Nobody enjoys studying and anyone who says they enjoy sitting in front of an overpriced book is a liar. Don’t trust them. Just like laundry, you have to get around to it eventually, unless you like paying for a class you’re going to have to take again. Oh, and you’ll be paying for that retake of course. I graduated from college just over a year ago and I swear my last paper as a senior was written the day before it was due. Am I proud of this? Maybe a little, but I don’t recommend it. Instead of pushing down your throat how you should study the entire semester and color code your notes, I’m going to give you the 10 ways I managed to get an A in every course, except economics because it sucked and it was right around the time I had an addiction to Fruit Ninja. Studying doesn’t have to be this thing you worry about all semester. As long as you go to class on a regular basis and actually try on your assignments, these 10 methods should help you get a good grade on your exam without you needing to spend every night in the library all semester long. I’m not advocating leaving your studying for the last minute, but let’s be honest, you’re going to. So for all my expert procrastinators out there, here’s how to do it without losing your mind. Dorm rooms are loud, especially when your roommate has all take home exams. (Stares at with jealousy.) With most people flocking to the library for the first time all semester come finals time, you cant even count on that space to be quiet. Study groups, people eating Doritos, people listening to Taylor Swift on their headphones way too loud (me) are all reasons why you need your headphones with you always. Plus, nothing is more motivating than a Taylor, Beyonce, Nicki playlist. Trust me, you’ll love it. I’m definitely guilty of getting sucked into skipping song after song, wasting way too much time trying to find the perfect playlist and next thing I know an hour has passed and my study playlist may be perfect but I haven’t actually studied. Both Spotify and Pandora have great radio/playlist options to help you avoid wasting any time. My favorite excuse to get out of studying is needing to go buy food, because hello, you can’t study on an empty stomach! Don’t fall for your own lies, buy food and snacks ahead of time so that you don’t have a reason to make a quick run to 7 Eleven. Plus, you can use these same snacks as a reward when you finish reviewing those long chapters. Listen, I totally get it, office hours are the worst. Professors and teaching assistants basically beg you to show up, promising that you can just stop by to chat or ask a quick question. But what happens the moment you do show up? Awkward silence and/or you have to stand outside and wait because some other student has never heard of this thing called the syllabus. Even though it feels weird, go! Take the time to write down every question you have and just ask them, if you’re lucky there will already be a group of people there to make the one on one interaction less likely.

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My only goal the first week of class is to form a relationship with one other person, just one! Why? Because there will come a day when I sleep in or need to be in line somewhere for free tickets, and on that day I will need to have the notes of whatever I missed. Having a friend in the class will give you a person to reach out to when you have a quick question plus someone to remind you that the paper was pushed to another due date.

You might also like: For more tips on how to survive your college years, follow my >SURVIVING COLLEGE< board on Pinterest for tips on studying, internships, and all things college related!!

Students at my university were super into sending mass emails to everyone in the class in order to share Google Docs or a location of where everyone would be meeting to study. It feels weird at first to write an email that 300+ people are going to read but just do it! Why waste time finding the answers to all the study guide questions when you can just split that work up into pieces? Let’s be honest for a moment, 99% of us don’t open the book until it’s exam time, which means aint nobody got time to be catching up on all that reading. I’m not here to judge you, props to you for even buying the book! If you don’t have time to read every freaking sentence, take time to read the chapter summary, then focus on the points mentioned there. If it was important enough to be mentioned in the synopsis, chances are there will be a question on it. You can’t study if you don’t have all your notes in one place, haven’t seen your book in weeks and lack the basic essentials like highlighters. Spend an hour getting all your supplies together so once you start you don’t have to stop everything to find that handout from week two. Nothing is worse than being one of those students that asks a question that could be easily answered had they looked at the syllabus. Besides exam dates and book requirements, your syllabus most likely outlines what will be covered each day of class. If your professor spent three lectures on abc but only one on day lecturing on xyz, chances are they are more likely to ask you questions on abc. Your syllabus is an outline of the most important points to cover, so take advantage of it! Some people have the skills necessary to be able to put down their phone and get down to business, then there’s the rest of us. I swear I think I almost failed economics because I was determined to get a high score on Fruit Ninja, but don’t be like me. Take advantage of apps like StayFocusd that lock you out of your Facebook account and other social media websites.

Is there anything you do to help you focus while you study? I’d love to hear your #1 distraction or motivator in the comments below.

