I am Officially Graduating: 4 Lessons Learned in College

This week I'll be back in America for my graduation! As you're reading this, I'll already be back in the States! It's such a bittersweet time for me so I think it's a perfect time to reflect on some of the things I've learned over the years. I have changed so much.

#1: Find something to believe in, and fight for it with everything. College is a really great time because you are newly an adult and for most of us, newly on your own so it's a perfect time to explore your interests. I think it is also a very important time for us to think critically because it is during this time that we encounter so many different people and so many different viewpoints that we should be thinking about what is really important to us. As they say, if you don't stand for anything, you'll fall for anything. 
For myself, it was in my sophomore year of college when I was the representative for all the Asian/Pacific Islander students at my school that I discovered my love, passion, and need to be a voice for all the Asian Americans out there because there is still so much injustice yet silence surrounding the Asian American community. I realized that there was still a stigma of Asians not sticking up for themselves and just letting things pass without doing anything about it. I realized for myself that I needed to be part of the change to change that. 
#2: Being alone doesn't mean you're a loser. I am an extrovert. I love people! When I first started in college you couldn't leave me alone for more than an hour or so before I started to freak out about being by myself. I didn't like going anywhere on campus by myself especially at such a small school (especially going to the dining hall alone) and the times that I was alone felt like I was a loser. It seemed like the "cool" kids were never alone & that if you were alone even though no one would ever say anything to you, people would treat you almost like an outcast in the sense of they'll be cordial to you when they see you but that's about it. 
Well, in my sophomore year (that year was pivotal for me in my personal development haha), I lived in a dorm that was very isolating by nature and I also got into binge watching tv shows, so I spent a lot of time alone that year. However, it ended up being good because I learned to be okay being by myself. Even as an extrovert, I realised just how healthy it can be to have time to yourself, not only to rest, but to also just focus on your own. I also learned to love going places by myself because it made me feel more independent. I enjoy & actually take advantage of time that I get to myself now. 
#3: Everything about how we were raised comes up real quick when you're living with roommates. Freshman year was the first time that I ever lived with other people outside of my family. Although my roommates & I generally got along great, we realised just how much our habits are affected by our pasts and how we were raised. With the 3 of us, we were all raised very differently & the results of that meant that we definitely clashed at times, which is very normal in roommate relationships. I just think it was a wakeup call for all of us to evaluate different aspects about ourselves in regards to how we affect the people around us. It has definitely been (and still is) a growing experience to be living with people from so many different backgrounds. 
#4: Burnout is real. So is time management and rest. I am one of those people that has a lot of interests so I want to be involved in as many things as I can. Ever since high school, I've always done advanced classes plus being involved with clubs in school plus a sport plus being involved in church. And I always still managed to do well. I wasn't expecting much different of myself in college, however it wasn't until my junior year that it really was finally catching up to me, and when it hit me, it hit me hard.  If you've been following my blog for a while now, then you'll know that 2015 was a little rough for me blog-wise. I really slacked on it last year because my time management was off and I also had burned myself out packing on the units while still working between 2-3 jobs at any time and still being involved at my home church as well. So when I did have time to rest, I did instead of blogging. It was necessary, but with how much I love and put an effort into my blog, I wanted to stay on top of it. But now, I'm hoping to really be back with the help of Darell plus some friends that I recently found out here in Australia that blog as well!  ----------------------------------- I've learned so much in the last few years in college, especially at a private, Christian university (I'll save that post for another time). I'm very sad that my time is over, but I am also very happy to be done and move onto the next part of my life in Australia. But no matter what, I will always cherish this time of my life for teaching me so much about myself when I thought I had already known myself so well. So here's to that. Let's celebrate!! 

