Life as a Dare

Making Every Moment Count

The Freshman’s Guide to College Day 8: Staying Healthy

Today in The Freshman’s Guide to College we’re talking about staying healthy in college!

We’ve come pretty far in this Freshman’s Guide to College already! We’ve talked about so many topics already–what supplies you need, what to bring, how to study, and how to be social. Today we’re talking about health! Health is the one thing that I did terribly the first year I went to school. And I mean terribly. I’ve never been super health-conscious until this last year, but there are so many things that make staying healthy in college so much harder than when you’re still at home in high school, living with your parents I find!

Nevertheless, I think that staying healthy in college is incredibly important. Being in good health improves cognitive functioning, as well as keeping you motivated and energized to both work and have fun.

For those reasons, I made sure that this last year I didn’t let my health slip away from me like I did the year before. The freshman 15 is so real, people, but these are some tips that I have learned to make staying healthy in college that much easier! [Read more…]

The Freshman’s Guide to College Day 7: What To Pack for College–and what to leave behind!

It’s Day 7 of The Freshman’s Guide to College, and today we’re talking about packing for college!

Confession: I never actually lived in residence! I moved straight from my parents’ house into the basement of a condo that I rented with 3 other Christian girls (great experience, btw. I highly recommend it). That being said, my best friend Hillary lived in residence her first year and I spent quite a bit of time there visiting, and then have shared a bathroom with 3 other girls for the last two years, and then moved into a very small apartment with my husband. So I have some experience with living in small spaces and making every inch count!

Even though I’ve never lived in a dorm room myself, I’ve asked a bunch of my friends who did and thought back on my experiences listed above, and I have compiled a list that can hep you as you’re trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave as you go to college this fall!

[Read more…]

The Freshman’s Guide to College Day 6: Surviving Exams

Welcome to week 2 of The Freshman’s Guide to College! Today we’re talking about studying for exams!

Last week we talked about back-to-school shopping, your course schedule, textbooks, making friends, and how to be a great roommate. Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of how to actually succeed in your academic life at college!

One of the scariest parts of your first semester of school is trying to figure out how to manoeuvre around the dreaded exam season. The workload becomes unbearable, and you’re burnt out after a crazy 3 months of your first college courses.

My first semester of college, I’ll admit—the first day of exam season I just curled up in bed and cried for like an hour. I was just so overwhelmed by it all. Then, after that hour, I buckled down, studied, and did well on my exams. I know that exams are a far way off, but feeling prepared for everything that will happen helps with my stress levels, personally. On top of that, being successful at exams requires working hard all semester, so it’s never too early to gain some good habits.

I have been doing university courses for 4 years now, so I have a few tips and tricks on how to survive exam season and achieve your best results!

[Read more…]

The Freshman’s Guide to College Day 5: Roommate Edition

This is the last day of the first week of the Freshman’s Guide to College, and today we’re talking about how to be a great roommate!

Going to school is so exciting, and getting to have roommates or housemates is honestly one of the best parts. I definitely love living with my husband, but I also loved (and miss a little) living with the girls at the condo I was at for my first two years in school.

Whether you’re going into residence in the new school year and will have a roommate you’ve never met before or going to be renting a house with a bunch of friends, there are some things you can do to make sure that it is as smooth as a transition as possible.

So, through my experiences with myself and my amazing housemates, I’ve compiled some easy steps to becoming the roommate ever.

Enjoy. [Read more…]

The Freshman’s Guide to College Day 4: Making Friends

It’s Day 4 of the Freshman’s Guide to College! I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at back to school shopping, how to chose your courses and some tips and tricks for saving money when buying textbooks! Today, though, I want to change focus a little bit and make it more social. Today we’re talking making friends in college!

Making friends in college can be tough.

When you’re a kid, it’s easy. You just go over and ask “Do you want to play?” and then BAM! New best friend. In high school, everyone knows everyone, and you spend all day with the same people every day. In college, though, everything changes. You’re in classes with hundreds of people at once, in a new city, and it sometimes seems that you don’t  have common ground with any of them.

Here’s some hope, though: I made friends. And I was a homeschooled, opinionated, nerdy, over-achieving, younger-than-everyone-else kid. My first day of school, my hair was big and frizzy, I couldn’t get my contacts in so I had my giant glasses on, and I spilled coffee on my shirt only 15 minutes into my first class. And you know what? I made some of my best friends on that day!

So although it may be intimidating, making friends is very possible. Of course, there are some things that make it easier, and some things that are definite no-nos.  [Read more…]

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