Post college motivational movies

Do you ever watch a movie and feel like it's reflecting everything that's happening in your life at the current moment? You're not alone. Now that graduation is approaching, we find ourselves thinking about what we're going to be doing post college graduation. And of course there are several movies out there that trigger those thoughts in our minds. Here's a short list of movies that are very encouraging to watch if you're a graduating senior.

The main characters in Pitch Perfect 2 are graduating seniors. Throughout the movie, they touch on what they'll be doing after they graduate. Some of them have a plan and some of them said they were going to let life take them where it will. Though this topic isn't the focus of the movie, it does spark some thoughts in our minds about what life will be like after graduating from college.

This movie doesn't have much to do with college graduation at all, but it does have to do with finding yourself in the working world. Anne Hathaway's character is a successful owner of a fashion company and her character's life shows the potential college graduates have after leaving college. It's a really touching movie and is highly recommended. 

And finally, Get a Job is that special movie that relates perfectly to communication majors that are worrying about what they'll be doing post graduation. The main character finds himself working as the "film guy" for a huge company and ends up taking his video editing skills in his own direction at the end, creating his own video production company. These types of situations probably take forever to become successful with, but considering how relatable this movie is for communication majors is definitely something that should be viewed by those individuals.

And of course there are many more movies that are motivational for those graduating from college in a few days. Yes, these are just movies and life doesn't work out like it does in the movies. But they do send good messages to individuals who are in need of a little push. 

College Graduation

It's two more weeks until graduation. Your four years of college are coming to an end. This is the moment you've been waiting for, walking across that stage and receiving your diploma.

Yet, you find yourself worrying about what will happen afterwards. What career will you be doing, what state you'll be living in, what salary you'll be making. All these thoughts are weighing you down.

But remember to take a moment and look back on everything you've done in school. The friends you've made, the people you've met, the classes you've taken even if you didn't like some of them. These moments created new lessons for you to learn from or have created new changes in your life. Now it's time to take those lessons and enter the real world. Not only the lessons from what you've learned in classes but from the people who have surrounded you for the past four years.

Now that your time in college is coming to and end, lets look at some of the things that won't be missed from your college days.

1. No more exams to study for and worry about.

2. No more fifteen page papers to write.

3. No more gross dinning hall food (if you didn't like that stuff anyway).

4. No more annoying roommates (if you had those).

5. And no more annoying professors that you don't like.

Though these are the things that won't be missed after graduating, but again, remember the precious moments you've been through in school that have made you who you are the day you wear your cap and gown.

Midterm Blues

Do you ever get your midterm grades and feel disappointed with the results? Maybe some of you aren't struggling with your grades this semester and actually are on top of your game. But there are times where we fall apart and don't do as well as we thought we did on a midterm exam or a major project. And for those of you that have found yourself in this situation, here's to you. You deserve some words of encouragement because you know you worked hard on studying for that scary exam, you know you stayed up late all week to finish that terrible group project that's been stressing you out.

So what are some ways to overcome the midterm blues? Let's take a look:

1. Forget about it
Don't let a bad grade scare you. Of course no one wants a bad grade, or even thinks they deserved that grade. But you have to just accept it and move on. You took the test, you got a bad grade, now use it to prepare yourself for the next one and just forget that one even happened. If anything, you now know what the rest of the semester will look like from here on out if you have more exams in the class or a final. Now you're better prepared than before and should just keep moving forward.

2. Talk to your professor
This may seem like the most basic advice but a lot of the time, our professors want us to check in with them because they don't want to fail us. They want us to succeed and do well in their classes even if we don't think they do. If you got a bad grade, go talk to your professor and make sure there are ways you can improve your grade in the future. Most of the time, they might even let you redo an assignment or have a bonus assignment. You never know until you head over to their office and let them know you need help.

3. Buy yourself some candy
Okay we all need a little treat here and there. You're always deserving of some candy, especially that Hershey bar you've been eying out in the Rockies candy section at the cash register. You deserve a little pick me up after a disappointing exam grade or midterm grade. Just do yourself a favor and grab that candy bar before it's too late.

Now on a serious note, just better prepare yourself for the rest of the semester. Don't goof off anymore, pay more attention in class, maybe even actually go to your classes if you haven't been (you know who you are) and just be more positive. It's never a bad idea to have a more upbeat attitude, especially when you're struggling to have a good time in one of those classes that just bore you to death. But don't stress yourself out over a grade that isn't going to change. Just keep pressing forward and work your hardest.

Sincerely,
EmPris 

Spring Fever

Not only are you back from spring break but the weather is looking more spring like. The sun is shining, the grass is green, leaves are growing back, the temperature is warmer, and everyone's spending more time outside. This is when major distraction comes in play. It's called spring fever.

How is spring fever causing distraction? Well, of course the perfect time for the weather to be getting better during the semester is right when classes start getting more intense. More and more projects are being handed out, papers are being assigned, maybe some students still have midterms to study for. When the work load starts piling on while the weather is looking better and better each day, it causes students to start weighing the options. "Study for my boring midterm or go outside and play Frisbee?"

So how does one stay focused and motivated when the weather is causing so much distraction? Here's a few ways you can get your work done and enjoy the lovely spring day.

1. Plan out your tasks
What are all the things you need to complete for the day or week? Plan out what's most important and work your way through your list to get as much done as you can. If you have something to do that's more challenging than the rest of your assignments, consider working on that first to spend the appropriate amount of time needed for it and to get it done and over with to leave the easier assignments for later. Once you complete all your tasks, your worry free and ready to enjoy the rest of the day or week.

