5 Tips & Tricks For College

I am by no means a professional at this whole college thing. However, I do know a thing or two because I have spent the past year of my life living on a college campus. Throughout this year, I have mentally made a list of things I feel are important to share with those who are about to start their university years or to those who are continuing them!

5. Your major is not final

I know dozens of students who have changed their majors throughout the course of this school year. And that is totally okay. I promise. You do not have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, it doesn't matter if you are 18 and just starting college or if you're 37 and returning to college. And, your major doesn't really matter for a couple more years anyway.

4. Stock up on food and hygiene products when they go on sale

This is useful for anyone whether you're in college or not! Don't feel ashamed walking around with four bottles of body wash because they are 10/$10 or six sticks of deodorant because they are $0.99. You WILL you use them and they don't expire. Be a smart shopper when buying goods for your dorm or apartment!

3. When eating a mac & cheese cup, do not fill water to the designated line

While we are on the topic of food, I felt this was important to share. Seriously, don't do it or you will have watery mac & cheese.. and that's gross. Go slightly below the line and only cook it for 3 minutes or the noodles will be WAAAYY too soggy!! (Ps, Kroger often has them for 10/$10, stock up on those too. They are a perfect late night snack!) 

2. Join clubs or organizations

I know this sounds silly, but this is so important. You will have time for one or two clubs, even if you're a student athlete. It helps you stay busy and builds your resume! If nothing on campus interests you, which is highly unlikely, get a part time job! This too will help your resume and time management skills! But, don't bite off more you can chew! I joined 2-3 clubs and started working 2 part time jobs and let me tell ya, it was not a fun time. 

1. BE YOURSELF

This is so so so important!! Make friends, have fun, and do things for the first time, but be yourself! Don't try to impress college boys or girls by partying or dressing up for classes everyday. (If you are one to party or dress up everyday, that's fine too, but don't feel obligated to do so!) Stand up for what you believe in, continue (or start) to go to church, sing in the shower, and make a fool out of yourself.

Like I said before, I am not a professional and I know that I am missing a few points, but these are the top 5 that I thought of. Make the most out of the next 4-6 years. Work hard, have fun, be responsible, and make younger you proud. 

College is what you make of it!

As always, thanks so much for reading and God Bless,

Kara Nelson

New Year Resolutions

Hey y'all!

I'm back and better than ever! Lately I've really been thinking about ways I can better myself. And, since 2017 is coming up, I figured I would make a quick blog about my personal goals for the next year! It's never too early (or too late) to begin to better yourself!

1. To ACTUALLY physically better myself. I mean it this time. I'm so tired of feeling "bleh" and not being happy with my body image. Today is when I start eating healthier and exercising more! Don't get me wrong, McDonald's is still my favorite, but I just need to chill out on how often I'm expressing my love for McDon's. In this goal I am going to challenge myself to work out 5 times a week and I'm going to stop eating out, drinking pop, and snacking all the time. 

2. To grow closer to God. I set this goal on a daily basis, but I want to reach a relationship with the Lord that I can't even comprehend. I want to be so absorbed by His love that I constantly radiate Him. I want to be able to quote verses from the top of my head. I want to be the Christian friend and Christian role model in someones life. I want to preach without sounding like a hypocrite. I want to read my devotional bible religiously and not just when I'm feeling down.

3. To be genuinely happy. Not just happy when my hair cooperates, or when someone tells me I'm pretty, or when I do well on a test. I want to be so happy that my RBF goes away because all I do is smile and laugh. I don't want to worry about my anxiety holding me back any longer. It's time that my happiness shines through instead of my anxiety.

4. To listen to God's callings for me. For instance, this winter I felt called to prepare and distribute blessing bags for the homeless here in Indianapolis. I want to do things like this much more often. I want to go where He leads me and not worry about how I can make this possible or how I have time.. I want to go and paint the elderly ladies fingernails, and make Blessing Bags, and buy Christmas gifts for those who can't afford them. I want to better our communities and make others happy.

