10 Tips For Improving Your Blog

Heyoooo everyone! Today's post is going to be informative, *whispers* or at least, that's my goal! 

To any new bloggers or young people who feel like their blogs aren't reaching their potential, this post is for you! 

Disclaimer, I'm by no means a pro. But, I have a good bit of experience on my side so that will come in play for today's post. I've learned a lot over the years of blogging, and when a friend once reached out asking for some blogging tips, I thought "why not make it into a whole post dedicated to it!"

Let's begin, shall we!?

1. The Blog Aesthetic 

When someone first comes across your blog, what is the first thing they see? Everyone likes to start assuming things about the blog right from the get go. When someone first clicks on my blog, I want people to see that this is a lifestyle blog with Christian themes and down-to-earth vibes. One might say my blog has a rustic look due to the wood background. Others might be drawn to my header because of the horse or the little slogan thing, "Penning Life, Faith, and Heart." (Kinda cheesy but it works for now!) Your blog aesthetic is SO IMPORTANT. If your blog looks like you didn't put a lot of effort into it, then what is keeping your readers there long enough to read your content? 

Ways to improve your blog's look: The most obvious thing is the header. I designed mine using Canva. Also, blogger has different templates to use for background and overall format (aka sidebar). But it all comes down to what you like and what you think will work best for your blog.

2. Content vs. Audience 

Bloggers need to know their audience in order to create content that they know their readers will like reading. For example, I know my readers loved my monthly wrap ups (that I haven't been able to do in a long while, sorry!) They also love photo dumps and lifestyle posts. On the other hand, you have to take into consideration what YOU actually like writing. After all, this is your blog and you can write anything you wish! Not everyone likes reading poetry (I don't actually like reading other peoples poetry) but on occasion, I find inspiration for my own poems. I share them anyway, just because, not necessarily for it to become a popular post. So keep your blog a nice balance between content that your readers will enjoy and also the content that you enjoy writing. 

3. Consistency, is it key? 

Um, yes. Without a doubt, consistency is one of the most important things about blogging! Find a schedule that works for you and go with it! Change it whenever you need, but if you can get into a groove, your followers will know when to look out for your posts! I love blogging once a week. I keep posts scheduled ahead of time so that I don't go crazy, but blogging on Wednesday's have been such a good way to keep my blog consistent. 

4. Say "yes" but not all the time

When you first start blogging, it's really important to participate in the blog tags, collaborations, etc. Whenever you have fun, interactive posts, your blog will become more popular. So next time someone reaches out to guest post, or do a tag collaboration, don't miss out on a fun opportunity! (Obviously make sure they're a legit blogger friend and not a scam...)

On the other hand, say "no" when you feel a burnout coming. Don't bend over backwards to create fun content, make sure you have good boundaries. Hehe, it's harder than it sounds!

5. Sometimes professional is no fun

There, I said it. Yes, blogging is technically PUBLISHING a piece of work so you want to edit your posts and make sure your grammar is not all over the place, but at the end of the day, your readers want come to your blog to laugh at a joke or goof around with asterisks. *winks* I guess it depends on the post, but sometimes it's good to just sit down and write without worrying about it sounding professional. 

Also keep in mind that you WILL look back on past posts and see typos, everyone makes typos. Don't let the fear of not having perfect grammar keep you from your passion.

6. Be yourself 

Everyone is so unique and it's important to stay true to you! BE AUTHENTIC! Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. What's the point in making blogger friends if all they see is the fake you?

7. Be aware 

If your blog is public, there will be times when you'll need to delete scam comments, block certain people, or simply be careful about the info you share. Recently, I've had to monitor my comments due to some inappropriate scam comments. Keeping those comments off your blog feed is important because you don't know who else reads those comments. No one wants to read through a blog and see those comments. It's like cleaning up litter. Everything looks a lot cleaner without it!

8. Reach out and comment on other blogs 

Find your blogging community. Invest some time getting to know your readers. Share the link to your blog and reply to those who've taken the time to comment on your blog. The first couple years of blogging, I read other blogs way more than I do now... unfortunately life is pretty busy atm and I've had to cut back on the amount of blogs I read and comment on.