Five years have passed since I last sat down for Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Even though the holiday was never that big of a deal in my home, it’s one of those days where everyone expects you to travel back to where you’re from and spend the day with relatives. The only problem? I live three thousand miles away from all of my relatives. So yeah, I will definitely once again be flying solo this year. Whether you are thinking about spending the holidays alone this year because you’re stuck at school or stuck working the day after the holiday, don’t worry, I’m a seasoned veteran on how to not hate the holidays even if you don’t have a home cooked meal to push you into a food coma. With so many different options of what to do, none including being asked about your relationship status by nosy relatives, you might even be a little glad that you saved yourself the price of airfare and survived the holidays all on your own. Or maybe with the help of just a few friends. This tip is especially applicable if you are still in college, because with so many people on campus, you can’t possibly be the only one that didn’t have the chance to go home for the holidays. Pay attention to flyers around school or campus emails, there are usually events planned in or around campus targeted towards a holiday celebration for those who stuck around. An alternative is to find friends or fellow dorm neighbors who are in town and host a Friendsgiving. Have everyone bring one dish and voila, dinner is served! While you could technically host your own Thanksgiving dinner in college, who has the time, money or cooking abilities? Am I right? If you’ve aged a bit, think 22 and up, try hosting your own dinner for a change. You can still encourage guests to bring a side dish, just make sure you cover the essentials like turkey and mashed potatoes. Any friends who are local to the area or just don’t want to spend the money to travel home can attend, leaving you looking like the most generous host of the year. Whether you’re in college or just being an adult, attending a close friend’s or significant other’s family dinner is an option. As long as they promise to not leave your side at any moment, because hello, awkward! While this might be easier if you’re younger, it’s not totally out of the norm to be someone’s plus one at a holiday party. As long as the dinner isn’t super intimate you should be fine, but just in case, bring a little something like a pie to show your appreciation. My senior year of college I spent Thanksgiving volunteering at a local food bank in my university town. After spending the day serving food and talking to people in the community I suddenly wished I hadn’t spent the last 3 years moping about being stuck at home alone on the holiday. Taking the time to give back to your community is so rewarding, and is especially helpful during holiday seasons when regular volunteers travel back home or have plans of their own. Take the step to call local shelter and soup kitchen to ask if they need any extra help for the day. With apps like Skype, Hangouts, Facetime and about a million other forms of communication, there’s no reason to feel like you are completely separated from those you love. Spend the time to call your mom or dad, I’m sure they’ll love it no matter how busy the day is. If you feel you need an excuse to interrupt the festivities (which you don’t by the way) just ask for some help on how to make that dish you all used to eat together. Real talk, I always call my mom to ask her at what temperature to bake my chicken because no one bakes chicken as good as that woman. Instead of stressing out about all the things you’re missing back home use the time to start a tradition of your own. With five years of celebrating on my own I’ve grown comfortable with my own Thanksgiving routine, which is making a dinner for one, complaining how there is nothing good on TV and stalking the website of all my favorite stores. I’m too terrified to shop on Black Friday so I just like to watch from a distance.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? Will you be with friends, family or flying solo?

This August marks three years since I uprooted my life, moved to the East Coast, with nothing more than a few hundred dollars and an acceptance letter into grad school. I don’t know how I did it, but within two months I managed to start my graduate program, find two jobs and start building a life in a new city.

No one warned me how hard it would be, especially when it came to feeling like I was in control of my life. Making friends was hard, and even with the few I had, finding the energy to spend time with them was even harder. Working and attending graduate school full time is one of those things that you can’t fully relate to until you’re in that position, but you can prepare.

As someone who had never even had a job, entering the workforce at the same time I was going to school full time was a bit of a shock. If you’re considering going to school full time while working full time, or doing both part time, keep reading to see how you can prepare to better balance both responsibilities.

You might also like: The 8 Important Lessons My 2nd Year of Grad School Taught Me

If possible, plan your course schedule ahead of time to anticipate changes in your work schedule and intensity of schoolwork. Unfortunately with my graduate school I was not able to plan my courses more than a semester ahead of time, which made it difficult to anticipate the types of hours I could commit to and the number of classes I would be taking. By planning your classes ahead of time, it gives you the opportunity to collaborate with your employer and control the amount of work you’ll have throughout the year.
For the first two years of my graduate degree I was in complete denial about the type of life I was living. My life revolved around work and school, constantly stressing about one or the other. It wasn’t until the end of my second year that I came to terms that I couldn’t do both full time, so I decided work needed to be a priority. Your situation may be different, especially if your program keeps in mind people’s work responsibilities when creating a course schedule.

