Five Things You Should Thank Your College Best Friend For

As some of you may know, I am the Greek Life Blogger for Sorority Girl Thoughts. So, you're probably asking yourself, "How does thanking your college best friend play into Greek Life? That doesn't make sense..." and that, my friends, is where I begin my story. Your college best friends, not to be confused with your high school best friends because those people are incredibly important too, but your college best friends have most definitely seen it all. They've been with you through some of your most stressful and most exciting times in your young adult life. They've witnessed you change from a weird little freshman to the confident, leader you are today. My college best friendships all blossomed from being part of Greek Life. If I would have never joined a sorority, specifically my sorority, I would have never become such great friends with these people and my life would be entirely different. Oddly enough, one of the best friends I've ever had is from the same city that I am. We went to rival high schools and never met each other until we were in college, both in the same sorority. More times than not, I forget to thank my college best friends for all they have done for me through good times and bad. Maybe you lived with your college best friend or maybe your college best friend is someone you never thought in a million years you would be friends with. Whatever your case may be, here's a little list of things I feel are very important to thank your college bff for.

Look at the beauty that is my bff and ignore my strange choice of bat necklace accessory. 

1. Thank them for the times they went out of their way just to see you smile. I cannot tell you how important simple acts of kindness are in times of need. If it's stress from finals week, a break up, failing a class, losing a job, or just trying to juggle too much all at once - your college best friend is always there for you because, chances are, they understand your pain. 

2. Thank them for the times they were your biggest fan or biggest support system when you felt like the weight of the world was on your shoulders. You probably didn't even realize that they were giving you the support you needed or maybe you did. Regardless, your college best friend noticed you struggling to do all that you tried (and probably succeeded at) accomplishing. They took the initiative to give you an extra ounce of courage to motivate you just enough to get the job done. 

#TBT to that wonderful time when KTE and TKE were paired for Greek Week 2014

3. Thank them for the nights when you wanted to stay in but they made you go out with them anyway. Honestly, you probably had so much fun you completely forgot about the hours you wanted to spend binge watching netflix with no pants on while eating macaroni and cheese from the pan skinny pop popcorn. Thank your best friend for helping you show the real world that you're one hot piece of sass and a heck of a good time too! 

Spontaneous, unofficial Summer mixer with the gents of Kappa Sigma. (NOTE: everyone is of age)

4. Thank them for knowing your order at Starbs, Chipotle (or Qdoba for the Queso Lovers), Jimmy Johns, all-time favorite snack, or for simply knowing your favorite flavor of Gatorade. The fact that your bestie knows and remembers these specific details about you and can easily save you from mid-day hanger, starvation, or the worst hangover known to mankind, deserves an award all on its own.

Some of the best pledge sisters a girl could ask for.

5. Thank them for sticking by your side. It's not always easy, we all know that. Sometimes you're difficult or moody and sometimes your college bff is too. Friends come and go for one reason or another. Fights happen. Distance happens especially with this thing called "growing up and moving away". But really though, was there a class on that topic because I sure wasn't prepared for it to start happening. Thank your college best friend for always, no matter what, being there for you to give you a laugh, a hug, a snap back to reality (oh, there goes gravity), or whatever you need to get you through the day. At this point in life, real friends are so precious and hard to come by.

My big and I color coordinating per usual.

If your college best friends have all gone their separate ways or if you're still making enough memories to last you a life time, don't forget to take a moment to thank them for all they've done for you. 

What is your favorite memory with your college best friend? Let us know in the comments below!

Five Things To Do Your Last Days as a Senior in College

Being a senior in college is a pretty amazing thing.  After four grueling long years of late night study sessions, last minute papers, group projects, and let’s face it TONS of coffee, you now can see something beyond the ivory walls of your university, you can see your goals for the future.

This ability to now see what is you want in life, or at least a general idea of what you want, can also be extremely terrifying. While you know where you want to be, you are also realizing that you are about to jump head first into a deep, dark, foggy abyss of doubt and uncertainty where no real idea of where you will end up along the way to your dreams.

That being said your last few days as a senior in college are the most terrifying and the most comforting.

