Open Your Eyes

Freshman year wasn’t particularly difficult for me. Yes, a class here or there or a test gave me a little difficulty, but I didn’t find it hard.

Sophomore year was a little harder, but I survived and came out on top.

Junior year was a breeze. I was abroad in the fall where the “study” part of study abroad was barely even visible, spending my days exploring the city and tasting the local cuisine/alcoholic beverages. Spring seemed hard at first, but then I got my best GPA of college and I realized that what I thought was hard really wasn’t,

I wish I woulda known that all of these things I thought are completely and utterly wrong.

COLLEGE IS NOT EASY. This is a warning for all you high school seniors or college freshman reading this right now. This is a reflection for everyone else probably thinking the same thing I am now. COLLEGE IS HARD.

Wait – I just said how the first three years of college weren’t actually that difficult? Well, that’s what I thought at the time. I had a lot more free time during those three years, enabling myself actual time to do my work. I didn’t intern nearly as many hours as I do currently, also giving me some more time. Consequently, I only had one or two tough classes out of five most of the time, meaning that the hard stuff was mixed with the fluff and thus making my collegiate career seem easier.

But this semester – shit. Excuse my language, but really S-H-I-T. It. Is. Hard.

And it’s really not even just because I’m super busy and have no time to do what I really need to. I mean, that definitely contributes to it, but it wouldn’t be that bad if college wasn’t actually hard.

I think I coasted through college, considering the state that I am in right now. My classes are all challenging. Especially three of the five, because the challenge of the class is coupled with the fact that they are so time consuming in terms of outside work. My master’s class, Strategic Political Communication, only has a paper and a final, but you have to keep up with the reading or you fall behind. And the reading is basically a library every week. My senior seminar class, which is a pre-thesis class (I AM NOT DOING A THESIS as of now BECAUSE I WOULD GO CRAZier than I already am), and it’s coming up with an idea to potentially research, doing some (and by some I mean A TON) of preliminary research and then performing some basic work on the topic. Then, there is my digital production class, where I learn how to film and edit and make websites and be a camera person. This class requires so much extra time that I DON’T HAVE so that’s always fun. Oh, and my GWorld doesn’t let me into the SMPA building after hours like its supposed to, so that’s fun.

When it comes down to it, I wish I woulda known that college is hard because then I could’ve prepared better in my earlier years of school. I would’ve taken another hard class each semester instead of an easier one. I would’ve known how much I can handle so I don’t get actually sleep deprived, used to being hungry, and stressed out.

I think this is something that I could’ve been aware also with more communication with my advisers. I’ve talked to mine throughout the years, but never asked for advice on which classes to take. I should’ve asked them what to take, how to arrange my courseload, etc., so senior year wouldn’t be a total shock and surprise to me. That’s on me, and I wish I woulda known to utilize them more.

But I also think that GW kind of tricked us freshman about college. Yes, everyone says its not easy and that you’ll have to work – and I did. I have worked very hard. However, they make it seem that just because it’s not easy means its not hard. Lies. It’s hard. GW should see the statistics about kids dropping out and also looked deeper at the statistics about which classes are being taken and used those to educate their students – on what to expect, on how to make decisions, and how to be a success each year while being better than students across the nation and not slackers like so many other schools.

This is probably just a lot my complaining since I have made some mistakes regarding my workload the past 4 years.

In the end though, I’ve succeeded, taken a challenging course load each semester and maintained great grades, all while never having a class on a Friday. I’ve had internships during the year that are going to be more impressive than the summer ones that my friends at non-city schools have had. I’ve been involved in student organizations and been a campus leader. I’ve been able to grow up and come out of my shell, being an 18 year old too afraid to have a beer at a party to being 21 and the life of the party.

And I’ve done all of it while just realizing now that college is hard. I’ll survive this semester, and I’ll be going through it – not to it  - till graduation in May.

So GW – I win.

Always,

Caroline

Red High Heels

I've never been the tallest of my friends; I've never been the shortest. I've been average height, which has deterred me from really wanting to wear heels. Why? Because, I tell myself, I'll stand out as too tall, look abnormal, any other excuses. And my not wearing heels often can be equated to my spending my first few years of college not wanting to dress up to the way I could have and should have.

Me (in the maroon jersey not in front) and some friends. If they weren't sorority squatting I'd not look like I'm that tall. Promise.

