How to Trick People into Thinking You're Good Looking

(Believe it or not, this is the only video by her that I could find that is half-way school appropriate.)

This video made me laugh so hard. Story of pretty much every girl's life. This girl is hilarious and I definitely suggest subscribing to her videos! She is so real and says it like it is. JennaMarbles.
If you like this, you'll love What Girls Do on the Internet and What Girls Do in the Car.

College Essays? Arghhhhh!

So last night I went hard all night long working on my college essays. I figured I have put it off long enough, and since I had nothing better going on I got to work. Here are the two essay questions that I was faced with:


-"The University values an educational environment that provides all members of the campus community with opportunities to grow and develop intellectually, personally, culturally and socially. In order to give us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our campus. In other words, how will your presence enrich our community?"


-"Tell us about your academic goals, circumstances that may have had an impact on your academic performance, and, in general, anything else you would like us to know in making an admission decision."


Needless to say, I was immediately stressed. The questions seem so vague and extremely hard to answer. For the first essay I struggled because to be honest I have no idea how I am going to enrich their community in the slightest. At least I didn't at first. Now even if you have some ideas on what makes you special as an individual and how you would be a benefit to their school, you face the second challenge of turning those ideas into an organized, 500-word essay, while simultaneously trying to steer away from sounding like you're bragging. This is what I did: I tried to find three things about myself that are positive and unique to my being. You also want to be able to back up these points with examples of things you have done or reasons why you are that way. This way, the things you are saying about yourself sound more like facts and less like bragging. You need to remember that in these essays you are trying to sell yourself, like in a job interview. Those three things about yourself that you choose to touch on will become your three paragraphs. Don't forget a thesis sentence for the beginning and end!


Now the second question is equally as hard but for different reasons. The first question gives you a little more structure as to what they want you to say. The second question is completely open to you to say whatever you feel is important. This question is mainly for those who may have struggled academically, and they are giving you the chance to perhaps explain why you struggled and how you have changed or matured that way. This is what I did: I broke down the first question into two separate academic goals of mine, then answered the second question on things that affected my academic performance. These became my three paragraphs. This one may be quite a bit different for you depending on what you want to say, but the general idea is the same. Remember to sell yourself and turn negatives to positives!

I hope this helps those of you that are beginning to work on your college essays! Personally, it took me about an hour to finish both of mine, and both turned out to be over 500 words each. Try not to stress out over it, just get started and once you get going the rest comes much easier. Also remember to revise, revise, revise! Make it perfect. Good luck!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sometimes you have so much going on, it's hard to catch a breath. A big part of you just wants to lay in bed and do nothing at all because you don't even know where to begin. This is how I am feeling today. But as much as I would love to crawl into a dark hole and hide away from all of my responsibilities, I can't. Therefore, I am going to make a list because that is what I do when I am stressed out. It's strangely very relieving to just get out on paper all of the things that need to get done and prioritize them according to time restrictions and level of importance. This way, I have a better idea of where to start and what to do afterwards. I am going to restrain myself from posting said list because I highly doubt my schedule is that important to any of you, so I am going to excuse myself from this post to go begin said list-making. And perhaps if you are feeling a bit stressed out as well, you can make a list of your own. I promise it helps. Good luck. (:

Metamorphosis

Last night, I was laying awake in bed thinking about my future and it sounds cliche, but I had somewhat of an epiphany. I came to the realization that in no time at all, I will be an "adult," on my own, and that I will rarely see or even speak to some of the people that are currently close to me. All your life, you look forward to turning eighteen, graduating, and moving out. And before you know it, the time comes and somehow you still don't feel ready for it. Yesterday at school we received our graduation tassels and ordered our caps and gowns, and it felt like a dream. I still don't think it's hit me fully and I don't know when it will, but it's starting to sink in and it's a strange feeling. Everyone says your last year of high school flies by so enjoy it while it lasts, and I think I'm already starting to see what they mean. As I've said before, us seniors have so much to think about, it's really helping the time just fly by. We are already one-fourth of the way done with this school year but I feel like the first day was just a short while ago. At this pace it will only be a matter of moments before my eighteenth birthday; before I'm accepting my high school diploma; before I'm packing boxes of all of my belongings and moving out of my childhood home; before I'm getting lost in a big city that I don't know my way around yet; before I'm making new friends and wondering what the heck happened to my old ones; before I'm paying bills; before I'm wishing I could go back to living with my mommy and daddy. And I know that I will look back and wish that I hadn't taken it for granted, I'll wish that I had appreciated every bit of simplicity. I realized all of this, and in grasping this bit of insight I have found myself to be scared to death over it. It's going to be scary for everyone, but I don't think everyone is as freaked out as I am yet; I am known to be one who stresses unnecessarily. But I'd say perhaps I'm a bit ahead of the game at this point, because still many of my peers haven't even thought about their futures while I am mentally preparing myself far ahead of time for everything that I am going to go through within the next year. So maybe this is all a very good thing.

At the same time, while I am recognizing how much is going to change for me very soon, I also am becoming aware that a lot of things aren't going to change at all. For example, having looked forward to turning eighteen my entire life now feels foolish. Now that my birthday is only months away, it feels just like every other birthday I've ever had. I see that on that "special" day when I become a so-called adult, nothing is going to change for me. I won't be buying my own cigarettes because I am not and never will be a smoker (fact), I'm not really one for gambling or the lottery (never really saw the benefit of such), and I don't really intend on going into any military forces (to my fathers dismay). So eighteen is really just another number that will ultimately get me no closer to where I am going to end up either way. Eighteen isn't a magical number that is going to change everything and somehow automatically transform you into your mature, adult self. This small epiphany also brings me some apprehension because the fact that I realize this is just further proof of my logical thinking and maturation.

So I guess the moral of the story is this: it isn't turning eighteen or graduating or even moving out that makes you an adult; what makes you an adult is having the sense enough to know that none of these things are going to be the life-altering things that they are lived up to be, and being ready for the real world and whatever your life is going to have in store for you in the long run.

Better.

Sometimes you just wake up and feel better. The past few days have left me feeling restored. And I wouldn't have guessed it because to be honest not much has changed; I still have far too much on my plate and things are still hard. But I think I am learning to appreciate the small blessings I have in life and to focus less on the negative. All I really need to know for now is that I am on the right path, even if that path is feeling a bit cluttered at the moment. To further this feeling of triumph, I am watching myself grow into a mature little adult person. I have become so independent, mostly because I haven't had much of a choice in the matter, but there isn't a greater feeling than being able to rely completely on yourself as a person. Life throws these lessons at you, sometimes in the most untimely of manners, but it's learning how to dig yourself out of a giant rut that really allows you to value your own growing strength. You learn through experience that things do get better, but they only get better through bettering yourself. And who doesn't like being all-around BETTER. I sure do. I hope this freeing feeling lasts.

"To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory; to be vanquished by one's own nature in the worst and most ignoble defeat." -Plato

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." -Chinese Proverb

"We acquire the strength we have overcome." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

People to Follow on Twitter

I have recently become acquainted with Twitter; I am a new comer and I am just getting started. So now that I am starting up with Twitter, I must give you a list of some must-have Twitter accounts that you may like if you follow my blog. So here they are! Follow and enjoy!

@SimpleTeens
@SimpleLoveTweet
@BookOfQuote
@IHeartWomen
@TheRealTruth3
These are all accounts made by typical teenagers who all have some things to say. They all include inspirational quotes and address things that everyone is thinking but no one else has the cahones to say. They tweet mainly quotes based on love, daily life, facts and advice. I have come to enjoy following each and every one of them!
@ISpeakFemale
This is an account by a teenage girl who tweets all about life as seen through the eyes of a young female. All of her tweets are based on current events and life.
@Everywhereist
This is the account of one of my favorite bloggers. I began following The Everywhereist on blogger and am now able to follow her on Twitter as well! I love her writing.

