About five years ago I made a conscious effort to spend less time following the details of celebrity lives and focus more on enjoying my own. At that time my roommates and I would pass hours on the couch with the Kardashians, spend our money on tabloids full of lies and wonder how they could pull of always being on their way somewhere. Right around that time was when I was preparing to start my application process to study abroad, which ultimately led to me being more committed to enjoying every moment of my day rather than trying to figure out what a celebrity was doing with theirs.
I’m not perfect though and I do have my moments of wanting to stay in the loop, and thanks to websites like Buzzfeed I no longer have to buy People magazine to get my celebrity news. As a big fan of Taylor Swift I do my best to keep up with her life without losing any time of my own, which is why her speech at this year’s Grammys hit a chord with me.

As someone who understands why she reacts the way she does regarding the words people say about her, I was beyond proud when she used that historic moment to address the controversy surrounding this weekend with class. I sat in bed prepared to hear her thank her fans and family. What I got instead was a glimpse of the woman we’ve always wanted to see, someone who could put on a smile, throw a punch back, yet still walk away with everyone on her side. 

While the drama in my life isn’t as big of deal as that of Taylor Swift’s, I like many young women can relate with having to deal with negative people in my life. Whether partners, friends or strangers, everyone starts to gain an opinion about your decisions once good things start happening. Taking a note from Taylor’s book I’ve decided to stay away from my normal method of dealing with haters (which usually consists of  pushing them back into their lane) and instead focus my efforts in a more positive way.

1. Say goodbye.

Step one needs to be separating yourself from the negative person. This may be difficult if the negativity is coming from a partner or good friend, but if they are unwilling to change the way they interact there is little you can do to make the situation better. Choosing to not spend time or communicate with them may be the signal they need to help them realize how their attitude is affecting your relationship. 

2. Set your boundaries. 

Everyone has different opinions on this and those opinions usually differ depending on who they’re talking about, so don’t feel any sort of way if you find yourself disagreeing with yourself. After you’ve said goodbye and physically separate yourself from the negative person you need to decide whether you want to continue to stay connected through social media. Nowadays we all post daily life updates and accomplishments across social media, which is great, as long as the people you connect with are genuinely happy for you. Personally, I never block a negative person on social media simply because I like for them to see all that I’m accomplishing despite their opinions. If keeping up to date with their life is too painful though or if they continue to reach out to you through social media, cutting that line of communication may be beneficial.

Related Post: 12 Things It’s Okay to Cry About Sometimes

3. Stop analyzing everything. 

How many of us still shower while thinking of comebacks to arguments we had back in the 7th grade? (raises hand) Even though I am all for stepping back from a relationship and taking some time to talk it out, constantly analyzing why someone said or did they things they did is not always beneficial to you. Chances are a negative person is bringing you down for reasons that have to do with them, so leave figuring out why it’s happening to them, cause that’s not your issue. 

4. Surround yourself with positive people. 

Every time you kick someone out of your life you should pull another person in closer. My friends have helped me get through all my hardest moments, from cross country moves to more heartbreaks that I’m proud to admit. Don’t spend all your time thinking about one negative person when you have a community of positive people wishing you nothing but the best. Reach out to friends, new and old, to get you through this difficult phase. 

Related Post: 100 Things To Do Instead of Calling Your Ex-Boyfriend

5. Focus your energy.

I’ma firm believer in channeling your energy and time into a new project whenever you let someone go. My love for blogging actually grew during a time when I had recently been dumped and I needed something to do to keep myself busy. Use all your new found time and energy to start something new, whether that be a hobby, friendship or goal. Having something to works towards every day will give you purpose during those moments when you will inevitably want to cave in and reach out to the person you set out to remove from your life. 

Have you ever had to deal with a negative person in your life? What did you do to help make the situation better?

In an effort to keep my July favorites from being unbearably long, I’ve broken it down into categories and forced myself to choose one winner for each. Enjoy!

F A V O R I T E   T W E E T

What would ur “photo an hour” in Santa Monica look like? We’re loving this bday edition from @rarerubi.. http://t.co/EZHZYgUtLv
— Santa Monica (@GoSantaMonica) July 25, 2014

I just about screamed when I saw that the official Santa Monica Twitter account shared my birthday edition photo an hour post. I’m still screaming about it actually.

