Being Positive Is WORK

I'm going to be honest real quick, being the girl that said yes this summer was way more fun than the girl that wants to be both fearlessly authentic AND positive this year. It's work to keep myself positive this year even though I have always called myself the happy girl.

But somehow being the positive one means more than starting each day sending my Snapchat friends list a reason to smile while keeping the streaks. 

Being the positive one means embracing the parts of my life that I don't necessarily enjoy and taking a positive spin on them to help me keep going. My professor says to "embrace the suck" but that phrase just doesn't sit well with me. 

So I have learned to take what life throws at me and run with it. 

These things have many different names so I will start with a few and if you have questions, that's what the comment button is for. 

First of all, I am becoming more body positive in 2020. And yes, I am taking some ownership of that term for those of us on the smaller side with confidence. You see, I have been working on my confidence ever since my breakup in September 2018. When Joey dumped me, I started working on my "revenge abs" to try and get him to run back to me instead of into the arms of someone new (even though he wasn't that kind of guy.) Spoiler alert- that didn't work at all. 

Anyway, I realized recently that I can't do things just to impress other people or get anyone's attention. Sure, this came about with a Joey concept, but it has rung true for my whole life. I have always wanted to be the favorite student or the girl with the best relationship with her superior. I mean, let's be honest, I have my fourth-grade teacher and my elementary school guidance counselor as Facebook friends and I thought this deserved an award of some sort.

So I have been hitting the rec for myself lately and it has felt amazing. I go to the Rec to run on MWF since I don't really have classes. Then just yesterday I didn't set a schedule for my workout and wanted to see what I could do and hit five miles. I have never been more proud of myself. 

So yes, I have been letting myself workout for myself and not the voices in my head that wanted to die when they saw a higher number than usual on the scale. I am working out for my own endorphins and my own physical well-being. And I love it. 

In the past, I have hated going to the gym because I hated the "that skinny bitch" looks from girls that are there to look like me one day. I didn't understand why they didn't want me there, but now I know it comes from a place of anger, jealousy and ignorance. I may have ran 5 miles (47:00), but I don't think I could do a push-up or a pull-up to save my life. So it works out. We can co-exist. And I'm allowed to be proud of my body, especially now that my metabolism is slowing down and I actually have to work for it.

I don't have to feel bad for looking for the non-existant XS size marker because stores don't want others to feel bad. I can feel a bit excluded. And I can be happy to wear my size 2 jeans because, honestly, I'm a little sad my 00s don't fit anymore.

Sure, many of you won't see a difference worth worrying about but the day the photo on the left popped up on my Timehop, I was legitimately pissed I had grown since I took it freshman year of college. 

But the thing is, I am learning to be positive about my body in so many ways. I am positive and confident because I have taught myself those skills. I am also teaching myself to take care of my face even more than before. 

I have had acne since like the first day of seventh grade. I have tried all the home remedies. I have done the Proactive treatments and debated Accutane but I am seriously afraid of it. So now I am on two prescriptions. One pill that I believe is causing me to gain weight and one cream. They're working, slowly but surely. But I am also helping myself by drinking a shit ton of water, wearing moisturizer all the time and doing a face mask at least twice a week. Some people call this self-care. At this point, I am considering it part of my proper hygiene. Because if I am going to be stressed by classes and current and future jobs, I have to help my face adjust to all of it.

And sometimes that means throwing on a little makeup to boost my confidence just enough. I used to think makeup was just meant to impress someone else. But in reality, a bit of concealer and a fun eye shadow can help me feel like a million bucks and when that happens, nobody can stand in my way.

Because I am an RA. And sometimes that just sucks. But I am working on letting my positivity shine through there as well. On Smith 8, I am a positive RA most when I am ready for my girls and know what's coming. However, I'm an RA and I rarely know what's coming. 

For those of you that know me well, you know I absolutely hate talking while going to the bathroom. I hate the whole idea of it. So when my resident walked in the other night as I was brushing my teeth and said, "I was hoping to see you here," I was not so positive. Moments like these and moments with staff meetings and other less than enjoyable things are what make me more negative about my job. But I am looking at it with a positive light more and more because I know I will miss my girls when I graduate in May.

I am also aware that I am not in the dorm helping them as often as I could be. 

For example, I am also finding my positivity shine through at my part-time job at OMT. OMT took me in when AH closed last August. I will admit adjusting to both the different way of doing things and having an hourly job in college at all has been a lot to swallow. But I am pushing myself to dress up for work, wear a little makeup to ooze confidence and continually learn more about the store so I can understand everything a little better each week since I am still technically the new girl in a family business. 

This can be a hard situation to mold into, especially coming from AH where I was part of the core group, but just today one of my coworkers told a customer I was basically family, so I'll take it. Even if she was lying. 

