How Do YOU Succeed at School?

We know I found my weak spots which led me to returning to school. This January I started my first class towards completing a Small Business Management certificate offered through the University of California, Riverside. The class is called Human Resources Management; I’m about halfway through and I can feel the pressure! 

It’s been a few years since I have had to read a book, answer essay questions, and ace a quiz each week. I had forgotten how much time this takes. I had also forgotten how much focus it takes too. I have always lacked interest and dedication to my course work so taking this class online, where I have to hold myself accountable, is SO DIFFICULT!! 

Understanding the big picture is easy, but taking it day-by-day has proven to be hard for me. So what I have done is marked up my weekly calendar. I have been scheduling in my reading, essay writing, and quiz time. This way, my calendar holds me accountable (sort of). I also remind myself how much money I dropped on this class – that usually gets me motivated!

What do you do to motivate yourself?

This quarter for me is simple, one class that is online. But next quarter and the following I have more than one class and they will be online and in a classroom 56 miles from my house, over an hour drive! I fear that I will not succeed as well as I would like to. I need YOUR help and advice. How do you stay on track with your school work? What are your best study tips? 

Comment, Comment, Comment! 

How I Got To Study Abroad

Traveling the world is on the list of dreams for A LOT of people. I’ve been fortunate enough to do some. But there was a certain type of traveling that was very important to me and that was studying abroad. My sister spent a semester in Denmark and described her experience as life changing. So I knew that I had to study in another country, whatever one it may be.

When the time came in my college career I went to the study abroad office and fairs for as much information as possible. I ended up deciding I had to go to South Africa. I had been involved with the ONE campaign and had a large curiosity surrounding the HIV/AIDs epidemic therefore South Africa seemed like a great choice. And on top of that, I figured at some point in my life I would make it over to Europe so I didn’t NEED to go there. I also wanted something very different from my county and culture. Again, South Africa was the best choice.

I ended up choosing the AIFS program to study at Stellenbosch University – this is the best decision I have ever made in my life!

It wasn’t easy getting there though…

There were two major obstacles I had to overcome. First, I had to apply and get accepted into the program. And second, I had to pay for the trip.

I applied to the program for Spring semester, apparently this was the more difficult semester to get into. I was rejected. With my devastation I fought back. I spoke with mentors and teachers and perfected my second application for the following semester. There was no way they could keep me from going to South Africa! And they didn’t – with a bit more focus and help I was accepted. (Everything happens for a reason, right?!) Now with the application process out of the way I needed to figure out a plan to pay for this extravagant semester. I worked with my school about getting scholarships and grants. There were only a few I qualified for but of course I applied to one. Unfortunately, I was rejected. I had spent so much time on this application for nothing. I was starting to think that this trip was doomed! Clearly the universe was trying to tell me not to go. But, because my mentor saw how passionately I felt about going she worked some magic and created a scholarship for me. She reached out to Chapman Trustees and found someone to support me. I then became a Henley International Scholar.

We made it!

Passion got me to South Africa! And that’s all you need for your dreams as well. Let your passion drive you and let it plow through any obstacle you find! A bit more realistically, work with your school's study abroad office, scholarship department, or a professor from your major (if your semester abroad is related).

Where is your dream travel destination? Comment below and tell me why you HAVE to go! 

Find an Outlet for Your Passions

A big part of reaching your dreams is finding a way to incorporate your passions into your day-to-day life. We all feel like there are not enough hours in the day but honestly…

You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé!

I took this into consideration and went searching for a way to embrace my passions and to find the time. I discovered I AM THAT GIRL: a community, a support system, and a movement inspiring girls to LOVE, EXPRESS, and BE who they are. This nonprofit’s mission was exactly my own. It seemed like the perfect organization for me to get involved with while I am filling in my weak spots for my business venture.  So I took the next step and created a local chapter, I AM THAT GIRL: North Orange County. I have created a safe place for myself and others to be exactly who they want to be without judgment. The best part is that I can use my passion to fuel our meetings and I get to schedule the meetings around my time. I have found an outlet that is flexible and can absolutely fit into my every-day life . Now that I have I AM THAT GIRL, my day-to-day feels like I’m living a DREAM!  

So how do you find your outlet?

1. Fly Solo

Pick up your local newspaper or visit their website and search for events related to your passion. You can also find events in the local magazines, coffee shops and smoothie spots always have those. Once you have found an event, mark your calendar and tell all your friends and family that you’re busy. You need to attend this event ALONE. Going by yourself means distraction free and you can be yourself without worrying what your friends might think. Also, you don’t have to worry about not making any new friends because you already know you have something in common!

2. #Hashtag

Use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to search hashtags related to your passions. You’ll find events and people all over who love what you love. Instagram is a huge marketing tool these days so you can find events, books, movies, stores, anything you can imagine. (I discovered IATG on Instagram from a hashtag that Sophia Bush always used). Twitter is also a great place for people to voice their opinion and share news; this can help you find current events happening NOW that you can get involved in! Social media is great for voicing your opinion and sharing your passions with people all over the world, so look for them!

