Quarter Life Advice Everything you need to know

Reasons to Start College Right after High School

Are you a high school student debating whether to take a year off before you go to college? If so, you may not be doing yourself as much of a favor as you think. A lot of people say that taking a year or more off from school allows a student to rejuvenate himself or herself before going to a university, but the negatives of this time off may outweigh the positives. Before you give up on going to college when you graduate, you need to strongly consider the consequences of your decisions. Here are a few reasons why you may want to start your paralegal training right after you get out of high school.

Fresh Information

Do you think that incoming students are called freshmen just because they smell nicer than the sweaty juniors and seniors that roam the halls? Nope. They're called that because they have information from high school fresh in their minds. If you get into college right after high school, you will still have a pretty good memory about important facts from your core courses. Those facts will come in handy in a university setting. I jumped straight into Calc 2 whenever I entered my freshman year in college, and I was so happy that I had my Calc 1 knowledge still in place when I got there. If I had to do that now (four years later), I would be completely lost. I would probably have to take lower level math classes over just to refresh my mind. If you want to stroll straight through your courses, you need to take them back to back.

By the way, I made up the whole freshman = fresh knowledge thing. It just made a cool transition in the article, and it drove my point home. Don't sue me for screwing up the etymology, okay?

Faster Career

The faster you can get a job, the faster you can start making money in whatever it is you want to do in life. That means that you need to do whatever you can to get out in the workforce quickly. If you dilly dally with your education, you run the risk of eating up vital work time. That's going to bite you in the ass later on. Consider the year you take off now as a year extra of work that you'll have to do in the future, when you are old, frail, and probably growing hair out of your ears. Is that really what you want? I didn't think so.

Strong Motivation

When you start college right after high school, you have a stronger drive to get through your work. You're used to pushing yourself already, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to continue pushing until you get your degree. If you take a year off, you may not want to come back to school. Then what are you going to do? Think about the first day of school after summer break. It sucks, right? Now magnify that by four because you'll have 12 months off, not 3. Imagine the suckage that would come from that! To avoid working at the snow cone stand for the rest of your life, you need to get in college as soon as possible and start a real career, driven to succeed no matter what.

I know the thought of college is scary and intimidating, but it is something you have to face like one of the big boys. You're an adult now. It is time to take on the challenge that life is presenting you with. I think you can handle it. Now you just have to convince yourself of that.

Cheap but Romantic Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I think it gets a little more hype than it really should. I'm not saying that you shouldn't enjoy V-Day with your special someone, but I think that you should be able to do that without spending $100 on a fancy dinner that you probably won't eat more than two bites of. Who says that great Valentine's Day dates have to cost a fortune? Not I. My husband and I have incredibly romantic dates every year, and we barely spend any money along the way. If you are worried about how your minimum wage job is going to possibly pay for a five star dinner, you need to start thinking outside of the box. Here are a few cheap and romantic date ideas for you to use on Valentine's Day.

Picnics

My husband is actually my high school sweetheart – the only man I have ever dated. Instead of going to prom our senior year, we went out to the mountains and had a special picnic, all by ourselves. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday, even if it was five years ago. Why not try something like that this Valentine's Day? I realize that some parts of the country may be too cold for picnics at this time of the year, but southerners have no excuse. If you have decent weather to work with right now, grab an old blanket and some sandwiches to have a Valentine's Day picnic. I guarantee it will be more romantic than you expect it to be.

Movie Rentals

Going out to the movies on V-Day can cost a fortune, but movie rentals are always cheap. You can go to Hastings, Blockbuster, or even a local Redbox and snag some sort of movie to watch with the one you love. If you want to make it really romantic, you could make sure there is a good spot in the house to snuggle – the couch, the bed, the giant bean bag chair of doom…whatever the case may be. Nuke some popcorn and get ready for the cuddle time.

Bubble Baths

If you are in the sexual part of your relationship, you may think about preparing a nice bubble bath for your partner. Put some rose petals on top and get some bath salt to make the water fragrant and relaxing. If the bathtub is big enough, you could enjoy the experience with your partner, or you could sit on the edge to rub his or her feet. This could obviously lead to some not-so-innocent experiences, so make sure you have protection for that too. The easiest way to kill a romantic mood is with a pregnancy scare.

Breakfast Food for Dinner

Who says you have to eat Italian food and steaks to have a romantic dinner? What about a simple breakfast meal at dinner time? You could get creative and make the pancakes into hearts or something, or you could just make foods that would naturally draw you and your partner together. My husband and I do this all the time, and I must say it is a nice change of pace. You don't have to fall into a predictable state to have a good time. You just have to find a way to make cheap food into something special.