9. Take breaks 

Everyone needs to take blogging hiatus' every once in a while. Just some time away from planning and posting. Every creative goes through seasons where they don't feel as inspired to create. So take a break! Your blog readers will understand! Also, taking breaks will help you reevaluate how you want your blog to run and if it is still a fun hobby for you to be doing. That leads to the final point...

10. Have fun! 

Your blog is to inspire others, encourage others, and uplift others. But wait, it can also be fun for you too! If blogging is a chore, then maybe its not for you. Blogging should be a fun outlet for you to share your writing and your gift with others. Keep it fun!

Were these tips helpful to you? How long have you been blogging? 

Comment below and share a piece of blogging advice! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse 

Waves of Freedom // *squeals* // Series Review

It's time for another book series spotlight and series review!!! Back in March of 2021, I posted about the American Heiresses Series by Jen Turano. And in June 2020, I posted the Wings of Glory by Sarah Sundin book series spotlight. Today, I'll be sharing my reviews for the Waves of Freedom series by Sarah Sundin. Beware, it's a longggg post because I could seriously talk about these books for a long time!

Book one I read from start to finish: 2-21-21 to 3-16-21

Book two I read from start to finish: 3-23-21 to 3-25-21 (three days!)

Book three I read from start to finish: 4-6-21 to 5-22-21

Through Waters Deep 

★★★★★

This book, y’all. Like, I just can’t get over it. I absolutely loved it!!

The characters, the plot, the message, the mystery, etc!

First off, Mary is the sweetest. She’s so honest with herself and you can really feel her internal struggle with overcoming stage fright and prideful thoughts (even though she was extremely humble.) I love her passion for helping people and her drive to better her character by pushing through her fears. And deciding to be bold even when she wished to be invisible. (I learned so much through her character!)

Jim. Jim was pretty darn awesome. I’m usually pretty picky about guy MCs. But Jim was so different than a lot of characters you see in fiction. I loved learning about his background and how he decided to start following Gods lead instead of “floating” through life. (Also I liked how his priorities changed.) His character definitely grew. I didn’t care for how he let Quintessa fawn over him, but he was learning how to stick up for himself. I also loved his friendships along the way. I love it when MC have best friends (as both Mary and Jim did).

The plot was amazing! I was very intrigued as to who was sabotaging the Boston Navy Yard. The mystery was great and the climax had my hands sweating. I almost couldn’t stand the POV switch because right when something suspenseful happened, I’d get to switch to another character and a different suspenseful part of the book. The ending was sweet and kinda just perfect for what the story was leading up to in each character. (Jim finally made some waves. And Mary got over her fear of being in the spotlight—thanks Jim.)

There was a couple characters that I would have liked to know what happened to them... like Gloria. She played a part in the first, but then kinda left the scene once Arch and her broke up. I’d also have liked to hear more about Mitch Hadley as he was thrown in at the end. Or at least, I don’t remember him being mentioned until the end. Lastly, I really wanted to hear more of Mary’s backstory... I feel like the readers got more of Jim’s story than hers. 

Yes, parts were sad. But I felt like it was realistic to the timeframe. Not everyone made it home to be with their families. I so appreciate the description. The details, and basically I just love the writing style!! 

The message was totally relatable. Overcoming fear, mental blocks, “silly” reasons for anxiety, overconfidence, lack of confidence, peer pressure, leadership, pride, self esteem, it was all there! I love the ties of Nehemiah and the lessons learned.

I know it’s a good book when I get so excited about it that I can’t stop talking about it. It’s just plain brilliant, ‘Kay?

I’d totally recommend this book if you are looking for a heartfelt love story, fun characters, and a exciting mystery! Probably more for older readers but I guess it just depends on your maturity and comfort level. 

But personally, I thought it was super sweet, extremely exciting, and now one of my favorites!! I can’t wait to read book two and three!

Anchor in the Storm

★★★★✰

4.5 Star! 

Can I just take a moment to say that if I'm reading a good book, I'll probably take a month to finish it. If I'm reading a great book, give me two weeks. But if it's AMAZING, the time it takes me to read it is a few days. In this case, 3 days! 

First off, I love this series. The characters are so realistic, the mysteries so intriguing, and yeah, I just love getting excited about books like this! 

Ok, now with the review. 

Lilian Avery. She's a spunky pharmacist with a disability that leaves her with a chip on her shoulder. I love spunky characters, btw! She was so brave and I admired how she worked through her fear, her past, and her insecurities. I also liked how the anchor necklace her dad gave her reminded her that Jesus is the anchor and hope in the storm. This theme was woven throughout the rest of the book. 