So here are five things you should do on your final days before you leave your university to enter the real world, do these things and more as a reminder that while change is inevitable, being happy no matter where life leads is the most important thing.

11)   Spend time with your friends: Spend your final days at college with the people who made your college experience more than just academics. Go to a movie, take a few days and drive to the beach, go to the bar one (or two) last times, spend these final fleeting movements of, dare I say, childhood, with the people who you can’t imagine your life without.

22)   Reflect on your time in college: Whether you take one final stroll around campus or make a scrapbook, take the time to think about your time in college: what you did right or wrong, experiences you are glad you had and ones you wish you didn’t, opportunities you are glad you took and those you wish you did. Take this time to look back not only to see what has changed in just four short years but what hasn’t changed very much at all.

33)   Write down your dreams: Take a moment and write down your dreams, the things you want in life. Think about why you want them and how you plan on getting there. Keep that piece of paper in your wallet. Whenever you feel lost or uncertain, pull that piece of paper out as a reminder of what you are working towards.

44)   Thank your professors, your mentors, your parents: There are certain “teachers “in life that you can look back on and say “that person left an impact on me”, take this time to thank them for that.  You wouldn’t be whom you are with out them.

55)   Just breathe: Take a page out of Michelle Branch’s songbook (yes, I went there) and just relax and breathe. This period of life is about to end, take the time to watch gracefully as it comes to a close.

Six Years Later

        While I was working at one of my three jobs this past week, I "ran into" someone from my past. While this person didn't see me, or at least didn't acknowledge that they saw me, I found myself spending the rest of my shift (actually, until I started writing this blog post), thinking about how different my life is more than six years after this person was a consistent part of my life. 

        First off, let me start by saying, it is truly amazing how much can change in six years. Six years ago I was a senior in high school, living with my wonderful family but also with my abusive step-father, trying to get into college, dealing with some heartbreak, and longing to be free. To be honest, reflectively that was probably one of the most difficult points in my life. 

        Now, am an adult. I have graduated from college with not only a Bachelor's but also a Masters and had an amazing time earning those degrees. I am doing work in a field that I love and have immense passion for. I am engaged to perhaps the best man I have ever known. I have my family, without the man that caused us all so much pain, and found another family in the amazing people who raised my fiancé.  I am independent. I have direction and I know what I want. I have goals, dreams, and plans and absolutely no doubt that I can achieve them. I am completely free. 

          Looking back, these past six years have been the greatest journey. I am proud of where I am, what I have survived and more importantly what I have and will conquer. So, I conclude this piece by saying thank you to that person from my past, for reminding me how lucky I really am.

Preparing For Your Big's Graduation

One of the greatest things about joining a sorority is getting a big. I remember ecstatically waiting to see who my big would be ( I can assure you, I was not disappointed). Your big is your role model, your friend, the person who will help guide you as you enter this new and exciting world of Greek Life and, even more importantly life. So naturally, it is a difficult transition as your big's graduation date approaches.   With spring semester starting, many little's are now facing that daunting realization that there big is graduating into the big girl world.  To help ease some of the sadness, here is a list of tips to help make your last semester with your big the best one yet!

1) Hang out as much as you can. This may seem obvious but the the hustle and bustle of school it is easy to forget.

2) Start creating traditions that can go on after your big graduates.  Weather it is a weekly movie night or a monthly coffee date, have a scheduled time to be together allows you to plan ahead.

3) Take a ton of pictures. Every event, or trip to the bar, or just casual hang out sessions, document the moment. Being able to look back and be reminded of your time together, it will help easy the feeling of lost after you go from seeing them everyday to every few weeks. 

4) Speaking of pictures, plan something special to give your big for graduation, For example, with all those pictures, a scrapbook is a great graduation present! I made one for my big and she loved it!

5) Have the younger members of your sorority, especially if they are in your tree, get to know your big too. Long after your graduated your big and you will still be part of the chapter, it is important to leave some sort of impact or legacy.

So as you prepare to enter your spring semester, remember to use the opportunity to spend as much time with your big as possible, cause before you know it, you will be the big graduating and leaving her little for the many opportunities that the world has to offer.