I blinked and, just like that, in a blink of an eye an entire year of my life has passed by. I'm now nineteen and just six weeks away from finishing my freshman year of college. This entire school year has flown by and it is difficult for me to grasp that there are only three years left. It is even more difficult to believe that I will be turning twenty this November. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was looking forward to my eighth grade class trip to our local amusement park? I swear, I don't know what happened.

How many times this school year did I decide to put something off because there would be time for it later? How many times did I decide not to attend something simply because there would probably be plenty of similar opportunities later on? The answer? Far too many. 

For most of my life, I have lived by a sort of 'carpe diem' philosophy. To a certain extent, I try to take advantage of all the opportunities that cross my path. However, going to college has resulted in an opportunity overload. I know, and understand, that I simply cannot take advantage of every opportunity, but I seem to have slacked a bit on living up to my own personal philosophy. 

This year has really served as both a wake up call and as a year for personal growth. In many ways, it has reminded me of all I hope to accomplish and experience and given me a renewed drive to achieve my goals. However, it has also allowed me to grow on my own, as my own individual person, separate from my family. Additionally, and I do not intend for this to sound conceited, it has shown me that I can hold on to my personal values regardless of where I am or who I am around. I have lived my life according to my values and will continue to do so. I am happy with who I am.

On a different note, I just wanted to say that I hope to blog on a more regular basis from here on out. However, in addition to blogging about events in my personal life, I am hoping to provide some analysis on current events. Don't worry, I am not planning on ranting or raving (or at least not regularly) on political issues. Rather, I am more interested in analyzing issues of interest to me and, when applicable, providing ideas for solutions and raising questions to think about. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on anything that I post. 

This past Monday, I took part in an alumni panel at the high school I graduated from. Every year, my former English teacher holds the alumni panel so that the current seniors have the opportunity to hear first-hand advice from last year's seniors. A lot of great advice got tossed around during the panel. Throughout the course of the day, all of us experienced a bit of disorientation and touches of deja vu as we repeated the same stories and lines over again at each session. In that respect, I earned additional appreciation for teachers as they have to go through the day teaching the same lesson countless times.

Anyways, as I mentioned, a lot great advice and tidbits of information was given during the panel. I feel as though it is advice that all high school students should have the opportunity to hear and therefore I have decided to share it. I'm sure all of it has been said before...and those of you who are going to be attending college soon might be sick of hearing it but I wanted to share it anyways...just in case.

1. When I was in high school, I knew what my grades were at all times. Not only my overall class grades, but also my grades on my individual assignments. The last two years of high school we had access to an online system, parent connect, which allowed me to see all of my grades at any given moment from any computer with internet access. All teachers were required to update the grade information weekly. In college, however, I rarely knew any of my grades. I never knew my grade for the class, let alone my grades on individual assignments. Without knowing how I was doing, it was rather difficult to calculate how well I could do on future assignments to maintain an acceptable grade as I didn't even know whether my present grade was acceptable. 

2. If you are going to college, live on campus your freshman year. Personally, I would recommend living on campus, or at least in campus facilities (ie: campus apartments, etc) until you graduate. But if you are only going to do one year of on-campus living, live there your freshman year. I promise you that it will make a world of difference. It adds to the entire college experience. College IS more than just the classes. It's your LIFE. Living on campus makes meeting people 100 times easier, plus you will automatically be placed in the center of campus life. Getting involved will come naturally and you'll be surrounded by a world of activities. Trust me, it's worth it.

3. Try not to procrastinate. I know, for those who procrastinate it sounds impossible. I'm not saying that you will always manage to do things in advance, but make an effort to try more than you did before. In high school, putting assignments off was a lot easier than it is going to be in college. Have a big test coming up? Try studying three or four days in advance to save you from having to pull an all-nighter. In the end, you'll get more sleep, feel more relaxed, have more free time, and get better grades. 

