Month: January 2020

5 Little Ways to Organize Your Life in 2020

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

At the start of a new year, it’s always nice to do some cleaning. I find it makes me feel like I have my life together and am prepared for the year ahead. However, if you’re already a pretty organized person or just don’t have the time to do a major deep cleaning of your room/house, here are a few little ways you can organize your life and feel like you have it all figured out (even if you totally don’t).

  1. Organize any surfaces in your room – This sounds like a lot at first, but you probably don’t have that many surfaces where things are out in your room. For me, I have my nightstand, my bookshelf, my desk, and my bathroom counter. Your room will look so much neater if you just clean off these few surfaces and minimize the amount of stuff you have on top of them. Put things back that have been left out on these areas (put things into drawers, etc), dust them or wipe them down, and organize them.
  2. Choose some sort of planning system that works for you – Whether this is a physical planner, Google Calendar, the Apple calendar app, or some other system, find what works best for you. Having a record of all your plans and responsibilities is super helpful, especially for remembering everything that’s on your plate. For us students especially, it’s an easy way to monitor all your schoolwork.
  3. Go through papers – This sounds vague, but I mean exactly what I wrote: go through all your papers. Old receipts, manuals of electronics, schoolwork from past semesters or even past years, random paperwork, flyers, mail- recycle everything you don’t want and don’t need anymore, and organize what you still want/need in some sort of file folder system. I have a few different folders- I have a huge accordion one for all my current year school stuff so I can keep it and study for finals, I have a smaller folder with important school stuff I still reference from past years (notes from math and Spanish, etc), and a folder with all my extracurricular stuff and/or extra school information.
  4. Do a technology clean-out – I’m going to make a post on this very soon detailing how to do this most efficiently, but get old stuff and apps that you don’t want off of your phones! This is helpful especially if you don’t have a lot of storage. I’m going to leave it at this since I’ll go into detail in another post, but basically just delete stuff you don’t want off of your electronics.
  5. Clean out backpacks and purses – This is a really good idea for your school bag before the new semester, but it’s also nice to clean out any other purses or bags you may use. Check all the pockets, take everything out, and dump them out upside down once empty over a trash can to get rid of crumbs and other trash. You may find things you’d lost a while ago, like your old favorite chapstick.

I hope this inspired you to go do some cleaning. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better once you see the fruits of your labor! I’m an organization-lover and I’m trying to up my game this year, so you’ll definitely be seeing more posts about cleaning and organization soon.

-Brooke

10 Basic Things I Unapologetically Love

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Before the new year began, I made a mental note that I wanted to be ~myself~ more unapologetically. I feel like I’m pretty open with my thoughts and everything on this blog regardless, but I was trying to think of interesting post ideas that could relate to this goal. Eventually, the title of this post popped into my head- I’m going to be talking about a few things that are very basic, but that I still love anyways because hey, I’m a pretty basic girl. It reminds me of a topic that would be some YouTube tag from back when tag videos were the thing to do on YouTube, but oh well! I loved those videos anyway 🙂 If you want to find out my basic guilty pleasures, keep on reading.

