I am the type of person that has always struggled to say no to people. For example:

“Hey Kendra! Can you do my laundry?” says my twenty-two year old brother.

“Kendra, could you work for me?”

And last but not least I learned I cannot say no because there was a health fair in one of our buildings and while everyone else walked right on by people were able to stop me and talk to be for a little bit. Now, I would be okay with it if I was not heading to a class, but I was then five minutes late to my class. I broke my streak to never being late to a class.

Now there are situations where of course the smart decision is to say no. My morals have taught me what is right and wrong. Some things I may want to do, but I say yes anyways. Certain situations saying no is the right thing to do.

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Who would of thought not waiting the last night, last hours to get stuff done would reduce stress levels of a college student? I mean that does not even make sense! I am now planning on changing my ways to not procastinate, because being stressed is awful. I will all inform you with how my test goes next week. I will go in with confidence.

First day of classes came around, “what do I wear to class?” That was my biggest worry. So I wore jeans and a t-shirt. I fit in just fine, because in college people come from all over. The upperclassmen do not stress about their choice of clothing. Me, on the other hand, I was fresh meat. Pshh I worried about nothing. No one judged me, because in college it is time to show your true colors. Be who you are. So I still wear sweats, jeans, and even dress up for class. People will accept you for who you are, just how I was accepted in high school.

“Taking my girlfriend out to dinner for v-day!”

“Surprising my girlfriend by coming home from college!”

I had enough of that lovey dovey stuff.  Before college I broke up with my old boyfriend. We had our differences and it was for the better. I am still single and so happy single. I can dedicate more time to my Savior.

What I am trying to get at is, that single is a blessing too!

So remember girls and boys that even if you are single (especially on Valentine’s Day) it is okay! Do not rush things, God will find “the one.” Live life while you can. Do not rush things, and live the age that you are at.

Everyday is a new beginning.

1.) Most importantly, stay organized. Keep a planner. Write down due dates, when tests are. In college, professors do not hold your hand like they did in high school. They do not accept things late, so a way to prevent this from happening is staying up on things.

2.) Time management. This is the hardest thing for me to do because of all the distractions that I have: Facebook, Twitter, friends, activites, etc. They all take time and there are only so many hours in a day. So what I do is try and plan out my day of what I am all going to do. Manage your time in a smart way.

3.) Study! Do not wait until the night before a test to study. I learned that very quick my first semester. Just look over your information after each lecture and continue to do that every night so when the test day comes around all you have to do is look over again and not be so stressed.

4.) Stay active. When a person stays active they are happier. Along with this it is a stress reliever. I was always active in sports so I was forced to work-out. I made time in my schedule to do this. This goes along with time management

5.) Have “me” time. Obviously this is hard to do (especially if you have two roommates like me). But I am a person that needs some time to myself. Even if it is for like two minutes anything can help. I need time to meditate on my thoughts and allow myself to breathe.

These are just a few things that I do to help me stay up with my grades. Nursing is hard and you must have dedication to succeed in school.

The professor started class and what do I do while she is in the middle of talking? That’s right, you guessed right. I started laughing about something that happened weeks ago. I just cannot help myself. I love to laugh! Anyways, my sneaky self stopped laughing. Learned about everything I needed to do and the class was finally over.

I walk outside and the air just smells wonderful. It reminds me of home, the lake looks beautiful, the sky was amazing. I had to run outside. Wait run outside? In January? I know I thought the same thing. I ran around outside campus, all by myself and did not feel threatened once. What I love about Saint Francis! I can trust the people around me and do not have to worry about the safety of myself and my classmates. So anyone out there worried about being safe at Saint Francis, I can reassure you that you will be safe on our campus. God is always watching us!

Tips to people who are planning on getting random roommate(s) – the most important thing to do is to be honest. When filling out the slip, if you are a messy person, state that. If you are loud, put that down. If you are a neat freak (such as myself), put that down.

Once you meet your roommate, be yourself! Put yourself out there and let them see who you really are. It is about showing your true colors. I have learned to do this. My roommates have seen my annoying side and how much I care for them. Even just writing a note saying to have a good day and hide it somewhere, so they see it when they open up their book bag. It is the little things that count. Along with this, college is a very hard adjustment. So if you see them getting a little homesick or down in the dumps, always support them and tell them that you are there for them.

Now…I have also learned how to be a very annoying roommate. I am a person that gets hyper, I always (for the most part) have a smile on my face, and am super loud. I grew up with no neighbors, so I never had to worry about being quiet. Well, I learned that is a problem. Do not be that roommate that sings loud when you know people are trying to concentrate. Treat them as you would want to be treated.

This list of do’s and don’ts could go on forever, but I do not want to give away all the lessons you will learn once you hit college. Even though you may feel as though living in a dorm is horrible, I must disagree and say it has been the best time in my life. Remember, each person is different in their own way. Be yourself because people will accept you for who YOU are and not who they want you to be.

Even though things may go wrong, I always remember everything happens for a reason. Possibly to teach me not to procrastinate, have more time management, build patience, control my temper, all of these things have happened and I have witnessed many people who overreact. I do not want to be that person. I want to smile and live a good life. Now remember, even if technology may act up, such as my blog did, it is teaching you some sort of lesson.

Saint Francis has taught me these attributes. I have learned very valuable lessons here at Saint Francis. I will use them in my future as a nurse, as a wife, as a mother, as a grandmother, and as a friend. Saint Francis is a liberal arts school, and I never thought it would make such a great impact. I love life.

Everybody was freaking out, tornado watch, stuff was blowing everywhere. I tried to keep my cool (which I believe I was successful at). Anyhow, I was on my way to work and it was only very dark and windy.  Thankfully I made it there before it began to storm. Soon after begin working it started to lightening and my co-worker advised me that we were under a tornado watch. Yeah I was freaking out. But this goes to show that even though I am in college I still have my fears. Silly I know, but someday I will grow out of it. Or I hope I do. All I know is that good ole, Saint Francis kept me safe and always will.

This brings me to another subject. What if I knew where my future was going? Would I want to know? Do I want to know where I will work at the rest of my life? Who my husband will be (if I get married)? Will I have kids? What will happen with my parents? How I would die? These list of questions could go on for days….

Would I want to know where my life would go? Heck no! This gives me excietment and allows me to look forward to the days ahead. Yes some days may be terrible and you may not think you will make it though, but you will. Because God gives us only as much as we can handle! Live your life like its your own yellow brick road, new adventures arise each day!

This song is amazing! Enjoy!