It is the end of 2016, and I cannot believe that an entire year has past! I have learned so much throughout this entire year, and made many decisions (good and bad). Nonetheless, I am happy this year is coming to an end. Something about a fresh start is a great way to gain motivation for change. As I reflect back on this year, I have learned many different lessons, which I will gladly bring with me into 2017.

Dear Kardashian Family,

It's October, and school is finally in full swing. You're use to your classes and you have a routine down. But as the weeks go by, you realize exams are just around the corner. How in the world are you going to study in an efficient and effective way without overloading your brain?

No worries! I have complied a list of tips and tricks you can use to help you study and focus! Not only will it help you ace those exams, but it will also get you into a good study habit!


1. Find a good study spot
Finding a good study spot is a great way to differentiate when you need to study and when you can relax. Obviously, my bed is where I relax and de-stress, so doing homework there would be pretty useless. Go to the library, or maybe find a cute cafe, but make sure your know what study environment is perfect for you. Personally, a library is too quiet for me, and a cafe is too loud and has too many people. I study in my dorm's lounges, where there are windows (so I don't feel closed in and suffocated), but still have some noise in the background. This will help you get into the mode of studying!


2. Find a good study playlist
If you're like me and love to listen to music when you study, then make sure you have a good playlist to play when you study! I tend to stray from the modern/up beat songs, and go towards the mellow ones. Instrumental music is also a good option to go for if you don't like words in the songs.


3. My Study Life



My Study Life is a great online planner if you don't like to utilize a real planner. It's completely free, and a really great resource to write down all your upcoming exams and homework that you need to do. It also reminds you when your exams are, and has to-do lists that are easy to see and utilize. It's available on desktop and mobile, so it's easy to access and manage.


4. Stay Focused
This is essential. This is a chrome extension that you can download from the Chrome Web Store. It blocks social media and websites you may be addicted to when you are studying. This is a great way to avoid getting distracted when studying and doing homework. It keeps you focused on the main task at hand, and prevents you from procrastinating.


5. 50/10 and Timer+
This is a good way to manage your study habits without overloading your brain. You can use a method called 50/10. Set a timer (hence the app Timer+) for 50 minutes. This indicates that you will study for 50 minutes without any distractions and social media. After the 50 minutes is up, you can use your 10 minutes to take a break. Stretch, get up, go to the bathroom, go on social media. This 10 minutes is to give your brain a small break from the information you've been studying.

In order to keep time, I suggest to not use your phone as a timer. It will only be more tempting to check the time, and then also check all the messages you've missed while you're at it. Instead, get a timer app. There are a bunch of free timer apps online. I found a great app called "Timer+" that is available through the Windows App Store. It doesn't matter where you find your timer; just do not use your phone as one!



I hope these tips have helped you prepare for all those exams that are coming up. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment below! Good luck!

We all have those lazy days, and while they do feel really great, they're not so good for the tasks and deadlines that are needed to be done. So, what are you suppose to do when you have zero motivation, but you have that term paper due at midnight tonight? Below is a list of great ways to get off your bum and get working!

1. Exercise
I know, I hate exercising too, but you feel so alive and energetic after it! This is a great way to pump up your energy and get that long list of tasks done. If you don't want to commit to a full workout, do a quick interval workout between 5 to 10 minutes. That should wake you up!


2. One goal
I don't know about you, but I have a bunch of things on my plate. That being said, I always feel so overwhelmed and unmotivated to do the hundred of things that need to be done. Instead of looking at all your tasks and feeling overwhelmed, take one single goal and focus on that. By doing this, you can focus better at the task at hand, and feel more motivated because you don't have so much on your mind.


3. Get some sunlight
Yes, I know you love living in that dark room of yours, but get up and get some sunlight! You don't even need to go outside. Get out of your room and into the kitchen for some sunlight (and food). This small step to get you moving will work towards that bigger goal of yours (like that term paper)!


4. Get inspired!
This one's a little odd, but I feel like it's helped me a lot! Whenever I have no motivation, I always go on pinterest to get me motivated! It sounds good, but looking up pictures of a nice clean room may help you get inspired to clean yours.


5. Reward yourself!
You can't do this every time you don't have motivation, but it's a great way to get started! After doing your one goal and/or list of tasks, reward yourself! It can be ice cream, a new nail polish, or even those cute booties you were eyeing up at the store the other day. It can be big or small, your choice! But don't do it all the time. Not only will it break your bank, but it'll eventually break your motivation strategy.


There you are! I hope this list helps you get motivated for your tasks every day! If you have any suggestions, leave a comment below!

