We Wish We Knew This Before College

I don’t know about you… but when I listen to a podcast, I often get so caught up in the convo that I forget to remember all the important things I want to take from it. But, we’re here for you girl, and were typing it ALL up so you DON’T 👏🏻 FORGET 👏🏻 ANYTHING 👏🏻

If you haven’t heard this episode yet, don’t wait! LISTEN NOW!

We’re talking all about the things we wish that we knew before we came to college last year, and all the things we’re still learning in our sophomore year.

College is a crazy time, as our girl Hannah said in this pod, “It’s all rainbows and sunshine… but not really.”

OK FIRST UP: Allie has implemented this iconic habit in her life, a weekend reset. When she gets out of her last class on Friday afternoon, she sits at her desk and writes a list of everything that needs to be done before she leaves for her first class on Monday morning.

Before doing ANYTHING, she has to make sure her bed is made. Allie is not a “make your bed everyday” type of gal, but she loves to start the cleaning process with a fresh slate. Then she makes sure she at least has a *plan* to get her laundry done, which can sometimes be difficult when you share 3 washers with 100 girls.

This year, both Hannah and Allie live in a room with their own bathrooms, so making sure that every inch of this space is clean has become a priority & let’s face it, the weekend is just the best time to get this done. Allie lived in a community bathroom her freshman year… and it was #traumatic for her to say the least.

Even if you don’t have a bathroom to clean, clean your room queen! Sweep those floors! Wash your sheets! AND speaking of sheets, we need y’all to hear this one - get a BIG comforter for that twin sized bed! Hannah lives for her queen sized comforter and Allie is hard core vibing with her full sized comforter. This keeps the comforter from falling off your bed, helps you stay nice and cozy, and can save some money if you end up having a bigger bed next year!

While the gals typically spend the weekend chilling and cleaning, this particular week we spent our Friday night at a Frat Party 🤭. If you’re like us, coming into college we had NO clue what to be prepped for at a college party.

Here’s some mega important things you need to know before you head out for the night:

1. Desperation is not a cute look! Don’t knock down other girls to try and get with a guy. Truly the most fun you’ll have is just hanging and chilling with your gal pals! A frat party is probably not the best place to try and meet your future bf, if it happens - that's AMAZING and if it doesn't just have a good time and don’t overthink it! We promise you don't have to fight your way to get to a cute guy, let him come to you ;)))

2. Bring a pair of shoes to college that you’re prepared to get COMPLETELY gross. Don’t wear shoes that you like to a party, you’ll get stepped on and drinks will be spilled. A moment of silence for Hannah’s cutie white shoes that died at a party this year 😢

3. Don’t do anything stupid. Have a friend who knows where you are when you go out. Be safe! Don’t get in a car with people that have been drinking! There's nothing wrong with always having an exit strategy!

Ok enough about parties… your life is a party on the daily and don't ever forget it!

Let’s talk about food: PLEASE EAT! Life can get so busy/stressful/crazy and you need to eat. Hannah and Allie both have learned the hard way that skipping meals is not the vibe - regardless of how busy you get you need to set time aside for a meal. AND when you’re so busy, it’s so hard to hang with friends. Big life hack here - kill two birds with one stone and use mealtimes as a way to hang with friends.

Go shopping at the caf, even if you don’t like the meal options - grab a bag of chips, or a drink, or some fruit. Take advantage of your meal swipes and save money on your next grocery trip!

While we’re on this topic… let’s be serious for a hot minute. If you struggle to eat on a daily basis or are struggling with an eating disorder, please don’t be scared to reach out and get help. Your body is beautiful, you deserve to eat and you need fuel!

1–800–931–2237 The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) helpline is available to provide support Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Be intentional about reaching out to friends- ask friends to hang and ACTUALLY do it. For Allie, she organizes her life on her “G-Cal”… a.k.a. her Google Calendar a.k.a her best friend when it comes to scheduling her life. It’s so easy to pull up and quickly find a spot where you are free and plan a time to hang with a friend. College can easily become isolating, but it doesn’t have to be!

Maybe you’re studying for a test, cleaning your room on a Friday, or just chilling and detoxing from the stress of your day. No matter what they're doing, Hannah and Allie LOVE to have a background show. Find a show that is comforting and “home-y” and bring a piece of home to a place that may seem unfamiliar. Hannah loves watching Below Deck with Autie and Rob… so she watches it at school as her background noise. Friends is Allie’s comfort show - she loves watching it at home with her parents and her sister and bringing it to college brings joy to her heart.

Last point, best point, biggest point:

Not everyone is living the perfect life that they show on instagram.

OOPS we said it. Everyone loves to post and act like they are living the perfect life and already have so many friends after a week in college, but let’s #bereal… everyone has days where they feel like the driver of the struggle bus. Long lasting connections aren’t made overnight and it's easy to forget that. Always remember that you can sit with US… and you can always be the kind of friend that invites others to sit with them!

OK now it’s your turn… what are things you wish you knew before you came to college? And if you haven’t gone to college yet - what are things you’re planning to do to prep for your freshman year?!

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