-Insert Guide To Picking a Major Here-

When I was twelve, I wanted to be an author. When I was thirteen, I wanted to be an art teacher. When I was fifteen, I wanted to be an interior designer. When I was sixteen, my mom said, "You like web design, why don't you be a web designer?"

And that's when it hit me. The past six years have been aimed with my career goal in mind - but what if I never made that decision? What if I wake up one day and realize that I hate web design and don't want to do it anymore? As unlikely as that is, it's still a thought that crosses my mind from time to time.

A lot of people start college without knowing what they want their career to be. It's really a daunting task - deciding what path you are going to take for the rest of your life. (It's almost as scary as choosing a faction in Divergent - the book that I am currently reading) Luckily for you, making the wrong choice right now won't screw you over for the rest of the time you're alive.

College is about exploring. Most of us don't have the unlimited funds to truly explore all of our options, which is really a shame. It can be a little unsettling to be in an environment where everybody knows what they want to do and where they're going, while you just want to pass your math class and have something decent in the cafeteria for lunch that day. That's why deciding on your major is so important.

Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind:

01. Think about what makes you happy. What are your favorite things to do? What do you spend time doing that makes time fly, and how can you translate that into a job setting?

02. Travel. Experience new things and new places. There could be something out there that you had no idea existed.

03. Try something new. Take classes with subjects that seem interesting to you. Broaden your horizons.

04. General Studies. Start off college taking general studies courses. This gives you more time to figure out what you want to do while still working towards a degree.

05. Take a break. If you've run out of general studies classes to take, it's ok to take a break from school instead of spending more money on classes you might not end up needing. A break from school can help you clear your mind and realize what you'd like to continue studying.

06. Work. If anything, working a job you hate will inspire you to pick a better career path, and working a job you love will confirm what you want to keep doing.

07. Relax. I know it can be scary not knowing where your life is going, but it can also be exciting. If you don't have your life already planned out, then it leaves room for anything to happen. Just make sure you're able to pay the bills and doing something you love in the mean time.

Here's a little secret for you - even the people who have their lives planned out and know what they want to do right now will probably change their mind down the road somewhere. Life is unpredictable, and we have the ability to try so many different things in this day and age.

College Rule #12
College doesn't define who you are for the rest of your life. Now's the time to explore.

I can't tell you what to pick as your major. I can't tell you when you're going to know or how to get that lightbulb to click on. All I can tell you is that you don't have to live in fear of being left behind in life because you don't know what you want to do. It will come to you eventually - it's ok not to know. Explore your choices and go on adventures. Learn the meaning of hard work and being a good person. Defining who you are as a person will help you decide what you want to do with your life.

PS. I drew that Morph (from Treasure Planet, I'm saddened to find out a lot of people have no idea what that is) on Art Academy: Sketchpad for the WiiU. If anyone has a WiiU and wants to be friends, you should add me! - ohemjayy

Peace. Love. Explore.

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Insert School Interrupting Disease Here

That sounds like a knock knock joke, doesn't it?

knock knock.
who's there?
school interrupting disease.
school interrupting dis-
HA HA SUCKA YOU HAVE MONO!

Apparently it's also a joke interrupting disease. But I guess that would be part of the joke.

Have you ever missed mass amounts of school due to your immune system not doing a decent enough job and getting some kind of contagious disease that makes your whole body hurt, your temperature sky rocket, your stomach want to explode, your throat hurt because of all of the drainage, your body wanting to sleep all the time, and gives you an inability to drink water - the one thing you're supposed to do to get better? Oh, let's add in having your period on top of that. This, my friends, has been my past 2 and a half weeks.

The first week I wasn't really sure why I was constantly hurting. Headaches and sore muscles for days. I still went out and did things, like finishing my summer classes or hanging out with my boyfriend and his friend at the mall. Of course, I was slightly miserable and dying the whole time. But these were important things. That Tuesday was the last day I would get to see one of my best friends who is moving 12 hours away for college this year. Those are the things you can't miss, no matter how achy you're feeling. So I pretty much ignored the fact that there was something wrong with me until my fever was super noticeable, and I was sweating bullets.

The second week was when the dehydration hit. Once the dehydration happens, you're screwed. For three days straight, I was throwing up, feeling awful, and barely able to move. I wasn't sore anymore, but every time I tried to eat or drink, I just wanted to throw it all back up. It took me all last week to get back to a point where I could eat and be somewhat active again. And do you know how awful it is to see food, want food, love food, but every time you try to actually eat it, you want to vomit? Horrible, horrible punishment.