I Would Rather Have No Friends Than A Whole Bunch of Fake Ones

In a previous post I mentioned that people will let you down. Ultimately, you will come to find that absolutely everyone in your life will let you down at least once, probably more. There may even come a time in your life that you feel everyone has let you down and you have no one left to turn to, and you’re probably right. Sometimes the only person you can count on is yourself. You are the only guarantee in your life; only you can control your own destiny. No one owns your fate but you; no one controls where you are going in your life or even where you are going with your day. So own your life, take it by the reigns and take it exactly where you want to go. Find out who your real friends are, and drop all of the other ones. Fake friends will suck the very life out of you and only cause more trouble in your already difficult life. You must learn that sometimes you really can’t rely on anyone other than yourself, therefore you don’t need anyone else on your side. Learn to become self-reliant and independent, because in times like these there is not a more valuable life lesson.

“I have built strong walls around myself. Not to keep anyone out, but to see who is willing to tear them down.”

Dear haters, I hear you. But I choose not to listen.

Sometimes in high school, drama is unavoidable. Personally, last year I had a lot of problems with some particular girls in my grade. So I made a pact to myself not to surround myself with the type of people who are bound to bring drama into one’s life. All summer, I did not talk to any of these people, not even once. The funny thing is, I had no drama all summer; I had no problems with anyone, I did not get in one fight, I had no troubles. I believe this says something about the maturity level of some of those in my grade. Although, now that we are back in school, I have a harder time steering clear of these people and it seems that drama has re-entered my life. It seems that some people don’t have enough real problems in their life, so they have to make problems. I, for one, have enough real problems, and so I don’t need their extra stress. So it seems that I need to find some new ways to avoid these kinds of people. Here are some tips that I have found helpful in avoiding drama:

• Be trustworthy. Never tell one of your friend’s secrets. It is hard to find trustworthy people in this world; you do not want to be known for having a big mouth. Be the person that can keep their mouth shut.
• Know who you can trust. If someone has been known for spilling secrets before, maybe you need to use a little wisdom and discretion when talking to them.
• Avoid drama directly. If you see a drama happening around you, stay out of it. Don’t stick your nose in other people’s business. Do not needlessly get involved.
• Consider everything you say and do to be public, especially through technology. If you wouldn’t want someone to hear something you say or see something you do, avoid texting or IM-ing the info. How many times has somebody shown you a text or IM that was not intended for you?
• Do not get easily offended. Do not overreact, or take things too personally. You need to be able to take some constructive criticisms.
• Communicate on issues. Try not to wait until you have boiled over to communicate your issues. Don’t let things build up, address problems immediately. Explain your feelings to a friend who has offended you right away so that they do not have to deal with your detailed list of 101 offenses later.
• Be real. You will be found out if you are being fake. Plus, it is annoying to see two people embrace and be giddy in seeing each other, only to walk away saying, “I can’t stand her.” If you have a problem with someone, let them know where they stand.
• Do not gossip. Gossip is a relationship killer. Avoid saying things about people that you wouldn't say to their face.
• Do not listen to gossip. Listening and giving your ear to somebody gossiping is just as bad as gossiping. Cut gossip out of your life.
• Be honest. People will respect you more if they know that they can trust you to tell the truth. Do not try to cover up your mistakes; admit to them, apologize, and move on.

Hopefully these tips are helpful. They are things to keep in mind, but no one is perfect. Even I have trouble with some of these things sometimes. In the meantime, here are some things to consider:

“Haters are like crickets. Crickets make a lot of noise; you hear them, but you can’t see them. Then when you walk right by them, they’re quiet.”

“Pay no attention to those who talk behind your back; it only means that you're two steps ahead of them.”

Someone Needs a Xanax

Lately, I have been feeling stressed. I usually don't get stressed easily, I tend to take everything in stride. But I also expect far too much out of myself, so when my duties pile up I stress myself out more than I have to. It's so diffcult to juggle everything at once, especially at this age. Senior year is (for most of us) the hardest year to go through.

