College Advice: Top 5 Freshman Tips

It's college week here on my blog, so to start us off, I wanted to offer up my top 5 tips for freshman. I decided on the freshman because, for me, that was my hardest year in college. I was in a new city, I had now friends, I was living off campus, and so much more. Also, funny story, my dad dropped me off at college in the middle of a hurricane. Good times. 

My Undergrad Days

1. Live on campus

I can't stress this enough. If only just for your freshman year, live on campus. Living on campus offers so many great benefits, I really feel like I missed out. You can get a meal plan, make so many friends, be closer to class, not worry about parking, always be close to your room, do better in class, and have constant security. Living off campus only causes stress for a freshman. You have to learn to navigate your way through not only your college, but now a new town. Make your first year of college easier, and live on campus. Be on the look out for a "Dorm Living Checklist" coming out tomorrow on here!

2. Utilize campus services 

Most colleges are going to have an array of services at little or no cost to students. And it's best that you take full advantage of them. From my experience, I was provided a fitness center, counseling services, tutoring, homework help, volunteer opportunities, and much more. Finding out what services your school offers can be a life saver. Also, look into any low-credit classes that allow you to relieve stress and help your GPA. At FSU, I remember a friend of mine taking a class called "Stretch and Relaxation". It was a 1 credit class where all you had to do was show up and stretch. It was awesome. Our fitness center was open pretty long hours, always giving me a chance to get in a good workout or joining a spin class. Finding ways to preoccupy yourself, so you don't get too stressed out, will help you cope with all the major changes happening during your first year of college. 

3. Consider joining a sorority 

This is something that I really wish I had done. All of my friends that joined a sorority have absolutely loved it. The thought of making so many friends, volunteering, and so much more. Some of the things I heard about a few of the sororities at FSU are: they have a 2 hour study period each day, the continuously raise money for charities and do philanthropic work, bonding with other women, and creating career connections for the future. A friend of mine loved her sorority so much that she eventually became it's chapter president. If you're going to a school without many friends and want to be in a group that's always doing something, consider joining a sorority. 

4. Order textbooks online

Textbooks can be expensive! I had a calculus book set me back about $500 once. No thank you. There are many websites available online that allow you to purchase or rent textbooks at a much lower cost. My all time favorite textbook website is Chegg. You can save up to 90% on your textbooks and use that money to buy your groceries. Every now and then, schools will come out with special edition books that are only available through the school bookstore. If that's the case, and renting is an option, just rent it. You'll save money and be less likely to lose any investment when trying to sell back a special edition book. Another tip is to order your books online through the bookstore. If your able to save more money through your bookstore, then by all means, go for it. But I do suggest preordering your books so you don't have to wait in a line for 3 hours while 500 other students are also purchasing their books. When I would order my books, I would walk into the bookstore, hand them my order confirmation, be handed my books, and leave. 15 minutes tops. 

5. Do NOT lose touch with your family

Now I know this is not the case for everyone because every family is different, but it helped me a lot. I talked to my dad every day. I called him on my way to school or on my way home if I had early classes. I moved 6 hours away. This may not seem far to some, especially when people go out of state for school, but for me and my dad, it was rough. With so many advancements in technology, there is always a way to keep in touch with your family. FaceTime, Skype, texting, email, calling, and so much more. It's nice to have that familiar voice to keep you going throughout the day. Through the good and the bad, I always talked to my dad about it. Call your dad, mom, sister, brother, cousin. It doesn't matter. Just keep a piece of home with you when you go to school. 

What tips do you have for college freshman? What would you have done differently in college? 

Get Ready With Me: Thanksgiving with My Family

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was quite an interesting, but pleasant one! I worked late on Wednesday the 27th, stayed up until 4:30am on Thursday morning with Briam cooking the turkey, made cocito with Briam's mom around noon, and got to my parent's house at 2. We had dinner with my parents, my stepsister, and her two friends around 3. Briam and I left before 5 because I wanted to take a quick nap before work, but that nap never actually happened.

I went to work at 8pm on Thanksgiving and pushed through the craziness of Black Friday until 3:30am. I then went back to work at 3:00pm and stayed until midnight. My Thanksgiving weekend was crazy. I'm very thankful that I had my family and Briam there to keep me going.

