Useless Updates | Vlogmas & 4 Years CANCER FREE!

I know, I know.. I haven't been around for awhile and I deeply apologize and hope that you guys will forgive me! School got the best of me and I was just so tired and needed a break. I couldn't think of anything to talk about but I'm here now! 

First things first.. I'M DOING VLOGMAS! Yep, that's right, I am logging every day until Christmas and I have successfully been doing it. This is surprising to me honestly. I thought it would be a lot harder than it is and I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. So far it has been really fun and I hope that you guys will check out my videos! (CLICK HERE_)

(december 7th, 2014 - 3 year mark) Second thing, today I am 4 years old! December 7th, 2011 was the day I was declared CANCER FREE! It has been 4 years and God has blessed me with a healthy body and I have been in remission ever since. I couldn't be happier to be alive and I am so very thankful for the opportunity to continue to live my life. It's such a big blessing that many people who are diagnosed don't get and being one of those who do truly has changed my outlook on life. I know that I would not be able to make it this far if it wasn't for my family and friends supporting me and helping me through one of the toughest times in my life. I couldn't be happier to be surrounded by such an amazing community. I love my life and I couldn't be more grateful that I get to live it longer! Honestly, I don't think any update other than the two I talked about today are more important than those so I am going to end the post here. I'll be making a more in depth post(s) about my cancer journey sometime in the future so be on the lookout if you want to hear my story!  I love every single one of you with my whole heart. <3  Until next time,

1 Tequila, 2 Tecila, 3 Tekelya, FLOOR! | Alcohol Safety Tips

This post is not going to be like my other college tips posts. I try to talk about upbeat things like moving in, studying tips, and what not. However, this is a very serious and a very important topic that needs to be talked about with college students more often. And as a college student myself I see bad things happen because of alcohol abuse or just not knowing how to handle yourself while drinking. So I am here with some tips about alcohol safety!
Whether you are celebrating a game victory, finals being over, or just simply celebrating the weekend, students LOVE to party. Partying in college is normal and can be lots of fun! There is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking alcohol every now and then. However, when you start waking up in bed with strangers and you don't know who they are or how they got there, that is NOT FUN. Neither is having a horrible hangover while taking an important test, unwanted pregnancy, contracting STD's and even worse, ending up dead due to alcohol poisoning or because of a traffic incident. NEVER DRIVE DRUNK and please DO NOT get in the car with someone who is planning on driving drunk. Protect yourself and your friends while drinking, or you may end up regretting your actions.

I know these things all seem horrible, and that's because they are. But drinking doesn't have to lead to these things. Implementing these tips into your party activities can help you avoid these things from happening. SO PAY ATTENTION!

1. Stay hydrated - Drink plenty of water before you start drinking alcohol. Alcohol causes you to become dehydrated and the more you drink, the more thirsty you become. With water in your system you will most likely drink slower and this way you can enjoy the alcohol and avoid blacking out.
2. Eat first - To put it simply without going into medical terms and complicated terminology.. Drinking on an empty stomach can cause you to pass out and eating first helps you to absorb alcohol less quickly. Which means you won't get drunk as fast, and I promise thats a good thing.
3. Alternate drinks - By alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks it can help slow down the rate of your alcohol consumption. Drinking water in-between is what I personally suggest. Slow down and enjoy more.                                    
4. Travel in pairs - never go to a party alone.. especially women! Friends can help each other stay safe and having someone with you is the best way to keep people from taking advantage of you.
5. Plan your transportation - Do not drive to the party if you plan on drinking. Either have a DD (designated driver) or plan to take a taxi/uber/lyft to and from the party. If you're drinking at a friends house then sleeping over would be the best option.
6. Carry Condoms - I know this may seem silly and you might think "I'm not the type to have a one-night stand" or any other thoughts like that. However, alcohol has a way of loosening inhibitions and one thing leads to another.. You get the picture. Unplanned pregnancy and a possible STD is not worth the risk. Practice safe sex people.. and birth control is not going to protect you from STD's. 
   
   
7. Don't EVER let a stranger pour your drink or hand you one - There are bad people and creeps out there with date rape drugs on hand just waiting to put them in your drink. Either pour your drink yourself or if at a bar make sure you see the bartender pour it for you! Males, you are not immune to this so you should be careful as well! This also goes along with never leaving your drink alone and if you do get another drink!
8. Drinking at home - last but not least, this is my favorite. I would rather drink at home with my roommates or friends than going out. Being at home is a safer environment for you, and you can always fall asleep right in your bed!

Now that you have this wonderful new knowledge (or just refreshed knowledge) go out and party, but keep it safe!

Until next time..

Changing It Up

I have made a decision to make a change to my blogger template. I am also in the process of considering a name change. My URL will still remain the same, but the name 'College, The Golden Years' may or may not be changing. Just thought you all should know so you aren't surprised in the next few weeks when things look a little different! Until next time..

Useless Updates | Turning 21 & Lots of Coffee!

It has been awhile since I last posted and I sincerely apologize. School is finally getting the best of me but I a persevering! Anyways.. I am back with another Useless Updates post filled with lots of fun, and useless information :) 
So to start off, I TURNED 21!