So Close to Getting There: 3 Tips to Stay Motivated til the End

I am a month away from being done with my undergraduate degree. I am so close but yet so far. You know the feeling. There is an event or goal that you are so close to accomplishing you can almost taste it. This is the point when it is easiest to get lazy or give up because you are so close you can almost let it all go. 
Well I'm here to say: fight the good fight! Laziness is our default in this stage of the game because we've worked so hard for so long it's easy to just check out, but don't! (Which I'm sure most of you won't anyway.) However, here are a couple easy tips/encouragement to help get you through the next few weeks:
+ Write out your to-do list everyday. For me, I try to take on my tasks day by day so that I don't get completely overwhelmed by everything I still have to do in the coming days/weeks (although sometimes I get overwhelmed anyway haha). For futuristic thinkers like me, it helps to focus in on that day, rather than your mind going off into the distant future where you will be where you want to be. I use the Daily Docket notepad from Inkwell Press on top of my planner that I LOVE from Ban.do (by the way they are sold out so you'll have to wait until they release their new ones to get them :( )!

What I currently have in the Big Day Lite app

+ Have a visual reminder of your goal to motivate you.  I use the Big Day Lite app to remind me of big or exciting things coming up for me. Actually, today, I only have 30 days left until I am officially done with my undergraduate career! I'm so freakin' excited you don't even know. Although this visual reminder, whether on your phone or on your wall, may distract you at times, I always tell myself that if I don't get my work done, then I won't ever get to where I want to be. For my situation right now, I tell myself that if I don't get this done, I won't pass the class and I'll have to stay another semester of school, which I DON'T want to do. 
+ Most of all, live in the moment. I think when you have a goal or event that you are really looking forward to it is so easy to get caught up in everything you're excited for but at the cost of missing out on what is happening right in front of you. That could mean not being fully present when you're with your friends or actually passing up on opportunities to take a break from working so hard to just live right now. I struggle with this because I am such a planner and I could spend all day planning everything in my life, but I try to remind myself of this every day especially when I feel like I'm getting sucked into the future. You don't want to leave college or do what you want to do or complete your goal and realize that everyone around you was waiting for you to notice them or to spend time with them but you didn't so they went and had fun without you. You don't want to be that person; You still want to look back on the days leading up to that event or moment and know that you enjoyed your time in that season of life. 
We are nearing the end of the semester and the end of the calendar year, so it's easy to get antsy and anxious even if you're not a senior in college like I am. Whatever you're waiting for, stay strong! You can do it. I'm right there with you. 
What are you waiting for? What are you close to accomplishing or what event are you looking forward to in the next few weeks?

The Thing About Being a Full-Time Student with a Blog

It seems like I've been doing a lot of these kinds of posts lately, huh? Well, instead of just apologizing about it and giving you guys a sneak peek at what I've been up to lately, here are some sucky things about being a full-time student with a serious blog: 
+ School has to come first.  Okay, so it doesn't necessarily, but unless you're making a steady income from your blog, it'll be the first thing to take a back burner when school gets busy. 
+ Your editorial calendar gets screwed up.  If you keep an editorial calendar like I do, then you know that you have posts lined up. Because you're a full time student and can't blog when school picks up, your posts get backed up and sometimes trashed altogether if it's time sensitive. (Although please do not do this if you are working with a brand--try your best to get your post on time if you agreed on a specific timeline.)
+ You feel a little helpless. Well, I do at least. I have all these ideas and really have been working on the blog more behind the scenes in the past few days, but you guys haven't seen much of it unless you follow me on social media. 
+ Some people may stop reading your blog as a result.  People who are faithful blog readers expect posts on certain days, and if you go too long without delivering, well then say bye to those readers, because they may get fed up with you and just leave. I feel anxious every day that I'm not able to post because I get scared that people may feel that way. I know that people always say that your true readers will stay and all that, but let's face it--if your blog is a business (or you want it to be) you need to have people always looking at your stuff and engaging with it. If you have faithful readers that engage with your posts (when I say engage I mean comment, share, engage with affiliate links), then that is great! You must have really created a community surrounding your blog. :]
Basically, all of these reasons surround school and are fears of mine. I really do love this blog and put in tons of effort into it. I'm always thinking about what to do next with the blog but with me paying for school more than what I'm making with this blog at the moment school has to come first. Especially since I'm so close to being done (woo 7 more months!). 
So where are my full-time students at? What sucks the most about being a student & a blogger at the same time?

It's That Time of Year...