I know that these are cliche, but it is what it is. Thank you so much for reading my blog(s), I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. If you're planning on making a New Year Resolution list, you can do it! Your goals ARE reachable and you ARE going to accomplish them! You can do anything you set your mind to!

As always, God Bless and Merry Christmas.

Blessing Bags

Hi guys! I know it has been awhile since you last heard from me, and that's because my laptop broke! But, no worries, it should be ready to go in a couple days! Anyway, I am excited to share with y'all an idea/mission that God has laid on my heart. For the past couple days, God has consistently been keeping my mind on a way to give back to Indianapolis. I have been praying about it and talking to some people and I have come to the conclusion that I will be creating and distributing "Blessing Bags." A Blessing Bag is more or less a care package for the homeless. I have also been concerned with how many individuals do not own jackets, gloves, hats, etc. This is also a priority of mine. Not only will I be passing out Blessing Bags, but I plan to give those in need items to keep them warm this winter. Now, what does this mean?? This means that I need your help! I do have the funds to make this mission possible, but I would greatly appreciate it if I had some assistance! This is a huge task and I hope to have everything done and passed out by my Christmas break! Below is a list of items I plan to include in my Blessing Bags and items I plan to give away for warmth! Please dig deep in your closets! I need men's, women's, and children sizes! I appreciate anything! If you don't have any extra coats, gloves, or hats feel free to donate a monetary gift. Even something the size of $5 would help me out so much!! (I can send you a picture of the receipt to prove that's what I spent it on!) I am not one to ask for money, but this is a huge task and will help my city immensely. If you can't help out with clothes, food, or financially, all I ask is that you please please please just pray for me and my mission.

Clothing Items:       

Socks

Gloves

Hats

Scarfs

Jackets/Coats

Ear Muffs

Food/Non-Perishables:

Fruit cups

Canned goods (with pull tabs)

Fruit Snacks

Granola Bars

Pudding cups

Bottled water

Baby wipes

Feminine products

Travel sized products

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19In others words, God will always provide!! I'm not concerned how I will be able to afford this or make this mission possible, because I know I have God on my side.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to direct message me, text me, or comment! Feel free to share this to get the word out. I will be in the Rochester area for Thanksgiving and I can make a trip later if needed. I know this is short notice, but I really appreciate the support and prayers.

Thank you so much!

God Bless

Strangers & Blessings

For those of you who are not aware, I work in the Alumni House at the University of Indianapolis. I call Alumni to update their information, to update them on events on campus, and to ask for a gift to the University. Tonight something happened that will forever hold a place in my heart, and I have to share it with others.

Yesterday, October 23, I called an Alumni, and his wife answered. She asked me to call back another day because her husband was busy at the moment. I made a note of it and called him back tonight, October 24. This time when I called, the wife answered and told me that her husband had JUST walked out the door and would be back in an hour or so. So, I made a note to call him back after 7 pm. I ended up calling him back around 8 pm, because time got away from me. Anyway, this time when I called, he was home and ready to talk! I updated his information, we talked about the University, and after I confirmed his gift he asked me if he could ask me a question. Of course I said yes. It's my job to answer any questions Alumni may have about me, the university, etc. He asked me if I had one prayer request, what would it be? As I took a moment to think about how I should respond, I realized how many prayer requests I actually have. But, I had to narrow it to just one. I responded by telling him that I would appreciate him praying for my education and my career goals. That what I am studying is where I need to be so I can reach and touch the lives of hundreds of children. The Alumni then asked me if he could PRAY for me right then and there. I nearly broke into tears. I have never had someone ask to pray over me. Especially a stranger who I was just begging money from. He told me that my job is difficult and many people don't want to talk to me, let alone donate, but I am persistent and very friendly. He wished me well and we ended the call.