Overall, though, I am getting better and finding the sunshine in the world. I have not had any serious bats with my usual seasonal depression this year, so I am thanking God for that. I am also well on my way to finding a church group, one baby step at a time. So things are good in the hood. I just have to keep smiling. 

Thanks for reading!

Christa

Breaks can be stressful too

Let's be real here, breaks from school are the best. I never find myself not needing a break from classes. Even though sometimes our breaks are ill-placed, I still find myself enjoying every second of not being in class.

But, here's the deal, not all breaks are created equal.

Labor Day comes right at the beginning of the semester and I often use it as a day to get ahead in my classes. The same thing happens in January for Martin Luther King Day.

Then comes Fall Break in October. This break is a give and take. Some years, I do nothing. Some years I go home. As an RA, sometimes I bite the bullet and offer to stay since we need half the staff in the building. This year was different, though, I got to go on a girls trip to Washington DC and it was amazing.

But now I'm counting down to do lists until Thanksgiving Break. I love Thanksgiving Break. But I do not think my school truly understands what Thanksgiving Break is for. I plan to see my family and hopefully some friends over Thanksgiving Break. Catching up with these people will take a while. Then on Friday I have the Iowa game.

What I'm saying is, Thanksgiving Break is a tease. With only five days to catch up with everyone, stuff your face and get back to campus, there is no time left to keep working on homework or study for exams.

I literally have a to do list for each day until Break that I am working off of because I don't want to forget anything and I know there are a million things to do.

When I get back from Thanksgiving, I have an exam on Tuesday afternoon, an online presentation due that evening and Capstone edits on the rise.

There are only 10 days between coming back from Thanksgiving Break and my first final.

So yeah, November is tough. 

That's why we love Winter Break so much.

In between semesters, I don't have to worry about deadlines and projects. I can simply go home and be a kid again for a little bit.

Sure, it won't be the same as elementary school and I will definitely be taking advantage of some extra retail hours. But I am not required to come back having accomplished anything.

This week, the week before Thanksgiving Break, is a rough one. I am trying to get everything done so when I go home, I can actually be at home.

I love being home with my family and old friends. So I don't want anything to keep me locked away in my room away from them.

I know Thanksgiving Break will go too quickly. That's always how it goes.

But once December 20 (earlier if I can manipulate my jobs right) and then December 24 at 10 a.m. (thanks RA life) hit, I am home free.

And I cannot wait.

I think I'm an anomaly, but I am so excited to hang out with my mom and do all the Christmas stuff.

I want to go to my brother's basketball games and workout with the other one.

Because Winter Break is when I don't have to be an adult all the time. I can be a girl with her family in her hometown. And, somehow, I still love that.

Maybe it's because this is my last "normal" Winter Break or maybe I'm just hormonal, but I am ready to go home and I am ready for a break.

Not everyone leaves

I went to church today. As it is Sunday, I am sure some of you are not surprised. Some of you think this is something I do every week. I probably have found a church in Lincoln I consider my own and I am probably in the life groups and have a strong friend group there.

You would be wrong.

My recent conversations with Jesus have all been during Husker football games and you can imagine how one-sided they are.

This was my first time going to church in Lincoln since my freshman year of college. And it kills me to admit that.

It took me a long time to realize I had separated myself from my faith, which I told myself during my senior year of high school that I would not do. But, I drifted into the world of excuses and once I drifted, I didn't want to be the awkward girl who was "new to church."

Well. I was the new girl in church today who didn't quite know how to receive communion since apparently, not everyone does it the same. But that's okay.

I'm not proud of it. But I am okay with where I am on my journey. I have never had the typical story at my churches, so here's another step in my path. I want to get involved in a church starting November of my senior year of college.

Better late than never I guess.

It's okay because I went to church for God. I didn't really go for me. I went because I was embarrassed at my lack of commitment to my faith and I was sad when I couldn't answer someone's questions about being a Christian earlier this week. I went because I knew it was what I needed to do.

And, holy crap was I nervous.

I was going to church with a resident on my floor from last year. I texted her after visiting a mosque for one of my classes when someone asked me about the trinity and I was not able to stand up for my faith. I asked if I could go to church with her because I knew her faith was strong and she was a wonderful person to have on the floor last year. I specifically remember sitting in her room last year watching a Louie Giglio video explaining how great God is.

Anyway, I texted her to ask if I could go to church and she said absolutely. I knew she would.

That was on Thursday.

I spent Friday and Saturday night wondering how I would backtrack myself out of actually going. Sure, I was embarrassed and convicted on Thursday, but I'd be okay, right?

No.

I made myself get ready for church. I turned on a Spotify playlist called "Today's Christian Hits" so I could have a chance at participating in the worship music.