Can I be honest with you? I'm tired and I'm stressed. I am 6 weeks away from being done with school for the semester and am realizing that I have taken on much more than I thought I could handle. 
All I can focus on is graduating in December, Darell leaving for Australia soon, and ways that I can grow this blog exponentially. I have so many ideas in my head that I can't wait to share with you all, but with all the homework and projects I have for school blogging usually takes a seat on the back burner and I normally knock out when I should be writing. 
I need some encouragement more than anything. This blog is my baby and I love it but I feel like it's being neglected and that I am not growing and that I am in fact declining. (I don't know for sure if my blog is declining or not but that's how I feel). And it's because of this feeling that sometimes I wish I could just quit school and focus on this full time. However, I am less than a year from being finished so I figure that I might as well just stick it out until then. I hope that summer will be good for me in really propelling this blog to where I want it to go. 
So I am sorry for the inconsistency in my posting, guys. Until mid-May it may be this way but trust me, there are some GREAT things coming up for this blog and I cannot wait to share them with you. I hope that you still like me enough to stick around. 
Who else needs to get their life together? Got any tips for a full time student who wishes blogging was their full time job? Please give me some tips if you got any!

Study/Finals Tip: Use a Planner (or App) and Make Lists!

Finals are upon us, and I am beyond stressed. Tests don't worry me too much (I only have 2 this semester), but this semester my finals are mostly papers. 
One of my favorite and most recommended study tips is simply: GO TO SLEEP! However, come finals week, that tip just may not apply depending on how many assignments you're procrastinating on (because let's be honest, we're doing all of these last minute). 
I've learned that planners and any other organizer are your best friends during this time. Whether it's an app or a paper organizer (I prefer paper), it is so important to have everything written down somewhere. 
I usually try to write down whatever I have due in the coming week or in the next few days and I do things in the order that they are due. For example, if I have two classes on one day with assignments due in both, of course I'm going to do the work for the earlier class first. 
I know that if you have a planner chances are you probably use it on a weekly or daily basis already, but if you don't at least make a point to purchase (or download) something to help you list out all you have to do. 
Even if it's simply getting a piece of paper or post its and writing lists of what you need to do, both will help. I think lists are always useful and relevant to use no matter what situation you may be in. 
Okay, so finals week is coming up and I am so excited to be done! What other tips do you use for finals week? Do you use a paper planner or an app to stay organized? 

Study Tip: GO TO SLEEP!

So when you read that, you are probably thinking that I'm super lazy and that is the most counterproductive thing to say. BUT-- hear me out when I explain why I think sleeping can be a good study tip in the right context.  ----------------------------- My freshman year, my lovely RA was always up late doing homework, but even with caffeine she would still sometimes fall asleep. So instead of fighting sleep and therefore staying up later to do homework, she tried sleeping and waking up early. 
It worked better for her, so when I was up late doing homework, once I started fighting to barely stay awake, I tried the sleeping method. And it worked much better for me, even if I was exhausted when I woke up. At least I was able to be awake.  --------------------------- So my tip for all those procrastinators out there? (Holla!)
Sleep when you are fighting to stay awake! It's one thing to doze off, but if you are doing more fighting your body than doing your homework, you really aren't doing anything productive. You'd actually spend more time doing homework if you're trying so hard to even stay awake. 
So, GO TO SLEEP. Seriously! Just set your alarm for at least two or more hours before you need to be up for the day (especially if your paper is due for an 8am). 
Also remember to set up multiple alarms for yourself! We all know that when we're exhausted we're more likely to accidentally press snooze without knowing it. So make sure to set up multiple alarms for yourself so that you can keep being bugged to wake up and finish that paper (or other assignment). 
Does anyone else do the sleep-then-wake-up method like I do? Or are you able to do all-nighters without accidentally knocking out? 

