College Bucket List

College is an amazing time. Now that I'm almost a college graduate, I like to look back at my college career. There are some things I would like to have done differently and some things I need to make sure that I do before December.

College is the last time in your life where you can be irresponsible and have a ton of fun without feeling bad about it. I mean, it might look a little shady if you roll up to your first day of your real world job hungover from a night of partying, but rolling up to SOC 3500 with a hangover is totally acceptable.

Here are the things I believe every college student should have on their bucket list.

1. Pull An All Nighter

I'm a big advocate of pulling all nighter to do school work and an all nighter to party.  Thankfully, I've only pulled one all nighter to study. I work at my school's union and during finals week we stay open until 2am. I was scheduled to work that night and had a final the next day at 8am. I decided to maximize my time and stay up and study. I've had a bunch of all nighters for party related reasons.  I remember one night I went out with my girlfriends and at the end of the night we went back to my friend's apartment. A few of our bartender friends met up with us there and we went and got breakfast. I didn't even realize how early it was until I saw the sun rising after we left the diner.  Those types of memories stay with you and are totally invaluable.

2. Attend As Many Concerts As Possible

One awesome thing about both my job and my internship is the fact that I get amazing seats at the concerts put on by my school or the theatre.  My boss lets us reserve tickets a head of time so I've been in the second row at some awesome shows and my internship lets me literally be backstage watching Marcus Mumford run around the dressing rooms in his underwear.  I was fortunate enough to get to go to my boss the Mumford and Sons Red Rocks show the week after they played our theatre. It was amazing. We were VIP and got the opportunity to be on that stage. It's an experience I will never forget.  Many universities are able to bring in big upcoming artists and charge a discounted ticket rate to students.  Nothing beats live music and the energy of a crowd.

3. Kiss A Stranger

One night I was sitting at a bar trying to get the bartenders attention when I started talking to this guy next to me. He was so cute. One thing led to another and he just said "we should kiss". So I did. And then I walked away. It was spontaneous and I think everyone needs a little of that in their lives, especially during their college years. 

4. Road Trip!

Road trips are amazing. Being trapped in a car with someone for hours in a new place really allows you the opportunity to get to know your friends in a whole new way. I've been on several mini road trips and one big one.  I flew out to Pennsylvania the summer after my freshman year and helped a girlfriend pack up her Uhaul and drive back to Wyoming.  The road trip lasted about 3 days. It was a lot of fun but I definitely don't recommend doing a trip like that with just one person as they can get annoying after a while.  The trips I've had the most fun on are the smaller ones. One day my friend Brooke and I were talking about what we were going to do one weekend and she suggested driving about 3 hours to Encampment to stay at a friends house. We ended up getting lost and ended up in Northern Colorado and had to turn around. I had so much fun on that trip just talking and singing Call Me Maybe at the top of my lungs.

5. Throw A Party

My roommates and I have had plenty of small parties with close friends just sitting around playing drinking games. Those are always fun but I think it's a must do to throw one huge rager.  One of my friends and I threw and ABC (anything but clothes) party. It was amazing. We had around 30 people packed into her tiny apartment. There was no drama, just a lot of people dressed up in ridiculous costumes making the most out of the last night of summer.

6. Get On The Dean's List

I know that I'm coming off as a huge party girl but academics are important to. I mean it is college after all.  Getting on the Dean's List is a huge deal and an awesome thing to add to your resume.  College is a great way to manage your social life with your academic/work life. Getting on the Dean's List and maintaing some type of life outside of school means that you have a real shot at being successful in the real world. It's all about priorities and managing your time.

7. Live On Campus

I know this one might be on everyone's to do list but I loved living in the dorms. My RA was amazing and my floor was really social. In high school I was painfully shy and introverted. I had a hard time making friends and approaching people so college seemed a little scary at first. I was scared that I wouldn't make friends and I would continue the cycle of being a loner. Thankfully that was not the case.  When you first get to college everyone is in the same boat; they all want to make friends. Living on campus allows you to be on the same floor as at least 30 other people and you're bound to make at least one friend. Knowing you're friend is just down the hall when you're feeling home sick or your roommate is driving you crazy is a great feeling! At first you might be hesitant about dorm life, but trust me it is well worth it.

8. Get Crazy!

I know I'm coming off as a huge partier, but college is all about cutting lose and finding yourself. A little experimentation is totally necessary in order to find out who you are.  Do something memorable like dancing on the bar. I once danced on the bar and poured shots in everyone's mouth. I have no idea how I got away with it but it is a high light of my college career.

9. Participate In Campus Activities

Join a club, run for student government, volunteer on campus. It's important to be involved! You're going to be stuck at this institution for at least four years and you can't spend all of your time in the library or out partying.  Getting involved on campus is a great way to not only build up your resume and network but it's also an opportunity to make new friends and have an influence on what goes on around campus. 

10. Study Abroad

Unfortunately I am not able to do this, but one of my friends is currently spending his semester in London. I am so jealous! He posts all of these amazing pictures of his travels on Facebook and it makes me hate Wyoming more and more each day. Don't get me wrong I love little Laramie but I want to get out and see the world and I'm kicking myself for not being able to right now.