  1. Starbucks drinks – I had to start with probably the most basic thing to get it over with. To preface this, I (funnily enough) used to HATE Starbucks; I thought it was overpriced, overrated, and bland. It all changed on one sleep-deprived day at yearbook camp, when I finally tried the iced caramel macchiato that all my friends loved… it’s been true love ever since. I’m honestly not the biggest coffee fan though, so I expanded my horizons and tried the mango dragonfruit refresher with lemonade added- I would highly recommend that as well. If all else fails, I love their hot chocolate on any cold day.
  2. Glossier balm.com chapstick – I was reluctant to give into the Glossier hype at first, and I’m not the biggest fan of some of their actual makeup products, but I LOVE the balm.com lip balm. I got it in birthday cake for my birthday last year and it was the best chapstick I’d ever had. I also enjoyed the coconut and mint flavors, which I’m currently using.
  3. LUSH bath bombs – I guess this isn’t the most basic thing, it’s more of a self-care thing, but I remember when LUSH was all the rage. I love a good bath and treating myself, and I’ve just found that the bath bombs from LUSH were always my favorite. The scents are so much stronger, and the colors are much more vibrant.
  4. Poetry books like Milk and Honey – Yes, these are the “basic” poetry books that you’ll see pictures of all over social media. I love poetry and I write it quite often (if you’ve stuck around my blog for a while you would know I love to write 🙂 ), and I still enjoy reading “basic” poetry like this. I also recently read the Pillow Thoughts series since I got them all for Christmas, and I enjoyed those as well. Just because they’re shorter and less complicated poems doesn’t mean they’re not good quality writing- I think it’s great that they’ve also reached an atypical audience for poetry as well.
  5. Hydro Flasks – After reading this post, you’ll probably assume I’m a wannabe VSCO girl. You’re entitled to your own opinions, of course, but I’m definitely not. I got my first Hydro Flask four years ago, and I have never used any other type of water bottle since. They keep my water cold all day at school, and they’re very durable despite the fact that they dent easily. My favorite part is the straw lid you can buy, because it’s the best straw functionality I’ve ever had on a reusable water bottle, and I prefer drinking with a straw much more (don’t worry, I got metal ones for Christmas for when I’m not using my Hydro). Plus, they’re just so pretty!
  6. All the trendy shoes (Birkenstocks, Nike AF1s, Doc Martens) – I figured I would just combine these three pairs of shoes into one thing. I got Birkenstocks three years ago for Christmas, Doc Martens last year for Christmas, and Nike AF1s for my birthday last year. They are all pretty much my go-to shoes for school or various occasions, except for when I need something more neutral and I wear slip-on Vans. I live in Birkenstocks outside of school and during the summertime, and Nike AF1s are my go-to slightly dressy sneaker. These are three comfy shoe staples that every girl could use.
  7. Lululemon leggings – Yes, they are worth it. I got my first pair for my birthday in middle school and it completely changed my perspective on leggings and athleisure in general. I know that sounds dramatic, but they’re just so comfy and flattering. I have a couple pairs that I rotate, and they’ve all lasted at least a couple years without much sign of wear or tear. Another plus is that if they rip or anything, if you keep your receipt, they will exchange your damaged pair for a new one free of charge!
  8. Bath and Body Works candles – Again, I remember when these were all the rage on YouTube and their sales would be insanely crowded in my local mall. I’ve moved on from the world of Bath and Body Works perfumes and body lotions, but I still love their candles. They just have the best and most comforting holiday scents, and there are certain fall and winter scents that when I sniff them I just get flooded with memories.
  9. The casual look (hoodies and sweatpants, baby!) – This isn’t really a defined item, it’s more of a fashion taste/look in general. I feel like in the past few years it’s become more acceptable and even trendy to wear loungewear like oversize hoodies and sweatpants out. I have a hoodie collection that grows more and more each year, and I absolutely love to be comfy. Unless it’s summer, a special occasion or I’m feeling like I want to put together an outfit, you will most likely find me in a hoodie and sweats; that’s what I’m wearing right now.
  10. Teen drama shows (like Gossip Girl or Vampire Diaries) – These shows are just irresistible for me. I’ve binge-watched all of the main/most popular ones on Netflix and Hulu, and even a few of the lesser-known ones. I used to have way too much free time on my hands not having any extracurriculars in middle school; I barely watch any TV now, but I do often have my old favorite shows on in the background so I don’t really have to pay attention to them.

These are just a few of my numerous basic girl indulgences. I’m not embarrassed that I like these things, but I am hoping to find some less-basic things that I could talk about and recommend to you guys on this blog in the future. Let me know if we share any of the same guilty pleasures, or if you have any recommendations based on what I’ve shared 🙂

Brooke

Struggling to Get Back Into An Old Hobby? Read This

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I’ve recently gotten back into reading, and it’s been difficult to carve out time to nurture my old favorite hobby. As much as I love to read, I have such a busy schedule in addition to other hobbies (like this blog!) that require a lot of time and headspace as well. There are a couple other hobbies I’ve tried to reintroduce into my life previously as well; some worked out, while others didn’t. Once you feel that something is out of your life, it can be difficult to incorporate it back into your daily routine, whether it’s a sport or something less involved, like reading.