This week has been mostly just me dealing with crazy drainage and allergy problems mixed in with the need to sleep about 5 hours more a day than normal... I feel like a cat. I'll be doing fine and then all of a sudden I'm crazy tired and need a nap.

And what all of this and the blood work that I've had done (not to mention my clever knock knock joke) is alluding to is that I have mono. Which, you know, isn't the WORST thing that could happen to a person, but it's certainly down there. Besides the fact that I can't do any contact sports (let's be real. i don't do sports at all - contact or not. so not an issue) I have missed (or am in the process of missing) my first week of classes. On top of that, my blood work that I had taken THIS week (and I absolutely loathe needles) shows that my strain is still active, and therefore means I'm still contagious, and I just really want to kiss my boyfriend. So how long do I have to wait before it's ok to do that again? Because, that's quite possibly the worst part of this whole thing. Like come on, I have been single for 21 years of my life (all of my relationships collectively have lasted 11 months-ish), and I have to get mono NOW? I know, I know, first world problems, I should be more concerned with the DISEASE and missing school. But whatever.

Rule #11 About Jayy
She is terrified of needles. Hates them with a passion. But she has 6 piercings, and wants 3 more and a tattoo.

While I'm complaining (it's what I do best), I just want to throw out there that I have no idea how I even got mono in the first place. My boyfriend doesn't have it. I haven't been kissing anyone else. And I'm the type of person who won't share drinks or food or anything like that cuz it freaks me out. My whole life I would actually get made fun of for being a "germaphobe" because I wouldn't share drinks. It's not that I'm a germaphobe. Just the thought of it freaks me out. But when everyone in marching band started getting mono my junior year, I thought to myself, hey. at least I know I won't get it because I don't put my mouth on stuff that other people have. WHY HAS THIS LOGIC FAILED ME NOW?! Oh well, I guess we'll never know.

So now that I've sufficiently talked about myself (because it's another thing that I do best) let's throw back all that we've just learned to help you. Firstly, if you're showing any symptoms like I was, keep an eye on it. It's unlikely that it's mono, but you could just be super lucky like me. Secondly, if you do end up having mono, make sure you get in contact with your school and let them know. I'm pretty sure my mom just dialed the schools number and told them the problem until they connected her to someone who could help, because how does one even know who to inform in a situation like that? Keep in contact with your professors. Email them. Ask them to send you anything you missed, or what they suggest for staying caught up with class. Don't drop off the face of the planet just because you have some mystery disease (it's french! - gilmore girls quote of the day) School is important, so try to stay on top of it as best you can.

If you so happen to get it right at the end of summer and you miss move in day, because what are the odds, make sure your housing director knows about it, too. That way she won't call you up 2 days later asking if you're still planning on moving in, because you never checked in, and she's starting to fill in spots with people on the waiting list.

Most importantly, just get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. It's so cliche, and I've heard it so many times these past 2 and a half weeks, but it's true. The sooner you're better, the sooner you can get back to doing things normally. Plus, no one likes to feel sick anyway.

One last thing. If you're IGNORING the fact that you're sick because you just really want to go hang out with your friends or your boyfriend or something like that, please make sure you're ok to drive. If you're slightly feverish and not all there, you might accidentally hit a recycling bin not even a mile away from your house and take off your mirror and scratch the side of your car. I know driving isn't necessarily college related, but it's still something you should definitely take seriously and into consideration when you're sick. Sometimes driving while being sick is just as bad as driving while under the influence.

Oh, and because you might be wondering. The picture is from when I went to the lake 3 or so weeks ago with part of CIRCLE team. It was a super fun day, and I totally miss Alyssa and wish she were coming back. Of course I miss Sam, too, but I'm seeing him in 4 days. Anyway, just some photographic proof of how awesome I am. We just hung out at the lake all day - laid on the beach, went swimming, and went kayaking. We went to Sonic for dinner, and then I drove Sam home and we watched Percy Jackson and it was just a nice day.

So have a lovely first week of classes if you're back this week. If not, have a lovely week anyway. I'll try to write more about other college-y things soon, seeing as college is actually starting now.

Peace. Love. Mono.

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Insert Summer Classes Here

It's summer and those warm, crazy nights with your friends, and sunny, free days at the beach are calling your name. It's a care free 3 months of doing everything you want and forgetting all about school. Right? Wrong. Especially if you live in Australia and it is in fact WINTER right now... basically, if you live in Australia, this blog is pretty much only good for a time killer and a few chuckles here and there. Anyway, some of us who want to graduate early (or are just making up for the year they took off) are enrolled in summer classes.