This didn’t mean I took a break from school, instead I went to school part time for a few semesters and worked as much as possible. By doing this I eventually saved enough money to quit my job for my last semester of school. For more on how I did this and why, you can read this post.

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When I started attending my graduate school the majority of my classes were offered in the evening. What I didn’t realize, or think to ask, were the hours that more advanced courses would be offered. Because of this mistake, I later realized all my courses would be offered during the daytime, meaning I would have to leave work.

When talking to admissions counselor, don’t be shy to ask for a current course offering, including the hours courses are offered. Having the option of evening and night courses could make the difference between being able to balance both work and school full time.

Because very few things are negotiable when attending graduate school, you most likely will need to set boundaries in the workplace. By boundaries I mean committing to a certain amount of hours and no more, or clearly stating the days you are unavailable. This may be more difficult at certain types of jobs, but with enough notice, it shouldn’t be something that’s impossible. We all do it, I even still fall into the trap, but it will cause you more stress than necessary. I’m not saying keep up with all your class readings and respond to every email as you get it, but generally don’t leave big projects until the last moment. Whether the assignment is for work or school, having to balance both means you might not have a lot of extra time to do it at the last minute. Avoid this unnecessary problem by doing small chunks of work at a time than all of it the night before it’s due.

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If you’re currently employed and thinking of starting graduate school then you are at an advantage. Hopefully your employers sees the value you bring to the organization and will be willing to be flexible with your schedule. If you are applying to new jobs, my biggest advice is to be honest about your circumstance. When applying to my last job, I was 100% honest about my involvement in graduate school, including the hours I would likely never be available. While this may prevent some job opportunities, in the long run, you wouldn’t be able to manage both anyways. You can’t do this alone. Well, actually, you can, but you shouldn’t. I balanced working full time and going to grad school full time for the first year and a half, and I was absolutely miserable. I was dating a guy who didn’t work or go to school, so venting to him about my stress levels was pointless. Find others in a similar situation, or better yet, people who’ve been through it. If you can, form a relationship with peers in your graduate program. Most likely the people in your classes are dealing with the same stressors, so who better to try to relate to?

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If I learned anything in the past three years, it’s that comparison really is the thief of joy. When I started my graduate program I was going to school full time and working full time. I quickly realized this was not something I could do long term, especially since my masters requires me to complete an internship. Accepting the fact that there would be semesters that I took less courses took time, especially since it took me off track to graduate in two years. Whether you get your masters in two or three years doesn’t matter, your everyday quality of life does. It will be difficult to see other friends graduating or progressively moving forward, but you’ll thank yourself on a daily basis for not allowing going to school and work full time take over your life.

Are you currently balancing work and school? How are you managing? Also, if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask below!

Nothing prepares you for working your first office job, nothing. Certainly not anything I encountered during my four years in college got me ready to spend the better part of my days working an office job that has nothing to do with my career plans. But hey, I’m a twenty something earning a masters degree, my job isn’t supposed to be relevant, it just needs to pay the bills.
Before applying to my first post grad job I watched a lot of The Office, and okay, I also watched a lot while in the office of my new post grad job. The Office thankfully gave me a real representation of how basic our everyday lives can be, I mean, Pretzel Day can only fall on one day a year after all. Thankfully I went into my new job fully aware of all the things that would drive my coworkers crazy, unfortunately not everyone has a Netflix account and a few hours to kill each night.

Related Post: 10 Ways Working Full Time Changes Your Life

So I’m here to tell you all the things that I, along with my coworkers, cant stand dealing with when a new person is hired. Or even an old veteran who doesn’t give a crap about you and your rules. Let’s begin…

Poor email etiquette. If you think your personal email gets flooded with useless information, then you haven’t yet been given access to your work Outlook account. And yeah, you’re gonna have to put up with Outlook most likely. Unless every person CCed absolutely needs to read that email, rethink the people you consider including in your conversation. Seriously though, stop including me.

Making our public space private.

Personal phone conversations sometimes can’t be avoided in the workplace. I get it, we spend 8 hours a day in the office, when else are we supposed to schedule our appointments and yell at Comcast. The thing is, there are private areas around the office. The break room is not one of them. And don’t get me started on people who love using the speakerphone feature. Please, take your private conversations somewhere private, unless you’re cool with all of us hearing how your boyfriend has been a total dick the past few days.

Not using your indoor voice.