If you’re currently having a similar experience, hopefully these tips will help you incorporate your hobby back into your life. I know it can be frustrating when it used to be so natural or so easy for you to do something and now it’s a struggle to prioritize it and bring it back into your life, but it will be very rewarding once you make it a habit again. Plus, hobbies are supposed to be fun! Use these tips, and soon you’ll be having fun again 🙂

  • Utilize time-blocking to find a time for it – If you really want to do something, you’ll have to carve out the time for it. Set a certain window of time each night or each week where you will allow yourself to spend time on this hobby. As you get back into it, if you’re still enjoying it, you can increase this time-block more and more.
  • Have reasonable expectations – If you were really good at your hobby in the past, don’t get discouraged starting out as a newbie again. If you start and it’s like you never left, that’s great too! Depending on the hobby, you may have found that you’ve regressed though, and that’s completely okay as well. Don’t expect to be perfect- you’re probably/hopefully just doing this for fun anyways.
  • Take it slow – If you’re trying to get back into running (I chose this example because it’s basic), you wouldn’t want to start with a marathon. Take baby steps, and reteach yourself the basics even if you think you remember them well enough. I find this is a good reminder as to how much you enjoyed the hobby before, and it’s always good to review in general.
  • Spend time with other people who have that hobby – This will inspire you to spend more time doing it, and it will also usually make you fall in love with your hobby more if you see and listen to people who are super passionate about it talking about it/doing it. It also helps to find your community, because now you can share your love for the hobby together! If it’s running, run together. If it’s reading, start your own book club.
  • If you’re over-scheduled, drop something else – This is also a good test to see if starting to get into your hobby again is worth it/important enough to you. Are you willing to give up something else currently a part of your life in order to have time for it? You don’t want to be too pressed for time, and there needs to be a balance in your life, so you may need to drop something else in order to take on a hobby.
  • Remember the true purpose of a hobby – As I said, hobbies are supposed to be fun! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get to the level that you were at before with your hobby- if you’re starting it up again, hopefully that would mean you actually enjoy it, regardless of your skill level. As long as you’re having fun and making time for yourself to do so, be content with where you are with your hobby in the moment.

I hope these tips helped if you’ve been trying to find the time for an old hobby in your life, or inspired you to start back up with something you used to love doing! I know it’s a challenge at first, but if you truly enjoy the hobby in question, it’s worth making time for and you’ll slip back into it easily. I know that’s been the case with reading- let me know if you have any good book recommendations, by the way 🙂

Brooke

A Teen Girl’s Guide to Grieving The Loss of A Loved One

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

If you read my post from yesterday, you would know that I recently suffered the loss of my grandfather. I wrote about it to commemorate his life, but also because I thought it might help anyone going through something similar. Grieving the loss of someone in your life, especially someone close to you, is a very difficult thing. I was extremely close with my grandmother, and when she died a couple years ago it was hard for me to deal with- it took months for me to adjust and feel normal again. It’s a sad and odd thing to say, but I think the “experience” that I gained from that is what’s making it a little easier to grieve and accept the recent loss of my grandpa.

I am not an expert in grief by any means, and if you are having a hard time I suggest you seek grief counseling or other professional help if you are able. That being said, I would like to share a few things that have helped me move through the stages of grief and move on in hopes that they may help you. We all deal with things differently, but these are a few general things that I think could help most people.

  • Talk about it – I completely understand if you need time to process it before knowing what to say, but it’s important to let your feelings out rather than keeping them bottled up inside. Find someone you can trust who will listen and comfort you, and don’t feel bad about burdening them with it- if they care about you, they most likely want nothing more than for you to feel better. If you can’t find someone in your life you feel comfortable talking to, seek group therapy or counseling if possible.
  • Write a letter to the person – If too many thoughts are going through your head, or you feel you didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to the person you lost, let all of your thoughts out in a letter. Tell them all the things you wish you could tell them in person, tell them all the things you love about them- whatever you want. You can keep the letter afterwards if you want, but I recommend throwing it away so there’s actually some sense of closure.
  • Meditate/pray/do whatever correlates with your religion and/or spirituality – Depending on your religious and/or spiritual beliefs, this may differ, but I highly recommend having some sort of mindful practice in reaching out to God and/or the universe. It also helps since you’re probably very overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts, and I think these practices are comforting during any tough time in general.
  • Attend the funeral/service if there is one, but on your terms – I highly recommend attending the funeral or whatever service you are having if you’re able to, even if it seems like a hard thing to do. You’ll be among family and friends going through the same thing, and that’s comforting in itself. Also, you can honor the life of your loved one and it will make you think of more positive memories with them, shifting to a better mindset.
  • Look at the big picture – I know they’re common things that everyone will tell you, but look at the positives: they’re in a better place, they’re no longer suffering, they’re in heaven (depending on what you believe), etc. Say these things to yourself and really believe in them, because it will make you feel better.
  • Find your community – This could be in group therapy or in your family and friends if they are experiencing the same feelings; whoever can relate to you, talk and listen, and will be there for you is a huge comfort. You are never alone in your sadness or grief.
  • Go easy on yourself – Don’t expect yourself to move on and feel better right away. Give yourself time. Take things one step at a time, and don’t ask too much of yourself as far as going back to school/work and getting back into the business of your daily schedule. For each tiny step to moving on, give yourself a pat on the back. This isn’t easy no matter what the situation is, and you’re a survivor for getting through it.

