Tag Archives: College 101

Mistakes Everyone Makes in College (& How to Recover)

Mistakes Everyone Makes in College (& How to Recover) - College Mistakes to Avoid // ew & pt

Life is just a series of mistakes. Is that too dark? Everybody makes mistakes in college. Everybody has those days. And most things can be turned into a pseudo-Hannah Montana song, apparently. As I near the end of my college career, I’ve begun reflecting on mistakes I’ve watched other people make and, let’s be real here, mistakes I’ve made myself. Though I firmly believe we can always learn from mistakes, sometimes recovering from them can be tough.

I mean, I tried to help you avoid some mistakes. I wrote on a post on 10 Mistakes Freshmen Make & How to Avoid Them. But, maybe you didn’t read that in time. Or, maybe you just made a mistake. Maybe blogs are not infallible (they’re definitely not). It happens to the best of us. Here are some more mistakes everyone makes in college and how to recover from them.

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How to Boost Your Confidence in College

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How to Boost Your Confidence in College - Being Confident in College // ew & pt

This blog post starts with a story. It wasn’t going to — it was initially going to be a vague blurb about how I’m so much more confident now that I’m a senior in college than I was when I was a freshman. Duh, right? But last night I had such an eye-opening experience that really showed me how my confidence has skyrocketed in less than four years. In fact, the experience ended with “I would never have been confident enough to do this as a freshman!”

My college hosts a welcome back block party with fireworks, music and ice cream every year. I’ve been going every year since. Freshman year I didn’t dance — I stood with a small group and only spoke to them. Sophomore year I danced only when everyone else started dancing, too. Junior year I ran the event and handed out ice cream, bopping to the beat before I left. Senior year? I talked to tons of freshmen and upperclassmen, convincing them to take a bunch of ice cream, promoting the Snapchat Geofilter I made for the event. I went to the DJ and had him announce the filter for me. Then? I danced. Three of my friends and I danced. No one else was dancing, but we were. We were dancing and having a fun time and not giving a damn about anyone else. (Our dancing even attracted a freshman boy who was shaken to learn I was not a freshman. He also offered me vodka out of a sketchy water bottle and took a selfie with us, but that’s a story for another time).

The point? Sometimes being confident is just about dancing, even when no one else is. I could’ve never guessed that I’d be in the same spot almost four years later dancing and feeling 1000% confident. From one used-to-be shy, self-conscious and nervous freshman to a confident senior, here are a few of my tips about how to boost your confidence in college.

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6 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself In College & How to Stop

6 Ways You're Sabotaging Yourself In College & How to Stop - Improve College Life // ew & pt

Ahh, self-sabotage. We all do it. We all hate that we do it. We continue to do it. It’s an endless cycle and it’s among many endless, terrible cycles we have throughout college. Self-sabotage is inevitable. Sometimes you just need to eat a hot pocket at two in the morning while writing an essay that’s due in six hours. That being said, if you’re more aware of how you’re sabotaging yourself and you know of ways to stop doing so, it can help you down the line.

I created a 10 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself + How To Stop post a few weeks ago and decided to make a college edition. So, my fellow college students, here are some ways you’re sabotaging yourself in college and how to stop.

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10 Things To Do Before Starting A New Semester


10 Things To Do Before Starting A New Semester - How to Prepare For A New Semester // eyeliner wings & pretty things

As one semester ends, it’s time for another one to begin! It’s time to end whichever break you’re currently on and crawl out of bed to prepare for the next few months of classes, clubs and college life. Yay? Hopefully it’s a yay. Even if it’s not a yay for you to be starting a new semester, these tips will help you make the process a lot easier (and affordable).

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