(Both books had Bible stories related to them and I love it when that happens in Christian fiction. Not preachy, but just so perfect for the story!)

Arch is Jim's best friend from book one. The readers get a different glimpse at his character. He's got a lot going on in his life and his role in the Navy has really affected him. I love how he always wanted to do the right thing. Even if that meant facing what he feared most. I don't want to spoil anything, but I wish that he and Jim would have made amends because I felt like I was left hanging. Hopefully book three will help clarify some of those loose ends. 

The plot book didn't feel as intense as book one, but it definitely held my attention and I kept thinking, "just one more chapter." (I was able to piece together parts of the mystery, although one part surprised me). However, backstories felt more complicated. There was some hard topics covered, the author didn't shy away from difficult subjects of the timeframe. 

I like the cast of character amount in book two better than book one. In book one, I had a harder time keeping track of everyone. But this book was easier to keep track of characters. I like how the MC's parents were involved in this book. <3

The half star I took off partly because towards the end of the book, there was a fight between MCs (come on, Arch... I thought you were done with "testing" your girlfriends. Is it just me or am I the only one who was actually glad that Jim punched him?!) that seemed out of character after all they'd been through together. One sketchy letter had him doubting everything. As well as some other minor stuff that bugged me. (The first half of the book was, for sure, a 5 star though!)

In the end, a AMAZING read and I'm so excited to read Dan's story next. Have I mentioned how much I like Sarah Sundin's writing style? Just, wow. It's a art and she has mastered it! I so appreciate the time put into researching and all the detail! I also love it when she adds movies and song titles to give these books such a old fashioned vibe!! 

If you're looking for a book that grabs your attention and only lets go when you finish it, then I'd definitely recommend this book! (A slight sensitive content warning for younger readers...)

^^ Photo bombed by a bee! XD

When Tides Turn 

★★★★★

 *steps on stage*

This. book. is. AMAZING! Mrs. Sundin has once again outdone herself! I keep telling my sisters after reading this series that if I could someday write a book that was half as brilliant as this series, then I would be fully content with my accomplishment. I hate picking favorites when it comes to books, but I can, without a doubt, say that this series is my FAVORITE historical fiction series! 

*mic drop*

Now for the review... 

When Tides Turn follows the story of Tess and Dan as they fight both internal and external currents on their way to seeing how God can "turn" the tides of their lives into something more than either of them could ever imagine. I love the mystery, the depth to the message, and the comradery of friendships. The characters were realistic and the romance was done so well! (They're love story was based off of friendship and also it went deeper than skin deep!! I say "Bravo" from someone who's picky about romance in fiction!) I so appreciate the attention to historical detail and I love learning new things as I read! I especially loved learning about the WAVES program for women! 

Characters: Tess. I got to observe Quintessa from the two prior books in this series, but this was first time I actually got to see who "Tess" was. Based off of her previous relationships, I felt bad for her. But with that history, I could see more clearly why she was so dead set on being useful and not just a ornament. I admire that, and I loved watching her character grow into a genuine encourager who was not self-centered at all. She brought color and energy to the story. *squeals* her and Dan were so perfect for each other! 

Dan. Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling *ahem* back to the real Danny in the book... Dan was so serious and dull at the first of the book. But then-- then a certain curly haired blonde brought some color into his overworked, mundane life! Two things I loved about Dan's character, his sketching hobby (sailboats!) and his integrity. He literally stopped himself from doing what he knew would bring him earthly happiness in his career and instead, did what was right and left the judging up to God. Similarly, in real life, God can turn what once seems like plans gone awry into some epic turning of tides! Just, yes, yes, yes! There needs to be more God honoring men in fiction (also Dan had his not so amazing moments which just showed how realistic his character was!) Also, I loved the message of rest that the reader gets when reading from Dan's POV.

I especially loved the glimpse into the other characters from other books! So good! 

The mystery was really good. I was slightly confused here and there and I wouldn't say it as exciting as the first two books... but it still made for an exciting ending. One sad part of the book is the Cocoanut Grove Fire. I guess I need to brush up on my history because I was even more saddened when I saw that it was a real event. 

