A look Into My Life At College

It’s currently friday as I am writing this, my most coveted day of the week these days. The idea of having an evening with no responsibilities the next day rejuvenates me. If I am to be honest, I hate the idea of “living for the weekend” because I believe there is so much more to life than “weekending” it up, but right now Friday is my breath of fresh air. Friday allows me to breathe, sit for a moment, and just be still. Recently, it feels like I have been chasing my own tail but I am never able to catch it. Why? School. College is a big commitment. For many reasons, but for me the hardest commitment is time. I got really used to taking this past summer off and focusing on what I love doing. Right now, I don’t have much time for those things anymore, most importantly this. This quarter specifically is kicking my ass, not every quarter is like this. I have plans to graduate early so I decided to take 18 credits this quarter which is 4 classes (3 is a full load) and they are all very time consuming and challenging, so much so, I barely have time to work out and eat at normal times. At the end of the day my time in school though, it will all be worth it.

So you actually go to college? What’s it like for you?

Yes, I attend Seattle Pacific University and I am a third year student. My major is Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. I am not your typical college student, nor do I think I was ever meant to be one. I went into college thinking these were going to be the best four years of my life and I am going to make all new best friends and I am going to “find myself”-whatever the hell that meant. I had this idea of college that I had curated in my mind and it was nothing like that. Want to know the best part? It was nothing like that. Looking back I am so glad things didn’t go how I thought they would have. I lived on campus for a year and hated every minute of it. Turns out dorm rooms, RA’s, and hall meetings aren’t my thing. I quickly moved into an apartment with my best friend Payton, which has been one of the best decisions we ever made (right after our decision to get a subscription for Essentia water to be delivered monthly). I also had this idea that college was about partying, and frat parties would actually be a lot of fun. LOL. I’m proud to say I can tell a Cabernet from a Merlot and Malbec and I cannot do a keg stand nor will I ever try. My last assumption was that I was going to make all new friends, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am that that didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong, I actually have made friends, but I’m talking about those life long, have in your wedding type of friends. College has made me so much closer with those people in my life that have been around for awhile and I am reminded everyday how thankful I am to have a tight knit group of people that I love so much and would do anything for and who reciprocate that to me, no strings attached. They make me a better person. So, no, I don’t really live the college lifestyle. You can find me at my apartment, working on my business (or homework), sipping a glass of red wine, preferably a Pinot Noir or Cabernet depending on the day, and hanging out with my friends I’ve had way before college.

What’s after college? Why even attend?

For awhile I was thinking about double majoring in Fashion Merchandising and Business, however I really want to graduate early and having both majors won’t make a big difference for me.  I have ideas of what I want to do when I graduate, but nothing is set it stone. I already have an LLC and I’m in the processes of getting my business license, but when I graduate I have a few ideas that I am toying with. I don’t want to be a buyer or work retail for Nordstrom like so many people end up doing after getting a Fashion Merchandising degree, I know that’s not my calling and I am not the type of person to work for someone else. I want to be doing something where I am able to use the gifts God has given me to their full potential and I know working for myself will allow me to do just that; it’s just who I am. The earlier you figure out what you are good at and the things you struggle with, life will become so much easier.

Anyway, so many people have asked me, “why fashion merchandising?” “When are you planning to change your major because you know, fashion is really shallow and you can actually be doing something that matters?” Or, “there’s not much money to be made in fashion so you better do something else.” Yes, I have heard that. Why I decided to stick with my degree is because I want an educated background in fashion. Sure I blog about it, and maybe I attend New York Fashion Week, but that doesn’t mean those things alone can give me a full look into the industry. On one hand I can’t tell you how much I have learned blogging and how many connections I have made through that, yet on the other hand I can’t tell you how much I have learned about the fashion industry in a way that I wouldn’t get from not going to school. There’s just so much more to it than knowing what clothes look good and what is popular on social media. How can I consider myself in the fashion industry yet not know how clothes are actually made and how to tell what is a quality garment or not? Or how can I wear and share certain trends with everyone yet not know how they are forecasted or how the colors were chosen? At least for me I want to be knowledgeable in all areas, not just what looks good on me and what photos perform on social media. I know so many people though that have gone on to be successful without college and I totally believe in that too! This is not me knocking down that AT ALL. I am just sharing what I think is best for me, not everyone 🙂

Honestly though, I am most excited about marketing. SPU does not offer a marketing degree or minor so that is why I am just taking specific classes to concentrate in it. Post college I will definitly pursue something in the field of marketing that is fashion related. I love the idea of Public Relations, specifically Influencer Relations. With my background as an influencer combined with my education in fashion, business, and marketing, I think I have a unique perspective on both sides to potentially be successful with something like.

Do you have a job besides being a blogger?

Yes, on top of school and blogging I also nanny. I heard from a bunch of you that you are in college and nanny as well! I’m with ya sista! With my schedule, I only watch the girls 2 days a week but they end up being long days since the girls live on Bainbridge Island so I have to take the ferry over. There are 3 girls and some days they might be little terrors but they are so dang cute and always find a way to make me laugh. It has been the best side job while in school, cuz I mean, ya girl has bills to pay.

Do you have college loans/debt?

I am fortunate enough that I do not have any student loans because my parents pay for my tuition. It has only hit me in the past couple of years how significant that is. Coming out of college debt free is so rare these days and I will never be able to thank my parents enough for supporting all four years of my schooling. I also have a few scholarships that are a big aid in my tuition as well.

How do you balance blogging and school?

This was my most asked question and I totally know why. IT IS SO HARD. Right now I am not balancing it that well since my classes are so dang hard this quarter. BUT, it is possible. The key is that you have to love it and the driving force must be passion. You can’t do it if you aren’t passionate. Passion is what keeps me in on a Friday writing this post. Passion is what makes me spend my few extra minutes of free time replying to emails and editing photos. Passion is what gets me to get my homework done by a certain time to attend events. If you can’t tell, passion is the answer. If you are looking for a more tangible answer though I do have a few things I like to do to keep myself in check.

1. I make lists. Then I make lists for my lists. With so many different things going on I have to stay organized. I make different lists for school, blogging, and then life (chores and such). This helps me stay on top of things and allows me to be able to see everything that needs to be done right in front of me.
2. I treat blogging like school (time wise). Since blogging is a job (aka I make money from it) for me I have to make time for it. I schedule times during the week on my calendar that are designated to blogging and everything else it entails. However, depending on my school load I will determine how many things I can take on for blogging during that specific time or season.
3. I try to stay inspired. Funny enough, this is the hardest one for me. In my free time I will look at accounts online, read articles, or look at magazines to keep my creativity side fed. This is where I usually go wrong when life gets busy. When I don’t do these things I lack ideas which results in a lack of content which then leads to a lack of drive to even keep blogging in the first place, even though I love it.

I hope you have enjoyed this very long post about my life at college and how I balance that with blogging, nannying, and other life things. I hope you were able to get a better look at who I am, because I want you guys to really get to know me. Leave a comment if you like posts like this and if so, I can start doing more! Talk soon xx