I really hope this helps out any of you who have recently lost someone in your life and are in the process of grieving. Remember, you are never alone, and you will get through this eventually- these things take time. Also, be there for the adults in your life who are grieving as well. I know us as kids/teens often think they have it together and can deal with these types of matters better or easier than us, but they’re in the same boat. Above all, I am so sorry for any of your losses if you are in this situation, and I am here for you if you need anything.

Brooke

Goodbye Grandpa (January 1st, 2020)

BrookeLeave a comment

I write this on January 4th, 2020- 3 days after my paternal grandfather left this world. It was a devastating way to begin the new year and new decade, but it was not completely unexpected. My grandpa has endured countless health problems over the last few years including a stroke, a heart surgery, and more. After surviving them all, I guess I thought of him as being some type of invincible. I knew he couldn’t live forever, but I didn’t expect his life to come to the sharp ending that it did.

A few weeks ago, he caught pneumonia- not deadly to everyone, but deadly to a fragile elderly person like himself. He couldn’t breathe, and he was getting weaker. My grandma called on Christmas to tell us the news and that he was in the hospital, but she said the doctor assumed he would make a full recovery and go home in a couple days. On December 27th, the news changed severely; my grandpa had been moved to the ICU. They predicted he now only had a 50/50 chance of recovering or dying. My dad booked a flight to Hawaii (where my grandparents live) and left the next morning; he booked his return flight for two weeks later, but we were all uncertain if he would actually be returning on that date. My dad didn’t want my mom, my brother, and I to go because it would be too chaotic and there wasn’t enough room in the house for us all since other family members flew in as well.

As the next few days went on, his health continued to decline. We’d get text updates from my dad every few hours, and on December 30th, we found out the worst was finally true: he wasn’t going to recover. They started giving him morphine to make the death less painful, and he was weaving in and out of consciousness. My mom had my dad hold the phone up so we could all say goodbye, and hearing his weak voice and his confusion to what was going on broke my heart. That was the most I’d cried in a while. He eventually went into a permanent unconscious state, but his body systems were still shutting down; he didn’t actually die until about 10:00am (Hawaii’s time zone). Since we knew it was going to happen, I felt numb. I couldn’t believe it was real.

My dad is still in Hawaii helping my grandma pack up the house in Hawaii and put it up for sale, as well as managing the cremation of my grandpa. They will be back later this week (only a few days after you’ll be reading this, probably) and my grandma and her dog are coming to live with us until she finds a nice condo in California. Living alone will be a huge adjustment, but she didn’t want to stay in Hawaii by herself, faraway from the rest of our family anymore. Things are going to be absolutely chaotic with another person and a dog in our tiny house (in case you’re unaware, I do not have a dog and we have never had a dog in my house… my dad is “allergic”…. long story), but we have to be there to support my grandma.

I know I’m not the best at telling this story, but it’s mainly because I’ve been hearing most of it secondhand. The reason I still thought it was important to include it was just to emphasize that life is so fragile, and you never know when it’s about to be taken away. The same day that we found out my grandpa had a 50/50 chance of recovering, my best friend’s dog died. It’s crazy how fast things change, and all of a sudden you’re left scrambling to pick up the pieces of fallout. At first I was angry with the universe for my grandpa’s death, especially it being a “first impressions” of sorts of the new year, but I’ve since thought of the silver lining. From the very beginning of this year, I’ve already been thrown a huge curveball of emotions, but that means that this year is going to focus a lot on adaptation and growth. I can tell I’m going to learn a lot from this experience, and there’s tons more learning to come.

To bring things back to my grandpa, I wanted to say a few words about him. As far as I’ve known him, my grandpa was a kind and quiet man. He cracked a lot of jokes, he called me the “California princess,” and most importantly, he loved me and the rest of my family a lot. I’m sad I didn’t get to say goodbye to you in person, Grandpa, but if you’re somehow reading this over my shoulder as I write, I want you to know how much I love you and how much I’ll miss you. Make sure to watch over us and keep us safe. More than anything, I’m glad you’re no longer suffering or having to deal with health issues.