I am so so so thankful to have this opportunity. I know that God has a plan for me and I feel as though I am following it pretty well. He brings people into your life for a reason, and I KNOW that I was meant to call this man tonight. I know that he will continue to pray for me and my education/career path. God is so good. I can't express in words how thankful I am to have this job and opportunity to further my education. I can't wait to see how God works in my life throughout this school year and the rest of my life. 

Strangers are such a blessing.

World Mental Health Day

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Mental health is something I take VERY seriously. There is so much information to cover, so lets get started. 

All day I have been trying to find the right words to share in this blog. I want this to be meaningful, serious, and something people can go back to months down the road. With that being said, I want to share a few statistics with you- roughly 20% of children in the worlds population suffers from some sort of a mental illness and nearly 450 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Isn't that CRAZY? With so many people suffering from such a common illness, why isn't this talked about more? Why is there such a stigma surrounding mental health? There is nothing wrong with having a mental illness nor is there anything wrong for seeking help for it!

My whole life I have had signs of an anxiety disorder, but it wasn't until my senior year of high school that it got to the point I NEEDED professional help. I was terrified to go to work, drive, go to swim practice, to live a normal life. It started to consume me. Daily, I would find myself trying to catch my breath, steady my heart beat, and determine the cause of this panic feeling. I remember sitting in my school counselors office crying for hours because I couldn't take it anymore. I was tired of not being taken seriously. I was tired of not being the same person I once was. I was tired of not being able to live a normal life. She called my dad, my swim coach, the nurse, and that day I scheduled a doctors appointment for the following week. I talked to my doctor about my symptoms and he knew exactly what was causing them- an anxiety disorder. After a month on the medication things were starting to get better, but every once in awhile I would feel a sense of panic for no apparent reason. I went back for my follow up appointment, and my doctor changed the dosage of my medication and prescribed me with another but only for when I feel anxious. In the past year I have taken that "as needed" medication once. I have been able to transition to college without constant anxiety. I have been able to meet new people and not panic every second of it. I been able to be ME again! Medication is not the answer, but it sure does help temporarily. I am finally to the point where I feel counseling would be beneficial and slowly going off the medication until I no longer need it. 

I am not sharing my story to get attention, I promise. This is the first time that I have publicly come out and said that this is something I have to deal with, and it's okay because it makes me who I am. I am so thankful for Mrs. Seuferer, my family, my boyfriend, and my friends, especially Clay, Brittany, & Yadira, who have loved me through all of this. Never once did they doubt that my illness was fake nor did they let someone else think so.

I want you to know that seeking help is not a bad thing. If it takes crying in your counselors office for hours to get you help, then so be it. If it takes making your own appointment or paying with money from your savings account to get help, then so be it. You would go to the doctor if you were throwing up for months- then why wouldn't you go if you were feeling suicidal, anxious, or "not normal" for months? 

I also want to mention that anxiety and depression are not the only two mental illnesses. There are hundreds of diagnosable (potentially my own word?) and TREATABLE  mental illnesses out there. An illness that I potentially self diagnosed myself with is hypochondria. Ask anyone I am friends with or even my family, and they will tell you that I have seven different cancers and three incurable diseases. I literally don't go a day without searching *something* on the internet and self diagnosing myself with it. It isn't funny, it is scary and it bring so much anxiety with it. Aside from the three illnesses I have mentioned, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, ADHD, and so many more are considered a "mental illness." 

Please please please help end the stigma with mental illnesses. Please take this AND your mental health seriously. Don't be afraid to seek help. Don't be afraid to take a day off and just have alone time. There is absolutely no need to live in fear, in constant stress, etc. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to get help. You deserve to do this for Y O U. 

If you or a loved one needs someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to me, a counselor, a friend, anyone. If you don't feel comfortable with that, that's okay. Here is a 24 hr hotline that you can call- /http://crisisclinic.org/find-help/crisis-line/ 

"Mental illness is not a personal failure. In fact, if there is a failure, it is to be found in the way we have responded to people with mental and brain disorders." - Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland

God Bless.