Of course there are a ton of other things you can add to this list. It's all about preference. College is where you find yourself and set out on your own for the first time.  It's the place where you will make some of your best friends and memories that will last a life time. I mean don't you want to be the cool grandma that danced on the bar the night she found out she made the Dean's List and got accepted to school in France?

Just A Little Venting....

February is not my month.  I've been so overwhelmed with school and work and I'm starting to feel like the walls are caving in.  There just isn't enough time in the day.

I got my tax return today and wanted to try to deposit it through my mobile app.  Usually you can just take a picture of your check and deposit it that way but apparently I can't do that with the type of account I have so I called customer service. I had to deal with a customer service rep who was more interested in trying to get me a credit card than actually helping me and in the end apparently I can't be helped.  It's very frustrating.

Now I'm trying to get all organized to spend the next 3 hours in the library studying for a monstrous test before heading off to work at 7 and then studying some more.

And to top it all off my jaw is inflamed because I grind my teeth at night when I'm stressed out and it's hard to eat and even open my mouth when this happens which just adds to my stress.

I honestly just want to curl up into bed and watch netflix all day until all of this stops.

Ugh is it summer time yet?

Do You Need A FaceWash?

Before going on an interview everyone always checks to make sure everything is perfect. You have the perfect outfit, you smell good (hopefully), not a hair is out of place and your resume has been triple checked and then checked once more for some security.  Well one thing that a lot of people forget to check before headed out the door is their Facebook.

During one of my summer classes we discussed how prevalent social media is now days and how employers are checking out your profile now more than ever. It's kind of like they are scoping you out like you scoped out that hottie that sits next to you in your stats class.

Now my Facebook is far from perfect. I definitely have some pictures and posts up there that might raise a few eyebrows. This is why I have practically everything on my profile set to private.  I've become super anal about it all just in case someone decides to tag me in a photo from Sophomore year in less than ideal circumstances.

I've also changed the spelling of my name online. This can get a little confusing when meeting new people but it's for the best.  The harder it is for them to find you, the harder it is for them to judge you off of some picture that was taken at a party 3 years ago right after what's-his-face broke up with you.

Well in case those little precautions don't workout there is always FaceWash.  FaceWash is a new site (still in BETA testing) that explores the ins and outs of your profile and brings up anything that might be questionable.  Now it's not totally perfect. It looks for key words but doesn't examine the context of the conversation or photo.  But, it does bring some things to your attention that you might want to make private of just delete.

FaceWash also lets you customize your search for key words you might not want on there. I certainly can appreciate this new Facebook App and definitely recommend it to all of you.

Your online presence speaks volumes of who you really are and can be the deciding factor in whether you get a job or not.

The End Is Near I Fear

So I've known that I will be graduating from college in December for quite some time now, but just because I've know that does not mean that I've actually accepted it.

Last night at work I looked up the actual graduation date (December 7th) and called my parents to let them know so they can plan accordingly.  After getting off the phone with my mom I had a mini panic attack. I mean I'm 11 credits shy of graduating which means the end is inevitable and I will be a college graduate in less than a year. A college graduate embarking on the real world.  A college graduate with no absolute plan for the future. I have no clear idea what my life will look like on December 8th. And that my friends, scares the living crap out of me.

I've spent the past 6 months planning on what life will be like post-grad, but now that I have a definitive date I am kind of freaking out a little. I have a lot of what ifs right now. What if I move to D.C., what if I get a job in Arizona, what if I stay in Laramie, what if I move back to Denver, what if I find a corner to hide in until I magically revert back to my college freshman self.....

For months I've been anticipating graduation and now I'm completely dreading it.  I could have walked at the end of this semester and taken classes over the summer to finish my degree but I convinced myself that it was not worth the stress. Now in less than one year I will be receiving my diploma and embarking on the real world, is it crazy that graduation is also the anniversary of Pearl Harbor? I mean it's probably just a coincidence that one of our nation's greatest tragedies also happens to be the day I embark on the work force....right?

I know I'm not the only college student to freak out about graduating but I feel an overwhelming sense of fear and mournfulness.  I love my life as a college student and I don't know how ready I am to give that up, but I suppose I don't exactly have a choice now do I?

Since You've Been Gone....

Find this FREE graphic HERE

I feel like I haven't been on this blog in FOREVER! I've been totally consumed with being a couch potato and getting ready for the semester that I haven't been very productive.

So what's happened since the start of the new year?

Well.....not much if I'm being completely honest.  I feel like I've been crazy busy with work and my internship that I haven't had much time for any adventure.  I did manage to go out to the bars and a yummy sushi dinner this past Saturday and I bartended an event at my internship Friday night and made some serious bank. Other than that I've been busy trying to prepare for March. March is going to be insane for me! We have a TON of shows going on at the theatre and I'm trying to get the ball rolling on a lot of things so that I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. 