2. Weekends are for the fun stuff
Get everything you need to get done before the weekend because that's the time you're going to want to be outside the most. You don't have classes those days to worry about going to so you're more likely to procrastinate those days compared to the other days of the week. Try getting everything done before Friday night so by the time Sunday evening comes around, you're not stressing out trying to finish all your homework.

3. Do homework outside
If you really can't avoid staying outside, bring your homework with you. Grab a buddy and do some studying outside. Maybe even bring a Frisbee for after you complete all your work. It's also a nice way to get some fresh air and a little bit of sun after being indoors all winter. It's also a nice change of scenery after being stuck inside your dorm room or the library all the time.

No matter how you spend your spring days, don't let spring fever get the best of you. It's every college kids weakness. As soon as the sun comes out and the temperature goes up, all college kids want to do is get outside and hang out with their friends. Of course there's nothing wrong with enjoying a beautiful spring day, but it gets very distracting during this time of the semester so plan accordingly and keep up with your studies so you can frolic in the flowers worry free later.

Sincerely,
EmPris

Plans for spring break?

How are you spending your spring break? Maybe you don't have plans and you need some help figuring out what you can do during your week off. Here are some simple options for those of you that aren't traveling or going home over break.

1. Take day trips
Find places to visit that aren't far from your area that can make the day exciting. Search for attractions  such as museums and exhibits, aquariums, spas, cool restaurants, historical cities and more. There has to be something around you that you've never even heard of that could be something worth checking out.

2. Visit family members 
Maybe you have family members close by in the area, like cousins or grandparents or maybe siblings at other schools. Stopping by a family member's house for a visit would be a fun way to catch up on how they're doing. It's always important to keep in touch with family members, even if your uncle has an annoying laugh or your grandma gives you too many hugs.

3. Find music
There's always small gigs going on in the evenings from local bands that don't cost money to see. Do some research to see when the next live performance is at your local bars or restaurants. Live music is always entertaining and it lifts everyone's spirits in some way or another. Even if you don't know the artist that's performing, it's still most likely going to be a good time. Plus, the artists always appreciates an audience no matter what.

Maybe this topic isn't related to keeping motivated during college but spring break (in some eyes) is a big deal to college students because it's the only break during the spring semester. If anything, by making the best of spring break, it could boost your mood and make you more motivated when you get back to reality to get the semester done and over with. Or maybe you'll have so much fun over break that you'll find it hard to motivate yourself afterwards. That's most likely going to be the result. Either way, don't take a week off for granted. It's your only break until summer, so make the best of it and have fun!

Sincerely,
EmPris

Last week before spring break

It's your last week of classes before spring break arrives. How do you stay motivated? There's so many ways you could get distracted. Your parents are constantly texting or calling you about when you're coming home. Your friends are asking what you want to do over break together. Maybe you're going on a trip with a class outside of the country and you can't stop thinking about it.

However with all these distractions, you still have exams and assignments due before the break. What do you do at a time like this?


1. Get it done
Remind yourself that the more work you get done, the less work you'll have to do over break. Once you get everything completed and turned in, your break will feel well deserved and it'll be a lot easier to relax and literally, take a break.

2. Get plenty of sleep
Yeah, you may be thinking that all you'll do over break is catch up on sleep. Who wants to spend a whole week off from classes sleeping? NO! That's boring! Plan out your day throughout the week before break so you can complete everything you need to so you can get a good night's rest every night. Sleep is important during the hectic weeks, especially before break. You do not want to waste your week off sleeping. It can't happen.

3. Keep energized
This may seem a little odd, but keep yourself energized and awake during this week. What makes you energized? Drinking coffee? Blasting music? Exercising? Do what keeps your blood pumping and energy going. It's a simple task but it could help motivate you to get through the hectic week prior to spring break.

Now that you have some ways to keep yourself on task before break, you'll be able to fly through the work you need to complete and find spring break waiting for you a few days from now. Spring break is a well deserved time off. Get your work done so you can enjoy that week off from classes.

Sincerely,
EmPris

Dude, what's your major?

Are you struggling with figuring out what you want to study in college? Have you taken a few classes that interest you but still find yourself lost and confused about what's the right major for you? At some point, almost everyone has experienced this struggle. So don't freak out, you're not alone.

Let's say in high school, you were inspired by Environmental Science classes that touched on environmental issues and how to become more sustainable. This probably made you feel interested in going to college to study that topic and find a career in promoting environmental awareness. Then you finally get to college and start taking intro level environmental studies classes and it turns out to be a lot harder than you thought. There's Biology involved, Chemistry and even some theory that you're not all that interested in using your brain to fully understand.

What do you do? Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Are you enjoying the classes/work you have to complete in this major?
If the answer is no, it's a good idea to rethink your class schedule and find classes that are a lot more interesting, even if they are just the simple intro level courses.

2. Have you found any jobs that relate to the major that you see yourself doing in the future?
If you look up a few job ideas and can't imagine yourself working in that industry or in that field, start searching for other jobs you might be intrigued by and seeing what majors are required to get those jobs.

3. Are you getting grades you think you should be getting in your major classes?
If you're not getting the grades you want to receive in classes that your major requires, that's not a good thing. Not only should you be enjoying your classes but you should be understanding what you're covering in the course and how to apply it in real life. A course shouldn't be "easy" but definitely shouldn't be difficult for you either. If you do well in your major classes, hopefully it's because you love what you're learning!

4. Have you talked to anyone in the Career Center?
Every school must have some sort of career center or office for students to go to when they feel lost. This is a very helpful step in the process of figuring out what you want to major in and what sort of jobs that major will help you find in the future.

After figuring out the answers to these questions, you should be on your way to deciding what's best for you during your four years of school. It's never too late to find what you love! You just have to chin up and do your best to stay focused and motivated throughout the journey of finding what you're passionate about.