Stayin' Alive and Well

It's been so long since my last actual post! BUT-- before you chew my head off for not doing much the past couple of weeks, let me explain.  + I moved back to school two weeks ago and I didn't really have time to settle because I was here for a music camp since I am a music student. I've also been broke so I haven't been able to organize/decorate my room in the ways that I want to just yet. 
+ I started school last week! While my schedule isn't as academically intense as it has been in past semesters, I was still trying to get used to my schedule and my living situation (see above). However, so far I love my classes! 
+ I've been commuting back and forth between church and school because of my involvement at my church on the weekends (thursdays - sundays). It's been tiring, but I do very much appreciate having a car to transport myself. 
+ God has blessed me with work! I work as a character performer (currently mascot characters but hopefully a princess/face character one day) and as a freelance face painter on the side so I've recently been doing a lot with that as well. I actually just recently gotten some extra cash from myself so hopefully I'll get to decorating and organizing my room soon (especially cause it's been terribly messy lately). 
+ I've also had other things happening recently (ex: BeautyCon LA, my sister leaving for college 6 hours away) that have also prevented me from posting and being as active as I'd like. 
Here are a few pictures of the past couple of weeks for a glimpse into my life as of late: 
BeautyCon LA: 

I got to meet Shannon (aka Shaaanxo) at BeautyCon. I love her videos and her accent!

Got a free pair of jeans from Lucky Brand (worth $119) as a result of this picture. BeautyCon haul to come soon!

 Sister's going away dinner:

preview of my room so far!

Yes, I took on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The full video is on my personal facebook.

First day of school #ootd: Black/White sleeveless top - stole from my sister // Boyfriend jeans - freebie from Lucky Brand Jeans // Brown flats/sandals - Charlotte Russe // Purple backpack - old from Target

Of course, I had to have some boba this past week.

One of my best friends is an RA this year (above) and I am so honored to be a "floor aunt" for her floor! I didn't directly mention this on the blog, but I applied and didn't become an RA this year (and briefly talked about it), but I'm so happy for this lovely friend of mine who did get chosen for it. I'm honored to join her on this rollercoaster in this part of her life with her! And plus, I get to do everything an RA does without the commitment and obligation! :] (whoops!)

My roommates from last year, reunited! (I'm still living with Alissa, on the left)

My school is so country they turned it into a country club for a night.

Some face painting samples for you to see my work so far: 

And of course, I have to include a picture with the boyfriend.

Although I can't guarantee that I'll be back to my 3 posts a week schedule anytime soon, I do hope to get posting at least once or twice a week! I've missed you all!

College Packing List [Guest Post]

So today I have a guest post for you today, and it's all about moving to college. I briefly talked about it last year, but this year I'll be having more posts about it, hopefully! I have Olivia from Liv Love Laugh talking about tips for packing up for college. Check her out and follow her on Twitter and Instagram as well: @livlivinglife

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Hey there Livin and Lovin readers! I don’t know about you, but moving in to college—especially freshman year, but also every time I move—can be very stressful. To reduce the stress, here are eight tips to make packing a little easier, so you have more time for living and loving.

I hope that helps you as you get ready to move! In August, I’ll be moving in for the last time in my college career, and it really does fly by. Here’s to a relaxing and stress-free summer and move for all of us! 

Start early.

Seriously, if you have the space, it can’t hurt to start a month in advance. As you collect things you’ll need in college—at graduation parties, with gift money, on shopping trips—start organizing it in a corner of your room. If you’re planning to take stuff from your house, like batteries or lightbulbs, begin to gather it as it comes to mind.

List it.

Speaking of which, you should have a master list. This website was very helpful to me and a lot of people I know as we got ready to pack, or you can make your own list. But having one will make packing so much easier, and lessen the chances of forgetting things.

Lay it all out.

A week or so before you leave, take the time to lay everything out on the bed or the floor and evaluate what you have. What are you missing? What’s there? Are there things you need to grab from the laundry or the basement?

I don’t have a ton of clothes, so I usually end up packing things as they get clean and wearing old jeans and t-shirts during the last few weeks of break. That way, packing my clothes is easier and I’m not up the night before doing laundry like a maniac.

This is also a great time to evaluate if you need to run to the store to pick up anything, and then you can do it in one swift trip…rather than trying to do it while you do laundry the night before you leave. (I’ve been there, can you tell?)

Use smart packing tips.

Packing for college is a lot like packing for any other trip, just on a bigger scale. Use your usual packing tips and tricks, like rolling clothes and packing in reverse order of what you’ll need, to make packing—and unpacking—go more smoothly.

Use containers that are easy to carry.