When you fall in love, it's like having a piece of you in someone else, who understands you when there are no words to describe how you're feeling. Not only will they listen, but they will understand and respond to you, even if it's not the answer you're seeking.

When you fall in love, your fights and arguments are more than just little bickers. They are the true feelings of your heart that you bare to the other person, which you allow to get scarred and broken. But it also means that you trust that your other half won't do so.

When you fall in love, it's like the world doesn't have gravity. You willingly let yourself float within your paradise, but you rely on your other half to bring you down, to ground you when you cannot do so yourself.

When you fall in love, you know the true pain of hurt. You willingly expose yourself to your other half with no doubt that anything bad will happen.

But the truth is, is that you are weakest when you fall in love. Your guard is down, and you believe you truly are in paradise. You are so filled with love and joy that it clouds your judgement to the truth of reality.

So, how do you know when you are in love?

When you fall in love, you not only love your other half's faults and flaws, but you love your own too. You accept your imperfections, and you recognize that you no longer need to impress anyone. All you need is to support and understand your other half, even if you don't agree with them, but that is love: fighting and endlessly loving someone who not only accepts their faults, but also accepts yours.

This is a risky topic, but I think I should share why I think it's important to start drinking before you head to college. Now, by "drinking before college", I don't mean "turn into a full alcoholic and party every single weekend while in high school". No - I mean "drink enough to know your limit".

If you haven't drank, you obviously don't know your limit. Your limit is when you, the drinker, cannot drink anymore alcoholic beverages because you've literally had too much. This limit is super significant. This limit is the difference from you not being able to walk to you ending up in the hospital.

In college, everyone knows that there's a ton of drinking. And the thing is is that you can't avoid it, and it will happen. So instead of acting like it doesn't exist, acknowledge it and be prepared. By preparing, I believe the two best things someone could do is 1) learn about alcohol and it's serving sizes and 2) drink before college.

Drinking for the first time is scary. Yes, I know, because for my first time, it took at least an hour for me before I could have sip of an alcoholic drink. It's scary, but it's something you should experience and be exposed to. By the time you reach college, there will be boys pre-gaming down the hall from you at eight in the morning (yes, it has happened).

After a few weeks of college, I have realized that it was a superb idea to drink before I came here. Still unconvinced by my unpopular opinion? Below, I've listed a couple of reasons why I'm thankful I drank before college.


1. No one gives a fuck about you.
If you have a roommate who's willing to hold your hair while you throw up over the toilet and put you to bed in your loft bed, then you have a wonderful roommate. But most people are not that lucky. Unless you have friends who go to the same school as you, there's a huge possibility that people on your floor won't be taking care of you. They want to have fun, and they don't want to be dragging some baggage.


2. You're in an unknown place.
College is a wonderful place. You're most likely in a new city and environment, and that's really refreshing. What's scary about this is that you don't really know your way around. So how do you think you're gonna know your way around when you're totally wasted?

Unless you stay at the dorms, it's going to be really difficult to navigate your way around your campus and to the parties. And if #1 applies to you, then how the hell are you gonna get home if you go to a frat party all the way across campus? Knowing your limit and when to stop is a great way to prevent you from blacking out, and also to aware of your surroundings.


3. You know the exact amount for you.
What's wonderful about drinking before you head to college is knowing exactly how much you need in order to become drunk, but not too drunk. It's also a good way to find out if you're a lightweight or a heavyweight, which will totally change the game of drinking for you. By knowing this, you will be aware of how much you can drink, and know when to stop.


4. You can actually relax and have fun.
By knowing your limit, you can actually relax and know that you can drink and have fun without worrying about things that might happen (or things that might happen, and that you don't remember).


Maybe my logic isn't that great, but after a few weeks here at college, I do feel thankful that I drank a good amount before coming here. I know what gets me drunk, and I know when I'm over my limit. We do a lot of walking to get to the parties, and being drunk is while walking a far way can become very, very difficult.

A couple of things you can do is talk to your parents about it. Let them know your thoughts about alcohol, and what you're concerned about. If you're not close to your parents, talk to your friends and get their thoughts on it. I'm not encouraging to drink behind your parents back, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

As Fall rolls around, it starts to get chilly and cold, and overall just really gloomy. The best way to cope about the idea that summer is really, truly gone, is to grab some tea, wear your favorite sweater, grab your fluffy blanket, and binge watch some good ass TV shows on Netflix.




1. Stranger Things

Dear friends,

Thank you for laughing at my stupid jokes when even I knew they were not funny.

Thank you for laughing at me when I needed to realize that I have to calm the fuck down, and that life isn't always about school and success, but rather about love, friends, and family.

Thank you for taking shots with me. Seriously, thank you.

