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!! 

Last Semester of College: A Time of Transitions

As you may know if you follow me on social media, I just started my last semester of college this week! It is such an exciting time for me, but at the same time it is quite scary with so many question marks and unknowns. 

I like to think of this time as a time of transitions. What most of that entails is my transition out of college and into the real world. For example, I'm living in an apartment off campus. I made my schedule as light as I possibly could to set aside more time to work. I am starting to look for jobs more in the field that I want to go into, rather than just looking for a retail job just for the sake of getting paid. Shoot, I even changed my hair color again to match the season (yay for fall! But mostly I just love the color rose gold).  --------------------------------------

I will say that if you are in the Orange County area or even LA/San Diego & are willing to drive for good service & great prices, check out The Loop Salon in Costa Mesa! Chelsea owns the salon & she has done some amazing things with my hair in the last 6 months!  ---------------------------------------

I just finished my first week of my last semester and I don't think it could've gone any better. I got to catch up with friends and I really like my classes this so far (although I'm not sure how I'm feeling about my senior capstone class... 40 pages for my senior thesis woo). 
And amidst everything happening, I have to remind myself to stay grounded in my faith as well. I mean, I go to a Christian university but this semester I want to do more with my faith than just flow with the rest of the school. I want to (and need to) continually renew myself everyday and have my own time with Jesus, even if it's as simple as a conversation on my way to and from school. The last couple of weeks before school was really good in my one on one time with my Creator, but with school starting and late nights starting to affect my sleep, I am going to have to work that much harder to make God a priority. Of course, it will always be worth it. Knowing that I will be taken care of and am seen as valuable in His eyes will always be worth it.  It is so crazy and exciting to believe that I am almost done with my traditional undergraduate career, but I'm in a very fun time in my life right now. I fully intend on living it up before I have to go into the real world!

Perfect Study Outfit [Guest Post]

HI! I can't believe I didn't write AT ALL last week. I really intended to and had some great posts lined up for you, but tour was way too busy and uncomfortable on the bus for me to be able to get anything done. And even when I had downtime at night, I was so exhausted I knocked out early. Regardless, I had tons of fun and will be sharing my experience with you soon :]
Anyway, I am still recuperating from choir tour/spring break so today I have a guest post from Erin of Erinfinity. Since it's midterms and finals season for many people, she's sharing her perfect study outfit! 
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Hello, finals season. We meet again.

It’s that time of year when assignments are piling up and you’re trying to get everything done while staying healthy and exercising and eating right and sleeping enough and having a (miniscule) social life, so who even has time for fashion anymore?

Normally, studying attire is sweatpants and the baggiest sweater I can find, but over the years I have realized that this outfit motivates me to get into bed and nap for the entire day, rather than finish my school work. It’s also embarrassing to go out in public and there’s a fine line between what’s acceptable and what is not – and so, in an attempt to increase productivity, this chic perfect-for-studying outfit was born!

A blouse under a denim shirt is the perfect mix of classy and casual. This outfit is super comfortable, so you can focus on studying AND show off your style at the same time. And don’t forget study breaks – throw on some rain boots and get outside! (Yes, that is what Canada looks like right now. Spring has definitely not sprung, and shows no signs of springing anytime soon…)

Happy studying and good luck to all of you with exams!

Denim shirt: Garage Clothing // Blouse: Le Chateau // Leggings: Aerie for American Eagle // Necklace: Dynamite Clothing // Rubber boots: TSC Stores // Watch: Relic // Knot Bangle: Metal Marvels Store // Socks: made by my grandma!