Okay, as a fellow loud talker I can sympathize, but I’m just here to warn you. People on the other end can here us, without us having to raise our voice or stress every word coming out of our mouth. If you work in a small shared space I recommend just staying conscious of how loud you are. While I’m not saying whisper 24/7, definitely avoid making angry calls to customer service while at work or shouting across the work area to get someones attention. I know it sounds ridiculous but trust me, it happens.

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Pay attention to what you eat.

Remember your college days when you would camp out at the library for hours, stressed over finals and really trying to learn the information after a semester of scrolling through Instagram? Then all of a sudden, CRUNCH. Someone at the next table was munching on a bag of Doritos. The sound of someone else eating something loudly or uncomfortably fragrant is just as annoying in adulthood, except this time you cant tell them to go away because you’re supposed to get along.

Being unreliable.

While this is definitely seen more in staff members who have been around a while, earning a reputation of being late or out of office often is a surefire way to lead people to dislike you. If you work in teams or in an environment where your absence causes a disruption, think again before hitting snooze one more time or calling out of work without proper cause.

Marking everything urgent.

As someone who wears headphones 24/7 at work, nothing is more startling that having the chorus of my favorite song interrupted by a loud ringing sound. Just like CCing, not every email is worth marking important. Limit these emails for when it’s something that actually needs immediate attention.

Dressing inappropriately.

I get it, figuring out what to wear to a new job is hard, which is why you get a pass for the first week. After that first week you should be able to figure out what those around you are wearing though. Showing up too work looking too casual will make others takes you less seriously, and unfortunately will probably, definitely, lead to people talking about you. Don’t overdress though, if your office is more casual don’t feel the constant need to show up in a suit.

Related Post: What to Wear on Casual Friday (With 7 Outfit Examples)

Taking up people’s time.

Do you remember being in class and seeing that student raise their hand just as class was about to be over? Never mind that they had an entire class period to ask questions during, they waited until the last possible minute. Don’t be that person at work, please, don’t. Asking questions are fine, but if you wait until the last possible minute when just about everyone has checked out, that’s an easy way to make your coworkers not be able to stand you. Either ask while everyone is engaged or ask the presenter directly after wards.

Are you guilty of any of these office crimes? What’s something you can’t stand that your coworkers do? Let us know in the comments below!

Here’s the thing. I spent the last year of my life working my butt off for this moment, which is why I’m a little frustrated by the fact that I feel like a complete and utter failure.

When I first moved to Washington DC, or should I say Maryland because I was way too broke to afford DC, I had no idea how difficult my masters program would be. The classes were simple enough and so was adjusting to my new schedule of working two jobs while attending school full time. It was the constant voice in the back of my head that kept reminding me that graduation wasn’t attainable until I had 6 months of time to work for free. In essence, somehow I was expected to complete my masters internship, which doesn’t pay, while survive in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Did I mention I knew nobody?

Most of my classmates lived in group homes, with fiancees or family. Meaning their bills were split by many or not their worry at all. I on the other hand came to DC with about a thousand dollars, half of which was gone by the first of the month. Within a few weeks I found two jobs, figured out the city, but couldn’t quite figure out how I was going to finish my masters without being able to have a job at the end.

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This is when I entered a full panic mode. While I instagrammed all the parts of my new life that were pretty and fun, on the inside I was stressing about every bill, every month that I got closer to having to take that course that required I be free during the hours I usually was at work. For months I completely avoided the situation, ignoring emails and hating all the women in my program who had boyfriends to support them through all of this. Then something major happened, I decided to stop avoiding the thing that was tormenting me.

Instead of trying to find a way to avoid my problem I decided to make a solution. What was my problem exactly? Well I needed to complete my practicum (which is six months of time) by working close to full time while being compensated nothing. Oh, and the cost of tuition that came with even enrolling in practicum courses. So basically I needed money, a lot of it. At least enough to help me survive for the months that I would have to fully commit myself to my classes and training. Now if you know anything about me, you’ll know that I have a habit of spending money on stupid things. I don’t have designer purses or even name brand trash bags, but I do have a lot of plants and cat toys and super cool stuff I found marked down 70 percent at Target. So my plan had one simple step, stop spending so much damn money and take every minute of overtime I could get for the next year. For a year I worked my ass off at my law firm, coming in early and staying till closing. I saved everything that I didn’t spend on rent or other necessities. While I was still having fun I wasn’t spending like I used to, and within a year I had saved enough to help me survive for the next few months. My friends and coworkers couldn’t believe it and neither could I. But I did it, I had the money so I quit my jobs in hopes of starting the process I had so long ignored.

