7 things I learned freshman year

So, I just finished my freshman year of college (yay!), and this year has been one of the most challenging yet educational years of my life. Both inside and outside of the classroom, I have learned a ton!

1. Don't judge a book by its cover.
You've probably heard this phrase a gazillion times. Honestly, so have I, and I always agreed with it. However, I never realized how much I actually limited my social life due to prejudgments I had made about other people. If they seemed a lot different from me, or had different opinions than me about certain issues, I normally This year I branched out, I became friends with people that I never thought I would be friends with, and I am so glad I did! There were so many people that I never would have given a chance before and now they are really good friends of mine.


2. Never be afraid to ask questions.
I'm always a little afraid to ask questions (even though I always have a million of them!), mainly because I worried of sounding stupid or that it would be considered a "wrong" question. However, this past semester I tried to get out of my shell some and ask questions that I've been afraid to ask. For example, I have always wanted to know what Germany's perspective on World War II and the Holocaust was. I mean, every time I learned about WWII, there was that nagging question: Well, yes, we know that happened and it's terrible. But what do the German people think about it?

It just so happened that my World History professor was from Germany, and he was born relatively shortly after the war ended (by that, I mean, probably within ten years of it ending). Perfect, opportunity, right? As the semester was coming to a close, I was getting more and more curious as to what he would have to say about it, but I was terrified to ask him because I thought it might be offensive. But one day I told him that I had a question, and after skirting around with words for a while, he knew exactly what I was trying to ask. And what did he do? He answered my question and all the other questions I had along with it, and also told me not to be afraid to ask things like that because they're important to discuss. I felt a little bolder when asking questions after that, and really happy that I'd finally found the courage to ask.


3. Math!
Okay, so right now you're probably thinking "So what, you learned math. Everyone else in America learns that in school too..." However, I not only learned math this semester, but I FINALLY learned how to apply it to my life.

I am super appreciative of all the math teachers that have taught me things in the past. And I'm not knocking all the Algebra and Trig that I learned in high school. But there was always a question in the back of my mind when I learned it: When on earth am I ever going to use THIS? Well, this semester I took Quantitative Reasoning (it's one of the Liberal Arts requirements at school), and this course was all about how to apply math to our life. We learned how statistics can be used to calculate information and how that plays into our grades, probability and how it can be used to make predictions or estimates on certain events in our life, and we learned how to use math to make a budget and figure out monthly payments (and pretty much financial situation in our lives)! We even learned how to use Excel to do all these things for us. And now I know why math is actually relevant in my life...yay, math!


4. It's okay to change your mind. 
When I first came to college, I was aiming for an Elementary Education major with a Spanish minor. I had no intention of changing that, because I thought I would be really good at it and I would have hopefully have some job security considering my university's statistic (in 2014, 100% of graduates received a job in the education field). But my passion began changing the more I became involved in the Spanish-speaking community at school and when I took two (practically three if I'm counting World Geography) history classes. I realized that I was intensely passionate about Spanish and absolutely loved learning about history and making those connections that are so often overlooked in most history classes.

I also realized that I didn't really want to be an Elementary Teacher. I was going for it because I thought I would be good at it, and because I assumed it was 100% the right path for me. At first, I completely dismissed the possibility of changing majors. To me, it was completely ridiculous that I would even consider such a thing. But as the semester went on, I realized that maybe El Ed wasn't for me. So, after much praying, fasting, and discussions with parents, professors, and friends, I decided to switch my major. Now I am officially a Secondary Education in Spanish major with a minor in history (whoop whoop!).


5. Professors are not your enemies.
Before I came to college, I was told that professors don't care one bit about their students. I was under the impression that you were all on your own if you needed help and you should be prepared for people that intensely dislike you. And while I can't speak for every university/professor, at my school, I've found that statement to be untrue.

The professors at my school are so amazing. Not only are they super nice and extremely decent people, but they are willing to go out of their way to help you. I can't even number all of the countless times I had to go to my Quantitative Reasoning professor for help, and not only would she help me with the problems, but we would talk about all sorts of stuff and she would let me sit and do my homework in her office while she graded. Or all of the times I went to my Spanish professor's office and left with potential internships or knowledge about foreign culture that I had never heard before. And these are just to name a couple. Every single one of them has been so supportive and helpful, and they never make me feel as though I'm beneath them or that my opinion doesn't matter. They've completely changed my opinion of what a professor can be and I am incredibly grateful that God put them in my life.