Preview of Apartment Life: Living with a Kitchen

I've been on winter break for just about a week and a half now, and I was so blessed to have a couple friends let me stay at their apartment while one of them went home to North Carolina for winter break. I stayed close to school rather than moving back home because of work so I wouldn't have to commute so far. 
I've really enjoyed living here so far mainly for one reason: A KITCHEN! 
Living in the dorms have been fun because of the community and being on campus, but the thing that I've always wished that I've had was a kitchen, and most on-campus dorms only have kitchens for those with special health needs and can't eat what's in our dining hall. 
Because it'll be my senior year next year, I really want to slowly transition to post grad life, and that includes living in an apartment off campus. One of the main reasons: having a kitchen so I can cook! I didn't grow up eating a ton of American food on a daily basis because my parents always insisted on feeding us Filipino food. I hated it growing up because I hated eating rice with everything but I'm so grateful for it now that I'm older. 
One of the biggest reasons for wanting my own kitchen is being able to eat Filipino food when I want! I can't do that now because most of my cooking consists of typical American breakfast foods, but as the break goes on (and when I eventually have my own apartment next year) I'm so excited to learn.  I love having my own kitchen because I love grocery shopping and the idea of preparing my own food for me to eat. There is also that satisfaction of your food tasting good and knowing that you made it yourself. 
I've been pinning lots of easy (and cheap) recipes for me to learn so that I can try cooking some new things on a college student budget. I love experimenting with new foods. Send me some pins if you have any ideas for me to try!
Follow Kriselle Mendoza (Livin' and Lovin' Blog)'s board Let Me Eat on Pinterest.

Even though I'm only staying in this apartment until mid-January, I'm going to enjoy it while I can, especially the kitchen. It's making me excited for getting to do this for real next year! Until then, I'll experiment with what I can, and follow me on Pinterest if you want some ideas too!

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? 

Blog Tour

I really love to write, and writing a blog has really kept my writing consistent because I'm always trying to write. Sure, it isn't stories or diary-type of entries all the time, but I like that I'm still writing nonetheless.

Ever since I started blogging, I've realized how much of a community there is within the blogging world and just how connected everyone is in it. Lauren of Lauren Elyse CAN tagged me in her Blog Tour last week, and I'm really liking her blog, especially the name. It's really motivating! And if you aren't familiar with the Blog Tour, it is basically what it says it is: a tour of different blogs, and if you want to get specific, you are touring different blogs and how the people behind those blogs work and how their writing process goes. 

The Hardest Part About... Finals Week

So it is finals week at my school this week and if it isn't finals week at your school, you know that it's coming. Finals week is already taking such a toll on me by making me super lazy and neglecting some last-minute school things I have to do (don't worry, I got all my final tests/papers in check) and my blog! But no worries, after this Friday when I'm moved out and back home, I'll be good for the summer!

Anyway, so people are always talking about how hard it is to study or write papers during the last few days of finals week, but I can beg to differ. I think that there is something more difficult and draining than those tests.

So what's the hardest part about finals week? Packing.

Packing is seriously the hardest part about this time of the year. It seems totally unrelated to finals because packing up and moving out isn't a test or anything that you could be graded on later, but if you really think about it, it has everything to do with finals week.

Think about it: Finals week not only means final tests and projects, but it also means final days in the place you've made home for the year and depending on where your friends live, with your closest friends for the next few months. Of course this doesn't apply if you're a commuter or if you live in an apartment (or maybe it does if your lease is up), but you know what I mean.

Maybe it's just because I love unpacking and decorating and I hate packing and moving around. Maybe I've just gotten too lazy to clean that now that I'm forced to, I'm dreading it. Or maybe it's because I'm going to miss the air-conditioning and walk-in closet that my dorm currently has (my dorm next year won't have either of those, unfortunately). Maybe it's because I was the absolute last person to move off my floor last year and it was so weird living on an empty floor and in an empty room by myself.

How to deal with it: Tackle packing up your stuff little by little. Try not to cram it all in one day or one night. Unless you hated your roommates and where you lived, it might get overwhelming and possibly emotional if you wait til the last second. You don't even have to do much. Just slowly start taking things off the walls or cleaning out your fridge every day. Then as you finish up finals, start packing up your books and desk stuff. You'll probably be packing up your clothes last. Last year, it took me at least 3 or 4 days to pack my stuff up if not more. It'll take me longer this year, that's for sure. I've already started packing but it's pretty overwhelming.

