Finishing Grad School + How to Stay Motivated

Last week was registration, which means everyone on my campus woke up early to get online by 8am sharp. With classes being so small at my university, space is seriously limited. Thankfully I was able to get all the courses I needed, even though I slept in way more than I had planned. Whose bright idea was it to make class registration the Monday after daylights saving?

In the moment I didn't put much thought into the process, mostly focused on grabbing the classes I needed and calculating how much this semester was going to cost me. Hint: a lot. Another hint: don't bother with the whole, "I'm gonna save money for grad school then apply," cause it will never happen. Okay maybe it can, but not in just a couple of years.

Later in the week I realized I couldn't remember what classes I needed to make sure I enrolled in for fall, so after spending some time looking for the academic catalog for my program, I realized what I had been missing all along.

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Holy shit balls. I might not have said this out loud, but it's exactly how I was feeling. There was no next semester. There was no next time registration comes around. This was it. Almost three years and a whole bunch of jobs and tears laters, I was at the end of my grad program.

I'm not sure if you've caught any of my grad school posts before, but graduate school has not been a fun experience for me. With my program being discontinued. having to survive financially in the city, and adjusting to life without a support system, grad school was a thing I felt like was never gonna end. Which is maybe why I forgot I was almost at the finish line.

Apparently if I am able to earn all my hours with my clients by August 27th, I'm done! As in, put on a cap and gown and walk across the stage done! This piece of reality has lit a serious fire under my ass and motivated me in a way I didn't think was possible midway through spring semester. If you're feeling the lull of winter not ending or the next three day weekend being too far away, below are some ways I keep motivated to power on through the hard parts.

How to Move on From a Relationship Without Closure

I've said it one and I'll say it a hundred times more, breaks up are fucking hard. Worse than exams, more painful than doing your taxes, way more terrible than blowing an interview for a job you totally wanted. Doesn't matter how long you were together and if the two of you were never meant to be, they suck through and through and anyone who denies it is a liar.

The good part is, that feeling does't last forever, even though it may feel like it might. If you've ever been through a breakup you know the typical stages of finally admitting it's happening, saying the words, then slowly going your own way? But what if you just skip all that? What if the terrible feeling is just multiplied because the whole breakup was a total surprise to you? Or worse, there's no closure!

Girl, I get it. If I could have minored in anything in college it would be in minor in bouncing back from relationships I probably should have never been in. The worst type of breakup is the kind that leaves you hanging, for an explanation, a final goodbye, or just a fucking apology.Everyone deserves closure, a moment to tell someone how much it all meant to them, to express their hurt and wish each other well despite it all. Unfortunately not every gets this basic human right, because anyone who has ever been hurt knows that relationships are never fair. One person always gives more, compromises more, loves more.

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So how are you just supposed to move on with life like nothing ever happened, even when it feels as if you're life has come to a dead halt? If you're feeling this way, you may still be hanging onto the hope that closure will come, but sometimes, it just doesn't.

And if it does, I'm sure it will come at a time when you've managed to pick up the pieces and move on with life. But right now, you're probably looking for a way to pick yourself off the bed, so while this might not fix the hurt it can at the very least be the first step to moving on from a chapter that not only ended badly, but never truly wrapped up the story line.

How to Organize Your Inbox in 5 Minutes or Less, Seriously!

I am so guilty of signing up for email lists that I am not interested in long term. Think of giveaways, volunteer opportunities, and things that were relevant to me four years ago. I'm looking at you homecoming lineup announcements. eye emoji

Whether one of your goals for the new year was to get rid of clutter or you just cant find that coupon code you swore you marked important, your inbox shouldn't be something that stresses you out on a daily basis.

If you tried to clean out your inbox manually it would take hours, and aint nobody got time for that. The easiest way to clean your inbox and KEEP it that way is to get rid of all those automated emails you're just not interested anymore, but who the hell wants to scroll to the bottom of ever annoying email and click unsubscribe. Definitely not me.