4. Even if you haven't been outgoing in the past, try to step outside your comfort zone and be a little more assertive. A lot of time in college is spent outside of your comfort zone. After all, you have just been thrown into a completely new environment. But if you lock yourself up in your room and never meet anyone other than your roommate, college isn't going to be much of an adventure. Remember, college is a fresh start. Nobody cares what kind of a person you had been labeled in high school. You get to be YOU.

5. Apply for as many scholarships as possible. A lot of people pass up scholarships that are only offering $100 to $300, but small amounts can quickly add up and some free money is better than none. Keep in mind that smaller amounts, such as $200, can almost cover your books for the semester. 

6. If there's still time, go on a few more college visits. Even if you have always planned on attending a certain college...make an effort to visit other campuses. Don't rule anything out until you have seen all of the other options. I know of several people who were positive they knew which college they were meant for and didn't take the time to explore other options. After a semester at what they thought was supposed to be the college of their dreams, they realized that it wasn't the college for them at all. It just wasn't a good match. Just don't close the door on your other options until you have reviewed them with an open-mind.

That's it for now ;) There was a lot more discussed at the panel but this post is getting a little lengthy so I think I'll save it for another time! 

Happy college hunting!

As an Independent mark. representative, I'm always looking for inexpensive ways to get the word out about my mark. business. A few months ago, I went to Vistaprint and shopped around for items that would help boost my business. 

I decided to purchase a number of items, but among the items I purchased were custom postcards. They come in two sizes, standard and over-sized, but I opted for the standard sized ones. You know what they cost me? Practically nothing…just shipping and handling! I’ve noticed that Vistaprint is always having great sales….usually consisting of several free offers. My mom had actually used Vistaprint in the past to spread the word about a website she had created and she recommended them to me as an inexpensive way to get some business cards, magnets and postcards. In this case, if you ordered 100 postcards they were FREE. For larger quantities, the postcards were greatly discounted.

Vistaprint offers a variety of ways to create your postcards. You can a) Choose from a gallery of designs b) create and upload your own design or c) have one of their own professionals design a postcard for you. I personally chose to use an already made design from their gallery. However, I did spend some time making my own personal modifications in their advanced editor. I was able to put a coupon on the postcard and even included plenty of information about the services I offer.

Here’s what the final product looked like:

I’m planning on using them for MORE than just the mail. I’m going to mail about a third of them out to potential customers. For another third, I’m planning on setting up a table in either the mall or a flea market and handing the postcards to interested shoppers so that they will have all of my information and a coupon to boot! I could give them a business card, but a postcard is a lot larger and therefore more noticeable and less likely to be lost. I’m going to use the last third to do some shameless promoting around town. I’m going to leave them in public settings, such as in waiting rooms, because it costs WAY less to leave postcards lying around for potential customers to find than it does for me to leave entire mark. magalogs lying around.

The Vistaprint postcards are a great and affordable way for getting the word out about anything—whether it is a business, a sale…heck, even a family event! I know that I will be turning to them in the future when I run out of postcards or if there is anything else that I need to promote.

Tyler Cruz and Gyutae are having a competition on their respective blogs to see who can earn the most votes. They are each asking for their readers to vote for the person or blog they believe should win! Three lucky winners will receive $100 via PayPal from the loser of the contest. I'm casting my vote for Tyler Cruz for several reasons. 

First, the guaranteed 100 Entrecard credits definitely drew me in. For those of you who haven't read about the contest at TylerCruz.com, Tyler is guaranteeing each person who votes for him 100 Entrecard credits. I just signed up for Entrecard two days ago and could certainly use 100 credits. Right now, 100 entrecard credits is as good as winning 1 million dollars. 

Then there is the cool little dude in his header that is sitting by a pile of poker chips with a drink and a stylish laptop. The little dude was definitely an important factor in my decision. I visited the opponents website to see if he had a cool guy in his header...and all he has is a car. 

