For the last two weeks I have been on 7 planes in total. I have been in three different states with my sleeping scheduling being messed up. As I stated before, I got into CSULB for my Master’s. I was apart of 200 applicants that were accepted from the 1,200 applicants. I feel special to have this wonderful opportunity. My life has been extremely bumping but everything has lead up to this moment. In two years I will have a Master’s, Bachelors’, and an Associates Degree. I am the first in my family to receive a degree and the first to have gone to college. To those who say minorities shouldn’t/can’t progress in this nation, check me out. I am American, I am Mexican, and I am a woman: watch me head to the top!

Spending some time in tonight to work on some homework. I’d rather do some homework today and have my day free tomorrow. Very hungry and not looking forward to the school/work week. 

I don’t necessarily love writing essays but because the assignment has gotten me closer to understanding our exportation of mental illness, I do love this assignment. 

I’ve been reading Crazy Like Us which is a fascinating book that deserves to be recognized and seen as a beneficial book to purchase. The author discusses how our American notions of mental illness have been exported to other countries that don’t necessarily experience these illnesses the same way as we do. In some cases, these illnesses, that are present in our culture and present time, aren’t even illustrated in other parts of the world. For example, anorexia nervosa in the last twenty years has had an epidemic effect in China. 

I encourage anyone that enjoys learning about other cultures and their mental health, along with our own in this country, should buy the book. I’ll get back to that essay now.

Finals week is coming up and I am so not ready, eck! Any of my followers in college/high school and know what I’m going through? My recommendation is to drink tons of coffee and actually read your textbooks. 

School is starting Wednesday and figured I would post a few photos to pump up the excitement (or dread) of the quarter. For a while I though of trying to come up with a good caption for the picture above and decided on a description of the location. Here, at CSU East Bay, the campus sits upon a hill that elevated and is able to overlook the entire Bay. 

On a good, clear day students, faculty, and visitors are able to visit Warren Hall and catch a glimpse of San Francisco in the distance. Besides the view of the foggy city, you’re able to see the San Mateo Bridge. If you’re very lucky and on campus at night, the lights and sounds of Hayward plays with your senses, that is, if you’d like to cope with the cold! Besides a brief description I’d like to talk about a few pointers with those that are incoming freshmen. 

1. Please, please use the resources around you on campus and off — don’t think that you’re alone and have all this stress pilling on top of you. Go to the library, talk to classmates around you, make appointments to see an advisor, but most of all, talk to your professors!

2. Join a study group! For the first year I was a bit shy and my grades showed it. Now that I understand the ropes of getting good grades, I find people who are likeminded and enjoy teaching/learning with someone else. A word of caution: don’t join a group of six or more. The bigger a group will lead to straying away from topic while wasting precious time that should be spent on studying.

3. Time management is essential to a passing grade, note I did not say good grade. When an assignment is posted do not hesitate to start right away.

4. If you like to party or do other things besides studying it can happen! Don’t think that getting good grades are not obtainable without any fun. Enjoy yourself! You’re young and college is a one time experience. Just keep your partying to a minimum and make sure you stay on task with readings.

5. Read the textbook! Read, read, read it! It’s vital for a passing grade on an exam and some professors love sneaking in a few questions that are only in the text. 

6. Figure out if the textbook is essential for the class. I’ve personally have had a few professors that don’t use the text and/or prefer to ask questions from in class lectures. How to find out if you need the text? Go up to them and ask, if they don’t seem rude, or you can find out by the first exam where the core information comes from.

7. If you don’t study on time and do time management here is a tip: make sure you read the text, look over notes side-by-side, and then rewrite the information that is vital on a piece of paper. Translating the information into your own words will help store the points and may become easier to extract from your memory during the exam. 

Hope these tips help!

Just registered for my Vote By Mail Ballot! Excited that I’ll still be able to vote for our new president while being away from home. 

FYI: School starts on Wednesday and really happy so far with my new dorm room. Loving the natural light that is flowing through the space. My parents and I drove up yesterday from socal and it took almost six hours. I was cramped into this tiny little corner of the car the entire way, but I survived the nightmare. Pictures will be posted soon on the space. Pretty tired so I’ll hit the bed in a bit after I browse around my favorite blogs. 

As a young female college student, I know how difficult it is to find clothing for a special occasion with a budget in mind. Thankfully, I have been able to find deals under my budget and tend to shop in the sale section of websites. 

This link will help others out there that are in need of guidance and how to stay on budget.