If you take the time to really think about the date you set up for Valentine's Day, you should be able to come up with a plan that is cheap and romantic at the same time. All it takes is a little creativity and luck on your side.

Pros and Cons of Getting Married Young

I got married when I was 18 years old, without much of any knowledge of what life would be like as an adult. I lived a pretty sheltered life as a child, and I ended up marrying the very first man I dated. No lie. While some people thought I may have gone through all of this a little too quickly, I wouldn't take back a single experience I got from it. Nevertheless, I learned the good and bad of being married young firsthand, so I thought it may be nice to share my experience with other people looking to jump into this kind of commitment at a young age. Listed below are the pros and cons of getting married young that I had to learn the hard way.

The Pros of Getting Married at a Young Age

The biggest advantage that comes with marriage is the fact that you always have someone to talk to. This is true at any age. Marriage provides a constant support system for you to fall back on, and it gives you someone to share the details of your life with. Some people date compulsively because they do not like the idea of being alone for the rest of their lives. When you're married, you never have to worry about that.

There are some financial benefits that come along with marriage – tax breaks, cheap insurance, etc. More importantly though, you get the benefit of not having to search for someone to be with. The dating process can be exciting and fun at first, but it loses its spark over time. Then you are left worried about looking like a slut or a perv because you have dated a lot of people in your life. With marriage, you don't have to look around anymore.

The Cons of Getting Married at a Young Age

Marriage comes with a lot of pressure, more than most people can handle. You no longer have the ability to just "break up" if you don't like your spouse. You have to work out your problems, no matter how hard they may be at the time. This causes a lot of young people to cheat on their spouses because they think that life with someone else is going to be easier than the life they currently lead. This is not the case though. Every marriage is going to involve stress, and that is something you have to prepare for at any age. The sooner you know that, the better off you will be.

Another problem with being married is that you will no longer have the chance to party whenever you want to. This is one of the biggest problems I had because I wanted to be a social butterfly and flirt with everyone that came my way. As a wife though, I couldn't do that. It is something I eventually got over, but you have to plan for that if you want to get married. You can still go out, but you won't be able to play the field. Only you can determine if that is a good idea for you.

Conclusion

A lot of young couples do not make it through marriage because they can't handle the pressure. Those that can get to enjoy the benefit of having a true companion with them at all times. My husband and I got married when we were 18, and we're still together four years later. He's my best friend, and I literally can't see my life without him. Not everyone is as lucky as we are. Before you rush into marriage at a young age, make sure you are ready for it. There is nothing wrong with waiting until you get out of Saint Leo University. If you think things out thoroughly enough, you should be able to come up with the right solution for your life.

How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

If you have a small, cramped room in your house that people actually see or experience on a frequent basis, then you know how frustrating it can be to be inside a cave within your own how. We all love having large rooms to breathe in, but the fact is that sometimes the square footage just isn't there. Rather than complaining about what you have to work with, you can employ a few different techniques to maximize the openness of the space. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Light Wall Colors

Anytime you put a dark color on the wall like navy blue or a deep maroon, you make the walls around you heavy. While this bold look may work for a great room, all it does to a small space is make it feel even more like a cave. You need to stick with light, airy colors for your walls so that the room has a sense of relief, rather than weight. Light yellows, beiges, and blues all fare well in most homes, depending on the context, of course. If you can pick the right paint color for your room, you will make it look much bigger than it really is.

Stripes

If you don't know this, the simple addition of stripes in your clothing can make you look taller or wider, depending on if they are vertical or horizontal. You can get the same effect with stripes on your walls. Vertical stripe will make your walls look taller if you have an issue with height, and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider if that's the problem. Be careful here though. Too many stripes could make the room busy, and when you have a small space to work with, you want to eliminate as much clutter as possible. Keep it simple and maintain the light color choices throughout.

Light Ceilings

Make sure that your ceiling is a lighter shade than your walls because that will really help open the room up. White or slightly off white ceilings are usually the best and should pair well with anything you paint the walls. Also be leery of excessive texture on the ceiling. Try to keep things minimal so you don't add an extra layer of enclosure to an already tight space. This will make a big difference in the way you feel when you are in the room.