College Rule #7
Unless you have a good reason and every intention of going back (like you don't have the funds, or you aren't sure where to continue your schooling) don't take a year off from college. Just stick it out the couple of years and don't waste the time and effort you already put into it. If you stop going because you don't feel like going, you most likely will never go back.

So as you may have gathered, I am taking college classes during the summer. The plan is to take classes every semester so that I can graduate in Fall of 2014 (where normally people in my grade that do 4 year degrees will graduate in Spring of 2014). May I just say, it is so crazy to me that a lot of my friends that I graduated high school with either graduated early this past spring or are graduating this coming spring. When did I get so old? In order for me to graduate by next fall, I have to take classes over this summer and the next.

This summer I was to take my last math credit and my last PE credit. Why colleges require PE credits, I'll never know, and that's a rant for a different day. That was the plan anyway. Of course, leave it to Jordyn to eff things up. I signed up for the PE class with my best friend, Stephanie (which is awesome because I met her through that school and never have I been able to purposely schedule a class with a friend). My math class was a virtual online one. I've never taken a virtual online class before... and I can still honestly say that I haven't.

Essentially, my super awesome community college's system is that they only send emails to the email account they provide you, but once you stop going to school there, they shut off your account and you have to call in to reenact it. Well, you can bet your bottom dollar that they shut off my email account after the year I was away from them. Did I know that? Nope, of course not. So, I'm sitting here expecting to get an email or SOMETHING from them about my virtual class. And nothing. Eventually, June 17th rolls around and my PE class is scheduled to start the next day. I'm thinking, This is odd. Math definitely should have started by now. Let me check my schedule again.

Well, I checked my schedule and low and behold it said that I was dropped from my math class on June 4th. After a ridiculously huge ..erm.. mild panic attack full of nauseousness, bawling, and massive spazzed out texts to my boyfriend, I told my mother where more panic attacks and fits of bawling pursued. You see, I'm definitely not the type of person to skip class, or just not show up. Not even in high school. The fact that so much money rides on a single class, not to mention my goal of graduating by the end of 2014, is not something you just throw away. We only got a 50% refund. The whole situation was just a giant misunderstanding and really lame. I honestly don't ever want to go back there (not like I did after I finished my Spring 2012 semester), but I don't really have a choice. The credits are cheaper there.

College Rule #8
Make sure that you have constant contact with your school. If they only send emails to you through the email account they gave you, than make sure you're checking it regularly and that it's still available to you.

So besides that unfortunate happening, my PE class has gone alright. I've only had one class so far, and already my arms feel like they're going to fall off... and that was 3 days ago. On the plus side, I did 22 "push ups" in a minute... you know, 22 of my girly only go half way down push ups because I have no upper body strength or any strength at all. I won't lie to you, I may be skinny, but I am far from physically fit. I'm surprised I even did 22. Even worse, though, is that this gym class has homework. Yippee skippee The only good part about it is that I'm taking it with Steph. I got to hang out with her after class on Thursday. We went and got food and I sang "I Want It That Way" loudly at the gas station because it was playing, I'm still living in the 90's, and the Backstreet Boys will forever be cooler than One Direction.

Rule #9 About Jayy
She doesn't exercise. She doesn't eat healthy. So don't assume she's fit or in shape just because she's skinny. And ESPECIALLY don't argue with her about it. I think she knows her body a little better than you do.

So if you're having as crappy a summer as me with all of that school nonsense, it's important to remember that it IS still summer, and you should still be having all of your summer adventures and fun. Last Wednesday, I went to the lake with my friend Brittany, and we had a marvelous time. The weather was so nice out. It was a perfect day. We went walking on the docks, trying to catch fish with our bare hands in the lake, and then making flower crowns up on the grassy hill. It's little moments like those that add up to make your summer amazing. Make sure you take as many of those moments that seem like nothing instead of just sitting in your room all day watching TV. There's always something to do other than just school, work, and TV. Make the most of your summer.

Oh, and good news. I'm that much closer to getting my portfolio up and running. I just want a few people to look over it first to make sure it's good enough, and then I'll put it online. I've also gotten a new twitter account to go along with it here. Follow if you'd life. If not, definitely follow Insert Here on twitter. I'll love you for forever.

What are you doing this summer/winter? Ever take virtual classes before?

Peace. Love. Winter in Australia.

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