At dinner, it's tradition in my family that we each say what we're thankful for that year. I want you all to know that I'm thankful for you. Each time you read a post or leave a comment, my heart flutters. It means so much to me that you take time out of your day to read my posts and watch my videos. Thank you for being there for me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Korres Face Primer, Korres Foundation, Garnier Dark Circle Roller, Maybelline Cover Stick

Korres Mineral Foundation, Pixi Beauty Bronzer, and Ulta Blush in Sweet Cheeks 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Chopper, YDK, Snakebite, Booty Call 

Urban Decay Primer Potion, Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Liner in Perfection, and Ulta Gel Eyeliner in Mink 

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet and EM Lash Gallery Mascara in Brown 

To see the complete tutorial on YouTube, click here! 

Yankee Candle Haul!

I'm obsessed with Yankee Candles! They last for such a long time and they smell amazing. The other week they were having a pretty good sale! I had gotten a coupon in my email saying that I could get, I think, 30% off my entire purchase! And that coupon was better than the current sale that was going on in store! so if you would like to see the amazing candles I got, make sure to watch the video below!

My Vlog: Briam Goes Out, School Problems, and New Blinds

Make sure to subscribe to my channel to stay up to date with all my videos! 

The Importance of Family

Family. It's a simple, special, meaningful word. It encompasses all the feelings and people that make your life what it is. Your family could include everyone from your immediate relatives to close friends and of course significant others. However your family is made up, they are important. Your family is the structure that will always support you. You need family.

  

My dad has always been my number 1. He was a single father who tried his hardest to ensure that I would grow up to be a strong, independent woman. I like to think that I am. I can build a shelf without asking for help. I can use power tools. But he also taught me to never be afraid to ask questions. There's no shame in needing help. He has always been my biggest fan and best friend. 

When I danced in middle school and high school, even before that when I danced at a studio, he never missed a performance. He was always there, with his camera of course. He made sure that I was at every practice or class and that I worked even harder outside of that to better myself. He believed in me. 

He instilled in me that my education was the most important thing that I could possess. It was something that no one could ever take away from me. I changed my major 5 times, and each time he said that I could do it and would succeed. He didn't care where I got my degree, or what I got it in, as long as I got it. He put the power of knowledge inside me and everyday I continue to learn. From him I also got my work ethic. I bust my butt at every job that I do. I refuse to "half ass" anything. When I start something, I do it right and I do it big.  

Briam. My love. If you read my little confession about our "half"iversary, then you know how much this man means to me. He loves me unconditionally and I wouldn't change him for the world. He is my rock. My soulmate. Something that I've always held very important is that my partner be liked and accepted by my parents. Thankfully, he is. Briam and my dad joke all the time. The plot little schemes against my stepmom and I. They're trouble makers. But we love them. Briam opens up a whole new world for me. Being that he's from Puerto Rico, I get to experience a completely different culture compared to my own. I've tried learning Spanish, took it for 2 years at FSU. Still can't say more that 20 words. I tried.

Now because my stepmom doesn't like pictures, here are the flowers I brought her yesterday at the family BBQ. Pretty, right? Just like her. We've had our differences. And boy have some of them been huge. But what matters is that I've been able to grow and mature over the past 7 years and have come to love respect her as not only my dad's wife, but as a strong mother figure in my life. She has come to be one of my dearest friends and someone that I can always call to talk to. She understands how to handle my moods and rollercoaster emotions. She knows that I have a good heart and helps me grow into a better person each day. 

My mom passed away when I was 16. But my relationship with her was long gone before that. When my parents got divorced, I was about 4 years old, my mom decided that if she couldn't have me to herself, then she didn't want me in her life at all. She got into a bad life of drugs, bad boyfriends, and an unhealthy way of living. She smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes a day and rarely ate. She did at around 90lbs. She was so peaceful, just laying there.

When I got the call that she had passed away, the woman on the other end of the line decided that it was my fault that my mom was dead. That she died of a broken heart and I caused it. A part of my soul died that day. How does one recover from being told that you killed your mom? That if I was there for her then she would've kept fighting? 