As I looked away from my computer screen, I noticed a little rainbow reflecting on my nightstand. I don’t know if that’s some sort of sign from the universe, but I’ll take it as one. Yes, this was a challenging start to the year, but I’m no stranger to a challenge. Remember to tell your family members you love them and be there for them during their struggles- it’s not always something I did with my grandpa, and now I’m unable to be there for him at all. I know he understands and still knows how I feel, but I wish I could’ve been a “better person” and done more. I love you Grandpa, and I hope I make you proud.

Brooke

Caught Between Writing for An Audience and Writing For Me

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

This is going to be a quick post, but it’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately. If you read pretty much any online advice about blogging, you’ll be told to find your niche and build an audience accordingly. As you can tell if you’ve been reading my posts for a while, I don’t really have a niche. I started this blog to cover my summer travels, then launched into high school advice, but I’ve covered many topics completely unrelated to both of those things. Even when I work on my creative writing, I think about this: should I have a signature writing style? How can I make my writing more likely to get accepted/selected for publication and contests? I write to create and I do want to share it with the world, but how much should I be angling it towards others’ enjoyment?

I’ve tried to brainstorm ideas on how I can turn what I’ve been writing about into more of a specific niche. So far, I haven’t really come up with anything, or tried to. I like the ability to write about whatever I want; it also makes it a lot easier to come up with new and interesting post ideas. I don’t want to feel constrained in a hobby I started for fun. On the other hand, if I chose a niche focusing on something I love, wouldn’t that still be fun? I’m not sure. I’m so conflicted on a lot of things I’m doing at the moment- I start activities for fun, but it quickly turns into wanting to get better and needing to appeal to others to do so.

I’m not sure if I should keep writing about whatever I please. I know I would most likely grow my blog a bit more if I chose a niche and stuck to the typical tips expert bloggers will give you, but I feel like it’s too late to do that now. I can’t change everything I’ve written so far (especially the name and URL of this blog), and I don’t want to start a new blog and abandon this one that I’ve put so much time into (7 months of my life, posting almost daily). I know I usually don’t get a lot of comments or engagement on my posts since this is a small blog, but I would love some advice right now. What would you guys like to see, and what brought you to my blog in the first place?

I could go on for longer, but the base of my internal conflict at the moment is this: should I keep blogging the free-form way I have been so I can do whatever I please, or should I pick a niche, clean it up, and try and make my blog more appealing to others? Feel free to leave any thoughts you have or let me know if you’ve had any similar struggles. It’s cheesy but as I’ve ended a lot of posts lately, we’re all in this together 🙂

Brooke

The Passing of Time & Our Expectations of Productivity

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As I have mentioned a few times on this blog in the past, I write all of my posts for an upcoming week the weekend beforehand, scheduling them to go up in advance. The day this post will go up is my last day of winter break, when I will most likely be writing my posts to go up the following week. You may be thinking, why would I bring this up? Well, there’s a few reasons. Winter break flew by, and I had all these expectations of things I could get done: tons of volunteer opportunities, tons of homework and extra credit assignments, studying for finals, holiday parties and fun plans with friends and family, summer program applications, blogging, cleaning, and writing with the intention of submitting to competitions.

Yes, it sounds like a lot- but 16 days of no school also sounded like a lot of time to do it all. To no one’s surprise (not even really my own), I wasn’t able to do everything. Time flew by, slipped through my fingers, and what I thought was a huge chunk of time still wasn’t enough to do everything I thought I could, regardless of how productive I was or wasn’t. I always feel like time is passing me by because I just want to do so much, and even at my highest levels of productivity and motivation, it’s impossible to do it all. Balancing fun things and obligations and things that fall under both categories is a lot no matter who you are, but I’ve also found that I almost want to overload myself since there’s so many things I’m interested in and I constantly discover new things I want to be a part of or think of ideas I would like to execute.

I don’t know whether to blame myself for time management issues, or blame myself for having unrealistic expectations- maybe I should be doing both? I would make a list of things I wanted to get done each individual day and I would take everything one step at a time, but I just never ended up knocking enough things off the list. I guess the “culprit” could’ve been the fact that I made a lot of plans with friends, but it’s winter break and the holiday season; it was kind of a given that I would be going to holiday parties and such. I shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to be social on one of the only substantial breaks from school of the year. On a normal weekend, I don’t see my friends at all- I’m shut up in my room doing homework and other work on my computer or writing, and then I’ll possibly go out for food and volunteering. I knew there wasn’t going to be another opportunity for me to have this much time to just do something fun, so I said yes to all the plans my friends asked me to participate in.