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Except here I am, on day one of unemployment, and it fucking sucks. Yeah I have money in the bank and a purpose for why I’m still in my pajamas, but there’s something that feels good about having a reason to wake up early in the morning. My practicum doesn’t start until next year, so from now until then I have to not only find a place to intern but plan for a few extra months of no income. I’m a second generation American which means I grew up hearing that hard work leads to success, which makes it hard for me to picture a successful future right now that I’m in bed while all my former coworkers are in the office. I should be scanning expenses and answering phones, but instead I’ve spent my morning on Instagram and talking to my cat. Grad school is hard, in ways that none of those pamphlets will ever tell you. Nobody talks about the long nights you spend wondering if all of this is worth it. Loan reminders enter my inbox weekly and friends who decided to just enter the workforce after college always look so much more carefree. I mean, I would totally kill to come home and not have to write a paper! I’m sure in a few days this new routine will feel more normal, but for now I’m going to go back into full panic mode while I look for part time jobs and have a long talk with my cat about why I think we need to get outside more.

So tell me, have you ever felt anything like this? As a twenty something (or more), how do you deal with the pressure to do it all when it seems impossible from where you stand?

Three years ago I moved to a city where I knew no one. For the next year and a half, my social circle consisted of my boyfriend at the time and my college friend who would occasionally visit from out of town. My initial plan was to form friendships with my roommates, what I hadn’t planned for was all three of my roommates moving out of state halfway through our lease. Making friends in your twenties is hard, but it’s unexplainably hard when you’re living in a city you don’t know. Thankfully I eventually got tired of being bored at home and pushed myself to meet people, and today I want to share with you the three best ways to make new friends in the city. Gonna be honest for a second, this is the hardest out of all of them. The reason being that you both have a mutual friend, so there’s the extra pressure to get along for at least the afternoon. When asking for your friend to introduce you to people they know, make sure to be honest about the things you like to do and the characteristics you look for in a friend. I’ll use myself as an example, if being set up on a blind friend date, I’d ask to be connected with someone who didn’t mind inappropriate jokes, liked having specific plans when going out, and isn’t shy when they first meet someone. Don’t be afraid to say what you are looking for in a friend, this way you can save yourself the time and awkwardness.

Alumni associations are a great place to make new friends, and I’m not talking about people who are old enough to be your parent. If you live in a large city, chances are there is a local chapter of your university. Get online and find the contact person, or better yet, call your former university and ask about the chapters in your area. By making friends through an alumni association, you have the automatic connection of sharing a similar college experience. If meeting friends of friends is too nerve-wracking and there are no local alumni associations, there’s still a way for you to meet new potential friends each week, Meetup! Meetup is a website where ordinary people form groups and host events. Groups can be about any interests, from people who wanna walk their pugs together to women who like to eat brunch. Joining meetup is free, as well as joining most groups within meetup. Having run a meetup group for almost two years, my best advice to making real new friends through the website is to attend meet up events regularly. This means don’t go out once then disappear for a month. All the friends I made on meetup I saw on a regular basis, waiting until we were close enough to swap numbers and hang out individually. If you’re shy around new people, join a group with a specific interest, like hiking or painting. This way you have something in common with everyone there. To make lasting friendships attend as many meetups that you can, talk to the organizer wile at the meetup, and don’t be afraid to talk to other members. Everyone joins meetups because they want to meet new people, so there’s no need to feel as if you’re pushing yourself into the conversation

Before you go, whether you’re a regular reader or not, I wanted to remind you that there is a free online community of women that you can join via Facebook. A few weeks ago I opened a private Facebook group for women in their twenties to come to for advice, second opinions, and a place to visit to get answers to those questions even Google cant answer. You can request to join by clicking here.

Does anyone else enter a three day weekend super excited for all the possibilities that an extra day can bring? Then wham! You realize that extra day or not, you rather sit on the couch and use all that time to scroll on your phone and catch up on your shows. Three day weekends come with a ton of pressure for me, especially living in Washington DC. Living in the city means there’s always something going on, especially around holidays like Memorial Day. My weekends typically start off with ambitious intentions, but by Saturday afternoon I accept the fact that an extra day doesn’t make me wanna be a couch potato any less. If three day weekends or major holidays give you that same feeling of anxiety due to fear of missing out, then I’ve got the solution for you.