6. Forgive and move on.
There will come a time in your life where someone is going to hurt you. And it's very possible that they will hurt you really badly. For me, this happened as I was entering college, but the pain and the struggle to forgive raged on even into this past semester. Although I kept saying that I had forgiven them, I blamed them for a lot of the emotional and spiritual problems I was battling, and if I'm being honest, a part of me hated them.

But somewhere along the line this semester, and I don't even know when or how, I realized that I was a prisoner to bitterness. It had invaded every part of my life, even affecting my ability to make wise decisions, and it prohibited me from moving on. Finally I'd had enough, and I managed to forgive them. Now, I rarely think about them anymore and when I do, it's with compassion and not hatred. No, it doesn't make what they did right, but I have finally moved on and I couldn't be happier.


7. It's okay to expand your interests. 
I always thought that I had a variety of interests before college: writing, reading, and music. But boy, if I thought that was a lot, then I have an enormous amount of interests after this year. I have realized just how huge a nerd I am when it comes to learning. Now, whenever I can, I love to research almost anything I can get my hands on, and I love to try out new things.

Whether's it's reading a history book, campaigning for a friend running for office (that was super interesting!), or going to an event where you're only allowed to speak Spanish, my interests have expanded immensely. And it's been so much fun! Even though I might be a little indecisive with my interests, I feel like maybe it's better that I know a little bit about everything. Who knows, maybe it'll help me become more well-rounded! :)


So, there you go, 7 things that I learned during my freshman year of college. And these are only scratching the surface of the lessons that I've learned and that I'm sure I will continue learning during these next three years. Until then, I can't wait to see what's on the journey ahead!

Review of "Princess Cut"

Today, I'm going to do something I've never done before and that's write a movie review on my blog. I've been wanting to share this movie with you all for a couple weeks now but I've been super busy. So, here goes!!

Summary:

"Princess Cut" follows the story of Grace Anderson, a small-town farm girl who dreams of finding true love one day. The story begins with Grace having her heart broken as the guy she has been long-distance "dating" for a while announces his engagement to someone else. She finds solace in Jared, a handsome barista who takes Grace faster and farther than she would like. At the same time, Dr. Clint Masters moves into the house next to the Anderson family farm. After feeling that something about her and Jared's relationship is wrong, Grace decides to pursue a relationship with God instead of guys. But just when God seems to finally be putting her love story together, things begin to fall apart at the seems. Will she ever find love or ruin her chances at happiness forever?

Review:

I absolutely loved "Princess Cut". It's a little cheesy, as many Christian movies are, but I thought it was extremely cute and, as a single woman who has experienced a lot of what Grace went through in the movie, I can definitely relate. I loved that they showed the spiritual aspect of the relationship and how much praying and guidance should be sought before pursuing a relationship with someone, instead of just showing sparks flying and fast-moving romance. Quite frankly, I would recommend this for anyone, whether you're looking for a cute date night movie, a girls night in, or even a young adult retreat. However, I think this is a must-see for any Christian singles...it will definitely get you thinking about the way you've been pursuing relationships!

NOTE: This post was not endorsed by any companies or the makers of the movie itself. It is 100% my opinion and was written because I really liked the movie. If you would like more information on it, you can follow the link below to view it on IMDB. :)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3175798/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Objectified

So, I was working on homework in the library the other day when I glanced up at the magazines racks, only to find something that both shocked and horrified me. There, on the top of the magazine rack, was Rolling Stones magazine. On the cover? The entire band of 5 Seconds of Summer (I believe that's what their name was) completely naked, with only their hands or small objects to cover their private parts.

Not to insult Rolling Stones or 5 Seconds of Summer, but was that really necessary?

This is only one of numerous examples where men and women are being objectified by being portrayed as "sexy" through their lack of clothing.

Now, I used to think that it was only women being heavily objectified and sexualized in our society, but I have come to realize that men are being objectified too. Women are put on the covers of magazines like Shape and Vanity, making sure they have minimal amounts of clothing to emphasize their breasts and butts, and men are made sure to have nothing less than their shirt off to show their huge muscles and "sexy" v-shape body.

But when we see those, are we actually registering them as people? Or do we just see figures meant to be used as sex-objects?

