only be that if you let them. Shocker! Seriously though, one thing that was always funny to me in high school was that students would blame the teacher for every little thing. This one time, a girl in my Spanish class was complaining that she got a lower grade than her friend did, she said that couldn't be right because she copied off her friend the whole time, so how could she possible get a lower grade?! (If you guys are paying attention in your LA1 class, you're picking up my tone right now.)
           You see what I'm getting at here? Your teacher is not responsible for your learning! You are! Because you are in high school, you have access to your teachers for 6 hours a day, as well as phone numbers and emails. If you don't understand something, ask questions! Another thing...if you have to print something out for an assignment, practice not depending on your teacher for that. It's not a realistic depiction of college at all. Go to the library, ask friends, but if you absolutely have to ask your teacher...send an email with a link ahead of time and get it printed before class even starts. Do Not Keep Up Class Time With Printing! And I'll just toss it out there, do your homework and turn it in on time. I never realized how nice it was of the teachers to actually tell us when something is due and keep reminding us up until the day before. Your teachers in college will NOT do that. You will have a student account where you will go to figure out what assignment is due when and you are expected to get it done. If you don't, sucks for you. Every teacher in high school that accepts late work...they are gems and they deserve a hug, because again, it will rarely, if ever, happen in college.
            Your high school education is important and your teachers are a resource, and hopefully at least once a week, I will be too. I'll answer any questions I can that are left in the comments on the blogs but if I can't, be self-reliant and do some research. Your teachers are there to guide you, not carry you. College can be great but only if you know how to handle it and to start preparing, and if you pick the one that fits you best, so choose wisely.