It scares me how fast time has been passing in general. My first semester finals are in a couple weeks (a huge reason why I had so much work over break), and that means I’m about to be halfway done with sophomore year. I had so many plans and ideas and thoughts about how I wanted to approach this year, and it’s flown by so fast that I couldn’t even try to implement most of them. Sure, I’ve had a full schedule and it’s not like I was being lazy, but I’m confused how I never have time to do anything. How do some people have time to manage a full and difficult course load, a social life, their hobbies, and tons of other random activities and responsibilities both inside and outside of school? I’m managing things okay, but not with a good balance between work and play, and with barely any extra breathing room.

This is more of a question almost than a real post. I’ve offered my situation and my thoughts for you to mull over, and now I’m asking: what am I doing wrong? Am I doing anything wrong? Are any of you experiencing the same thing? Feel free to let me know, we’re all in this together!

Brooke

Should You Seek Private College Counseling?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Last year around this time, I had a rude awakening to just how competitive college admissions is today. I’m currently a sophomore in high school, so I was only a freshman at the time this happened, but I started to panic- we had a little meeting with our school counselors to plan out our sophomore year classes and make sure we were on track for the future, and so many people were taking summer school and trying to get ahead and game the system. I didn’t even know there was a system, I thought it was just about doing well in the highest level classes available to you at grade level, and being decently well-rounded outside of school. I didn’t realize there was so much planning and outside factors going into crafting the perfect college application as soon as freshman year. Keep in mind, I go to a competitive public high school, so this may not be the same in your school or different areas; maybe it’s even more competitive, I know at private schools and prep schools it definitely is.

My school counselor wasn’t a huge help due to her having 600 kids to advise and it was difficult to get a 10-minute appointment even if you only had a very immediate concern like a schedule change, and I felt lost after trying to get advice on the Internet from websites like College Confidential. I wasn’t trying to focus my whole life around getting into college in a couple years; I just wanted to know if I was on the right track and what I would need to do to prepare myself. Therefore, I asked my parents if we could go to a consultation with a local college counselor. They reluctantly agreed and we went- it seemed like a good vibe, and I was desperate for answers so it was really helpful to get some. My parents were skeptical to commit to anything because of the fairly high price tag, but they agreed because it was a one-time fee for guidance the rest of my high school years. I feel somewhat guilty that they paid so much since there are good and free resources online, but it was what I needed for peace of mind at the time, and it has proved very helpful to get personalized recommendations and advice.

I apologize for the long-drawn context, but I feel it’s necessary. If you’re feeling helplessly confused like I was and are currently considering whether you should consult a professional, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to explain a few reasons why you should or should not hire a private college counselor based on your personal situation.

If these things apply to you, YES, you should:

  • You have the resources and time – I feel like this is one of the bigger things to consider. My parents were able to set up a payment plan so it wasn’t as much of a dent at once, and they felt better about it since I would be able to use the service from then until senior year. If you’re starting early, it can be more bang for your buck.
  • You’re an older sibling or only child – I’m personally the oldest sibling and the first one in my family to navigate this process. A lot of my friends are younger siblings and already knew so much about the process- some of their older siblings even had private counselors! They’ve also visited colleges with their older siblings, so they just overall are a lot more familiar with how everything goes.
  • Your parents have no clue about anything admissions-related – College admissions has changed a lot since our parents’ generation applied. My parents also both went to community colleges and transferred elsewhere, so they didn’t even ever go through the traditional college application process, only a transfer one. This led to a lot of frustration from me when they didn’t even believe me about how competitive it is to get in these days.
  • You’re not really sure what you want in a college, or what you want to study in college – I am super all-over-the-place in terms of interests and I don’t have a clear-cut path I plan on following in academics, extracurricular interests, or anything; I just know I like challenging myself and there’s a lot of things I’m interested in. And as far as the actual college search goes, I have no clue what I want either; I think I want a small or medium-size school and want to go far from home, but that’s pretty much it. It’s nice to have someone with a lot of knowledge on different people’s experiences and different schools to talk you through things.
  • You get along with the counselor and like them as a person – It’s so important to pick a counselor that you actually like if you’re going to be working with them throughout high school and paying them a lot of money. You’ll want to pick someone with good reviews online who knows their stuff, and seems like they really care about you.
  • You don’t have a strong relationship with your school counselor and/or another mentor who could help – I actually got a new school counselor this year and I really like her, but it’s still so hard to get appointments. Because there’s not a lot of individualized attention at my school, it just made more sense to seek it out for myself. I don’t have any other connections outside of school that would be able to give me advice when necessary, so I had to find my own.