Sources-

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/mental_health_facts/en/

http://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/

F E M I N I S M

I already promised y'all that I would blog about topics such as feminism because that's one thing I am SUPER passionate about. So, lets get started! :)

Today while reading my History assignments, I came across a woman by the name of "Olympe de Gouges" a feminist of her time. In 1791, she wrote the Declaration of Rights of Women and Female Citizens which is more or less a rebuttal to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizens. She basically just added "women.." or "...and women" or even "no woman is an exception" to Jefferson's "rules." She firmly believed, just like feminists today, that women should have access to the same opportunities as men, and that is SO important coming from a woman from the 1700's. Gouges is not the first feminist on record, however. After some very quick research online, I found records of feminism that dates back to the 1300's! Now, I'm not about to sit here and blog about the history of feminism, but I just wanted to make it clear that women, and men, have been fighting for this for a LONG long time.. it's 2016 and women still don't have the same rights or respect that men do.

It blows my mind how many women ARE NOT feminists because "it will make them look bad." Like being a woman doesn't already make you look bad in the eyes of a man... Feminism is so much more than people tend to believe. As a woman, it kills me to think that my future daughters won't have the same opportunities as my future sons just because they have a vagina.. ISN'T THAT RIDICULOUS?? Do people really think that just because they have certain genitalia they're better than others? Why hasn't this been solved.. its 2016...it's past time to do something.

Feminism is the equality of the sexes. Plain and simple. It isn't hating men or belittling men. It is believing that we are equal, despite our differences. I shouldn't have to out sprint a man, or make more money than a man, or whatever to prove that I too have worth. Men shouldn't bow down to me because I am a woman, but I expect to be treated with respect, and nothing less. There are so many reasons why you should be a feminist-

• because organs shouldn't determine success
• because rape isn't taken seriously
• because "like a girl" is used as an insult
• because men should be comfortable showing emotion
• because beauty standards for BOTH genders are ridiculous
• because sexual consent is not taken seriously

I don't need to lecture as to why we need feminism. You already know why. So, why aren't you a feminist? I want a legitimate reason as to why feminism "isn't for you."

To think that women were/are forced to "stay in the kitchen" and had/has to be a housewife is sickening. To think that women weren't/aren't allowed to vote or speak up for themselves is insane. I am so thankful for the men and women who have fought for YEARS to reach equality. We are not done yet.. there is still SO much more fighting left to do. 

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes.. "Feminism isn't about making women strong. Women are already strong. It's about changing the way the world perceives that strength." G.D. Anderson

God Bless,

Kara Nelson

Self Introduction

Hi, guys.

Over the past year, I have been contemplating whether I should start a blog or not. Sometimes it sounds like a great way to get my feelings out and a way to share my views with others without having to post it on Facebook.. On the other hand, it sometimes sounds like a dumb idea, like do my opinions really matter? Will people really take the time to read what I have to say? But you know what? It doesn't matter, because I am doing this for me!

I am so excited to start sharing my views, opinions, stories, etc with my friends and potentially with complete strangers. If there is one thing I think I am "talented" at, I would say writing papers. Since I am an El Ed major, I don't get to do that very frequently anymore, so I figured this is a great way to "stay in the game." 

I have not yet decided what I want my blog to be based around, but I guess I will figure it out as I go. I enjoy religion, politics, current events, education, conspiracy theories, and giving relationship advice. I am very passionate about religion, politics, education, and abortion, so I'm sure those will become common blog topics. I feel as though I can relate to many different people, so hopefully I will be able to be meet and share stories with new individuals. 

I supposed I should introduce myself, for those of you who do not know me, my name is Kara Nelson and I am a Freshman at the University of Indianapolis. I am studying Elementary Education and I plan to get my Master's in Education Administration. I have an incredible boyfriend, Kyler. I love to watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix, research conspiracy theories, and hang out with my college buds.

Thank you for stopping by and believing in me. I hope you have a wonderful day and God Bless.

Kara :)