F A V O R I T E   V I D E O

F A V O R I T E   A R T I C L E

A post by Buzzfeed which perfectly summed up how it feels to leave your hometown. And just a few points about how it feels to come back every once in a while (ie Christmas cause your mom guilt trips you).

F A V O R I T E  B L O G   P O S T

Hima’s 100 Happy Days journey has me desperately wanting to join the challenge.

F A V O R I T E   I N S T A G R A M

My sad at tempt at being Pinterest famous got me a few extra likes on Instagram, which by the way you should follow me on >> @whenlifegivesyourubi

F A V O R I T E   B L O G   P O S T   B Y   Y O U R S   T R U L Y

Apartment hunting in the city led me to write a rant about how great of living arrangements twenty somethings seem to find in the city. But really though, Craigslist is evil and Jess from New Girl had to be stupid to move in with total strangers…no matter how hot they may be.

F A V O R I T E   S O N G

This song for the If I Stay trailer has been playing with my emotions lately…

F A V O R I T E   A P P

This is one of those super simple yet really addicting games that secretly makes you exercise your brain. Download it, it’s free and you will feel like a champion when you complete all the levels. 

Make sure to leave me some of your monthly favorites below. I just joined the iPhone family and am in desperate need of some app recommendations!

Goal posts are not something I do for the simple fact that I don’t need proof that I didn’t accomplish I had once said I would. It’s like being called out by a girl who you don’t even know, except that girl is a bunch of strangers on the internet you on top of not knowing, have the ability to do so anonymously. So that’s why goal posts aren’t common around here. That and to do lists are much more my style. September was an ambitious month for me, with my recent move to the city and unemployment driving me to begin talking to the walls. I decided to be proactive and make a list of goals for the month and…well, let’s just see how it went.

B L O G   G O A L S

>> {Post on a more consistent basis, preferably three times per week.} Utter fail. But I have my reasons!
>> {Write posts as the idea pops into my head, not when I’m in a rush to hit publish.} This actually happened. It was the hitting publish part that got in the way.>> {Take photographs of ordinary objects to avoid having to use a photograph found somewhere on the internet. Last thing I need is a lawsuit over some crappy stock photo.} Done and done. Yes people looked at me like I was crazy but whatever, it’s for the blog.>> {Actually promote my posts, instead of hoping my readers will stumble upon them.} I think we all know what happened here.

P R O F E S S I O N A L   G O A L S

>> {For every 3 days I don’t receive a call for an interview, apply to another job.} I applied to so many jobs I had to make a spreadsheet.>> {Have my resume and cover letter looked over by my admissions counselor.}Didn’t happen, but for a good reason!

>> {Keep up to date with job listings in the city to avoid missing any opportunities.} I finally stopped hitting refresh because I got hired!! I am working with a nonprofit organization in Washington DC, plus, I finally have somewhere to wear all my nice clothes to. 

A C A D E M I C   G O A L S

>> {Befriend at least one person in my courses, both for the simple fact that I need a friend in this city and to ask for help when needed.} People know my name, and while we’re not weekend friends, I can count on them saving me a seat.
>> {Do everything I can to avoid paying 800 dollars on textbooks this semester. And I mean everything!} Does deciding I’m not buying textbooks this semester taking this to an extreme?
>> {Avoid procrastinating on assignments, because graduate school costs way too much money to get anything below an A.} I think I’ve done a good job at this so far, my reading are a whole other story though.

P E R S O N A L   G O A L S

>> {Visit at least one museum.}Haven’t quite had the time.>> {Incorporate one new healthy habit.} Does walking everywhere count?>> {Try out a new restaurant.} Rita’s Italian Ice is my new obsession, and it’s so cheap!

>> {Read that book I bought months ago.} Didn’t happen, plus I’ve added more books to the read list.  

Most people think of college graduation, getting married and having children as adult milestones. While those totally count, I think the process of renting your own apartment is definitely downplayed in the world of being a successful grownup. Think about it, we make fun of people who live at home past the acceptable age but never praise those who manage to make it on their own, one rent payment at a time.