Don’t overload them. I’ve found that duffels are my personal favorite—so easy to carry and they flatten down to store. If you use Rubbermaid totes, they’re easy to pack but make sure you have room in the closet or under the bed to store them! I also love those large reusable bags from stores like TJ Maxx or Ikea to collect odds and ends in. A roommate once packed books in a wingspan box—like you use for shoes—and it was almost impossible to carry due to the weight and awkward size.

Don’t overpack.

As long as you don’t forget something essential—like toothpaste or underwear or a computer charger—you’ll be fine. You can live without almost everything, I promise. Also, it’s usually pretty easy to replace what you forgot, have it sent to you, or get something new. You’ll probably collect a lot of things during the semester, as well, so don’t worry too much about what you bring, and when it doubt, try to leave it behind.

Label everything.

Labels and lists are my favorite, can you tell? Anything to stay more organized!

Label things for you. Know which box goes where and what’s in it. I sometimes even put a list on the very top saying exactly what items I have. Also, knowing where your bedding is makes it easy to make the bed first thing, which is what I always do.

Label things for others, too: if you’re moving into an apartment-style dorm, write what room things go in on the label. That way, your kitchen supplies and your clothes are easily separated and easily unpacked. Also, if you’re moving in with the help of a few people (and keep in mind that a lot of universities have volunteers on hand to help you carry things), label each box with your room number to ensure nothing gets lost.

Don’t pack at the last second.

Seriously. You’re going to want to spend the last few hours you’re at home saying your goodbyes and relaxing, not stressing over what you haven’t packed yet. Get it all done the day before, especially if you’re leaving early, so that on move-in day all you have to do is throw your toothbrush and PJs in your suitcase and head out!

Sophomore Slump Wasn't Really a Slump

Well before I get onto my actual post, Happy Mother's Day! I won't be actually posting about my mom until later in the week, so that's why this post isn't about her.

Saying goodbye to my room. It was depressing.

Anyway, so last Friday, I moved out of my sophomore dorm. I was sad because although I love change, I hate moving out of a place that I've developed an attachment to, and plus I'm going to miss the air conditioning and walk-in closet that my dorm had.

Now that I look back on it, my sophomore year was pretty amazing. I learned how to be okay with being alone and by myself this year, which was something that I had always struggled with, given my extroverted nature.

I also went on a lot of trips this year and had quite a few memorable moments with the people that mean most to me. From leadership retreat to my 19th birthday to the Hillsong Conference to adventures with my friends to Oregon and Washington to anything and everything with my church to putting on one of the most successful events that I'd ever planned to cutting off all my hair, well this year was a great one.

A Season of Change

Like this picture? My lovely friend Tammy took this for me last year!

Even though it's December, it is technically still Fall, and while the semester has not ended yet, it is definitely getting there and this season has definitely had a lot of change. I feel like it's an appropriate time to reflect on this semester. I know I will do this again in a couple weeks to reflect on 2013, but as far as my sophomore year of college, there is still a lot to process.

A couple things I've learned/realized this semester:

• Friendships change. Well, this is a concept I've been dealing with this entire year but as far as my college friends go, I definitely don't hang out with the same people I did last year during my freshman year of college. I've grown up always staying close with friends even if I didn't talk with them for long periods of time, so the concept of just not even talking with friends or they stop asking me to hang out when we see each other has been a weird thing for me to get used to. Sometimes, you're friends with people for only a season and then you move on. I'm still getting used to that idea. 
• I have a lot more introverted tendencies than I ever expected. I am usually an extrovert, and last year I was one of those people that needed to be around people all of the time. I was pretty obnoxious about it, I'm sure. I remember almost having a panic attack when I couldn't hang out with my friends or couldn't be around anyone, for that matter. I'm not sure if it's the building I live in (it has a rep of being more isolating) or if I'm just growing up, but this whole semester I've spent most of my free time in my room, preferring to be alone. And don't get me wrong it's not that I hate people now, I guess I just appreciate my alone time more. But because I'm embracing my introverted tendencies I'm finding it much more difficult to maintain my friendships. 
• It's okay if you're not in a perfect relationship. If you didn't read my last relationship post about perfection, I've been dealing with accepting that it is okay that my boyfriend and I fight and argue and that we're not perfect. I mean obviously I know we're not perfect, but I guess it's a matter of being okay if people know that you two aren't perfect. We've grown up a lot together this past year and it's been our best year together yet!
• Time management gets harder as you get older. At least that's been the case for me. Maybe it's because I've been putting so much time into this blog that it's affecting my school habits, but regardless, I want a new planner that will be aesthetically pleasing so that it can make me more motivated to take out my pretty planner more [:
• If you know what you want, go for it. This one sounds very cliché but we live in a very judgmental world, and that can scare many of us away from doing things we really want to do. For example, as someone who is slowly getting into Youtube and vlogging and whatnot, it is very intimidating to get into because there are so many girls on youtube who do beauty and fashion blogging and all that, and also because people I know could easily look at my stuff and say that I suck at it. I've learned that if you want to do it, just do it, regardless of what people say. You never know where your persistence can take you one day. 

