Living Life To The Fullest

Being independent at such a young age was never easy. It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but I know that it will benefit me in the future. While my peers will just be entering the real world after college graduation, I’ll already have the experience needed to live on my own. I know how manage my finances, manage my time, and most importantly still have fun.

I think the most important thing I’ve learned about being independent is just that…depending on no one but you. I’ve learned that unless someone is truly your friend or family they may not always be there for you when you need them. Of course I know I can go to my friends or my family when I do need them, but I always do what I can on my own first and then go to them when I have no other option.

All in all, you have to make the best of what has been given to you and live life to the fullest. Although I may not have asked for the life I was given, I know that it was given to me for a reason. Maybe it was because God knew I was strong enough to handle the things he threw my way. Whatever the reason was, I don’t ever wish I could change the decisions I made. I may wish I could change some of the things that have happened to me that are out of my control, but I have lived and learned through all my mistakes.

Live, Laugh, Love

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Time Management

Time management plays an important role when juggling a busy schedule like mine. Knowing what needs to be done, by when, and for who are all aspects of this specific skill. Excellent time management skills are needed in order to understand which things are priorities and which things can be saved for later. Time management also helps you make time for those fun things in life too. There can’t always be work and no play. We’d all die of stress. 

Here are a few pointers to developing good time management skills:

1. Keep a planner.

I used to hate having to write everything down in a planner. It took too much time and effort that I could be spending on other things…like the homework that I was writing down.  In reality though, that five or ten minutes you spend writing down which homework or project is due on whichever date, could save you an hour or more on sleep because you didn’t forget that your world history research paper was due tomorrow and you aren’t up all night trying to finish it to meet the deadline. A planner also makes you aware of your free time. 

2.      2. Don’t wait until the last minute.

As a college student we have enough things to stress us out. Waiting until the last minute to finish that art history project will just send you straight to the psych ward. I’m not saying that you should skip the Halloween party on Saturday so that you can finish your project early, but make sure you know when your project is due and plan out your completion process. Maybe spend about thirty minutes each day on your assignment so that you aren’t doing it all at the last minute. It may not seem like the most appealing way to get it done, but in the long run you’ll be glad you did.

3.      3. All work and no play?

YOU MUST MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF TO RELAX! Anxiety builds stress. Stress leads to depression. Without some downtime in your life, you could be on your way to depression. There is always time for play no matter how busy your schedule is. Even working two jobs and going to school, I find time to go out and have fun. I use a lot of my free time during the week to my advantage. When I have a break between classes I work on homework or a project. When I work those long hour shifts at work I make sure to take enough homework with me to stay busy all day. I go out at least once during the week and once or twice on the weekends.

In reality, anyone can build good time management skills. It comes down to whether or not you want to put the time and effort into doing it.

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Supportive Friends

Friend- one attached to another by affection or esteem; a favored companion

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition of friend is above. It describes a person who you can count on. Someone who will be there for you when times get rough. Those who will listen to you when you just need someone to hear what you have to say. Most importantly, a friend is someone who stands by your side and supports you no matter decisions or mistakes you make.

Being financially independent it tough. You have to learn to manage your bills, know when to save and when you can splurge, and you have to be able to distinguish between necessities and luxuries. Sometimes your finances can become very frustrating and stressful, especially when you’re living paycheck to paycheck while others have their parents to financially support them. There comes days when I just want to give up everything: quit my job, sell my car, stop paying my bills and live like a normal college student. In reality, working through college is what gives me the ability to live like a normal college student. It gives me the extra money I need to go out with my college friends and to have a car and cell phone like a college student does.

That’s why, when times get rough and I just want to give up, I have my friends there to support me. Although they may not be in the same situation I am or have not gone through the certain things I’ve gone through, I know they will always be there to listen when I need to vent about my horrible day at work. They can even sometimes provide advice on similar situations that they have experienced. And they are always there to cheer me up when I am down.

Without the support of friends, life can be very lonely. Always cherish those who are by your side and never take for granted the fact that they are there.