If these things apply to you, NO, you shouldn’t:

  • It’s too much money and/or time – It’s definitely not worth it if you’d be struggling financially to pay for it. There are free resources online which I will write a post about soon, and your school counselor can help you. Similarly, if you’re a senior, it’s somewhat late in the game to take advantage of the full benefits- I would just go to someone who could read/edit/critique your application and essays if you’re a senior.
  • It seems like the counselor/service will require you to be unauthentic and/or unethical – Anyone who will encourage you to lie or cheat on your application is an automatic no. Even if they are suggesting that you do certain activities you’re not necessarily interested in, I would consider that unauthentic as well.
  • You already have a pretty good idea of what type of school/what school you want to go to and your interests for what to study there – A lot of the input a college counselor will give is related to narrowing down your options and figuring out what your actual plan is. If you already have a plan for yourself, they’re a lot less useful to you. For example, if you’ve decided you want to go to UCLA and major in biology because you love it, you don’t really need someone to tell you what else you should be doing. Yes, you might want someone to read over your applications and essays, but that can be done for cheaper come application time, and anything else you need to know can be found through online research.
  • You’re a younger sibling and/or have parents well-versed in college admissions – As I stated, a lot of my friends have already been through the process with their older siblings and have a pretty good idea of what they will need to do as well. In these cases, there’s not really a reason to ask for outside help when you can work closely with your family members and other personal connections.
  • You have a hands-on school counselor or other unpaid service/connection that can help you with these services – If your school fosters a more personalized connection between counselors and students, you may have never even needed to worry about seeking a counselor outside of school. Similarly, if you have a family member/friend/other connection who works in college admissions or has some other tie to the process, you could easily go to them for simple questions and such.

I hope this helped any of you out there who were having trouble deciding how to take action. Keep in mind this is just based off of my personal experiences, and your experience could be completely different depending on the services offered and the involvement of the program. Only do what you feel comfortable doing, and don’t feel pressured to use a private counselor at all! It can be a great resource and help you out, but it’s definitely not the end-all be-all or ultimate key to success. In a lot of ways, it’s more impressive if you can get through everything on your own 🙂

Brooke

5 Easy Ways to Be Eco-Friendly in 2020

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

As we all know, sustainable and environmentally-friendly products have become a lot more accessible recently. A lot of people, myself included, want to reduce their own contribution to pollution, waste, and all of the harm we are doing to this planet. I’ve really been trying to become more aware of my choices and the waste I create, and it’s important to know that there’s actually a lot of easy and affordable ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you’re looking to reduce your waste in 2020, keep on reading for five simple ways to do so!

  1. Use reusable cups, straws, and utensils on the go – I know reusable water bottles like Hydro Flasks and metal straws have become super popular, but there’s even more you can do. Bring your own thermoses to coffee shops if they allow it, and keep a set of bamboo utensils in your car if you’re getting takeout or food where you would otherwise be using plastic cutlery.
  2. Pack lunches and snacks in Tupperware or lunch boxes instead of Ziploc or paper bags – Similar to reusable utensils and cups, packing your lunch in a way that produces less waste can also help you cut down a lot on plastic. This is something I plan on doing more this year, since at the moment I bring a paper bag lunch and there’s usually a couple snacks in ziploc bags. It’s an easy way to limit your waste on a daily basis, and it’s probably cheaper in the long run since you only have to buy a lunch box or nice Tupperware set once.
  3. Support sustainable companies and/or charitable companies with products related to the environment – Lots of these companies will be a lot pricier, but the products are often designed to last longer and in some cases they are more ethically made as well. For example, Reformation is known for their sustainable clothing, but it’s also very pricey. There are also companies that create their products on the basis of charity, such as 4ocean that takes a pound of plastic out of the ocean for each bracelet bought.
  4. Buy thrifted/secondhand clothes – This is helpful because it’s also a cheaper shopping option. Sites like Poshmark, Depop, and even eBay (less people go on eBay to buy clothes so you can get great deals) have tons of clothes you can get for super cheap, and it prevents people from throwing out their clothes. Also, going to your local thrift shop is just a fun experience 🙂 Of course, make sure to sell or donate your own clothes when getting rid of them so they don’t get thrown out either!
  5. Take notes / do schoolwork online – This is more about reducing paper than plastic, but I’ve seen that a lot of students have recently gone paperless. If you would rather take notes and complete all assignments online, it’s a great way to reduce waste- it does save some plastic in the long run as well because you won’t have to buy notebooks with the plastic covers, folders, or binders that have plastic in them. I know this doesn’t work for every person’s school and studying situation, but it’s something else to be mindful of. If some of your teachers have options to turn everything in online but some don’t, just take advantage of the opportunity for the ones who do.