Pet Magasin was kind enough to provide the cat hammock to me for review. Unreliable reviews suck, which is why I (or Max) would never recommend anything we didn’t actually use or enjoy. 
Meet Max, he’s my adorable cat, who gives me the side eye every time my boyfriend and I argue about what we’re going to do today. Here’s the thing, Max has no sense of time, or three day weekends, or feeling of having to do fun activities because that’s what all the cool cats are doing. His chill as hell attitude is what we should all strive for during the weekends, especially because his life is one long self care routine. If you need to chill out for a second, keep reading to see how Max manages to enjoy every moment, inspiring my boyfriend and I to emulate his self care practices. This seems simple enough but so many of us deprive ourselves of enough sleep on a daily basis. I get it, Instagram is fun and Law and Order SVU marathons aren’t going to watch themselves, but the impact that not enough sleep can have on our mood and energy isn’t worth it. There are apps now that can help you track how much sleep you need, plus it’s the only self care act that requires no money or effort! Exercise doesn’t have to be a thing we do only when we want to lose weight. Ever since I’ve started doing pilates, I’ve felt more upbeat and self confident. Has my weight changed? I have no idea, but my self-acceptance has increased so much. Do something that gets you moving, whether that’s an at home workout or walking around your city.

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Raise your hand if you’re guilty of eating food that only leaves you feeing gross afterwards. Raising hand high. I’m nowhere near perfect at this, but I do my best to shop ahead to avoid last minute choices that I will later regret. Spend more time browsing the produce section, search for new recipes on Pinterest, or get inspired by watching what I eat in a day videos on Youtube. Yep, those are totally a thing. Believe it or not, eating a balanced diet includes ice cream, cookies and french fries too! So many of us all into the trap of believing a balanced diet cant include all the things we love to eat, which is unfair to ourselves. If you’re having a rough day don’t be afraid to treat yo’self, one sugary sweet won’t be the end of the world or your progress.

Max seriously motivates me to relax more, bonus points if there are sun rays hitting me while I do it. While my studio life can’t accommodate an adult hammock, it can fit a cat hammock. This week in the mail we received a hammock from Pet Magasin for Max, and to be honest, I’m super jealous.

If you love to spoil your cat at least half as much as me, this is a great option for your cat’s birthday or their adoption anniversary. Or am I the only one who celebrates those days? Apart from being obsessed with the giant Amazon Prime box it arrived in (typical cat behavior), Max soon after realized this was another item in the house he could curl up on and cover with hair.

Setting it up wasn’t hard at all, all I used was a screwdriver and a few cat treats to keep the him away while I worked. Once it was done Max took a nap on it immediately, which was surprising since he’s scared of most new things. If you wanna get your cat a hammock just like this one, you can get it in two days with Amazon Prime. Okay, so back to your self care. Since most of us can’t have a hammock in our homes, my suggestion is you pick something up that makes your relaxation time feel extra special. Whether it’s a comforter you never wanna get out of or that fancy pillow you always touch in the store but never buy. Just do it! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

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Max is no stranger to kicking his legs up and giving himself a good pamper session, even with company over. Literally. Most of us are probably a bit more self conscious than that though, so you can tone it down a bit by testing out one of those new sheet masks, taking a bath, getting your nails done or faking a suntan. Indulge in something you wouldn’t typically do, because the boost in mood and confidence will last you much longer than you’d expect.

How do you take care of yourself? Do you involve your best friends, furry or not, or is it more of a solo activity for you?

Facebook was like a party that I heard about really late. Like, I was walking on the street and picked up a flyer off the floor with a date from last weekend late. I remember I signed up for an account right before I started my freshmen year of college, friend requested everyone I had ever met, only to delete them all three months later. My first few years on Facebook were odd. I went out of my way to make sure I  posted at least once a day, I was addicted to CityVille and I spent way too much time over analyzing my profile picture. Either I got older and more mature or older and more boring, but somewhere along the way stopped caring about how many likes I received and if so and so invited me to their event. Facebook slowly merged into a way I kept in contact with people, either while home for the summer or while I traveled the country. Fast forward to today and all Facebook has become is an app that fills the extra space on my iPhone homepage. Somehow between moving to Washington DC and graduating college I stopped posting, not purposefully, but definitely for a reason.

Maybe this only applies to myself and the people I keep up to date with on Facebook, but over time I just grew bored with the website. I began to think about how much I really cared about the people on my friend’s list and if we were good enough friends for me to express interest in the small moments in there life. Don’t get me wrong, engagements, graduations, birthdays, I’m all over them! I love celebrating events more than anyone I know, ask my boyfriend who I like to remind our 7 month anniversary is coming up. I even suggested in a moment of craziness that we should celebrate our love biweekly. He said no.