When we had to clean out my mom's trailer, I saw a giant picture of me when I was a baby hanging on her living room wall. She loved me. She just knew that she could never be the mom that I needed her to be. I have yet to figure out what's more painful, losing someone you've spent your whole life knowing and loving or losing someone who was never there. I have so many questions that will go unanswered. I will never get to hear her say that she really did care for me. She brought me into this world, and for that, I'm grateful. 

I've always wanted a sister. Someone that I could talk to, well, just because. K is a great person and a great stepsister. She is doing so much good in the world. She has such a deep and caring heart. We, too, have had many ups and downs in our relationship. But I think that we've both come to a point where we can love each other for who we both are. She's a beautiful soul, inside and out. I couldn't ask for a more unique, special, and loving sister. She's taught me to be a nonjudgemental person. You have no right to judge someone when you don't know their story. She's made me a better person. 

Supporting each other is something that just comes naturally in my family. If there's a goal that we have or a project we're working on, we do whatever we can to help each other. Whether it's losing weight or accomplishing a life's dream, we go 110%. 

My dad loves NASCAR. He loves adrenaline. He's a rush junkie. Watching him get to live one of his dreams by driving at the Homestead Speedway in Miami was amazing. It was one of the happiest days of his life. He's been through so much that he deserved every second of happiness. 

And that's what we do. We make each other happy. 

Now I don't know about you, but my animals are a huge part of my family. My dad's cat, Baby, is a giant fat ball of love. She loves my dad so much. And now, I'm pretty sure she thinks Briam is her boyfriend. I'm trying to convince my parents to put her on a diet because she seriously takes up 3 sqft tiles on the living room floor. 

And then there's my cat. Well she was Briam's cat but then I moved in and claimed her as my own. I call her Kitty, but his parents call her Gorda. Even though she only weighs 6 pounds. My dad's cat is the real Gorda. 

I love Kitty. She's pretty old. Briam thinks she's 16 or 17. And she's had a large amount of health problems. She's had worms, her ear bit open, a stomach infection, and hypothyroidism. She's cost us an arm and a leg, but she's worth every penny. I don't know what I'm going to do when she's gone. She's pivotal part in all of our lives. 

Don't let her cuteness or size fool you, she can be quite the terror. And she's an attention hog. God forbid you be doing anything but paying attention to her. She loves belly rubs. If she's not napping or eating, you better be giving her a belly rub. 

I enjoy dressing her up. And taking her for walks on her leash. She doesn't like any of it. In fact, I'm pretty sure she hates it. But she still loves me.

And that's the main lesson. Regardless of what you go through in your own life, or within your family, you must always love each other. Love heals everything. If your love is true, then the problems will work itself out. My family is proof of that. Our love and support for each other will never die. 

When Life Happens

I'm sure you guys have noticed that my posts on this blog, and my other two, have temporarily stopped. I like to be very open and honest about what's going on in my life, so here it is. This is why the postings have stopped right now. 

I'm playing nurse to my boyfriend, Briam. 

On Friday, August 2nd, Briam went in for surgery. He had torn his labrum extensively and has cartilage damage in his right shoulder. So basically all last week I had been taking him to pre-op appointments, getting everything at the house ready, working, and finally taking him to surgery. 

The surgery was only supposed to last 1 hour. It took over 2. I was a hot mess of anxiety thinking that the worst had happened. When the doctor finally came out to talk to me, he told me that the damage was much worse than what the MRI had shown. Which Briam already expected that. I didn't. 

I've been an emotional wreck too. I've cried at least once everyday since Tuesday. I love Briam more than anything to see him hurt breaks my heart. Add that on top of the fact that Briam won't be able to work for almost 3 months, I have had to get a 2nd job, still being a college student, taking care of bills, wanting to continue with my 3 blogs, making sure that all appointments are scheduled and booked, and then adding normal housework on top of that. I'm legit a hot mess. 

But it's all worth it. Briam will get better. His shoulder will heal and he will no longer have as much pain as he did before. And our relationship will grow stronger because I have been and will continue to be right beside him every step of the way. 

But now that the worst is over, I plan to get back on track with my posts this week. I'm sitting down as I write this to start planning out my week! 

Talk to you guys soon!