Lastly, his content played somewhat of a role in my final decision to cast my vote for him, although it obviously took a back seat to the little guy in the header and the 100 entrecard credits. His posts, particularly his post on January 1st which gave a precise break down of his blog earnings, have been incredibly helpful for me in deciding where I want to take my blog in the future. I'm always looking to gain advice from other people's blog experiences...and it's helpful to see exactly how much he is making off of private ads versus PPP.  

So, there you have it! That is why I have cast my vote for Tyler Cruz. Honestly though, he really does have some fantastic and incredibly helpful information on his blog. If you are looking for truthful information regarding the ins and outs of making money via advertising and other means on the web, his blog is a great place to start. 

Want to cast your vote for Tyler Cruz? Head on over to his blog to read all about the contest!

As some of you may or may not know, I am a somewhat-moderate democrat and an Obama supporter. Anyhow, in light of Barack Obama's recent accomplishment in Iowa, I thought I would touch on his position on a few issues that matter to me. I was speaking with a few friends of mine last night who haven't been following the presidential race and don't plan to until the general election is approaching. They cited the difficulty of obtaining information about each candidate's position as the main obstacle holding them back from following the presidential race, so this post will overview Senator Obama's positions on a few different issues. 

Education

Senator Obama fully acknowledges all of the problems with the education system, including the failure of NCLB, high dropout rates, low teacher retention and incredibly high college costs. Being a college student myself, I have first-hand experience with the high cost of college. Additionally, having just graduated from high school a year ago...the problems with the education system are fresh in my mind. 

Barack Obama's plan to repair the education system addresses each area of education. His Zero to Five Plan emphasizes early education for infants, preparing them for kindergarten. He plans to create an Early Learning Challenge Grant to promote state Zero to Five efforts which would help states provide universal, voluntary pre-school. Furthermore, Obama plans to expand the Head Start program and work to reduce the cost of child care. 

In regards to NCLB, Obama believes that spending the year teaching students how to score well on a standardized test is not the way to increase learning. In order for NCLB to work, Obama recognizes that it needs to be reformed.

He plans to make math and science education a national priority, expand after school and summer learning opportunities, support college outreach programs for low-income families and support english language learners. 

For teachers across America, Obama plans to create Teacher Service Scholarships that will "cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education" for teachers willing to teach for four years in a location of need. 

For higher education areas, Obama has designed a American Opportunity Tax Credit which grant a universal and fully refundable credit for the first $4000 of college education and will cover 2/3 the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. Additionally, Obama plans to make the financial aid process simpler.

Energy & Environment

Senator Obama supports a cap and trade system that would reduce carbon emissions to 80 percent below the levels in 1990 by 2050. Parts of the revenue generated by the cap and trade system would be used to develop alternative energy sources.

Obama plans to invest $150 over 10 years in clean energy technology and plans to establish a federal standard requiring 25% of electricity consumed in the United States to come from clean energy sources such as solar or wind by 2025.

His plan for energy and the environment is extensive. To learn more, visit http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/

Healthcare

Obama has a national health plan that features guaranteed eligibility and benefits similar to those offered to the members of Congress. Essential medical services, including preventative, maternity and mental health will all be covered. A National Health Insurance Exchange program will assist individuals who want to purchase private insurance. 

His plan includes mandatory coverage of children and extends the age young adults are allowed to be covered by their parents' plan up to age 25. 

He plans to lower costs in the industry by preventing monopolies and increasing competition in the market. Also, he plans to make it legal for Americans to buy their drugs from other countries provided that they are safe. 

Barack Obama's position on healthcare is incredibly extensive. If there is a specific issue regarding healthcare that you have a question about, chances are your answer can be found here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

Information for this post was obtained from BarackObama.com

I haven't been a member long enough to have dealt with taxes, but I own an online store at Cafepress and the process is the same. If you have a business, it's different. But if you don't have a business, you receive a 1099 in the mail if you have earned $600 or more for that year when tax time rolls around. You fill it out as someone who is self employed. So you pay full taxes if you make $600.