But all the other stuff people love to share? Trips to Starbucks, pumping gas, spending a Thursday night at home? Who really cares? Long before my disappearance from Facebook I made a conscious effort to only post about stuff that would matter to me 6 months later. That helped me cut out a lot of the fluff, and once I accomplished that I got to thinking about who I really wanted to share those moments with. While everyone on my friend list is a real life friend of mine, I’d much rather go to lunch with them than like a photo of their lunch. I see that many of my friends haven’t taken this newfound attitude of the website though, which is fine, but makes it difficult to keep in contact with people. Call me crazy, but my favorite thing is to call my friends and just sit around for an hour talking about nothing and everything.

While I don’t think I’ll ever permanently deactivate my Facebook account, I know I’ll never make such a big deal about not having posted that day. For people who do want a glimpse into my life, you can find me oversharing on Instagram. But that’s totally different, I’m in it for the pretty pictures not the likes ya’ll.

Do you still post on Facebook as often as you used to? If not, what social media account is your new favorite? And while we’re on the subject, make sure to like my Facebook page, I promise I won’t spam your news feed with photos of my lunch.

Stay in the loop by following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin

So you made a resolution to get your butt off the couch and wear leggings to more than just bed, but how the heck does one actually become more healthy in the new year? I’ve read countless blog posts and articles telling me to spend less time on my phone, not sleep next to it and a bunch of words on how the blue light is somehow bad for my eyes. I’m sure most of the information I’ve read is true, but it’s 2017, and I use my phone for everything from tracking the next subway car to my next period. Putting my phone down more is not a goal I think anyone is ready to make in the new year, so why not use that device that’s always with us to help us reach some of our other goals? Listed below are some of the best rated apps to help you get your health and body to where you want it to be. Since I know free is always better, I tried my best to include apps that were free of cost or less than the price of your morning coffee.

Related Post: A 10 Step Plan on How to Have Your Best Year Ever

If you’ve never head of Blogilates or Cassey Ho, get ready to fall in love. Best known for her Youtube videos that pair exercise with her always upbeat attitude, this is a great way to fall in love with working out. Her app features all her videos plus a monthly workout calendar she creates every month. On top of that, there’s a forum to connect with others who follow her plans, recipes and an easy to use workout timer. Free for iOS & Android If biking is more your thing, Cyclemeter is the app for you. This app is great for cyclists who want to get the most out of the time on their bike, with features that allow you to track your heart rate, path, and weather conditions. Plus, the app recognizes when you stop so your stats are always accurate. Free on iOS

Related Post: What to Do If You Still Don’t Have a New Year’s Resolution

Before beginning pilates I had no idea sleep was as important to fitness as working out and eating healthy, but apparently I’ve been doing well with one piece of the puzzle. Sleep Cycle not only tracks your sleep, it also monitors movement, can differentiate between light and deep sleep, and can help you wake up at the precise window when you’ll feel most rested.
Free on iOS, $0.99 on Android This app is just what it sounds like, 30 days challenges that will give your exercise routine some variety. The 30 day programs range from ab, arm, glute and full body workouts. On top of that, each has three different difficulty levels with two plans per program. Free on Android The hardest part of living a healthy lifestyle for me starts in the grocery store. Fooducate helps by allowing me to scan products to see a quick overview on how healthy each item is. On top of this, the app can help you track your mood, sleep habits and hunger levels. Free on iOS & Android If you’re looking for an app that can fit all your exercise routines, this is the one for you. Map My Fitness can log over 600 fitness activities, all while monitoring pace, distance, and calories burned. You can also use the app to find nearby routes and join challenges with other users or friends. Free on iOS & Android Related Post: WORD OF THE YEAR This app was the highest grossing health and fitness app on iTunes in just two weeks because it managed to take something as dull as running into something you look forward to. Your runs will be transformed into missions where you collect materials, keep humans safe and try to survive the zombie apocalypse. Free on iOS & Android No matter where you are on your health journey, I think we can all agree that we can all strive to drink more water. Daily Water Free allows you to set your own water intake goal for the day, set up reminders, and tracks your water intake over time. The app is simple to use and noninvasive with the scheduled reminders.