I wanted to be lazy and be comfortable. My friends have joked for years about my t-shirt and jeans wearing habits, and it's not a joke because I literally have a billion t-shirts that I like to rotate. But also, when you get busy, your looking your best, at least for me, was sacrificed for years. From high school and into college, I let the fashionista in me hide.

I wish I woulda known that dressing well equals feeling great. Not that I didn't feel great in my t-shirt and jeans, but I've realized, especially since having internships where I have to dress up nicely, that looking good, professional, put together, and, yes, super hot, means that you will feel better than you ever thought.

This is not my way of saying that I'm fashion forward - cause I'm not. Like really. I'm not. I won't even share a picture because it's embarrassing.

I still very much being simple and comfortable. But this year I've started to come to terms with the fact that I can dress well sometimes and I can look good. I mean reallllll good. I used to never get dressed nicely for class, but this year I put in a little more effort.

It's been a New Year's resolution of mine for two years now to abandon my t-shirt ways and dress better, and it's slowly and surely coming to a reality. I now wear heels to some events (not to class, but I think it might happen sooner rather than later). I wear dresses and skirts and nice shirts, and pair things I used to be afraid to pair together. And I look good (you can ask my friends or boyfriend) and I feel good. I feel successful and like a soon-to-be college graduate should feel like.

This lesson can be permeated throughout life. When you take care of yourself and look your best, you will be able to be your best in every aspect. Now, I shower everyday and I know some people do not, but being clean and smelling nice can make all the difference in an interview sometimes. One of the women who works in my office for my internship now is so precious and dresses so well and always smells nice that when she interviewed me I wanted to work there so her fashion sense could rub off on me. That might be opposite of what I was trying to explain (aka dressing beyond par could help you stick out in someone's mind and help get you hired), but alas I think I made my point.

And looking good doesn't mean buying every expensive piece of clothing in the world. Forever21, H&M, Macys, hell, anywhere that's not a designer store has great deals where you can find cute clothes for not too much money. If you're looking for certain things and where to buy them, follow a fashion blog and I'm sure you'll find where to buy whatever you need.

The important thing to remember is - sometimes, you need to pull out your red high heels (or whatever the equivalent is in boy-world), put on a sexy dress, and strut your stuff. Not only will that get you noticed, in hopefully the right (and ok, maybe the wrong) ways, but it will also help you notice yourself and help you remember the confident attitude you exude while lookin' hot.

Always,
Caroline

Unwritten

I didn't really read blogs before I came to college. What I did on the computer was basically Facebook and check my email. And more Facebook. Facebook Facebook Facebook. No blogs. Or blogging.

Then I got to college and everyone 1.) read blogs and 2.) wrote blogs. So I started reading blogs. Whether personal blogs that people write in the spare time or political blogs off of main webpages, I read them. And then I wanted to blog, just like everyone else. Then I went abroad, and I finally had something interesting to blog about! And I tried to continue it, but I realized that I was boring. But I always had an itch to blog. Then I started taking this class (#smpasocial for you Twitter people) which has now required me to blog.

However, I wish I woulda known that you don't have to blog in college.

It's kind of weird, you might be thinking, because obviously I'm this great blogger and I am getting 10000s of hits a day (which is lies, by the way. I'm not). But you may think it's weird because blogging isn't really a big deal anymore so why do I wish I woulda known that I don't have to blog?

Well, my friends, because just that - blogging isn't a big deal anymore. Anyone and everyone can start one, and it's not something that really adds much to peoples' lives. Yes, I like the blogs I follow on my Googlereader (Date Me D.C. is hilarious and Small College Kitchen gives great cooking tips for college students), but I don't think that I would be worse off without them. I don't think that I'd have a void in my life.

Honestly, I probably would be more productive if I wasn't a blog reader and a blogger myself. I'd probably spend a lot less time on the internet and more time doing homework and being out in the world. Or it could be spent on Facebook, but let's just think that wouldn't happen.

I guess that I wish I woulda have felt the need to blog because everyone else did, but that I wanted to blog for myself, regardless of who was reading. I like to write, and it's definitely a great creative outlet, but at the end of the day it's a fad that I followed, and not something I came up with on my own.

At least I have a creative topic for this blog though, right??

Always,
Caroline

"Unwritten" is by Natasha Bedingfield.