Other than work and the internship I've also been getting ready for the semester. School started on Monday and I must say I am exhausted and I haven't even started the readings I need to get done for tomorrow. Procrastination Central!!!!

I'm just not use to the routine of getting up and actually being productive instead of hanging out on my couch with my dog watching Disney movies all day....

Oh the life of a college kid.

10 Ways To Improve Your Month

It's a new year which means new opportunities to take and memories to make.  Everyone makes New Year's Resolutions that we all hope to stick to but I think of those as more larger, long term goals. It's important to make smaller goals each month.

So here's my list for January. Feel free to follow along with me or to add your own goals in the comments below!

1. Organize my room.

2. Try a new makeup routine.

3. Organize my closet/dresser!! It would be nice to not have my drawers busting at the seams.

4. Drink more water!

5. Cut down on the fast food. If I could eat McDonald's every day I would!

6. Start training for the Tough Mudder.

7. Set up a schedule for work. No more running around the last minute trying to finish everything.

8. Eat out less.

9. Workout in the mornings.

10. Blog more.

 What's on your list?

My Week In Photos

Ahhhhh finals week is over! I must say I feel like I can breathe a little easier, there's a little pep in my step.  I'm looking forward to winter vacation and relaxing for a change until January rolls around and I have to do this all over again.

Anyways, below is documentation that I survived this week.

Roxi helpin a sister out with Geography homework

My outfit this week. I believe I rolled up to both of my finals dressed like this
before going home and changing into real clothes for my internship

My snazzy red pants. I LOVE these! I wear this outfit so much my boss has started
calling me "red pants"

My roommate and I decided to exchange X-Mas gifts early
due to finals stress.  She got me a jewelry organizer shaped like an owl.
I got her an iron skillet shaped like a guitar!

The view from my (boss's) desk at work.  We had to be open until 2am because of finals.
Nothing sucks more than being forced to stay on campus that late.

Last night, celebrating no more finals!

A little treat my roommate brought me.  Haagen-Dazs and cookies from McDonald's

Conversations with my roommate. I've been obsessed with
Winston ever since Mumford & Sons came and played
the Gryphon.

The outfit I wore last night to my boss's holiday party. Those shoes
are so gorgeous but so so so hard to walk in.

Finals

A little pick-me-up 

My finals "week" started today. I actually only had one final today and I have one tomorrow.

The final I had today was worth around 7% of my grade but the project that I slaved over was worth 49% of my grade. What kind of logic is that?

Well I got an A on the project and I could care less what I got on the final.  

I am so checked out at this point that I am literally counting the hours until my last final is done.

iPhone Obsessed

My lock screen photo. I know I've shown it before but I mean it's pretty awesome.

My home screen background is very grrr baby! 

The creeptastic photo I took of my friend/coworker John
at work the other day.

My baby Charlie! He lives with my momma in Colorado
and I miss him so so so much!

I'm a little mustache obsessed if you couldn't tell.
To get this picture go HERE

My super awesome red pants which I can't get enough of!

Me! This morning before work

Happy Pants

Don't worry....BE HAPPY!

Ah it's finals week, well technically my finals don't start until Thursday but that's still part of the week! Finals week for me usually means stressing out, throwing basic hygiene out the window and not caring what I look like.  I've decided to abolish those negativities and cary on about my week as usual.

This sudden burst of positivity is probably because I only have 2 finals and all of my projects were finished and turned in last week.  The only final I'm nervous about is my Geography final on Friday.  I'm so bad at science related things it isn't even funny....that's probably why I'm a communication major and not an engineer. 

Regardless, I'm taking everything in stride and staying my usual happy self this week. I hope everyone can look at the positive side of things as the semester nears an end!!!

I'm hoping to embrace some creativity and document this week in photos (yay Instagram!)

Oh Instagram, if you aren't you should totally follow me! My username is: melliott804

We'll see how that goes. Usually I forget or get self-conscious taking pictures of my coffee or doughnut. Oh that reminds me, free doughnuts at work this week!

I think I missed them today but I still get coffee and tea tonight at work!

Procrastination Central

After writing my post on study tips I decided to take my own advice and bundle up for my trek across campus to the library.  

Pardon my incredibly messy and unorganized closet

Studying is so difficult when you have no motivation. I was mostly people watching and thinking of pretty much anything that I would rather be doing.

I somehow managed to finish the majority of my study guide for my Physical Geography exam on Friday and only got on Facebook twice! Go me!

Such a hard worker

Don't you just love how decorative my notes are

I admit I looked a little ridiculous adding hearts and stars all over my notes but I can't help it if I like them to look pretty!

As for music I stuck to some Wiz Khalifa and Macklemore. Something about hip hop just gets me in the mood to learn about alluvial fans and meandering streams.

My motivation to finish this study guide is at a 0 right now. I honestly don't see how knowing the characteristics of an arid climate or what a drainage basin is will make me a better person or student.

Tips For Surviving Finals!

Finals are upon us! My finals week starts tomorrow but I don't have finals until Thursday, which gives me plenty of time to procrastinate with a blog post!

Click below the cut for some helpful study/survival tips!