We still have to come to school every day and for many, the classes are much harder. Some of the classes I will be taking this year include AP US History, AP English, Math IV, and Calculus. I also plan to take the national exams for Calculus, AP English, AP US Histoy, and also AP Psychology to try to get some college credit. This requires me to put aside much more time for studying. So juggling school is challenging enough, but we also need to be thinking about our future. I, for one, have a slim idea of what I want to do for the rest of my life, let alone where I want to go to college and for what. So now I have to pursue something that I'm not even sure of yet, and I know that I am not within the minority here. It is time for us to apply for college, like as soon as possible. I have three applications yet to even begin working on, and the deadline approaches. You also have to think about your ACT's and sending those out, your transcripts, your essays, your references, etc. PLUS, you need to start figuring out how the heck you're going to get through college. Scholarships, loans, grants, all of these are available to us but where do we even begin? Oh the stress!

Along with that though, the majority of us work every day because it would be nice to have some money when we leave for college, right? So when I am not in school, I am usually working. There are things I have to juggle at work too, like all of the trainings I have to get done by the end of the month, and all of the employee meetings I have to endure. But then I still feel like I'm not making close to enough money and somehow, even though I worked full time all summer, I am broke as a joke. I pay for everything, unlike many kids my age. I pay for my car, my phone, my clothes, even my school. Yes, if I want to take the ACT or the national exam, that comes out of my pocket. I pay for my yearbook too, and for my senior pictures. If I want anything extra or if I want to go anywhere, that is all me, baby. And granted, I did have quite the social life over the summer so it's not complete blasphemy that I have no money. But how about when I move out and I have even more things to pay for, like rent and food? It's hard for me to even fill my gas tank every week. This just won't do if I'm going to be moving out soon! So now I have to consider getting a second job? Is this a joke?!

Then there are all the small things that everyone has to juggle anyway, like cleaning your house, feeding your pets, bathing, and sleeping. Yeah, sometimes I have a hard time making time for these things too. (Don't judge me.) The deadline for senior pictures is in two weeks, and I haven't even picked mine out yet; I haven't ordered my yearbook; I haven't started my online training for work. I can barely juggle school and work, let alone all of the extra things that seniors have to worry about. When do you think I will have the extra time to get anything done? For example, maybe I'd do some things tonight but conveniently I have to work all night, plus write a solid 800 words for APUSH by tomorrow. So it's not a surprise that my head is spinning. I don't know where to begin, and I'm sure many of my peers are in the same boat. If you can even call it that, personally I feel like I am drowning.

I need to hire a personal assitant. Oh yeah, but I might not be able to pay you. Any takers?

Note to You, Or Note to Self?

If there's one thing I've learned it's that everyone is going to let you down, even the people that you would never expect. But as many times as I have been hurt, I still tend to believe what people tell me and I still have faith in people. So when my latest "boyfriend" told me he would never do anything to hurt me, I simply believed him. And when he let me down, I never saw it coming. It's hurtful when you have faith in someone and you trust them, only to be hurt. The easy answer would be to forgive and forget and go back to being the happy couple that we were just days ago. But I can't do that, because I know what I deserve and that's not it. No matter how many times he apologizes and says "I screwed up," and "I can fix it," and "It willl never happen again," well I don't want him to fix it and I don't want to take that chance because I don't deserve to be hurt, and some things just can't be forgiven.

I wish there were more girls like me out there. You see, us girls need to have self respect and confidence that tells us that we shouldn't put up with crap. To forgive him and let it go would really be the easier option, but what do you get out of letting a guy take advantage of you? You want your man to look at you with some respect, not as his toy that will always forgive him no matter what he does. You need to stick to your guns and know what you will and will not put up with. You need to stay strong, no matter how depressingly lonely that can be. You need to realize that there are many more fish in the sea, and someday one of those "fish" will treat you really good, the way you deserve to be treated. And until then, you simply just shouldn't waste any time with somene who won't. You need to remember that things will only get better with time and in the end you will be just fine. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? So here's to coming out of this as a bigger and better person.