Even though I haven’t lived at home for five years, renting my own personal apartment, sans roommates, was a pretty big deal in my book. All bills come in my name, all damage is mine to deal with and all the space is mine. Now how are you gonna tell me I shouldn’t at least get a pat on the back for figuring this all out?

Finding an apartment can be difficult though, especially in a city as crowded and overpriced as Washington DC. If you’ve come to the point where you’ve found a place your’e comfortable settling down in, make sure you don’t sign a lease till you cover all your bases. Cause there’s nothing worse than being trapped in an apartment you hate.

Related Post: The Ultimate Guide to Finding an Apartment in the City

It’s easy to fall in love with an apartment and be pressured into signing a lease that same day, but don’t do it! When I was apartment hunting last summer I had so many leasing agents telling me how many people they had interested in the same apartment. In reality they just wanted to make me feel like I could lose that spot at any time. Trust me, if there’s a ton of people interested then they won’t bother trying to convince you to sign. Take the time to inspect, look at other options, read the lease agreement thoroughly and negotiate your terms. Even though we’re all so accustomed to accepting terms of service without so much as looking at the words, don’t do this when signing a lease. Dedicate some time to sit down and read every word on the lease. It’s important to pay attention to things such as pet policies, early lease termination guidelines, who is responsible for apartment maintenance and what is included in the rent.

Related Post: 8 Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Apartment Feel Like Home

Get everything in writing. Did your landlord agree to let you paint? Or did you discuss lowering a certain aspect of the bills? If so, get anything you discussed and agreed on in writing, and add those documents to your lease before you sign. At my last apartment I had permission from my landlord to have a cat in the house, but midyear our landlord changed to a completely new person. Thankfully I had documents that proved I was allowed to have a cat in the house free of any monthly pet charges. Apartment reviews were this thing that I had no idea even existed until I needed them, and I’m thankful every day that I found them. I almost made the mistake of signing a lease to an apartment complex that had reviews which all said “DO NOT LIVE HERE! STAY AWAY!!” Literally. Google the name of your apartment with the word review and see what pops up, you might be surprised. I have so much love for my apartment, but one thing that I forgot to do what visit the complex at night. If I had I would have noticed the group of men that like to stand at the end of the street and just kind of hang out and take up space, or the woman who is always yelling about owning her own body and how so and so owns her money. No hate to my neighborhood but it’s definitely nothing my landlord mentioned.

Related Post: 10 Lessons You Learn Living Alone in Your Twenties

While there shouldn’t be any damage to any apartment when you move in, in case their is make sure to document any problems you see prior to signing a lease. If your lease doesn’t cover repairs make sure to check ordinary things like garbage disposals and how well the tub drains so that you’re not stuck with a bill to a problem you didn’t cause.
Do you have any renting horror stories? Share your life lesson in the comments below!

I’ve never written a monthly goals post for many reasons. Mainly because I am convinced no one is interested in my desire to get my life in order, but also because I don’t really make monthly goals. I’m much more of a daily to do list kind of gal. With life throwing something new at me every other day though, and my blog stats steadily declining because of it, I’ve decided to try throwing my hopes and dreams for the month of September out into the universe in hope of becoming more accountable for what I hope to accomplish. B L O G   G O A L S >> Post on a more consistent basis, preferably three times per week.
>> Write posts as the idea pops into my head, not when I’m in a rush to hit publish. >> Take photographs of ordinary objects to avoid having to use a photograph found somewhere on the internet. Last thing I need is a lawsuit over some crappy stock photo. >> Actually promote my posts, instead of hoping my readers will stumble upon them.

P R O F E S S I O N A L   G O A L S

>> For every 3 days I don’t receive a call for an interview, apply to another job. >> Have my resume and cover letter looked over by my admissions counselor.

>> Keep up to date with job listings in the city to avoid missing any opportunities. 

A C A D E M I C   G O A L S

>> Befriend at least one person in my courses, both for the simple fact that I need a friend in this city and to ask for help when needed.
>> Do everything I can to avoid paying 800 dollars on textbooks this semester. And I mean everything!
>> Avoid procrastinating on assignments, because graduate school costs way too much money to get anything below an A.

P E R S O N A L   G O A L S

>> Visit at least one museum. >> Incorporate one new healthy habit. >> Try out a new restaurant.