So if you don't want to deal with taxes...you could always stay under the $600. ;)

December 26th, while running errands with a friend, I was almost in a car accident. Being the day after Christmas, crazy people had crawled out of hiding and hit the streets to participate in the after Christmas madness. Watching everyone's reckless driving got me thinking and I couldn't understand why people simply aren't more careful when driving. I realize that everyone is swamped with tasks such as getting that sweater at Kohls for 50% off and that people are incredibly worried that they won't be able to exchange those pajama pants for a different size before the store runs out, but honestly...when you are in a car on the road, it is not just your life in your hands. You have the ability to ruin someone elses life as well.

So, here is a list of 13 questions I have or things that I just don't understand about the world or the people in it. Some are a little more light hearted than others:

1.  How can some people NOT enjoy reading?

2. Why do we expect people to lend a hand when we need help, yet so many of us fail to give help to those around us when they need it? I'm not just referring to other people, because I'm guilty as well. It seems as though a lot of the times I start expecting certain things, like some stranger to grab the door for me if my arms are full, yet often times I neglect to run up and grab the door for someone who is experiencing the same problem.

3. Why do people always wait until a disaster has occurred or a major problem is fully developed to start making changes and taking preventative measures? Why can't we work on preventing things BEFORE they happen...why do we let everything spin out of control?

4. With only one life to live, why do we procrastinate so much? What are we waiting for?

5. Why is it that people fail to realize, or if they do realize they just don't care, that their actions do not only affect them but also affect other people as well?

6. Exactly how did the Easter bunny come into existence? I'm going to have to look this one up. And WHY does the Easter bunny go around leaving eggs?

7. Why is it that some people are perfectly content to spend their entire life in the same county and never leave? Why don't they desire to see more of the world? Why don't they feel compelled to experience other cultures?

8. Why is it that so little time is spent on history in school? And why isn't more time spent analyzing the significance of historical events and debating their importance to the world of today? History is what got us where we are...and we have an amazing opportunity to learn from it. Yet, if you think about it...a lot of schools really do not spend that much time teaching it. More history classes should be required.

9. Why do people refuse to try new foods? My mom and brother are two of the world's pickiest eaters and, for some reason, this frustrates me to no end. Goodness grief, just TRY it at least ONCE!

10. Why do I get so intense and stressed out about online responsibilities when I have a world of real-life situations to deal with?  

11. Why are people so unwilling to be open-minded about things? I may stick to my beliefs, but I'm always willing to at least hear the other side of the argument and consider it. I like to be able to understand where people are coming from and why they believe what they do. A favorite quote of mine: "Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open"

12. Why is it so hard to admit when you were wrong about something? I'm working on this one, but I know that I can't be the only one who has difficulty confessing to being wrong about something.

13. Who invented blogging? 

Tomorrow, provided that mother nature does not decide to curse DC with bad weather or Kansas with another ice storm, I will be on a plane headed back to Kansas for a month of down time. In the spirit of Christmas break, I have compiled a list of thirteen things I am looking forward to!

1. Chicken Fried Chicken - Until coming to DC, I was completely unaware that chicken fried chicken is not a national wonder. Apparently, chicken fried chicken is exclusive to the midwest. One of the first items on my agenda upon returning home is to go out to Applebees with a few of my friends and order their chicken fried chicken meal, served with creamy mashed potatoes and delicious country gravy!

2. A Hair Cut - I got my hair cut a few weeks before moving to DC, but it has already grown several inches. I'm hoping to get it cut on Saturday.

3. Family - Even though I normally don't see the majority of my family on a regular basis, I feel like it has been an abnormally long time since I last spent time with everyone. As usual, we will be celebrating Christmas on multiple occasions so that we can spend time with both my mom's side and my dad's side. Additionally, all twelve of us on my dad's side are taking at trip to the Lake of the Ozarks to visit my great grandma, which is going to be great. Unfortunately, I do not get to see my great grandma very often.

