20 Things I Learned In College

1. A state-school was the right fit for me.
2. I study by writing information down over and over and over.
3. Make friends in your classes from the start...it's harder later on.
4. I do not learn well by reading.
5. Buy dorky rainboots. Wear them with pride.
6. Find a balance between sleeping enough and having fun. Get sleep whenever you can. Avoiding sleep for a few crazy adventures is good (and memorable), but one too many will get you in trouble.
7. Don't study where you sleep and relax. It works for awhile...but you'll get in a rut.
8. Write down verses you need to be reminded of and hang them up in places you'll see often.
9. Pilot G-2 pens. There's no other way.

10. Find where you excel- and rest there. Don't compare yourself to things or people you aren't meant to be.
11. Don't go home between classes. Bring your homework, pack a lunch, and be productive.
12. Escala (on Pandora) is the best study station. It's also a great station to motivate you to beat your roommate's high score in Robot Unicorn Attack. ;)
13. Prioritize- if you only need 70% on a test to get an "A" in the class, but need a 90% in another class...study hard for that one and just enough for the other.
14. You're not a (fill in the blank). You're you.
15. Reading (for fun) before bed = sanity and necessary relaxation.
16. Things mean more at night. Go to bed rather than staying up thinking about things.
17. Get a job. Have a reason to go to it and enjoy it.
18. Get outside. Walk. Run. Read. Just do it.
19. Don't get stuck in a set plan. Be open to new ideas, new direction, and know that your major is most likely not going to be your life. You are going to feel like you have no idea what you're doing...be okay with that.
20. Let yourself grow and choose to live with joy...no matter what.

Numbers

1- blog post with numbers
1- silly girl who is doing this on a study break
16- my favorite number...and the number of months spent with an awesome man
4- my second favorite number...and the number of months until i become a hicks
2- finals left until i graduate
7- number of runs the twins scored in the game i was at today
6- days left until i graduate and move out of my apartment
13- days until i watch him graduate
3- shifts left at the job i was blessed to have throughout college
4- pills left to take (antibiotics...that make me goofy...and drowsy...)
8- what time i have to be in class tomorrow..haven't done that since freshman year

When my mind can't study...

I clean.
When I can't focus, but want to feel accomplished,
I clean.
When I'm frustrated,
I clean.
When I'm upset,
I clean.
When I simply don't know what to do,
I clean.

I don't know if it's seeing something go from meh to yay. I don't know if it just feels good to do something mindless. I don't know what. But it's nice.

Here's to a clean kitchen and shiny wooden floors.

December

Yes, I know it's December, and not Thanksgiving, but this is what I feel like today!


Things to be thankful for:
1. A light, first of December dusting of snow. (Yes, it's hard to believe, but I'm enjoying it!)
2. Prayer. And being able to pray anytime, anywhere. 
3. Crossing things off the list. Although there's still a lot left, I'm seeing the light.
4. Pandora. No Christmas music for this girl, but chill, relaxing, new tunes. 
5. It's the week before finals week (really, it's like there's two finals weeks), but I'm getting enough done and having a little time to relax and enjoy.
6. Dressing up twice three times this week (dress pants, cardigans, scarves, and colors) to interview people. Ooh, and being easy on the hair. The messy bun/knot + freshly cut bangs. Happy.
7. A great weekend plan ahead of me =)
8. Potlucks and free food this week...not having to take time to cook and using that time to do homework instead!
9. Finding humor in things that would normally be upsetting. 
10. Seeing/hearing from people I haven't seen all year. 
11. Good, sincere hugs. 
12. Great friends.


Things I should work on ;):
1. Getting the dishes out of the sink and into the dishwasher
2. Taking some pictures so my blog posts aren't as boring. (Ooh, and getting more of a wintery theme).
3. Getting off the computer and sorting laundry. I was just in a blog-writing mood...so avoidance of this is acceptable in my book ;)
4. Oh yeah, and I should probably get going to my LAST class of the semester! Even better, my LAST class of my last fall semester of undergrad! Yes, it is a big deal. At least to me. ;)
5. Not using so many winky-faces. 


Happy December!

October

The beginning of October is consistently the time when the leaves are at their best. The red, yellow, and gold have definitely started their gradual take over of the green. The green is doing it's best to hang on, and is surprisingly succeeding. The tree outside my window, however, is beautiful, crisp gold. I feel so lucky to have such a "view" from my apartment window. Most have parking lots or a street. What do I have? A tree! Well...with a parking lot in the background. But still, I enjoy it. 

This weekend was spent driving down to Kansas City for a Vikings vs. Chiefs game. Driving by the colorful hills of Missouri and the time spent with friends (and eating BBQ) made for a great, unforgettable weekend. 

Now, once again, it's Monday and back to reality =)

This week and the next two to follow will be quite busy. There's a lot to think about, and unfortunately I think studying is going to keep me inside more than I would like to be. The forecast says 80 degrees all week...what? For now, I'll sit at my desk working away at homework, occasionally getting distracted, and remembering this:

Matthew 6:31-34: So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has trouble of its own.

Balmy Weather and Cancelled Classes

Mondays. Let's face it, they're Mondays.

However, today I enjoyed:
1. My second class of the day (2 hours long) got cancelled!
2. A run with my uncommon spare time. Perfect weather and beautiful down and up hill trek.
3. Oriental Stir Fry. Mmm.
4. A re-organized room. It feels so good to have everything in it's place.
5. Enjoyed the 70 degree weather. It felt SO good after nearly a week of chilly temperatures.
6. Got the night off of work and enjoyed supper with good friends =)
7. Drank lots of water. Mmm.

Mondays aren't always so bad.

day. over.

ever had a day where you get home for the evening and you are so tired that you don't even want to hit the shift key and use capital letters and proper grammar and you write really long run on sentences? that's me. yup. class, big exam, class, second day in a row of five hours at work training the new staff (wearing business casual clothes..yeah, i'm not used to that). i grabbed a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream (don't worry, i'll run it off tomorrow morning) and my laptop and propped my feet up. yay for the end of the day.

BUT

it was a good day. i woke up to the chilly fall air creeping through my open window. bliss. i read matthew 24. i wore jeans and an olive green 3/4 length sleeve shirt. i had soup for lunch. i had time in between my exam and next class, so i sat behind the bell tower on our gorgeous campus. the fall breeze mixed with leftover summer sun was so...refreshing. the quiet (yes, quiet in mankato!) afternoon hour was so wonderful. i got jason gray's new cd. i was reminded at how awesome freelance whales are. i heard that we're in a freeze warning. (WAIT. what was that??) okay. so maybe i'm not too thrilled about that. but i am thrilled about the fact that I'm leaving my window open tonight and that means i can curl up under a million blankets. mmm. that's my favorite. and you know what makes it the best day?? i'm going to bed right now. goodnight world. until tomorrow, hannahbrooke. 


p.s. yes, that photo is terrible quality. i took it on my phone. it looks beautiful on my phone screen. i promise.