How's finals week for you? What do you struggle the most with during finals week? What's your packing strategy?

Become a Careeranista Today!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book complimentary for review. No monetary compensation was given, and all opinions are my own. 

Although I'm not a college senior, graduation is right around the corner. I know that for most of my friends who are graduating, there is a lot of uncertainty about what to do after graduating college. However, even if you're not graduating college yet, I'm sure that so many people are still worried about what happens next.

Well, now there is no reason to worry!

Careeranista: The Woman's Guide to Success After College is a practical career guide that helps women (sorry, men!) in navigating the "real world" after graduation. The book covers a wide variety of topics, from applying for jobs to handling rejection, from negotiating your salary to working around office politics, and even from where to live and dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace.

The book is filled with so many resources and expands even beyond the book as well! More resources and stories about women's experiences post-graduation are also on the Careeranista website.

Chaz Pitts-Kyser, the author of the book, provides so much insight into what happens and what to do to help you. The book goes into so much detail and shows specific examples of what to do and what not to do in different situations. It really is a book that all women should read!

Even though I still have a couple years until I graduate, I definitely am keeping this book under my radar as a resource! I can even use these now to prepare myself for the job market, like managing my social media and practicing professional email-writing.

If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can get it for your Kindle or in paperback on Amazon or the Careeranista website. There are even preview pages on the Careeranista book's website if you're still not sure!

What are you waiting for? Start prepping for your future and become a Careeranista!

Spring Break Recap - CA, OR, WA

If you've been keeping up with my Twitter and Instagram, then you would know that I recently came back from spring break up in the Pacific Northwest--Northern California, Washington, and Oregon. It was a lot of fun, but it was primarily for my university's annual choir tour!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but here was our basic travel schedule (60+ hours on a bus over the course of 10 days with 45 women): 

SoCal to Gilroy, Ca (San Jose area)

Gilroy, Ca to Portland, Oregon

Portland, Or to Klamath Falls, Or (close to the border of Cali and Oregon)

Klamath Falls, Or to Seattle, Wa (We stayed in Seattle for two days)

Seattle, Wa to Prineville, Or (Central Oregon, close to Bend, Oregon)

Prineville, Or to Walnut Grove, Ca (half an hour from Sacramento)

Walnut Grove to Home! 

Here is my trip in pictures!

The 6th Day After Christmas: Top 13 Life Moments of 2013

It is day 6 and the final day of the countdown to the new year! Thank you for following along with me as I reminisced on some great times throughout this year, but now it is time to count down my top 13 life moments of the year!

It is safe to say that 2013 was a year of change, not only in myself, but in the world around me. I've met so many people, done so many things, and had so many great memories this year, and it is time to reflect on my personal life in a more holistic way before closing this chapter and moving onto next year.

1. Valentine's Day

Valentine's day was actually a big deal to me this year. It was my most memorable and most fun Valentine's day yet!

In the past few Valentine's days before this year, Darell never really bothered to do anything for me because he didn't think it should've been a big deal. This year, I was in my first year of college (at the time) and it was the first holiday that we had a chance to spend together after not being able to see each other for the past few major holidays. I think that this day represented a shift in our relationship for the better, that we were maturing.

Darell had hinted around visiting me for Valentine's Day, but I couldn't take it too seriously, otherwise I'd be disappointed if he didn't. However, the day before, as I walk out of my last class of the day, there he is, standing at the door with a bouquet of roses! I could not have been more shocked! He later told me, "I felt like my heart was going to burst because I was so nervous... when I saw you I couldn't see anything else"

Aww! What a sweetheart! The rest of the day was simple after that--he gave me my favorite chocolates and I gave him my gift to him before we went off campus to eat Flame Broiler for dinner. When we came back, we hung around campus for a bit before going to Shine, my school's weekly worship night. It was an amazing day indeed.

2. Journalism Conference in San Francisco