There's an easier way, and if you haven't ever heard of it, prepare to be in love.

Unroll.me. Basically the thing that let's me know we are officially living in the feature. One small little website/algorithm/too complicated for me to understand computer machine that will let you unsubscribe for a bunch of newsletters all at once, no digging through your inbox necessary.

Using the program is pretty simple, but if you wanna see it in action, keep scrolling to watch me get rid of all the clutter in my inbox.

Also, would this be a bad moment to mention that you can now sign up for my weekly newsletter? Probably huh? Well oh well, since I mentioned it, you can now sign up for my weekly newsletter. Once a week, no fluff, no trying to sell you anything. Just a bunch of tips, resources and motivation to help you make every day of your twenties (and beyond) better than the last. Okay, I'll step off my soap box now and get to the good stuff.

Favorite Women to Follow on Instagram

Social media is this funny thing that can make you feel better about yourself one second, then two scrolls later like a complete loser. Because of this, for the past year I've been much more intentional about the people and accounts I follow on Instagram, ditching the bitchy meme accounts for individuals who keep me motivated and inspired.

In honor of International Women's Day, I thought I'd share a few accounts who I look forward to keeping up with. From bloggers, entrepreneurs, to everyday women, there are women of every age, race and location on this list.

If you have any faves, please leave their Instagram handle in the comments below!

Helene in Between @heleneinbetween

Helene is a full time blogger who took her passion for writing and turned it into a full time job. She recently moved to Germany, so on top of helping others figure out how to make their goals a reality, she also writes about her trips abroad.

Taylor Wolfe @thedailytay

I don't remember how I found Taylor, but I'm so glad I did. If you need someone to brighten your mood each morning, you need her Instastories on your feed. Something as basic as walking her dog turns into a hilarious adventure, trust me, you've gotta check her out.

Joy Cho @ohjoy

Another account that I don't remember how I found, but Joy is the perfect example of someone who turned hard work into a dream career. Her Instagram highlights life with two adorable kids, designing home stuff for Target and other major companies, and outfit of the days that will make you wanna step up your fashion game.

Megan @bodyposipanda

Hands down the best account I've found in months! If you aren't aware of the body positive movement on Instagram, stop what you're doing and go follow this account. Through Lauren I've been able to find a ton of other accounts I love, which are very needed since I think I'm finally hitting that part of my twenties when my body feels like it's going through a second puberty. Trust me, your mental health will thank you for this.

@Dee.nasty

If you want a reason to laugh while on Instagram without all the cattiness that can come from meme accounts, Dee.nasty is a hilarious comedian living in New York City. Apart from the skits she creates with her friends, her everyday life is hilarious and strangely relatable.

Celeste Barber @celestebarber

Such a random addition but she is the definition of a cool mom. When she's not recreating celebrities ridiculous Instagram photos, she's harassing her hot husband and making hilarious comments on motherhood.

5 Things to Do This Semester to Boost Your GPA

Grades were all that were on my mind during college, and sometimes even today. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, you just can't get the grade you want. If you find yourself struggling to get that 4.0 GPA or just pass that difficult class, keep reading for my tips to boost your GPA in the span of one semester.

Whether you're reading this freshmen year or your last semester of senior year, these tips should be applicable no matter what stage of college you're in. For more tips on how to make the best of your college years, check out the college category of the blog for a full list of related posts.

Related Post: 10 Stupid Mistakes I Made My First Year of College

Pay attention to your class schedule

Some classes are just hard, in my case, I sucked at philosophy. Taking a course on what it means to think was way out of my league, which is why I ended the class with a C grade and a vow to never take a class in that subject again. When registering for classes, pay attention to the subjects you struggle in and try to not register for two difficult courses in the same semester. If you can't avoid it, opt for an elective or subject that comes easy to you to lessen the stress you'll feel during the semester.