4. Friends - Being away at college has reminded me how truly amazing my closest friends are! We already have several events cooked up, including an 80s theme dance party for my friends birthday...!

5. Showering without shoes - Ah, yes...sadly, showering in college requires that you wear flip flops. It may seem silly, but I am excited about being able to shower without my shower shoes on.

6. Reading - College has been far more time consuming than I imagined it would be. Everyone told me that you have more free time in college, but they were definitely wrong. I haven't had any time to read books that I want to read since I got here...so I'm hauling the books on my bookshelf back to Kansas and I plan to read like crazy over break.

7. My cat - Really, I miss Storm a lot more than I expected I would. He's an ornery cat, but his obsession with me is cute and his little quirks are adorable. I'm worried that when I get home I will find that he has forgotten me and bonded with my mother...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that he remembers who I am. 

8. BBQ - Being from Kansas, I always took my access to KC BBQ for granted. It wasn't until I moved to DC that I realized that the rest of the country either a) Doesn't understand the concept of BBQ or b) Has some other strange local version of BBQ. Sufficed to say, I will never take KC BBQ for granted again.

9. Hot Tub - Luckily, the month that I will be home for is one of the best months for relaxing in the hot tub. After surviving finals, the hot tub will be the perfect way to wash way the stress!

10. Scholarships - Since I've been so busy writing papers and essays for class, I haven't had time to write essays for anything else. Over break, I'm hoping to apply for at least three scholarships as I desperately need to find additional funds for my college education. 

11. Relay For Life - I've been so busy that I have also neglected my Relay For Life duties. My goal is to recruit a couple of teams, plan at least two fundraisers and secure two or three donations before break ends.

12. Colleges Against Cancer - Starting next semester, our CAC chapter will be back in business! It has been neglected for awhile now and it wasn't even officially registered with the American Cancer Society. As the CAC Advocacy Officer, I'm hoping to integrate my ACS CAN experience and resources for my position and come up with some ideas for our first meeting. I should have plenty of time to plan and brainstorm during break.

13. Blogging - Last, but certainly not least, I'm looking forward to working on my blog over the holidays. I've been a horrible blogger for the last month or so. I've had several great ideas for posts, but I simply haven't had the time. I'm hoping to catch up, roll out some great posts, and spend some time commenting on other blogs in the blog-o-sphere! 

This last semester, I paid a small fortune for my textbooks. I thought I was lucky because my books didn't cost quite as much as what I had expected. I wanted to get my textbooks from the school bookstore partly because I thought it would be more convenient but also because I like to have books free of excessive underlining and highlighting. 

Last week, I used my school's online bookstore to find the names and prices of the books for next semester. Not only do I need twice as many books, but the cost has doubled as well. Instead of automatically ordering them from the school, I decided to seek other avenues for purchasing my textbooks.

In the end, I chose Amazon because I'm used to shopping at Amazon. Instead of buying directly from Amazon, I bought each book from a different merchant on Amazon. Even with shipping, I saved over $100. Furthermore, I was wrong in assuming that ordering used books online would mean that I would be forced to sacrifice quality--all of the books I have received so far are in fantastic condition. They are used, but they are "like new" so you can't even tell that they are used books. 

Other students from my school use websites such as Book Byte, Direct Textbooks, and Textbookx. I haven't tried any of them yet, but it is nice to know that there are other options than Amazon just in case there comes a time when I cannot find what I need on Amazon.com. 

If you are currently enrolled in college and getting ready to buy your books for next semester, I highly encourage you to check out either Amazon.com or another seller before purchasing from your bookstore. If your bookstore is like mine, they will still let you sell back your book at the end of the semester---even if you didn't buy from there. Perhaps you will even MAKE money in the end...?