chuckin' up the deuces n' stuff.

duuuuude.

college is rough.

finding a balance between it all is the hardest part.

but finding ways to survive is the best.

ways like this:

chuckin' up the deuces to every soul you pass on campus. they smile. because flashing the two fingers was cool in jr. high. right? nah. it's still cool now. if not even cooler. it's fine.

keeping your hair extra clean & soft. late nights studying lead to frantic fingering of the hair & if the hair is dirty, you get frustrated cause then you think about washing it & your mind wanders to your shower & bed. which is obviously where you would rather be at that precise moment in time. studying bites.

eavesdropping in the library. try it. walk to the library, find yourself a spot, open your book & your ears & be prepared to smile. cause. it's hilarious. a boy asks a girl out, she turns him down. a pair of girls bitch on the girl blasting disney music outside. a cowboy drawls. a couple play footsie under the round tables. the same pair of girls change their topic & talk about tacos. a boy answers his phone like this : sup girlie girl girl. & i type away, they figure i don't even know they exist. but. i do.

whales & dr. pepper. i am a starving college student & cannot afford pepperidge farm. so stoufer whales will have to suffice. a handful of those along with a DP can go a long way. the "caffeine kick" may be a fallacy, a mind over matter deal. but if it makes my mind think i'm waking up, so be it. the bare minimum goes far in college.

connecting with students & professors. flirting with professors & students alike? it happens. are there rules? who knows? so what if i am that girl who raises her hand & says, "what are the rules on dating professors?" maybe it was a joke. maybe it wasn't. but who doesn't want an "A" in their US history class?

carry your journal. everywhere. "tell the truth, write the story." a whole lot happens on campus. a whole lot of changes occur in yourself when walking from your apartment to the library. your mind can wander & you can find yourself day after day. write about it. write about what you noticed, who you noticed & how you feel. life should be documented.

start a couple of collections. i'm quote obsessed. so. i collect quotes. i allow myself at least 15 minutes a day to quote search. it's my time to rejuvenate & revitalize. & feel inspired. the written word can do that to you, inspire.

& last but not least, allow yourself that alone time. find a place all your own. & get away. get. away. ride your bike to the park & swing. (that's what i do.) color under a tree. read between the bookshelves of the library. take a deep breath and accept the fact that college frustrates & proceed to push it out the door. even if it is only for five minutes or so. just be by yourself & thank the Lord you are still alive.

college is hard.

life is hard.

but if i can do it.

you can do it.

& remember, the great philospher john lennon once said:

time you enjoyed wasting, was not wasted.

word.