social media | My Life @ Riddle

Happy April folks! I am currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida and the spring semester is so close yet so far from being over! Homework is slowing down as projects, tests, quizzes, and finals are picking up and we only have a few weeks between us and summer!

Some brief updates: I got rehired as an RA for next year and I got assigned a new building which I am so happy about! I also discovered a new affinity for iced chai tea lattes, and my favorite finals go-to drink… iced cappuccinos! Stopping by the Starbucks on campus in between classes or studying for a quick pick-me-up has been a recent favorite of mine.

I started a few weeks ago FaceTiming my sister every Sunday evening, its been an important highlight that I look forward to every week amongst the chaos and busy flow of both of our lives. Giving time and energy to people you love is one of the most rewarding feelings! FaceTiming with people you miss may also help you feel more connected, especially in our current era of social distancing and masked living.

My sister’s pup Daisy who I also get to see over FaceTime every Sunday!!

I am one shot away from being fully vaccinated and I am very excited to be done! Traveling is one of my favorite activities and not being able to go abroad the past two summers has definitely hit me hard. I deleted my social media accounts at the beginning of the semester to take a small mental break and post-finals I am considering re-downloading them to stay connected with my friends that are graduating and moving away for the summer. I have also been looking into Pinterest lately as there’s some super cool inspiration and motivation that helps me feel more connected.

Making friends is definitely challenging and the social life component is usually a very important aspect of college connections! I’ve supplemented “normal” hanging out with friends by sharing digital connections with my friends in the meantime. Usually this consists of sending music recommendations (Spotify!), workout or yoga videos (typically Popsugar Fitness or YogaWithAdriene), cool podcasts we want to share (NPR’s Shortwave on Spotify), or show/movie recommendations on Disney+, Netflix, or Hulu.

Shortwave is a super cool podcast that is fairly short and is perfect for a study break, walk between classes, or something to listen to if you are curious and like learning more about the world in between switching your laundry!

I don’t usually have a ton of free time, so sometimes while I’m eating dinner I will watch a show or a movie for a few moments before hopping back into my to-do lists. Recently I’ve checked out on Netflix – Nadiya’s Time To Eat and Nadiya Bakes, both which I highly recommend for a light hearted good vibes simple cooking show that helps me look forward to being able to cook again in a kitchen this summer. I also recently watched Onward, Ferdinand, and Lilo and Stitch on Disney+ which are all extremely cute and have bright colors and end on happy notes!

Keep on keeping on folks! Will report back soon with final projects, finals, and life updates!

Although second semester has only just begun, I’m definitely starting to feel my course load, my two on-campus jobs, as well as being a member of five organizations on campus, start to bear down on me. Most people advise me to take a step back and prioritize what is most important and then cut back on what is not. However, when you’re passionate about everything you’re involved in, how does one cut back on involvement? The answer for me is: you don’t.

I’ve always been one to be involved in clubs, sports, and extracurriculars; even while I was in high school. Now that I have the freedom to use my time how I want to in college, I am involved even more! If you are like me, you understand that being involved and constantly having to attend meetings, social events, do homework, and even travel across the country (I’m so excited!), is just how you like to live. I’ve realized over my first semester here at ERAU that I love to be on-the-go!

This semester I am juggling my job as a Blogger, my job as a Social Media Assistant for Student Activities, being an Orientation Team Ambassador, being a Women’s Ambassador/Webmaster, as well as being an active member of NBAA, Women in Aviation, and Airport Management Club all on top of my five classes. At this point, my planner is starting to look a little crazy, but that’s just how I like it! I also have the privilege of traveling to Seattle, Washington, Savannah, Georgia, Dallas, Texas, and Murray, Kentucky this semester due to various different conferences, outreach events, and social events. You could say being on-the-go 24/7 is what keeps me on my toes!

I never would be able to manage all of it if it weren’t for these three must-have’s however, so I’ve decided to share them with you…

1. My planner: This handy ERAU Planner is what is now serving as my lifeline. If I lost it, my life would be in shambles! I write down everything in it: meetings, assignments, reminders, flights, social events, etc. You name it, it’s in my planner!

2. Sleep: I cannot stress this enough, sleep is the most important part of my daily routine. I am not one of those people who can run solely off of one hour of sleep and a 32oz Latte! I pride myself on getting at least seven hours of zzz‘s per night: it truly does make a difference in your day!

3. 9-5: I once heard from someone that in order to be able to manage all of the organizations you want to be a part of, you have to commit to your academics like they’re a job. This means working, in my case, from 8am-5pm everyday on homework, academic-related meetings, or on my jobs. Once I have finished my work for the day, then I can go out to my club meetings or go explore Florida. This is the best piece of advice I have ever received!

I know a lot of you are probably like me; working yourself until you have a mental breakdown, but that’s okay! I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it is definitely achievable if you stay organized, stay positive, and stay focused! Whose right is it to tell you that you cannot be involved in all that you want to? I say, go out there and do it!

Until next time,

Lindsey