>> Read that book I bought months ago.

I’d love to hear anything you’d like to accomplish before September ends in the comments below!

Sometimes I like to think I’m a special case, that for some reason I’m alone in feeling how I do much of the time. Then I snap out of it and realize there’s no way that’s possible, because aren’t we all a bunch of millennials trying to figure out or next step and who’s going to be beside us when we take it? If you’ve been here for a while you know my story, I was born and raised in California, attended college in my home state, and through pure hard work managed to relocate to Washington DC with nothing more than a month’s worth of rent and two suitcases. Relocating wasn’t easy, actually, it was pretty fucking hard. I spent most of those early months trying to keep myself busy, crying in my empty bedroom, and wondering if I had made a big mistake. Thankfully over time things got easier, I made some friends, met a boy, and found a few jobs that helped at least take away the financial stress. I’d be lying if I said it was easy now, actually, I’d be lying if I didn’t sometimes still find myself crying over my decision to move to DC. Do I regret it? Not for a moment. But I did learn one thing on this journey, Facebook is not an actual representation of life, mine or anyone elses.

Related Post: 5 Simple Ways Distance Has Strengthened My Friendships

Moving across the country was a big adjustment for me, more so than any other move I had made prior because I knew this decision was permanent. The first few months of adjusting to my new routine were tough, which is why I spent a lot of time reaching out to friends to help pass the time. As the months passed I began to notice a trend, I was only calling the same four people when I was having a moment. My call history showed the people I could rely on, those that actively worked to keep in touch with me, as well as the ones I only spoke to on holidays and anniversaries.

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

No matter who you are, chances are you choose to post only the best moments on your social media. Graduations, birthdays and concerts are all things we want to share with others, but what about the small everyday moments that affect us much longer than any celebration? Chances are, after graduation some of those big moments will start to happen less and less often. I found myself with few things to celebrate, unless people wanted a monthly reminder that I had managed to make rent this month. Only posting the highlights of my life made me feel as if my online life looked fake, especially with all that was going on behind the scenes. Sure i could have posted the real moments, the type where I was stressed about money or had no one to attend a gallery opening with, but 95% of my online friends wouldn’t understand since all I ever shared was how happy I was. So I made the decision to post less, because back then, I was still hanging on to the idea that all of my Facebook friends were created equal. It’s no secret that your twenties can start to feel like a competition the closer you get to 25, especially with all the wedding announcements and extra degrees everyone starts announcing. While I don’t recommend you unfriend everyone who has something positive to announce, if you find yourself growing resentful of that person I do suggest you just hide their posts from your feed for a little while. There’s no shame in needing to focus on yourself, and I know that can be hard to do when you’re caught up looking at wedding registries and vacation photos. My first year in DC was the toughest, especially when it came to watching my best friends continue to all get together without me. As much as I missed them and appreciated their support, the jealous side of me wished I could be with them in person. For a few months I hid their posts from my feed, just until I could get my life together enough to not feel sad about all the trips and nights in I was missing out on.

Related Post: 11 Things to Do In Between Your College Classes

The reality of moving far from home means many of your friendships will slowly disappear, through no fault of anyone involved. Staying in touch can be hard, but factoring in time zones, work schedule and new friends makes keeping in touch incredibly difficult. To avoid losing those you are especially close to, prioritizing those friendships is your best option to make sure you don’t fall out of contact. Ways of doing this include making sure their posts show at the top of your news feed, creating a group chat and having a scheduled appointment where you both actually speak whether over the phone or through Facetime. By doing a handful of these things I’ve managed to keep in contact with a handful of people back home, even though I haven’t seen any of them in over two years. Staying close is possible, it just requires work on both parts and a little creativity.

So tell me, how many Facebook friends would you estimate you have? Do you actively interact with everyone, or pick and choose who to keep up with instead?

I am a die hard Halloween lover, to the point that currently there are two pumpkins a few feet away from my Christmas tree. Also, I’m lazy. While November is a time to mourn over the fact we have to wait a whole year to dress up again, by the time December arrives I’m pumped for all the things the last month brings along with it. And I’m not even talking about Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Especially not New Year’s Eve, because if Valentines Day is meant to make you feel bad about being single New Year’s Eve is meant make you feel bad about not celebrating on top of a skyscraper while kissing the love of your life in a sparkly dress. Never mind it’s winter and you’re on top of a building, people in the movies never look like they’re cold and miserable.

