Handling Back to School Stress and Anxiety

It is beginning to become that time of year where school is in full force and life is beginning to get crazier. It seems that the days are becoming shorter and my backpack just seems to getting heavier. As the course load begins to become tougher, there begins the back to school stress. Everyone at some point during their semester will experience back to school stress, test anxiety, finals. It is important not to let your dress build up and then send you crashing down and exploding. So before that happens lets look at some tips and ideas to keep that from happening.

1. Be organized

• Download organization apps on your SMART phone or iPad
• Keep a physical planner with you and on you at all times
• Be well planned and thought out

2. Reserve time away from school and homework

• Your brain needs a break and needs to breathe
• Have a get away weekend with friends
• Go to the bar for an evening
• Anything just to be able to have a "breather" from school

3. Find a hobby/Exercise

• Yoga
• Find something that you like to do whether it is painting, drawing, exercising, yoga, there are countless things to learn how to do that will keep your mind off school for awhile.

4. Have time management

• Time management is key
• Without time management you will just become more stressed
• Learn to multi-task

5. Drink lots of coffee

• Okay maybe not a great idea but that's my solution to things when I become stressed with homework and the fact that it helps me stay up late on these late homework nights.

6. Practice a new yoga pose

• Find something you like, try a new yoga pose. Make it easy, medium, or difficult it is all up to you.

These are just some ways that one is able to take school and homework off their mind and to have a "breather" away from school.

Fall Semester-Cooler Temps and Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Finally the cooler temps have started settling in. Personally I cannot wait for Fall to "officially" arrive. But.... just Fall. Coffee drinks and cooler weather is what keeps me continuing through school and trucking through all the loads of homework. Fall I feel like is where I can wear comfy clothes that are warm and still be able to pull off a professional look. One of the best things that comes with fall apart from the lovely weather would be the amazing coffee drinks. And maybe everyone is thinking the pumpkin spice latte at this moment, but not I. I love the sea salted caramel mocha during this time of season. Don't get me wrong I like pumpkin but not entirely a big fan of pumpkin spice lattes, only once in a great, great while. This tends to be where my paycheck goes to the little coffee shop at the school. But I need coffee and caffeine in order to get through my school day as well as my work day. Coffee is an absolute must and even more now that they will be having the sea salted caramel mocha more often.

Other than the amazing weather and fabulous coffee drinks, there is one more thing about fall that I absolutely love and that most others would agree. The leaves changing color. Filling the spaces full of reds, yellows, and oranges just brightening up the day, it makes it look so much more lively I think. Soon the leaves will start to change outside and then begin to fall and walking outside one will hear the crunch beneath their step. Walking around campus I love taking in the different colors of trees when fall arrives as well as hearing the crunch beneath my step. Fall is a great season that I can enjoy the weather and coffee drinks, not to mention football games as well, cannot forget about those, while at the same time finishing my degree up this year.

Is one able to have a bucket list while in college: is it reachable or just a dream?

Attending the last year of college, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am almost finished. However throughout my four years of college I have been building a bucket list. But this bucket list at the moment almost makes me wonder if it attainable or is it a dream for now. Everyone has a bucket list and everyone's is different as well. Some bucket list are huge and going to far away places, where some are simple things. However just even imagining a bucket list is something fun to do.

In college one is so busy trying to complete classes, get things turned in on time, that they forget about their bucket list or it gets put on the back burner. Then there is work on top of school, making it seem like there is just no time to even attempt a bucket list. I think it would be fun to make small attainable bucket lists while in college. Whether that means traveling to a new place each weekend like a different college or go bar hopping in a new town. There are little things that can be considered a bucket list and while in college one needs to have fun.

As a college student it is important to learn to set aside some time whether it is to just have a fun weekend out in town, or to get away for the weekend. One needs to have a fun weekend here and there to take a load off and for a night forget about any homework that is due soon or work that needs to be done and to just have fun. Even a weekend out could be considered on your bucket list.

Here's my bucket list: it starts small and grows

1. Have a pumpkin spice latte
2. Take a weekend off of work
3. Learn to cook a new dish
4. Make an unplanned road trip
5. Graduate
6. Ride in a hot air balloon
7. Travel overseas to Italy
8. Visit Niagara Falls

One can dream right

Coffee that's all that needs to be said!

In today's world as I sit here and write my blog post I have no idea how I would be getting through my day without my morning coffee. Coffee is how I begin my day and it keeps me awake and on my toes. If I were to not have my morning coffee, it is like my day is all out of sorts. Normally I only have my one cup of coffee in the morning, but now that school has begun and classes are picking up to full speed, I see my intake of coffee slowly increasing at times. It definitely I know will be increasing the closer to tests and project dates especially finals. There are times that I can go days with only one cup of coffee, but some days I just need that extra little boost.

I am the typical college student that totes a backpack and a cup of coffee around campus heading to my morning classes.

Just like how there are many choices that a 20 something college student has to make, there are just as many flavors and styles of coffee that one can choose. However when it comes to coffee, I know exactly the kind and size that I want each time. When it comes to making decisions as a 20 something year old college student on the other hand, well I can tell you that, that decision is not nearly as easy as the coffee decision. At least with the decision of choosing coffee, if one makes a bad choice on coffee they can at least doctor it up with creamer or know next time not to choose that one. Sometimes as a 20 something college student one cannot doctor up their decision that they made.

Coffee is what keeps the day going and makes my day feel complete.