Hopefully this inspired you to make a few swaps in your daily lifestyle. Remember that you really can have an impact and change starts with these small choices. On the other hand, remember no one is perfect; it’s difficult to completely shift your lifestyle and there will definitely be slip-ups or times when it’s not feasible to center your shopping around sustainability. The important thing is that you try your best and keep the earth’s best interest in mind. We’re all in this together 🙂

Brooke

Should You Believe in Astrology/Horoscopes? Here’s Why I Do

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I’m always looking to discuss new topics on this blog and see what people are open to reading about, and today I realized I hadn’t talked about astrology, zodiac signs, or horoscopes before. It’s been on my mind the past couple days a little bit more than usual, since I received a book all about my zodiac sign (I cannot find the other signs, this isn’t even my sign but it’s the only one that came up) as well as a candle related to my birthday and zodiac sign for Christmas. I read the entire book before lunchtime on Christmas morning, and I was excited to learn a couple things about my sign that I hadn’t known before.

I would like to say upfront that I am by no means an astrology expert and I’m not a diehard believer in everything that horoscopes or astrology claims- it’s just like anything else where you have to take information with a grain of salt. That being said, if you’re interested in hearing my perspective on why I follow my horoscope and other astrology information or are skeptical on your own beliefs, I encourage you to keep reading and learn more.

To give a little background, my mom is a big believer in astrology, psychics, horoscopes, crystals, and lots of spiritual things that are often associated together. She has her own books on all of these things that she reads, and she’s been reading me my horoscope since I was little. It was only natural for me to become interested in my zodiac sign and learning more about astrology as well. I’m a Leo born on August 14th, and my moon sign is also Leo. It’s interesting because I don’t see myself as such a full-blown Leo; I’m introverted and quite shy at times. That being said, I think I see it more in my internal self and my goals/dreams for myself in life- I definitely have big dreams.

I think seeing that I’m not the “stereotypical” Leo is the main thing that’s deterred me from being a full-fledged believer in horoscopes and all things astrology, because right off the bat that’s a big shift in my personality that makes a lot of the horoscopes I read seem inapplicable to myself. However, there is still something for everyone to learn as you start reading more about your zodiac sign. In contrast to my mother, my father doesn’t believe in any of this at all. He says horoscopes are general things that could apply to anyone, and it’s just another marketing tactic. I read horoscopes from a variety of different places, and I think it depends- reading from an astrology website is different than reading the little horoscope slide on Snapchat’s news. Similarly, I have no clue where those accounts on Instagram that make little memes/posts about the different signs’ opinions on different topics get or come up with their information.

Since I’m not an otherwise religious person, astrology is a way for me to have some sort of belief in why I am the way I am (tongue twister!) and possibly learn more about myself. I know that may sound silly, but when I was reading the book I got for Christmas there were a few traits of Leos they described that I didn’t even really notice I had before, so it made me feel more connected to my sign and have a bit more faith in astrology. As I’ve stated before, it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt and know that not everything you read will apply to you personally, but it’s still fun to read and learn about. Also, if you believe in the Law of Attraction and manifestation, reading positive horoscopes and believing them might make them actually come true!

I hope this helped you gain a little bit more perspective on why some people enjoy learning about astrology and their personal zodiac signs. I apologize if there’s anything in here that was incorrect or offensive in anyway to what you might believe, but I tried my best to explain it from a neutral perspective. Keep in mind I am not an expert- I just read my horoscope and the occasional book or article to learn more about my sign, and I’ve searched up my personal birth chart a few times in the past. Other than that, I’m just another basic girl who likes having jewelry that depicts their sign 🙂

Brooke