Some pretty awesome events happen in December though, whether you’re still in school or have landed a job good enough that your family expects you to start buying them presents as well. Damn. I’ve narrowed the list down to the top 12, because 13 is unlucky and and 11 is just a weird number to stop at.

Growing up in California, I never learned to appreciate a breezy day in the winter. Mostly because I grew up by the beach and every day was breezy. Moving to Washington DC has made me appreciate the little things like sunny days during winter, low humidity that won’t ruin my hair and wearing a scarf for more than just fashion purposes.
I know everyone likes to say sweater weather starts in September/October but no, you’re wrong. At least if you live in Washington DC. It’s still hot as hell during the fall, so all the sweaters I had forgotten all about get to come out and play in December. Plus, I can get away with not wearing a bra to the office, and life doesn’t get better than that. Everyone starts December off by saying, “oh my god, I feel like it was just January.” Early December is all about feeling like you might still be able to accomplish some of your resolutions while being optimistic about next year. Hold onto that feeling, because it will fade. Does anyone else find all their favorite chapsticks and trinkets in the pockets of their winter coats? Just me? Okay. So far I’ve found my old favorite lip balm, all my ribbon hair ties, a wallet and some old mementos from last winter. Still hoping I find a stack of twenty dollar bills in one of my coats though. The limit to the number of times I can watch The Grinch during the month of December does not exist. While I usually can’t stomach a Christmas movie marathon, as soon as the calendar hits December 1st I’m all about curling up with my cat and reciting every word of Elf. I know shipping is usually only 7-12 dollars but nothing beats not having to spend that money on something as lame as shipping! Is it weird that this made it so high on the list? I just really love saving money you guys. Does anyone else get so much joy from picking up boxes and shaking them? Since I was a little girl I’ve been obsessed with trying to figure out what my presents were before I opened them. I know I’m terrible, but I just cant stand staring at the boxes not knowing what’s inside them.

Related Post: The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Every Type of Guy

Last year the company I worked for decided to invite everyone to the holiday office party, well, everyone except for me. Why? I have no freaking clue. Thankfully I ditched that place four months ago and am ten times happier working at a law firm downtown. Not only was I invited to this year’s office party, I received an email this Monday telling me to expect my holiday bonus on my next paycheck. I literally clapped at my desk. If you’re like me and don’t go home often, you know the awesome feeling of visiting and having the red carpet treatment. Whether your mom misses you or just forgot what a pain you can be, being cooked all your favorite meals and told to pick “whatever you like” is pretty freaking awesome. Sometimes going home once a year has its perks.

Related Post: 11 Perfect Gift Ideas for Your Boyfriend’s Parents (or your own!)

On top of free shipping, all the things go on sale. This year I opted to do all my Christmas shopping online because not only did I get to avoid the long lines and angry mobs of people, I stacked my savings on top of more saving by using promo codes and Ebates. Yeah, I’m pretty proud of myself. You know what’s harder than trying to get through finals week? Trying to get through finals week while working full time. Holy hell am I happy to have finally turned in all my final papers. December doesn’t really feel like December till you can stop stressing about needing to meet your page minimum and catching up on all your reading.

Related Post: The 10 Most Effective Ways to Help You Study Last Minute

I’ve been looking at Christmas decor since October, yeah, Target had the nerve to pull it out before Halloween had even passed. With almost two months on the shelf, places are finally marking down their gorgeous home goods and all those candy filled candy canes. Nothing says the holidays like buying something 70% off.

What’s makes your top 12 December moments? Also, am I the only one that has 100% forgot what my 2015 resolutions were? Oops. 