Mirrors

The addition of mirrors can vastly improve the feel in a small space because of the reflection. For one, more light is able to bounce around because of the mirrors, thereby making it feel lighter already. Mirrors also reflect additional space in the room, even if it doesn't exist. Your mind will feel like it's in a bigger space when it really isn't. If you can find a tasteful way to do a full wall of mirrors, that could be an excellent source of openness.

Minimalistic, Multi-Purpose Furniture

Clutter is a small space's worst enemy. Avoid that at all costs. You want to keep your furniture small, simple, and clutter free. Only put in what you need to, and if you can find ways to get multiple purposes out of one piece, you'll save a lot of room. For instance, you might have a padded, long chest that can act as a bench, a storage area, and a coffee table with the addition of a tray on top. One piece can do three different things. You can make a desk that folds up onto a wall and looks like a piece of artwork until you're ready to use it, or you could have a couch that pulls out into a bed for guests. Get creative with your furnishings and always keep maximum function in minimal space in mind.

Securing Your Future by Age 25

By the time you reach your early 20s, you should have a pretty good idea of where you are going in life. That doesn't mean that you have to have a fool proof plan, but you need to have a rough idea as to where you want to be in the future. A lot of what you do now will have an impact on what happens 50 years from now or more, so you have to make wise decisions as soon as you reach adulthood. You don't want to be one of those people that looks back at his or her life and sees nothing but regrets, do you? Didn't think so. Let's take a look at some of the steps you can go through to secure you future by the time you reach 25 years of age.

Get a College Degree

One of the best things you can do when you are young is get a college degree. Having a college degree will give you a chance to find work in the future, even if it isn't in something you want to do right now. If you can't think of a degree that you would like to get, you could always pursue a business administration degree. That will give you a generic set of skills that you can use to work in just about any company in the future, including your own. Most people don't end up in the direct career that follows their college degree program, but they stay pretty close to it. If you have a college level education, you will at least be able to apply for jobs with confidence in the future.

Don't Settle for Entry-Level

The moment you get content with an entry-level position in a business is the moment that you screw over your future. This kind of position is not going to provide you with the money you need to retire later on in life, which is something you need to plan for as soon as possible. My mother is 50 years old, and she has virtually no retirement savings to fall back on over the next decade. I can't tell you how many times she has told me to plan for retirement now because I will regret not doing it later. If you remain at the lowest tier of your career, you will never have the retirement fund you want when you get older.

Set Long Term Goals

Most people under the age of 25 focus on their day to day goals, and maybe the goals for the week or month. They don't reach out years down the road and think about their long term plans. You need to strongly consider where you want to be in five years, and then you need to adjust your short term goals to make that happen. If you don't have a path to follow, you will never know how to prepare for the future.

You may see your entire life in front of you at this point, but there is less time left in life than you realize. As soon as you accept the fact that your best years are flying by, you should be able to figure out a way to secure your future by age 25. I'm barely 22, and I already have a great career, a husband, and a solid plan for my future. Isn't it about time you did the same in your own life? Follow the steps above, and you will hopefully be on your way to a rewarding future soon enough.

You’re Not Crazy

Some people come across very aloof. They make it seem like they are 100% in tune with what they want, and how they perceive the world, and depending on their personality, can make you question the way you view your own world. This isn't inherently a bad thing, but you can never let them make you question your sanity by giving them too much control over your reality. Just because someone thinks the way you're handling a situation isn't great doesn't mean you should feel bad for feeling that way. You didn't invent the whole thing in your mind, and you are reacting appropriately to outside stimuli, even if it doesn't line up with someone elses. Never let anyone un-justify your feelings, and likewise be sure you never dismiss them outright. We feel and do things for a reason, and there is always a lesson to be learned.  It takes at least two to tango.

Remember that even if you misread every part of a particular situation, it's not all you. In fact it has nothing to do with you. Human beings are incredibly susceptible to vague, since it allows our imaginations to run wild. As we get older that wilderness can seem overwhelming, looming over us waiting to swallow us whole. The best and only way to proceed is to be aware of your presence, and know what kind of person you want to be. Just because you think weaknesses doesn't mean you have to translate those into weak actions. Thoughts and ideas are just that, and nothing happens until it happens. This way, no matter what happens, at least you can look back and say you did everything the way you wanted, and have no regrets for any of your actions. Guilt and regret are useless emotions, and as the sole keeper of yours, you have total control over how you allow them to affect your life.

Your Thoughts Are Not You.