Thank you for offering your shoulder to cry on or to talk to (but not literally).

Thank you for understanding and accepting me when the universe doesn't.

Thank you for yelling at me when I was in the wrong. Thank you for keeping me grounded, and making me realize that I am not right all the time, and that that's a good thing.

Thank you for replying to me in the group chat (even though you sometimes ignore me, but sometimes life happens).

Thank you for embracing my flaws and habits, and rather criticize them, you recognize them as a piece of my whole.

Lastly, thank you for being my friends. Without you, I am nothing.

It's been at least a few weeks since school has started, and it's been a little rough. Need some tips on how to wake up? Read down below to learn 5 things on how you can energize yourself in the morning!

1. Set aside a good amount of time to get ready.

Every morning, I wake up at least an hour and a half to two hours earlier than my first class. This gives me enough time to relax, wake up, and get ready. You don't want to overwhelm yourself first thing in the morning (you can save that for during the day).

2. Eat a big breakfast.

Get your mind up and running with a nice, big breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and in order to have a successful day, you need to eat breakfast!

3. Drink a glass of water.

After sleeping for the entire night, your body is dehydrated. Make sure you drink at least a full glass of water to re-hydrate yourself in the morning (yes, coffee drinkers, you can still have coffee and then drink a glass of water).

4. Get Sunlight.

What better way to start your day off than with natural sunlight! Open your blinds and let the natural light wake you up! Get up before sun rise? Don't get ready in the dark. Instead, keep a good amount of lights on (overhead lights rather than lamps).

5. Create a morning playlist!

Get up and pumping with an awesome playlist! If the sunlight or coffee won't wake you up, create a music playlist of all the jumping tunes. This way, you can energize yourself and get yourself excited for the day ahead of you!

Dear Coffee,

Thank you for starting my mornings with a great start. Without you, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between my comb and my toothbrush.

Thank you for your warmth and taste. Not only do you wake me up, but I enjoy your company (until it's gone, obviously).

Thank you for keeping me up at late hours. Not only can I not go to sleep, but you help me push through studying for finals. I owe you my effort and love (even though I may or may not have done great on those finals).

Thank you for hosting those awkward coffee dates. Thank you for giving me an excuse to drink my coffee in order to avoid an awkward silence.

Thank you for hosting fun get-togethers. Many secrets and stories were told over you, and you don't even know it.

Thank you for curing my hangovers. Nothing beats the taste of vodka than fresh, brewed, black coffee.

Finally, thank you for always being there for me. I can always count on you to brew in the morning in my handy dandy Keurig (obviously until you're all gone - then I fall into headache mode and cannot function).

We've all come across that certain person in our life who is truly the Devil. Not the Devil who has horns or has fire coming out of their mouth and ears. No, not that Devil. This Devil is someone we know, someone we were acquainted with, or even more so, a friend.

Most people only have one Devil; a small percentage have multiple. That small percentage includes me, only I didn't know I had multiple until recently. Though Meryl Streep is a beautiful but cruel Devil, she is nothing but sparkles and unicorns compared to the Devils in reality.

The Devils in reality are not cruel. They don't wear Prada, and they are not as successful as Meryl Streep. No - instead, they wear smiles and seduce you into friendship and trust. They learn your interests, weaknesses, and everything in between.  Devils who don't wear Prada wear smiles in order to earn your trust, only to crush it within seconds.

These Devils are false in their personality and their authenticity. They pose as your right hand man, your maid of honor, your Robin to your Batman. You'll trust them - you'll trust them and have fun with them. Ultimately, you'll love them.

And then one day, you're blindsided. Blindsided into nothingness until all you've worked for crumbles at your feet, and you're left staring at the pieces wondering what went wrong.

Nothing went wrong. You just fell in love with a Devil who wears smiles.

Now, you may be thinking - Selena, what the hell does that mean?

The Devil who wears smiles is a trickster. They don't sabotage or create mass chaos at the beginning of the journey. This creature becomes your friend, and earns your trust and respect. They are your other half - something you cannot live without. They are your air, and you are their air.

These tricksters play your friends, until they turn their backs and drop you in the middle of the ocean with nothing but your stupidity and blindness. They have two faces, but only they have the power to chose which one they want to show you.

It hurts. It hurts a lot, but what the Devil doesn't know is that it will not crush you. You are strong and independent, even if you did rely on them for air. In your heart, you know you do not need them. They are toxic, and they are only asking you for an addiction to follow suit. But see through the toxic and smiles. See through the insincere laughs and fake "how are you?"'s. Dismiss those forced coffee dates and drunk nights.

Because whether you like it or not, they will stay the Devil - the only thing you will see is the smile.