Find something you love to do

Over winter break I decided to grab my sister's camera and bring it back to Santa Barbara with me. I figured since I had to be back over here early for work I would need something to keep me busy since everyone else was still back at home. I decided that since Santa Barbara is such a beautiful place, taking up a little bit of photography would be something fun, to keep me entertained over break. Boy, I couldn't have been more right. I have been having so much fun taking pictures and figuring out what settings work for different shots.

What I'm getting at here is that it is so important to find something that you love to do; and I am  most definitely not talking about going out and partying or watching tv/socializing through your cellular device. It is so nice to have something to occupy your time that doesn't involve homework or staring at a screen. I use my camera as a kind of therapy to get my mind off of all the busy stressors that college life brings on. I also find that it is so nice to spend some time alone, especially if you have roommates and you are constantly around other people all day.

If you ever find yourself way too caught up in the expected college lifestyle, take a step back and remember that although school is important, so is your health and the sanity of your mind. And the only way you can have a healthy self is to ensure that you have balance in your life. Yes, you need to get your homework done, and yes you can go out and party and have a social life and yes, I know you might have a job and your life is just super crazy; however, even reading over that sentence brings on a little bit of minor stress just thinking about all of the things going on in our busy lives. So do yourself a favor and take some time to find something that you love to do and that sets your mind free, even if it is just a couple times a week for an hour! Trust me your body and mind will greatly appreciate it and you will definitely start to see the benefits of your more productive, less stuck in a rut self!

Adding Workout Time into your Busy Schedule

I have always been the type of person to try and add in workouts even with my busy school schedule because I know working out has so many great benefits especially while you are cooped up in a classroom or doing homework all day, however, this semester I have changed a few things about my little regimen I have going for myself.

Since the beginning of the semester I have been trying to go out to the track with friends and this had made wanting to workout so much easier. My roommates and I have made a pact to encourage each other to hit the track at least three days a week after class. To be honest, I used to dread the end of the day workouts because I was so exhausted from classes all day, however, ever since I started working out with my friends, I have actually been looking forward to our time at the track. I think it is beneficial to workout out with friends for even more than the obvious encouraging of one another. I have realized by going to the track with others it is beneficial to your mind as well; that is, you sort of have time for a mini therapy session and to get out all of your frustrations or drama you may have encountered throughout the day.

My friends and I have also decided that  each day we go to the track we will rotate workouts. Each day we go, a different person chooses the workouts that we are going to do on that given day. This keeps your body from getting used to one specific workout that you do and helps you to reap more benefits from the workout. 

Another thing that is great about working out at the track is that you have the beautiful scenery. I usually go around 5 o'clock which happens to be at sunset, and let me tell you, the stadium is such a great place to watch the sun go down! Just more motivation to head out to the track!

I have found that even after a rough day of classes, I am more willing to finish up homework at the end of the night if I give myself time to go workout. It releases those positive endorphins that give me the strength to keep powering out homework! So get up and get moving, and your day will definitely be more productive!!

Figuring out the right path to take

Lately I've been struggling a lot with not knowing where I want my life to be after this semester ends. I can't believe that this is my fourth semester at Santa Barbara City College. I remember walking into my first college class and thinking that I have so much time to figure out what the next steps would be. It's so crazy how when you're living in the moment it seems like you have so much time, when in reality, you blink and your time at community college has expired.

Anyways, I have been spending so much time thinking about where I want to transfer and how I want my life to be next year and I'm sure as many of you are also finding out... it is such a hard decision. One day I find myself wanting to stay in Santa Barbara and go to UCSB. Santa Barbara is so beautiful and I almost feel like a fool for even having a grim thought of possibly wanting to leave such a great place. However, on the other hand I sometimes find myself wanting to get out of this 'rut' that I find myself in here in SB. Although it's such a fabulous place, I feel like I might need a change; maybe experience a different part of California and meet new kinds of people. It is such a hard decision, and luckily those of us transferring next year have about two more months to decide...but that also means two more months of running our brains ragged trying to figure out what the best possible decision is for us. 

Although I go back and forth between wanting to stay in Santa Barbara and wanting to branch out and try something new, I always seem to come back to the fact that I may not be able to move around much and experience new places when I am actually established and have a job after college. I think this is one of the great perks of going to a community college; you have the opportunity to experience yet another college/city/environment after you finish your first two (or three) years. I think for anyone that is transferring next year this is definitely something to take into consideration! Best of luck to those of you aboard the same struggle bus as I am, we will eventually make a decision, and I have faith that it will be the right one!

Welcome Back Vaqueros!

I hope everyone had a fantastic break. I know if you felt anything like I did at the end of winter finals, break was very much needed. I also hope that everyone has had a great start to the semester as well! 

Well if nothing else marks the beginning of a semester, the line at the book store sure does. Today I went in to the book store absolutely dreading it. I usually order my books online and pick them up in the store about a week after I order them to reduce the stress and aggravation that comes along with trying to find all of your books in mobs of students and then having to endure the extremely long lines. (I still recommend ordering your books online, as opposed to picking them up in the book store on the spot, because a lot of times the books on the floor run out!) However, I was pleasantly surprised when I headed into the book store today. The line was of course quite long, but I found all of my books super easily and the line actually went by super fast! All of the workers in the bookstore were also super helpful as well. A+ to the Bookstore this semester! Thank you for making the beginning of the semester a bit easier to handle, and for making the bookstore bearable. 

If you've been in college for a few semesters, you know books aren't exactly cheap.. and if you are new to college, I am sure you are finding this news out right about now. Over my previous three semesters I have found a few ways of saving money on books that might be helpful to you guys as you are making your rounds at the book store. First and foremost, RENT your books of possible. I know I've debated on this a couple times thinking I could possibly get more back during the book buyback than I would save on renting the book, however this is usually NEVER the case. Many people are very disappointed with the small amount they get back during the book buyback at the end of the semester, so if the option is available just rent your textbooks. Another option that might be available to you might be an online book or an 'e-book'. These types of textbooks are usually half the price of an actual textbook, however, not everyone is able to read text online and learn as well as if they had the actual text in front of them. The last thing I always try to do to save money on textbooks is split them with a friend or roommate. I have been lucky enough to be taking some of the same classes as my roommates, so we all go in on the textbook and sometimes split the cost three ways, which diminishes the cost significantly! You could also go in on a textbook with someone in your class, and that way you are guaranteed a study buddy for the semester, which could be helpful!

I hope everyone has a great rest of their first week back, and continues to have a fabulous semester!