While all of these things can relate to this entire year, I think that it is safe to say that this semester has been crazy for me. From getting a new roommate a couple weeks ago to managing this blog with school, to so much more, I'm so happy that the semester is coming to an end. 

Finals week, bring it. 

A Birthday to Remember

Today is my birthday! I'm probably just gonna go to Starbucks to get my free drink/food item and go out to dinner with my roommate and some friends tonight, but I already celebrated most of my birthday a few days ago!

If you know me, you know how much I've always wanted to have a debut. (Note: Debut - Celebration in the Filipino culture when a girl turns 18 to represent that she is a woman; similar to a quinceañera/Sweet 16) Anyway, I didn't have one when I turned 18 last year because of money and I was away at college, so I wouldn't have had enough time to have one. It's just something I'd always wanted since I was a kid. 

My wonderful roommate, Alissa, however, took the initiative to plan a modified version of one for me! Long story short, I got dressed up for the occasion and got blind-folded before being taken to Corona Del Mar State Beach. I didn't know where we were going, and although I'm usually not particularly a fan of the beach, for what Alissa did for me, I think it was perfect. 

When I got to our destination, I walked over with Alissa and a few other friends while blindfolded to where we were going to be for the evening. When the blindfold was taken off, there were all my Vanguard friends standing in a line, all screaming "Happy birthday!" to me. I was so touched. Afterwards, I was able to have a photoshoot with all of them as the sun was setting. 

Unfortunately at this time, there was still no Darell. About halfway through the shoot, however, I saw someone walking from a distance, and I recognized his walk. I realized it was Darell and our guy friends and I booked it over to them and nearly tackled Darell to the ground. I was so happy that he was there! We took more pictures before Tammy took me over to have my own photoshoot. 

After about half an hour of taking pictures of each other, Alissa finally called me over and I came over to a pathway lined with (fake, but still real-looking) candles! Most of my friends were standing on either side of the candles so I wasn't sure what was going to happen. With Darell at the end of it, I almost thought someone was going to marry us. 

But no, I walked down the aisle and stood at the end of it. Then, one by one, each of my friends came up with a rose to greet me. The whole setup was a mash-up of the debut's traditional candles and roses. And of course, when we got to the last rose, it was none other than Darell himself. He decided to be a little daring and put the rose in his mouth as if we were going to salsa or something, and everyone was shocked but in a good way. We all loved it and thought it was funny and cute of him to do so. 

We ended the ceremony with a dance to our song, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, played by my friend Paul and sung by my friends Kaciny, Janelle, and May. It was a little awkward cause we were basically "going in circles on rhythm" according to Darell, but honestly, I didn't care. I loved it because Darell doesn't normally put himself out there like that, so I appreciated it so much. He was the only person I really paid attention too at that point. 

When the song ended, we took some more pictures as a group before heading to In-n-Out. We had dinner there and hung out with Darell, the guys, my friends Ben and Joel, and Alissa in our room before I left for home with the guys. 

Okay, so that post ended up being longer than I thought, but nonetheless, it was an amazing day. It was a night to remember, that's for sure. I did more things for my birthday with my parents and last night, but I'll write about that in another post. I'll just leave you with some great pictures that my friend Tammy took from Saturday to enjoy! They should speak for themselves [:

If you know Darell, then you would understand why this is my favorite picture from the night. ♥  

It was a magical night. And on an even brighter note, I'm finally 19!

Chau for now♥