I truly believe that this one of the biggest problems in our first-world culture. Not only are we molding an image of our celebrities that suggests their worth is only in how they look, but we're teaching our generation the same thing. Teenage boys and girls, and even children, see these images of half-naked celebrities being called "sexy" and "amazing" and they believe they need to do the same thing. Our young people start thinking their worth is tied into how they look or how well their body fits this "hour-glass" and "v-shape" figure.

I don't think it's a coincidence that our suicide and depression rates among young adults and teenagers have gone up with the increase of media's presence in our lives. I don't believe that it's just chance that millions, of teenagers are following fashion trends that actresses and actors have begun. It's definitely not coincidental that I see numerous scantily clad girls and boys without proper clothing on my college campus every single day, even when it's below freezing out. They've somehow gotten it into their heads that showing off their body is even more important than their health and safety.

Why are we allowing this to happen?

Someone please tell me why thousands of those magazines are still being sold every day. Tell me why Teen Vogue and Vanity are still on the shelves and being sold to girls who haven't even gone through puberty yet. Why are we allowing this indoctrination of "I have to look like that" and "I need to be sexy" to reach our generation? Why are we allowing them to objectify themselves?

Now, I'm not saying that we need to dress frumpy or that we cannot allow even an inch of our lower arm to show, but I am suggesting that we start revolutionizing the fashion industry, that we start taking over media and magazines. Instead of letting magazines that objectify human beings--valuable, precious human beings that are smart, funny, helpful, compassionate, etc--why don't we start advertising magazines that uplift girls and boys, that tell them their worth has nothing to do with the way they look.

Whether or not you agree with this or not, their worth, and YOUR worth, has to do with a loving Father that saw all the junk and mess we were and decided to die for us anyway. It has to do with a great Creator that designed us to be exactly who we are--strengths, flaws, and all--and saw us as perfection.

That's right, teenage boy, twenty-something young woman, or whoever is reading this, you were created for perfection. Don't let anyone or anything else tell you otherwise.

Days of Thankfulness

Ahh, it's been forever since I've posted anything that I'm thankful for, so I'm super sorry for that! To make up for this, I'm not going to write a super long post, but I'll say a few more things I'm thankful for.

• I'm thankful for my church. Yes, sometimes the people get on my nerves, but God is doing some amazing things in our church and I'm so thankful to be a part of it.

• I'm thankful for the ability to go to school and continue my education. It's a lot of work and sometimes I wish I could have a break, but I absolutely love my school and the professors, and my friends, and...well, there are just so many amazing things about it! :)

• I am super grateful for God's blessings on my life. I don't deserve any of it, but God has not only given me everything I need, but he's given me so much more! Thank You, Jesus!

• I am thankful for every moment of every second that I get to live. Life will never be perfect, and there will be ups and downs, but it's always going to be an exciting adventure where you never know what's coming next. I can't wait for the day I get to look back and see how God wove all the intricate pieces of my life together to make something beautiful.

And, FINALLY...

• I'm thankful for YOU!!  That's right, you! I am so grateful for every person that takes the time to read my posts and visit this blog. You all are awesome and I love you! :)

Day 6

It's the 6th of November, which means it's time to say yet another thing I'm thankful for!

Day 6: I'm thankful for peace. Sometimes it feels like everything in your life if falling apart around you and it seems like everything is so chaotic, but I am thankful that God has given me peace even in the worst of circumstances.

Have an awesome day, guys!

Days 4 and 5

Hi everyone! Sorry I missed yesterday...like I said, since I'm in college, my life is super busy right now.  But anyways, here are some more things I'm thankful for!

Day 4: I'm thankful for my support system, whether it's my family, friends, etc. I know I have not been the easiest person to deal with lately, and I've been going through a lot. But you guys have been amazing and have given me a shoulder to cry on and have really encouraged me, and I thank God for you every day!

Day 5: I'm thankful for professors that care. When I was preparing to come to college, everyone told me to prepare for professors that don't really care about you and that are more so interested in their career than their students. However, I have found that is not the case at my school. The professors are not only super nice, but I can tell that they care and they go above and beyond their normal duties just to help us succeed.

So there you go! Look for another post tomorrow! :)

Day 3 of Thankfulness

Hi everyone! Today is the third of November, which means it's time to say something else I'm thankful for. 

Day 3: I'm thankful for my health! I haven't been feeling super great lately, but I know that I'm still healthy and thank Jesus for it!

P.S. Feel free to comment with what you're feeling thankful for today! :)