College is an amazing place to take advantage of new opportunities. Over any breaks I try to do something exciting instead of going home. This past spring break I went to Disney World with a class at Elon. We were able to visit all four parks and part take in the Youth Education Series. My class was able to go behind scenes and see hidden secrets of Disney. Here is a photo story of what I learned about in Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square: http://kvalerio.weebly.com

The greatest part of this experience was being able to explore Disney World and notice things that you would not have noticed as a kid. You really grow to appreciate it. Also, it was a great opportunity to do this class alone and have the opportunity to meet new people.

My advice: Take advantage of school planned break trips; they can be really educational and fun. Also, put yourself out there and sign up for the class alone!

It really is true your first semester of college does fly by.

So much is going on that you never have a dull moment. You are trying to balance your course load while also trying to start friendships. It can be very exhausting.

TIPS

1.  ATTEND THE ORGANIZATION FAIR: some people will tell you to only sign up for a few things but I think you should sign up for anything that sparks your interest then go from there. You will start to get emails from the clubs you signed up for and then from there you will go to the meetings and feel it out. Once you know they are not for you drop it and put some more of your time into a different organization.

2. GO OUT: when the weekend comes you are just going to want to crawl into bed and binge watch Netflix after a long week of classes but you really shouldn't. This is prime time to get closer to your friends and have fun!

3. DON'T FEEL TEMPTED BY THE DINING HALL FOOD: having a meal plan allowing you to eat whenever and wherever is really tempting. Your biggest meal should be breakfast and then it should gradually get smaller. Make sure you don't forget your veggies and try not to over do it on the carbs.

4. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF: it will be hard at first to manage everything but make sure you take time for yourself. You need to make sure you get proper sleep and relax when you need it otherwise you will burn out. Trust me it's possible to never have to pull an all nighter.

5. YOUR PLANNER WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND: you are going to need to stay organized not only for your school work but for your social life because it can get a little hectic.

6. EXERCISE: this is really important. You might end up saying you don't have the time but you have to make time to take care of your body. Whether you have 15 minutes or 60 minutes anything is good enough.

7. DON'T SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY: you pay for a dining plan so don't be ordering Dominos or Chinese food when you don't need to be.

8. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE: don't be afraid to ask people for their numbers from class or be afraid to actually hit them up. After all college is about making friends!

9. GET A JOB: it will be nice to have pocket money to spend when you want.

Most people hate rainy days but I think they are a great day to just dress down. Take advantage of the weather and be comfortable! I am wearing  Nike leggings and on top, I am wearing Patagonia women's better sweater fleece with my comfortable Sperry rainboots.  Ankle rainboots are perfect walking all around campus. For my nails, I am wearing Essie nail polish  and on my wrist I have on Alex and Ani bracelets.  My favorite is my seashell bracelet because I love the beach. I recommend wearing a bunch of them. There are so many choices to choose from! 

1.) Cereal and Milk- for those mornings all you want to do is stay in and sleep that extra half and hour and now you can with this healthy breakfast!

2.) Popcorn or Kettle Corn- this is for those late nights when you are staying in with the girls watching a movie

3.) Mixed Nuts- this is for when you go to the dining hall and you have a meal with an insufficient amount of protein so you eat these!

4.) Protein Bars-these are for going from one class to the next

5.) Apple and Peanut Butter- this is for when you need a healthy snack between lunch and dinner

6.) Dark Chocolate- this is for when you need a little caffeine and a sweet treat of course!