Inner peace can be hard to find, especially when your thoughts are running at a million miles a minute. You worry about how to become an artist, your boyfriend, your dog, your job, your car... the list of things to worry about is literally endless.  Think of a time you were completely at peace, inside and out. I bet you wen't thinking of too much. Happiness comes from when you have conquered your thoughts of the what are and what if's in your life.  Control of your thoughts, and being able to shut them off when they are not needed is a huge asset to anyone, but it's obviously easier said than done.  Sometimes you just have to tell your brain to shut up. No more should you float though the day lost in less than productive thoughts. Being able to shut off the mind and focus only on one thing is a challenge to say the least, but the best way to begin is learning to shut off your thoughts completely. The first step to getting rid of an unwanted habit is to be aware of it. This alone doesn't rid you of unwanted behavior but it's a great start. You must always remember you are not your thoughts, ideas or beliefs. They are tools you can use, but they are NOT you, so you should never let them control you. To everyone else in the world, you are your actions first, then your words. Take a moment to remember that NOBODY can read your mind, and if you're anything like me, the elusive nature of your own thoughts is just a big of mystery to you as they are to everyone else.  Once you spend enough time being aware of your thoughts to shut them off, you'll also become aware of the words that you use, and how you can control every one of them, thus controlling people's outward perception of you, and who couldn't use a little more control of that in their lives?  A trick I like to use to shut my thoughts off is to ask myself "what will my next thought be?", it gives me just the right amount of reality to regain control of my thoughts and emotions so no situation is too overwhelming. Also, never panic, ever.

Going With The Flow

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I know, I know, going with the flow is much easier said than done, but that being said, so is everything. Spending your time filled with anxiety of the future is one of the most horrible way you can live your life. Getting annoyed with lines, traffic, obligations, and separation anxiety are all self-destructive, non-productive feelings. The first thing you have to learn to do is be present in the moment. Right now in front of you, this very second, this is your life. You can’t change the past and you can’t anticipate the future with any amount of certainty. Try to take each moment as it comes at you, and let it soak in. Are you safe? Are you tired? Are you Hungry? You will be amazed at what your body will tell you if you only listen.

It’s silly to believe you must be present at ALL times, or say that you will NEVER think of the past or future again, but being present in the NOW will make all of the thoughts about the latter brighter. All you can do with the future is effect it in the present, and often in will change the future in ways we could never have anticipated. You must learn to “roll with the punches” rather than worry about how much they are going to hurt. Another thing we do by not living in the present is miss out on all kinds of things that are happening right in front of you. There is a whole world going on right now, and you can’t waste all your time worrying about ones that don’t or no longer exist.  The time is literally now. What are you up to?

How To Not Stay Put

Are you a chronic procrastinator? Do you shop for presents at the last minute, file your taxes late, and sometimes start projects at the very end of a deadline? Everyone likes achieving their goals, but having goals and achieving them are two different things. For example, you might want to slim down, but can never bring yourself to run, or you might want to save money, but end up eating out every night. You have to understand that less than ideal circumstances now, if done for the right reasons, lead to more than ideal circumstances in the future.

If Not Now, When?

We all know how “tomorrow” consistently turns into “never”. If you keep putting things off for another day, you’ll never realize anything. People tend to look at themselves as static, incorrectly thinking that if something is true now, it must always be true. For example, having a perpetually messy room and saying it’s just part of your personality. This just isn't the case. You are a culmination of all the decisions you’ve made so far in your life, and are still making choices. The one thing we have control over as humans is our choices, what we do and say is 100% in our control.

Procrastination

Everyone knows what this is, as it’s often turned into a funny joke, allowing people to latch on and justify their own inaction. The anxiety spent on not doing something is often more of an energy drain that actually doing the thing you’re putting off, leaving you with nothing to run on when you actually decide to get started. Action is your ally against procrastination. Contemplation has value, but if you never act on it, it’s wasted mental energy.

Stop Repelling People

We all know those people that just rub us the wrong way. They are the people that you instantly decide you don’t want to deal with, and try to avoid them in the future. The bad part about this is we all do it, and most of the time without even realizing it. Making sure you don’t repel people is an important part of becoming a well-rounded adult. Finding out what you might do to repel people is easy, just pay attention to people’s reactions. People will almost always never be direct enough to tell you what you’re doing that’s putting them off, but their are many tells in their body language. Are they facing away from you, or looking around like they are bored? Do they seem uncomfortable with their proximity to you? The most important step in not repealing people is understanding people’s reaction to you. As you take the time to figure that out, here are a few common mistakes people make without realizing it.