Concluding thoughts: Just go read this series! You won't regret it! The history, the characters, the setting (!), the excitement, and the themes that can seriously be applied to real life. I'm so impressed with Sarah Sundin's writing style and I'm pretty sure my family and friends are tired of hearing me gab about this series! 

Waves of Freedom Series

★★★★★

This series is my absolute favorite historical series EVER! XD I mean, you're talking to the girl who took her books to the lake to just get pictures of them with the water... that's how crazy I am about this series! When I first began this series, I had no idea I'd like it so much. I had no idea it would leave me with so many takeaways and lasting impressions. The characters are all so realistic and how they overcome their trials is written in the most brilliant Sarah Sundin fashion. I'm so glad I have physical copies of this series on my shelf!! 

What's your favorite historical fiction series? Have you read this one yet? 

Which was your favorite?  Comment below! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse

How Far?

This is a poem I shared on the blog May 2018. 

I'm sharing it again just with slight revisions. 

(How far?) For You, Lord

Written by Brooklyne 

How far would I go for You, Lord?

How much would I suffer for Your name? 

How long will I be faithful in the calling You have for me? 

How much would I give (up) for You? 

Would I travel 9,429 miles, for You? 

To be a light, the salt of the earth

Telling those I’m around about Your goodness and mercy

It's not all about me, but about You

Will I take that leap of faith, for You? 

Way outside of my comfort zone 

For a chance to be Your hands and feet

Overcoming my fear and failings

Would I stop doubting and start having faith, for You? 

Then I could stop fearing those giants 

And start hearing your calm reassurance

Blocking out all noise but Your promise: You will never leave me

Is it truly the Cry of My Heart to follow You?

When following You means being different

When following You means surrendering self

When following You means Your will, not mine

When following You means becoming heaven-minded

~*~

How far would I go for You, Lord? 

How far would I go it to bring one person closer to You?

How far will I take up my cross and follow you? 

How far will I be a soldier, for You?

Lord, please give me what it takes to travel across mountains and oceans, for You

Give me the strength I desperately need for when I suffer for Your names sake

Give me courage when I step out of my comfort zone, following Your will 

Give me words (to open hearts to you), when I have no words on my own

Lord, please give me what it takes to serve You 

Give me comfort when I’m hurting

Give me calmness and peace when anxiety threatens

Give me enough faith (and surrender) to trust in Your plan

Lord, take away my selfishness and worldly ambitions 

Take away my doubt in Your plan

Take away my worry that things will go wrong (my fear)

Take away my stubbornness, as if I could do it on my own

Lord, take away sinful nature that always is searching to satisfy

Take away my bad habits that cripple me to do Your work

Take away this unproductive fear of the unknown

Take away my micromanaging (You are in control)

~*~ 

Lord, I know you will give me my every need 

(You see the desires of my heart)

For look at the Lillies of the Field

Help me to trust in Your faithfulness 

(You are oh so faithful)

Be my guide and my strength. 

Next time I wonder how far I will go for You

Remind me of how far You went for me.

You left Your throne for me

You suffered for me

Lord, You came to this earth to die for me.

Because You love me

(oh how you love me)

Because You care

(You call me beloved)

Jesus, thank You for all You have gone through… for me. 

What is one area in your life where you feel God is teaching you something? Are you listening? What amazing way has God been moving in your life? Comment below!

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse 

A Lady in Attendance // Book Review

About the Book: 

"Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.

As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?

Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way."

Book Review: 

A Lady in Attendance was such a fun read with likable/sweet characters and a exciting lil' mystery to go along with it! I really enjoyed reading this book, and I have to say, it grew on me towards the end! 

I love the uniqueness of having this book centered around dentistry and I immediately felt more connected to the book. Also, can I just say that I LOVE the cover!? 

The book started off slower than I'm used to reading and it honestly didn't grab my attention until I got over half way into it. But nothing was really wrong with the first half, I just needed to get into the characters head more and adjust to the writing style. After I let myself really enjoy it, (at first I was way too critical about small details that seemed unbelievable like dancing with blistered feet after they made such a big deal about it...) but then, I started to really enjoy the storyline and the love story was cute too. There was a big backstory dump that disrupted the flow of the reading but thats a small little nitpick as well.