Once you have found this new network of people, so many doors will open. You’ll find new information to devour and new ways to directly get involved. Your day-to-day lifestyle will change once you surround yourself with people who share the same passion.

It’s all about who you know, right?!

Leave a comment below and let me know what hashtags you searched? Maybe I can guess what your passions are!

Change is Okay

As you may have figured out, I had wanted to be a Fashion Design/Costume Designer in the past. I traveled to California to be in the middle of that industry and learn the trade. I had a fabulous year at school, I designed and created clothes, learned about the history of Fashion, and took multiple art classes. I was doing everything in my power to reach that goal, that dream job of mine. During that journey I made WONDERFUL friends. And some of these friends encouraged me to join the Associated Student Government. I had never done anything like that before but because it was a small school and they were going to join as well, I thought ‘why not’!

I had always enjoyed helping others and giving back and this opportunity helped me express that. One of the changes we made at Woodbury University was bringing in ceramic dishes and metal silverware to the cafeteria to eliminate the use of plastic and styrofoam. I felt like we had really made a positive impact for our environment. In addition, we held an event with teachers and board members open to questions directly from the students. We wanted to bridge the gap between the two and give the students a voice to improve the school’s campus and general education program. Being a part of something that was actually making a difference made me realize how important that was to me.

Now for my “Quarter Life Crisis” – my world had changed. I was confused about that dream I had wanted for SO long. It was no longer as clear as it used to be, I wasn't sure if that was the dream I wanted to catch. At this point, I was looking into transferring schools, moving across the country, and changing my major. I wasn't sure what I wanted anymore but knew that the Fashion Industry might not be what I needed. It was an extremely difficult and emotional time. I can remember a day, back at home in Massachusetts when I received the 5^th rejection letter from a transfer school. There was only one more school I needed to hear from and if that was a rejection too, I was going to be stuck going back to Woodbury. I freaked out, cursed in front of my parents, ran outside to sit on our porch swing, and let the rain fall on me. I sat and cried for a long time in the pouring rain. I just did not know what I wanted – there was no clear dream to chase.

Keep your head up and keep moving forward!

The lesson I learned from this was that dreams do change, and it’s okay. You may put a lot of time, money, and effort into a certain goal but if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be! Learn from your actions, be proud of your devotion, and move on to the next. We grow every day and so will our goals – just never stop reaching! One may end and the other might not be there waiting but look for it anyways. Take time to adjust and make yourself happy. Do things for yourself, and while doing that, it’ll be clear what dream you need to catch next.

The First Step Towards Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship - the process of starting your own business. It is risky, ballsy, dangerous, and all those other synonyms! But it can also be very rewarding; this is usually the reason why one takes the leap. 

I’m taking the leap because just about every time I talk about negative self-esteem in young girls, I cry. A mentor of mine tells me that those tears are my passion.

As mentioned in a previous post, How I Discovered My Latest Dream, I told you that I want to open my own boutique with a focus on providing young girls with tools to build a positive self-esteem. So as a recent graduate, working as an Administrative Assistant to pay my horrendous bills, what am I supposed to do?! How do I even start the process of opening up a store? 

Find your Weak Spots!

I started to think generally about what it means to open and maintain a boutique. I realized that I absolutely needed to learn about Business – management, accounting, legal forms, etc. I also realized that I needed to learn more about the Fashion part – buying, merchandising, etc. So what’s the best way to learn, go to school!! I mean that’s what I’ve done for the past 23 years, of course that’s the easiest way to learn something new.

And that’s exactly what I did. This is where I can turn my weak spots into strengths. The first class that was offered at a local college, at night after my full-time job was Retail Store Management. How perfect does that sound? Well it wasn't perfect at all. The department worked the system so that this course could actually be about E-Commerce, online shopping to make it simple. That sounds like a really great trade to know; however I do not have any plans to create an online store for my boutique (for now). But I stuck it out at the first class to hear what the teacher had to say and to get an idea of what I might learn. 

What did I learn, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

I stayed in the course because the teacher had a lot of Industry experience and currently works at True Religion. I learned a lot of great things, including how to start and run and online store. I have firsthand experience with industry platforms such as Shopify, Magento, and Demandware. I also found myself walking out of every class with so much energy and drive. Each class there was something that was said or learned that justified my dream; opening up a boutique is EXACTLY what I am supposed to do. I was meant to be in this class so I can get that boost of energy. Early in the stages of entrepreneurship it's hard, the work can be tedious and slow, waiting around can be discouraging. And that’s what this class has helped me with. Not only do I have new skills but I have even more DRIVE to catch this dream!

I’m sure many of you will try entrepreneurship; my recommendation is to find your weak spots and make them your strengths. And know that there might be another story to be heard with every opportunity you experience.   

I want to hear about your business dreams, what kind of business do you want to own? Comment below.