Well it has officially been over a month since I started this whole “college” deal and they aren’t kidding when they say time flies when you’re having fun. If there is one MAIN thing that I have learned while I have been here, it is that you really can make yourself as busy as you want yourself to be. Between classes, my sorority, taking care of myself, and making time to chat with my friends and family, I finally understand the concept of there aren’t enough hours in the day. I decided to document a few of the life lessons I have learned so far and share them with you all:

you are NEVER alone// literally. ever. This was one major change for my introverted self but I am honestly loving the change. Between having a fantastic roomie (hi maddog) & and entire dorm of all girls (the best thing EVER) there is ALWAYS someone to talk to. I was lucky enough to have lots of close friends from high school come to college with me and having them just a few floors away is seriously such a game changer. I am in my friend’s room more than I am my own most days, and having those steady conversations and relationships is SO important to keep yourself sane. This has helped me so much in terms of straying away from being homesick too. Surrounding yourself with familiar faces is always  a healthy way to bring the little bit of home with you without leaving the present moment. {***one big shoutout to Rachel/Molly for basically having a third roomie. the amount of queso I have eaten from your room is getting to be a problem please feel free to confront me about this at any time}

eating healthy literally is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be// one of my main goals going into college was to keep up maintaining the already fairly healthy lifestyle I have. I don’t eat awfully, so when I crave something, it is usually something healthy in the first place. creating a habit for yourself is so easy in college when you’re limited to your food availability. If your dining hall is anything like mine, no matter what specialized entrees may be available that day, there is always a fully stocked salad bar and sandwich line. I am a HUGE fan of building super strong salads packed with protein like grilled chicken, chickpeas, and eggs that can last me long periods of time. I don’t always have time with my schedule to eat a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so being able to find foods that hold you over is super important. Listen to your body and be good to it! yeah ice cream may taste good at the time, but gets you nowhere! Fueling your body with the good stuff like fruit and veggies will leave you feeling so much more energized and helps you stay away from the risk of getting tired easily or not feeling your best. Stocking your dorm room with only healthy snacks is also a main idea that has helped me a ton. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, so things like cookies and candy have never really bothered me, but I can eat popcorn like its my job. By choosing healthy options and making sure to PORTION CONTROL (!!!!!) having a snack while studying isn’t bad at all!

keep yourself busy// this is a HUGE thing for me. I am so used to being involved in so many activities at school, that given all the free time in college, I started off not knowing what to do with it! Find fun things that work with your schedule! For me, I get homework done better in the mornings, and have more motivation to workout after class. Being able to switch those two with the freedom of not being constricted to an 8 hour school day is the best thing in the world. On most campuses there are HUNDREDS of things to get involved in! & if all else fails, take a walk! I love leaving for class a little earlier to skip the bus ride to my class plus walking the hills of KU is surprisingly a workout within itself!

take care of yourself// for about the billionth time this post: you’re on your own in college. Do your laundry. wash your dishes. get your homework done. make the responsibility aspect of college something that excites you, and doing the little daily chores gets all the less awful.

Hope everyone’s first few days of fall are going fabulously! Until next time, xoxo,

Ally