The characters: 

Hazel. She was such a fun character and so unpredictable! As a "redhead" I thought I'd see more of a feisty side to her character but this side only came out once or twice, (that slap tho!) mostly she was kind-hearted and somewhat sensitive. Her past seemed so out of character for her, but then again, people can make drastic changes and that seems to be her story. I loved seeing how she overcame those past mistakes and learned from them. I love how she was honest with her past and the themes of forgiving herself towards the end were spot on. 

Gilbert. OK, yes, I'm a Anne of Green Gables fan so having a main character named Gil really added to the story. He was just perfect for Hazel! (Always knew what to say) I loved that he was a dentist and I loved their jokes and wit with each other. I was expecting him to be more quiet, but no, he was definitely more bold and a not-so-quiet dentist after all. I also appreciate how he respected Hazel so much to give her space to make up her mind and adjust to a free life, but he also made it clear how he felt (Honesty is such a good thing!) I also liked that he painted... He honestly didn't have many faults besides his horrible thoughts towards Alberta, lol.

I will mention the side characters, Ina and Duncan. They were so sweet and made for a perfect side character romance/friend group! Also, Eddie rubbed me the wrong way but the other difficult character, Alberta, was quite comical.

(A side note. I didn't respect her parents at all for shunning her like they did.)

Concluding thoughts: 

This story started out slow but ended so so sweet and I liked the last half of the book more than I thought I would. The themes of forgiveness and overcoming the past were done really well but I would have liked to see more Christian content especially with the forgiveness message (that would have been a perfect opportunity!) There was also a neat spin on being different and not accepted into society. Well done on balancing the deeper themes with the fun banter. 

It's a solid 4 star and I'd definitely recommend this to any historical romance fans! 

*Thanks Revell Reads for a complementary copy of this new release! All thoughts are my own.

Have you read this new release yet? Does this look like a book that you would read? How did you like my lil' book photoshoot! XD Comment Below with your current read! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse 

College Advice from My Freshman Year // LUO

I started Liberty University Online in August, 2020. Throughout my freshman year, I've discovered some small nuggets of advice for new college students. This lovely Wednesday morning, I'll be sharing some of these. These tips can also apply to anyone currently in school! 

#1. Get Up Early (and go to bed early)

In public school, if you don't get up early enough, you miss the bus. In homeschool, if you don't get up early enough, you end up still doing school late into the day. Online college is no different. Getting up early will almost always guarantee you a productive morning and jump start on assignments. How early is early enough? Good question. Here's how you figure out that answer to meet your personalized schedule. Make a list of all the things that are top priority for your morning routine. (Devotion, workout, breakfast, animal chores, etc.) Then, give those priories *realistic* time slots. Basically write out an ideal schedule. No schedule is going to work perfectly, but it's good to have a goal to reach for. College students have to do a lot of self-motivating. Getting up early (even if you are not a morning person) is truly a life saver! 

When you get up early, you better go to bed earlier as well. Don't try to run off of 4 hours of sleep and a extra tall coffee. (Why is that trend so popular?) Sleep is SO IMPORTANT to help you function. Try for at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I try shooting for 5:30-6 AM and 9:30-10 PM.

#2. Manage Procrastination

The ability to manage your time also means dealing with procrastination. The definition of procrastinate is, according to the dictionary, "the action of delaying or postponing something." I feel like everyone has dealt with procrastination at some point in their lives, especially students. Lets face it, no matter how much we love school, sometimes studying feels like a pain and our assignments seem like way too much work. So how do we manage procrastinating and wanting to delay schoolwork? 

First, we have to identify when we are procrastinating so we can catch ourselves red-handed. When we catch ourselves reaching for our phones or wanting to eat something, (anything at all, just where's my secret chocolate stash!!!) then we can remind ourselves that there's a time for social media. There's a time for eating and most likely, you're not even hungry. There is a time for schoolwork, and that time is now. So set your timer for 30 minutes and really buckle down and study. Then, take a break. A planned break that you'll have then earned. Set healthy boundaries so that you don't burn out. But when you feel like putting something off for later, take a moment to really consider what needs to get done and the best time to do it.

Procrastination is definitely a hard habit to curb! But it's so freeing to know that you have the ability to choose how you spend each minute of your day. 