Beginning November 1st I start the process of mourning the passing of my favorite time of the year, consoling myself with the only thing I have, candy I bought at 70% off retail price. Halloween time has always been my favorite season, with the fun not being limited to one day in my life. As a young child I would start thinking about what I was going to dress up as and what neighborhoods I was going to trick or treat in. When I aged into my teenage years I spent even more time thinking about my costume and trying to figure out a way I could still trick or treat in my favorite neighborhoods without being judged. Now 23, Halloween hasn’t become about how sexy of a costume I can pull off or how many parties I can get invited to, it’s much more about celebrating the season the way I used to when I was a child. With most people my age RSVP’ing to events and shopping for the most trendy costumes, I’m at home carving pumpkins with my boyfriend and visiting local haunted corn mazes. Halloween now and forever will be not only my favorite holiday, but my favorite time of the year. With every month having a some sort of event, October really takes the crown for being fun for the whole family, or the single millions of us who just want an excuse to eat lots of candy and watch teenagers make bad decisions.

The chance to be someone else for a night…

or in my case, the entire day/weekend/week, depending how hard I begged my mom to “please let me put on my costume already!” For kids this means they can be a superhero for the evening or their favorite animal, as an adult we get to dress up as the characters we idolize. In my case I am dying to be Michonne from the Walking Dead, as soon as my boyfriend agrees to dress up as the governor with me.

Looking forward to be scared.

What is it about the calendar hitting October 1st that we are all so willing to pay money to have monsters jump out at us? Ask me on March 1st and I have no interest in watching an all day marathon of horror movies, but October 1st? I’ll bring the popcorn. Fear is an interesting thing, we avoid it in our everyday life but when we control when it can happen, it’s just to jump in our skin and for those few minutes/hours let others in costume remind us that we’re alive.

Everyday life rules don’t apply.

This mainly applies to celebrating Halloween as a child but how incredible was it to run from house to house and ask for candy from strangers?! As a pretty shy and cautious child, I had trouble saying hello to friends of my mom, but on Halloween I literally ran from door to door. To add to the fun, trick or treating had to happen once the sun went down, which meant I got to stay up past my 9 am bedtime. And the next morning? A pumpkin full of candy for breakfast! #childhoodvictories

Television the month of October is amazing.

Somewhere in my teenage years I realized that AMC plays horror/thriller movies nonstop the month of October. For a TV addict, Halloween loving, no plans on a Friday night kid like me, this was a gift from the TV gods! Just this past weekend I saw four movies in one day, four! Yes my dreams were a bit stressful that night but I’d do it all again tomorrow.

Halloween is a pressure free holiday.

This is probably one of the reasons why I will continue to love the day until I’m too old and tired to do much more than throw on some cat ears and toss chocolate bars at the neighborhood kids. Unlike Christmas which demands buying the perfect gift or Valentine’s Day for which you need a date, Halloween asks for nothing more than you celebrating it in the way that makes you comfortable. Don’t like costumes? That’s cool, just wear all black. Hate scary movies? Just pass out candy to neighborhood kids. Don’t like fun? Don’t worry, Thanksgiving is almost here.

How do you celebrate Halloween each year? Has it changed over the years or are you still continuing traditions you started as a child? Also, if you’re dressing up, I’d love to hear as what!

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For the twenty three years I’ve been on this earth I’ve dated for ten. That’s a decade of first kisses, running to pick up my landline before my mom had the chance and falling out of love with boys who I once would have split a pizza with. I started dating when I was thirteen years old, and now ten years later, I’m not sure if I’m any better at it. Every relationship did teach me a little about the game of love, and even more about what I’m looking for in a person. My last relationship was the most eye opening though, which is funny since near the end of it I couldn’t stand to look at him. But I digress. My nights in the city have changed drastically over the past few months, from nights at the same bars with the same “friends” to a new group of people each week, new venues to dance in and memories to capture. All so that the boys of my past can search my name and see just how much I’ve changed my life for the better since our time together. A few nights ago I was chatting with a boy while simultaneously watching an episode of Frasier, my ultimate guilty pleasure. What I thought was a text alert from the boy was actually a Facebook notification, which was odd since it was close to midnight on my side of the world. And true to my initial instinct it was from a boy, but not the one I had been exchanging witty banter with for the past two hours. It was from my most recent ex.

Related Post: 100 Things to Do Instead of Calling Your Ex Boyfriend

Most likely in his late night drunkenness he had decided to do what every regretful ex does, Facebook stalk me. Except this boy is different from the rest, he craves attention. His not so subtle liking of old posts of mine is nothing new, but up until this point he’s kept his antics on Instagram. I suppose his girlfriend being out of town gave him the opportunity to check up on me, and somewhere in the process he thought it would be a good idea to like a two year old photo. Idiot.