Although there's nothing that different about being 21.. other than being able to legally drink I feel exactly the same! I had such a good birthday though, good friends, good food, good drinks and an all around good time! I'll share some more photos later in the week but I wanted to recap it a little bit now.

Lately I have been going on some pretty awesome coffee adventures with some great new friends of mine! 

This is Krissy! We went to Lola Coffee and hung out for an hour just talking about everything! We had a lot of fun, as you can see from the picture above!

This is Karley! We've gone out to Coffee twice, the first time to Sip Coffee & Beer and the second time to Songbird Coffee & Tea House. We talked SO much the first time about anything we could think of, but the second time we just really enjoyed each others company and it was great! 

This is Katy! She is such a laid back person and you get a really good vibe from her just by sitting next to her! We were both a little tired and didn't talk much but we had good cups of tea and a nice brunch to go along with it! I'm actually getting coffee with her tomorrow and I can't wait! I love going to new coffee shops so much that I am starting a short series on my Youtube channel called Coffee Break - HERE is the first video!   Speaking of coffee.. Last but not least I have been going to my friend Alec's for coffee every Tuesday & Thursday. He has an amazing thing going on in his apartment. He makes great coffee for a great community of people! 

I'll definitely be writing more about Alec and the business he is starting up soon, so be on the lookout for that! That's all I have for now so until next time..

21 Things I've Learned in 21 Years!

On October 10th of 1994 I was born and just three days ago I turned 21! I'll be making a post about my actual birthday festivities but I thought I would share some things I've learned in these 21 years of living! As each year passes (so quickly), I find myself thinking about lessons  I've learned in the pass year and all the memories I have made. With that said, here are the 21 things I have learned.

1. If you want it, go for it & don't let anyone stop you (except for maybe God lol)
2. Love yourself first, always.
3. Never put your happiness in someone else's hands, you will be disappointed.
4. Don't take people for granted & never forget those who are there for you.
5. Although it's okay to recognize when it's time to let certain people out of your life.
6. Take mental health/personal days. You need time by yourself.
7. Be nice to everyone you meet. Everyone is fighting their own battles & you don't want to be the person that pushes them over their edge.
8. It's okay to not know what you want.
9. Make your friends and family priority in your life.
10. Put down technology and enjoy the world around you.
11. Little actions go a long way.
12. Take care of your body, you only get one.
13. Spread love, not hate. No one likes a bully.
14. Offer help to those who can benefit from it.
15. Time doesn't define friendship.
16. Don't let go of your imagination just because you become an adult, it's an important part of who you are.
17. You have to drink water everyday.
18. Budget your money. Your wallet will thank you later.
19. Times are tough but the support around you is much stronger.
20. Trust your intuition. if something doesn't feel right, it usually isn't.
21. 21 years goes by so fast. So make the most of your life.

I can't wait to see what I learn in this next year!

Until next time..

Summer Ends Music Fest 2015!

Two weekends ago I went with Imani to the Summer Ends Music Festival and it was amazing!! We had so much fun and the line up was incredible of course. 

This corn was the best corn ever and I wish I remembered the name of the place because it was that good. Moving on to the music though, because that's why we're here right?

Crappy phone photos because I couldn't bring my beautiful camera with me but J. Cole and Iration were the highlight of my time there. Their performances were SO amazing and I definitely enjoyed myself! 

 (after the concert)

(during the concert)

I really hope the line-up for next year is as good as this years because I would love to go again!

Until next time..

Venice Adventures Part 2!

A little over a week ago I wrote a post about my fun adventure in Venice with my friends pictured above and a lot of you seemed to like it! So I decided to share my VLOG from that day with you guys! You can view it below and I have also put the link to it for you to watch it on youtube! Feel free to check it out and SUBSCRIBE to my channel <3 Hope you guys enjoy!

Click Here to watch my video directly on youtube!

Until next time..

Roadtrip to California Vlog Part 1

A few weeks ago I took a road trip to California with my mother and it was a lot of fun! I logged the way there and even the day I spent when I first got there. Here is part 1 of the vlog. Check it out!

Until next time..

Useless Updates!

I'm back with another useless update! My past two posts were college tips and so I decided to change it up a bit and just update you guys on my life!

In honor of labor day yesterday I shot with a friend of mine and these are two of the photos I took. I didn't take a lot because I mostly did video footage. You should definitely check out his instagram though (@iamsuedewilliams) because his work is really good and the photos he took came out really nice! Here's one he took of me!

I don't like pictures of myself so kudos to him for actually taking a picture of me that I like.

In other news it has been about a month since I last saw my baby cousin Miles and I am having major withdrawals! I love this kid so much and he just brings me happiness! But that's the end of that before I get emotional over how much I miss him.

I'm wearing a backpack.. that only means one thing. School has started!! Not that you couldn't tell from the other pictures or anything lol. School has been so great so far and I know this semester is going to be a really good one! I'll definitely be posting more about school this year than last year.

I also dyed my hair and I am not sure how I feel about it yet. I really like it but I'm trying to go for a certain color and I'm just not there yet.. However, I used demo-permanent hair dye so it kind of placed the color instead of stripping my previous color and then placing it so I think just combined with my old color differently than I expected. So, in a few weeks I'll be permanently dying it in hope of getting the result I want!

Well that's all I have for now..

Until next time..