#3. Take Breaks 

As mentioned above, planned breaks make studying so much more manageable. When I first started college, I was sitting down at my computer for a solid five hours a day. My eyes would get tired of staring at the screen, I'd get frustrated faster, and get uncomfortable in my sitting position. I thought if I didn't get it all done in one setting that I'd have to do lots of work at the end of the week. I wanted to stay on top of things, but I wasn't taking into consideration that I needed breaks or I'd burn out. Taking breaks sounds lazy, but they say you actually need breaks to let the information you're learning really sink in. So I started planning breaks. I'd work for an hour, then get up and stretch. I'd take a drink of water. I'd take a walk to the mailbox and back. I'd break for lunch. Whatever the break was, I'd plan ahead for it. 

I shoot for starting school around 10am. I go for two hours, taking smaller breaks (averaging ever 30 minutes or so). Then I try to take an hour break at 12pm. And get back to it, finishing up at 3-4pm.

#4. Pray

Oftentimes, this piece of advice gets overlooked. I'm still learning to make prayer a habit before each school session. In the end, God wants us to succeed & He will bless our efforts. God has given us the ability to learn and made it possible for us to have the schooling we receive. So it is my hope that I can make prayer second nature when I sit down to do classes.

#5. Manage Test Stress 

I don't know about you, but new students are bound to feel stress while taking tests and quizzes. I know I did, and I still do! There's this overwhelming pressure to get as close to 100% as possible. The time is ticking and with each second counting down, it can be a disaster. Because when you're stressed, you can't think as well. When you're all in a tizzy, you're most likely going to overlook answers that you'd normally know. So how does one overcome this test anxiety? 

Lets take a look at some simple, practical, and easy ways to manage test stress: 

~Breathe. Your not going to be able to comprehend anything at all if you cut off your oxygen! So take a deep breathe and zone out your surroundings. Just focus on whats at hand. 

~Forget the time. If you are constantly worrying about how many minutes you have left, you are wasting those very minutes when you could be working on your test.

~Stop overthinking. Go with your instinct. If you've put the time in studying, you have to go with your gut. Because it's super easy to overthink each problem and still get it wrong. You were probably right the first time. 

~ Go back through. If you have any time to spare, it's hugely important to go back through your work before submitting it to be graded.

~Cut yourself some slack. Hard fact: You are going to get answers wrong. It's life, and the world is not going to end if you miss a question or two. Now, by all means, do your best! But don't beat yourself up if your best doesn't get a 100%.

#6. Take Advantage of Practice Tests

Notice above that I mentioned "if you put the time in studying." It can be easy to accidentally self sabotage by not studying or by skipping the practice tests. But that's not taking advantage of the study resources you've been given.

Find what study techniques work best for you and go with it. Maybe it's flashcards. It could be practice tests provided by your teachers. Maybe it's memorizing while jump roping. Whatever it is, it's important to put quality time into studying.

#7. Change Up Your Workspace 

Sometimes your workplace can get boring. So my advice to you would be to spruce it up! Buy a candle for your desk. Get a new office chair. Go outside for a couple hours. Lay in a hammock while you read. 

etc. etc. etc.

#8. Know How to Take *Useful* Notes

I have SUCH a hard time with this one! So that's why I'm encouraging you to learn how to take notes that are actually helpful for you! I'm famous for taking notes that are absolutely no help. I write down facts that I think will be on the test, but are actually no help at all. It's very frustrating when you put time into writing things down and you can't even use them. 

#9. Make Sure You Have the Right Equipment 

There's these wonderful contraptions called blue light blocking glasses. Check them out! Especially if your classes are online. Also, make sure you have an abundance of lined paper to take notes! A desk is also important otherwise you are sitting cross-legged on your bed (it kills your lower back). 

And don't forget pens, and most importantly, a CALENDAR! Having a calendar really helps plan out your week and divide what kind of classes need to be worked on with which days of the week. 

#10. Keep It Fun

Yes, that's right. Keep it fun. This is a season in your life where you are literally chasing your dreams. Don't lose sight of the happy moments by choosing to be stressed out over assignments due. Celebrate a good grade. Reward yourself if you've diligently stuck with your schedule. Cherish the weekends. Each small victory deserves to be celebrated! Connect with people and journal lots. School has the potential to be super fun and the challenge of learning is truly a gift!

I hope this post was able to give you some advice whether you are a newbie or not. Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear some of your own advice in the comments! 

What has helped you with school?

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse