Oh gosh. How can it already be almost the end of the semester? I am telling you — it seems like I just started college yesterday. And here I am, four years later, about to graduate in just 3 and a half short weeks. While that makes me super excited (hello, no more school!) I am also sad because the next few weeks here will be a lot of “lasts” in a place where I had so many “firsts”. I met my husband here, met some of my closest friends, adopted my sweet kitty, pulled many an all-nighter and discovered that I am not immune to “college kid syndrome”. Here are 8 tips for college seniors and late night studiers to get you through the next few weeks (no matter what semester you are in/also these work for my #girlbosses who are working tirelessly to reach their goals).
This post is sponsored by Rohto Eye Drops. All opinions are honest and my own.
Don’t let dry, red eyes show the world just how late you stayed up last night.
If you are like me, you know that staying up late (or sometimes all night) is just part of the job when it comes to being a student. But don’t let your tired eyes show just how little sleep you got. Dry eyes can be annoying and distract you from being the best student you can possibly be. That’s where Rohto Eye Drops come in.
It’s totally okay to feel like a zombie, but looking professional is important. Stay on top of looking and feeling your best with Rohto.
Don’t stop being organized.
This one is huge. I know that it is the end of the semester and you would so much rather be playing and applying for jobs and graduate school and million and one other things. But don’t get swept up and mess up your last semester. Continue taking notes, studying your tail off and finish on a high. I promise you can do it.
Spend time with your friends.
For a lot of us, this is the last time we will all be in one place (insert ugly cry here). Take time to get up early and go to breakfast with your friend, bring them a cookie from your favorite dessert shop after they’ve had a particularly rough test, or have a girls day complete with mani/pedis and facials (save money and do it at home). Life is better when you have good friends to keep you grounded. Don’t forget about them during this stressful time.
Create a career plan.
I know. I know this one is scary. BUT. I think it is important. If you don’t already have a job or internship lined up, now is the time to get cracking. Funny enough, it isn’t easy to get a job once you graduate. I always thought if I had a degree (in biochemistry, none the less) I would find it super easy to find a job in the real world. Unemployment rates for recent college graduates has doubled in the last 10 years, so I would make sure you start applying early and get those letters of recommendation going.
Realize that it’s ok if you don’t have it figured out.
^^This picture is of me, posing, not having it all figured out quite yet.^^ I know this seems totally opposite of what I just said, but remember: it is OKAY not to know what you want to do, even after you just spent thousands of dollars on a degree. Some people get to the end of their degrees and realize that this is not AT ALL what they wanted to do with their life. Education is never wasted. Find something you are good at, and figure out how to make money doing it. My goal is to have a job I LOVE doing, so it never feels like real work.
Take all the pictures.
I always feel like I never have enough pictures with my husband or my friends. I made a goal to take a million pictures this semester and I am getting close. If I didn’t take pictures, I would miss out of remembering memories like this one canoeing with my best friends this summer. I look goofy and silly in the back but we had so much fun. I love love love pictures.
In my closet, I have a memory box that I started my freshman year of college and I pulled it out the other day to look at the last four years. I’ve saved every movie stub, haunted house ticket, hospital bracelets, and cruise passes. My husband and I laughed looking back and I cried a little bit for the end of an era of life for me. Moral of the story: take pictures so you are able to look back on an amazing time in your life.
Organize your finances.
I realized that my husband and I needed to decide how much money to spend on a place to live, what our new budget would be, what new expenses we are about to incur, and tons of other financial things we need to look at. We are lucky right now to pay an embarrassingly low amount of money for rent because we live right outside of campus and being a church school, it doesn’t cost nearly as much as everywhere else in the country. We are about to get slapped in the face with reality, so we need to get ready for it.
Don’t burn yourself out.
I know you need to study and do well, but don’t forget to take part in some self-care. Being a college student (in my case, a married college student) means you have a ton of stress put on you. It seems like everyone and their mother wants to know what we are doing next, where we are going and what our five-year plan is. Breathe, take a bubble bath, pour yourself a glass of sparkling cider, and remember that you are more than just a framed degree on a wall. You are going to do AMAZING things. And if you can take a getaway weekend trip to Vegas….do it.
I hope my college ladies enjoyed these 8 tips for college seniors, and if you aren’t in college, I hope you found something useful in it, too. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re doing as long as you are leaving wherever you are better than you left it. I like to think I made people’s lives a little bit brighter during my time here at school. I am ready for the next adventure.
Don’t forget to pick up your Rohto Eye Drops to keep yourself looking awake and alert (even if you spent 8 hours cramming last night). They’ve got you covered for dry eyes, redness and itch relief.
Thanks for stopping by!
It is very easy to get overwhelmed and go a bit overboard when you’re out shopping (I may or may not know this from experience haha) Over the years I’ve really gotten a routine down for shopping Black Friday sales. So here’s what I do to prepare for Black Friday…
