Here are a few important things that helps me to be a better version of myself. I believe ALL college students can benefit from these things!
Below is a list of things that I use to help me feel better in my day to day life. There will be some affiliate links listed below which means if you order a product through any of those links, I may receive compensation. However, these are items that I use everyday and only items that I believe you will truly benefit from are listed below.
One of the things that I realized during my stay in the dorms is that I need structure in my life. Living in the dorms was a fun experience, but it was without a doubt one of the craziest years of my life. I was literally roommates with hundreds of people, which made it a fun, memorable experience, but also a wild one. Due to all the fun I was having, I kind of screwed up my first semester and ended up with the worst grades that I have ever received in my life. I was going out with friends, partying, eating large quantities of food, not studying, and a lot of other unhealthy things. Not only did I end up with horrible grades, I ended up becoming the unhealthiest version of myself, in pretty much all areas of my life; physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually as well.
I ended up having to meet with my academic advisor due to my poor grades and I don’t really remember what we spoke about, but I do remember one key thing that he told me, and he told me that I can really use some structure. I started really being mindful of what I do each day. Below is a list of things that help me be a better version of myself.
After reflecting on my past semester and seeing what changes that I needed to make, I realized that I need to change myself physically. My physical health led to a poor mental health, and my poor mental health negatively affected my academics. My older friends were warning me about “Freshman 15” before I entered college, but barely halfway through my freshman year, I already hit Freshman 25. I was unhappy with how I looked and how I felt. So after doing some research on how to get back on track, I read that water is super important. I bought a Nalgene bottle and this reminds me to keep drinking water. I keep it with me at all times and when I run low on water, I’m reminded to fill it up. It might seem silly, but just having a cool water bottle with you will definitely help you keep drinking water. Just by drinking more water, I began to feel healthier. I feel my skin glowing too.
2.) Face Cleanser & Moisturizer
My unhealthy first semester led to me breaking out. My skin was oily all the time, and my forehead was all busted up with pimples. I experimented with different cleansers and moisturizers and the one that I now currently use is the Cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser. I follow this up with the Cerave Day and Night face lotion. This combo just happens to work for me and makes my skin feel the best. I would highly recommend you pick up on a face routine of some sort. It helps me feel better, and also look better, which leads to me being happier and more confident, which leads to me being a better person.
3.) Journal/Planner
One of the things that really helped me get back on track was journaling. I use my journal as a planner and a notebook to write out my thoughts. Every night before I go to bed, I write down a list of all the things I need to do the following day, even if they seem like small things. I noticed when I write them down, I rarely have that many tasks that I need to complete. Completing these tiny tasks became easy to do, but these easy things led to big changes in my life.
4.) Resistance Bands
I’m naturally a very lazy person. I didn’t like to leave my dorm room, especially during the winter. I didn’t have a car my freshman year, because I lived on campus, so if I wanted to hit the gym that meant I had to walk. I still wanted to cut down on some lbs that I gained during my first semester, so I bought some resistance bands. You will be surprised at all the workouts you can do with these things. I used Youtube to help me find workouts for them as well, as well as other workouts that I can do in a dorm room with no equipment. I quickly became in better shape and I even started getting compliments about my physical appearance too, especially about my biceps ;).
I am now a bit more focused on my fitness than I was in the past, so I now try to go to the gym everyday. I encourage you all to find a way to workout one way or another. If it means just walking around campus each day or doing simple workouts like push ups and sit ups, make sure you do something because it will definitely make a difference.
5.) Smartwatch
I know these things can be a bit pricey and I don’t think these are really necessary to be honest. I didn’t have one during my freshman year, and I actually got one as a gift after I graduated college. With that said, my Apple Watch has helped me tremendously. It reminds me to keep moving and stay active throughout the day. It also helps me get a better idea of how many calories I burn in my workouts. It is easy to set reminders on my watch as well, I literally press a button and speak to it. I have the cheapest Apple Watch, which is the Apple Watch SE 1st Gen. I was told it cost around $200 when I received it, but I’m sure it might be cheaper now.
6.) Good Friends
One thing I realized after my freshman year is that it is important to have good friends. Friends that truly care about you and want you to succeed. When you first enter college, you meet a ton of other students that are looking to find people to party with and have fun with. That’s easy to do, but it’s a bit harder to find friends that will stick by you when you change your 24/7 party habits and become a boring person that needs to study 24/7 because you failed your first semester. When you find genuine friends that are motivated and trying to succeed and friends that want you to succeed too, it will help you become a better person.
7.) Devotional Book
This is something that I choose to read every night. It helps me to feel encouraged and thankful for each day. It also reminds me to always be thankful and to work hard.
These are just a few of the things that I utilize in my day to day life. These helped me throughout college and continue to help me today, in my everyday life.