This late night interruption led me to start thinking about the boys I would never reconsider dating again, with this particular lad at the top of my list. Next thing I knew I had an entire list, but for everyone’s sake I narrowed it down to five. Cause all are exes can’t be bad, right? I’m still doing the research on this.

Related Post: How to Deal with Exes on Social Media

Being a recent college graduate, I understand the struggle to find your first job after graduation. What I don’t understand is looking down on jobs when you are in the position of not having one. After spending way too much time trying to support a man in trying to kick start his career, I made the decision to only date those who have life together enough to have somewhere to be in the morning and not have their rent paid by their parents. Going out in your twenties is borderline expected of you, but going on a Tuesday night? Not so much. While happy hours and trivia nights are totally acceptable, shots on the regular during the week are not. If I ever find myself dating a man who can’t not go out on a Friday night, I will definitely find my own way to the nearest exit. Texts and calls on a regular basis are cute and show that you’re on their mind, knocks on your door at 3am are scary and not to be tolerated. After dating a guy who would literally freak out when I would tell him I had to go to bed, I knew what it meant to be in a possessive relationship. Luckily I quickly put 3,000 miles between us, but I pray whoever he ends up with is strong enough to not put up with his clingy bullshit. Ever dated a guy who had been single for so long cause he couldn’t find the right one? You’re not special honey, he just wanted to taste all the fish in the sea. (That came out a lot dirtier than I wanted it too.) When you finally do define the relationship with this type you’ll spend the rest of your time worrying if he’s planning his big escape. Save yourself the energy and date someone who isn’t always wondering what else is out there. Is there anything harder than sitting across from your boyfriend and wondering what he’s looking at on his phone? Dating a man who still thinks about the time he spent with his ex isn’t only unhealthy for the relationship, it’s unhealthy for your mental state. Number one rule to dating a guy is to make sure they aren’t still holding on to what used to be. Unless you are like me and enjoy chuckling at your ex’s ex accidentally liking your Instagram photos. Yeah, you read that right.

What did you last relationship teach you about what you want in a significant other? Spill the details in the comments below!

With two years out of college, I’m starting to forget the stress that comes with having four exams all in one week. Thankfully Facebook time hop likes to remind me of all the whiny posts I use to write back before I knew how much trickier adulthood would turn out to be. If you’re struggling to balance all your exams, or just have one that you’re convinced you can’t pass, take some time to set yourself up for success. Winter finals were always my least favorite, with the possibility of a bad grade hanging over my head until grades were finally released.

Since you’re probably low on time and looking for a simple way to ensure you don’t forget to review chapter, below are five tips to help you get an A on every single exam you take this winter semester. If you have a little more time to review or need help with studying in the last few days, read my post on the 10 most effective ways to help you study last minute.

To spare yourself those late night study sessions, use the time between your classes to study for your exams. A few thirty to sixty minute intervals throughout the week can add up to an entire night of studying, so take advantage of this time while you’re on campus anyways.

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The hardest part of studying for me was never knowing what it was gonna be over, which is why scheduling breaks was crucial for me. Setting a timer to notify you when to stop and step away from your notes will help you feel less tempted to just quit because you’re bored. I recommend a timer on your computer, to lessen the need to grab your phone to check the remaining time. Working with classmates not only gives you a network of people to ask for help, but also another set of notes and study guides to look at. Find a few people you know in class or send out an email letting people know you’re looking to form a study group, you’d be surprised how many people are interested in working together around finals week.

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Nothing is more motivating that treating yourself to something at the end of it all, which is why gifting yourself something is a great way to keep your motivation up throughout finals. Choose an A grade and B grade gift, and stick to this! Once grades are released, you can both celebrate and purchase whatever you promised yourself. Not everyone might agree with this, but not all finals are of equal importance. Figure out what classes you are doing well in and which are relying on a good final exam score to boost your overall grade. My advice is to spend more time studying for exams that are in class or cumulative, or worse, both.

If you need more help on finals or college overall, click here for all college related articles. Good luck on finals, and remember, GPAs do not define your college experience!