Free on iOS, free Android alternative

My boyfriend swears by this app, and he can be as lazy as I am, so there must be something spectacular about it. The app is just what it sounds like, 7 minute workouts that range in duration and intensity. Users can also create their own custom workout routines within the app. Free on iOS & Android If you’re looking for a ton of different workout you can do virtually anywhere, Freeletics offers over 900 that range from 10 to 30 minutes. Free on iOS & Android

Okay so I wanna know, what’s your favorite health and fitness app to keep yourself on track?? Also, if you have any online pilates recommendations, throw them my way!

Lately I’ve been writing a lot of cover letters, like a lot a lot. I’m in the early stages of my clinical training, so basically I spend my days writing letters to employers begging them to trust me with their patients. In return I promise them months work of free work and to not get in the way.
Thankfully I’m not half bad at this stuff, with all credit going to the career advisers at my university who drilled into my brain how to write a cover letter that won’t get tossed into the trash. My first job out of college was helping individuals apply to jobs and create resumes, which helped tremendously when it came to moving on to my next position. If you’re having trouble writing a cover letter that shows why they’d be wrong not to pick you, read on to see if you could be making any of these ten common cover letter mistakes. With employers receiving more applications than ever thanks to websites like Indeed and Monster, you want to do everything you can to pair your resume with a cover letter that will make you stand out from the others in the pile.
A cover limited has very limited space, which means none of it should be wasted in stating information the employer already has. Your name should be listed on your resume, application and will be signed at the bottom, so skip stating your name and start off with something stronger than “My name is xyz.”

2. Repeating everything that’s on your resume

It can be tempting to repeat your resume in the form of a cover letter, but it’s a complete disservice to you and redundant to the person reading your cover letter. Instead of rewording your resume, try highlighting one of the skills or experiences mentioned on your resume, or discussing how your past experiences are applicable to the position you are currently applying to.

3. Writing more than one page

Just like resumes, employers prefer you keep your cover letter at a one page maximum. Be careful to not submit something less than half a page, with three quarters down the page being the happy medium. Typically I discuss the job I am applying for, how I meet the qualification, what I can offer, and my interest in discussing more during an interview.

4. Focusing on any negative aspects of your work experience

Employers understand people have gaps in their work history and don’t always enter a position knowing everything they need to, so there’s no need to focus on the negative. Skip talking about how you were out of work for a few months or lack training in a specific area, instead talk about your eagerness to learn and past abilities to adapt to new work environments. You can address any inconsistencies or obstacles once you are being interviewed, but until then stick to the positive aspects of your resume and experiences.

5. Sharing information not relevant to the job position

This one totally gets me every time. It can be so tempting to mention a skill or job you totally rock at, but unless it applies to the current position steer clear of talking about it. With space being limited, you want to highlight one experience and/or a few skills to focus on, all of which you should be able to tie back to the position you are applying for. 

6. Submitting the same cover letter for every job

So many new job applicants make this mistake. Actually, scratch that, all types of job seekers make this mistake. And why? Literally every cover letter article tells people to not reuse cover letters, yet people still do it. Taking the time to write a cover letter specific to the job makes the difference when it comes to your application being reviewed, plus it’s so obvious (and slightly annoying) to hiring managers who are taking the time to review your application.

7. Undermining yourself in any way

This is me officially telling you to not apologize for a damn thing in your cover letter, so now you have no excuse for making this mistake ever again. I don’t care if they asked for you to have three years experience and you only have two, do not apologize! Focus on your strengths and explain any areas for improvement in your interview, anything before that is you reducing your chances of being hired before getting in the door. 

8. Using the wrong format

When you’re a beginner, no one really tells you what employers are looking for in regards to format, so here it is. At the top should be your contact information, followed by theirs, a greeting, a paragraph on the positions your applying for, why you’re qualified, and a conclusion that states your eagerness to be contacted for an interview. All of this should be within one page, Times New Roman, and size 12 font. 

9. Forgetting to proofread 

Just how resumes should be typo free, the same goes for your cover letter. Besides the occasional misspelled word, you don’t want to accidentally submit a cover letter with the wrong company name or contact person. Doing so shows potential employers that you are recycling cover letters, which again you should not be doing even if the positions are similar.  The hardest part for me when writing a cover letter is stating my salary requirements, which is why I’m always surprised people bring it up with no instruction from the employer. Unless you are specifically asked, leave the salary negotiation until you are being interviewed, or better yet, once you’ve been offered the position.

Tell me, what’s the hardest part of cover letter writing for you? Or, what’s the best advice you’ve received to write a cover letter that stands out?