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The Working Woman

It’s pretty much a given that being financially independent requires a job. But when you’re a college student who has to manage school and work, you can’t just have any job. You need something flexible. You need a boss who is willing to work around your class schedule, and in my case, track schedule too. Most importantly though, you need a job that isn’t going to wear you out to the point that you’re not able to get your school work done on time and without losing too much sleep. Sounds impossible to find, huh? Well here a few tips to finding the job that balances work and school:

1.       Family Owned

Family owned businesses value honesty, loyalty, and close knit ties with employees more than any multi-million dollar corporation or food chain will.  Your boss is going to take strongly into account the feeling he/she gets during the first impression when determining their comfort ability with you as an employee to them. The more trust and loyalty you gain, the more empathy you will receive from a family owned operator when it comes to needing days off or flexibility of schedules. Unlike big corporations, a family owned operator builds lasting relationships with their employees rather than viewing their workers as simply replaceable.

2.       Slow Business

It also helps to find a job where the business isn’t necessary slow, but that you have periods of time where you would be able to pull out some homework and work on it. There’s nothing better than being able to get homework done while also getting paid to do so. Remember though….your boss does have to be ok with it.

3.       Flexibility

College life is crazy. Plans are always coming up. There are study sessions scheduled at crazy times and when it comes to finals you pretty much have to devote all your time and effort into studying. If you can find a job that will work with your forever-changing schedule and give you the time needed to pass your classes then managing school and work is going to be easy.

4.       No Late Nights

The workload from school is enough to keep you up late hours and cause a lack of sleep. Adding a job to that would just be worse on your body and your immune system. But a job with reasonable hours along with the slow business has its perks. Find a store or business that closes around seven or eight. This way you don’t get out too late to the point where you’re too exhausted to go home and do the rest of your homework. It’s also pretty convenient for the weekends. This way you’re not getting out of work too late to go out and have some fun.

I currently work at Cricket Wireless which is a low cost cell phone company. I was blessed to find the perfect job for a college student.  The store is family owned and I have a great relationship with my boss. I have been working here now for a year and five months and have built a very trusting and loyal relationship with my boss. I know that when I need a day off of work for exams or studying all I have to do is ask. And the hours are perfect. I normally work a four or five hour shift during the week and I get out at eight. We don’t get too much traffic in the store so I’m able to work on my homework when there aren’t any customers. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

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The Beginning of My Independence

Growing up, I always had some sort of independence. Whether it was being able to ride my bike around the neighborhood with my friends, or waking myself up for school in the morning, I started my independence at a very early age. I probably started earlier than most. I grew up in what seemed a normal household on the outside, but on the inside wasn’t. My step-father, a plumber, struggled to pay the bills, while my mother, a stay at home mom diagnosed with a disease that kept her from working and functioning normally, did her best to manage my two brothers and I. As my siblings and I grew older the amount of independence and responsibilities we obtained increased. By the sixth grade I was doing my own laundry, making dinner for the family, making sure my brothers got up for school in the morning, and cleaning the house.

At the age of sixteen my mother passed away and my oldest brother moved out of the house. Being the only female in the household now, I completely took over the motherly responsibilities. I did the grocery shopping and even made sure the bills were paid. As stressful as these things may be, they had to get done. When it came time for me to graduate high school and move onto the college life I thought things would become easier. Instead, I took on a whole bunch of new responsibilities.

Now that I am a sophomore at Trinity I’ve pretty much learned how to manage my independence in the most efficient way, but there is always room for improvement. While juggling a full time course load, I also work on campus as an assistant to the Trinity baseball coach, off campus at Cricket (an up and coming cell phone and wireless internet provider), and I run track and field for Trinity as well. I am the sole financial provider for myself. Currently, I pay my own cell phone bill, car insurance (the car is already paid off), health insurance, monthly payments on the new tires I had to buy this summer, and any necessities or luxuries that I want or need. That’s right….I even buy all my own books.

While you may think I’m crazy, I really don’t have a choice. And for those of you out there who thought it was impossible to work and go to school, I’ll be the first to tell you IT IS! So if you’re interested in knowing how I manage my crazy schedule and don’t pull my hair out every day, continue to follow my blog and I’ll tell just how it’s done.

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