6 Simple Money Saving Apps and Websites

Sometime after turning twenty three, I realized I couldn't spend the rest of my life spending all my money on pizza and Target home decor. In the process of saving for my last semester of grad school and quitting my comfy job at the law firm, I started to put more of an effort in saving money when it doesn't require too much effort.

Coupons take too much time though, and buying x amount of products to save money seems counter intuitive, which is why I love the apps and websites listed below.

You might also like: The Easiest Ways to Save Money That Feel Impossible at First

Ibotta

My sister pointed me in the direction of this app, and I'm so glad she did. Ibotta lists all major stores and offers you cash back on items you're already buying. From clothing to groceries, there's cash back available for a variety of things. All you have to do is shop like normal, scan the barcodes of the stuff you buy, and then snap a pic of your receipt. Typically I get the money credited to my account within the hour.

To get a free $10 credited to your account, you can sign up through my referral link or enter WLYNAAT when you download the app. Plus, by using my link, you get added to my team which makes it easier to earn the monthly team bonuses, aka, extra free cash!

March Goals: Planning Spontaneity

Do you get annoyed when people say, "whoa where did the time go? I feel like the month just started!" Cause if so, prepare to feel triggered.

Where the hell did February go?! I know I've got a lot going on but I genuinely am not sure how this month flew by me. Yeah I got a ton of stuff done, but I'm not sure how able I was to enjoy all of it. Between balancing all my school assignments and my growing client caseload, my sleep has been terrible and my home gets closer every day to being swallowed by the piles of paper lying around.

Thankfully, one thing I have under control are my blog. My page views have been wonky lately, and by wonky I mean they suck. I have a minimum I never dip under but I full on cannon balled into it the past few weeks, and while I'm not sure why, I do know what does work.

Spontaneous posts. Posts that offer you nothing other than a chance to get distracted and maybe laugh at me, which is why I started writing years ago. My post, Why I Could Never Date Christian Grey, was the top performer this month, even though I wrote it at 8am before I had even gotten up to pee. This taught me that people want some relatable content as well, so I'm gonna do my best in March to publish more of this when the inspiration strikes. Okay, on to the goals.

February Goals: How did I do?

Send out newsletter regularly >> Success
If you aren't yet signed up for the weekly newsletter, what are you waiting for? Once a week I sent out an email full of content from here and around the web, to motivate you and get you pumped for the week ahead.

Think before I spend >> Success
To be honest, this wasn't so hard. I did find myself almost buying a bookshelf I didn't need but then I simply closed the tab and walked away. I'm still thinking about it so I might go back, but this out of sight out of mind trick really does work.

Related Post: The Easiest Ways to Save Money That Feel Impossible at First

Develop a routine >> Fail
Still a big, fat nope. I try, I really do, but bouncing between my home and my boyfriend's condo makes it hard. Plus work and school exhaust me, but I'm getting there, slowly.

March Goals

Blog Related Goals

Reach 600 followers on IG

I think I've finally figured out Instagram, as in, I know what to post and when. I've been avoiding investing time and money into this social media follower, but this month I plan to decide just how much I wanna put into my account.

Reach 300 Twitter followers

I know I said I was ditching Twitter, but I've found the easiest/laziest way to engage with followers on there. I'm gonna give it one full month to see if I can boost my followers and see any improvement in my traffic from Twitter.

Publish two relatable posts

In the month of February, the post that got the most engagement was one I wrote at 8am on a whim. I currently have no idea what I'll write about, but I'm sure something will pop off.

Everyday Life Goals

Read one full book

I freaking love to read, but I always leave it for last. I just bought a bunch of new books from my favorite thrift store, so I'm gonna set a small goal and vow to read one.

Organize one part of home

My organization goals have been very neglected, but a few hours is all I need to fix one small portion. I'm thinking all the kitchen drawers, so let's see if I bail.

Related Post: 20 Things to Toss Out Today, How to Declutter in Your Twenties