As I listened to the songs play as I did my morning stretches/ab workout, I had to stop and listen to the lyrics.

Thanks to Matthew West and some subtle divine intervention, I had to just sit at my desk and listen to how loved I am by the God of the universe.

"The God Who Stays" has now been on repeat for several hours.

Because it was exactly what I needed to hear today.

West sings about how there's nothing that can separate me from Christ. His lyrics tell of how I am with God forever. He's the God who stays. Who runs in my direction when the whole world walks away.

That last line hit hard.

In my leadership class, we are required to do a lot of introspection and reflection. This has brought to mind how often I find that people leave my life. It's a common theme that people in my life stay for seasons, not lifetimes. And that kills me. All I want is that "girl gang" or the friend group that doesn't shift and feels the same after being apart for ages.

In my class, I related to a classmate who shared that she doesn't trust easily because "people always leave." This hit home for me. While my family is my lifeline and will always have my back, my friend support system has been everchanging for as long as I can remember.

I typically keep this to myself. It can be hard to talk about being lonely and not having a group with people because it feels like you're offending them or trying to guilt them into staying.

I talked about this concept with my ex-boyfriend and I am still trying to convince myself that he didn't stay with me for as long as he did because of the guilt idea. That sucks.

And I still think about him- heck, he was in my dreams last night and we've been apart for over a year. So I feel like I am the only one that sticks with people through thick and thin. And that can be exhausting, let me tell you. And honestly, it often goes the opposite direction and I end up on my own a lot.

But that's not how God works. God sees through the loneliness and wants to be with me. He wants to have a relationship with me. Forever.

He doesn't give up on me because I got annoying. When I don't talk to Him for a while, he doesn't run off to someone new and better. When my life gets hard and I shut down a little bit, He is there to comfort me as I cry into my pillow. He knows my future. He knows what I will do when I grow up in May. He doesn't mind that I am a stress mess. He wants to help me through it.

And that's incredible to me. Because nobody else does that willingly. He knows every single mistake I have made and the things I will never tell a soul. Yet He loves me anyway. It's crazy.

It's amazing.

So, I am working on mending that relationship. I want to be Christa that is known for her faith again. I don't want to have to tell people I'm a Christian, I want strangers to be able to see it in my eyes.

I had a mentor ask me a couple years ago (while I didn't have a church) how Jesus and I were. I didn't want to admit that I hadn't been attending church, so I laughed it off and said fine. I then stopped talking to that mentor.

I don't want to do that anymore. And I know this is not going to be an easy choice to make. I know I am going to have to be accountable for my actions and my Sundays. But it's something I think will help me in a multitude of ways. I know myself and I know some things will change and others will just be a part of who I am.

If anything, it will remind me that there is always at least one constant in my life when everything around me feels like it's spiraling out of control.

At church today we learned about how our achievements aren't why God loves us. That took the weight right off my shoulders. I haven't achieved anything new in what feels like a lifetime. I just keep pushing myself through things I earned years ago. But nothing I do can change God's love for me and that is incredible.

So I'll take that with me going forward this week and semester and finish out strong with a new love and desire in my heart.

P.S. I love my floor this year but hanging out with my resident from last year made me miss Smith 8 2018 so much. Smith 8 2019 we have work to do.

Let's See How This #FearlesslyAuthentic Thing Goes

Alright, guys. I told you I’d be authentic with you this semester so I’m going to completely take the general public up on this and see where it goes from there.

If you’ve known me for longer than a year, you know this year has been a rollercoaster. And I’ve come a long way about being authentic. You see, I used to be the girl that would see a post like this and think “geez, get yourself together. The internet doesn’t need your drama.” To be honest, that’s not where I’m at anymore. Being real in public means sharing how you actually are. Have you seen the stats on people with a specific type of depression because of social media only showing us the best parts of people’s lives? They’re staggering. So if you don’t want to know my shit, keep scrolling.

Anyway, September 2018 to September 2019 has been a lot. I used to talk about that in broad terms because people know why. People know I was dumped. People knew my heart was broken. And I tried to cover up who did it. Why? I wanted to protect him. I wanted Joey to look at Christa Rahl and think, "wow. I let go of a good one." Yeah, I’m over that now. It’s not my job to protect him. I don’t need to save his face simply because he has a great public record. But it’s also not my place to ruin him. So I’m telling my story and if you want to ask him for his side, be my guest.

A year ago today, I sent Joey a care package. I missed him. He had just moved into Carleton, a small private school in Minnesota that I was deathly afraid would steal my man. Guess what! When you focus on that too much, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a little over three weeks since his move in, we fell apart. I wanted more communication. He wanted letters. He called me a week from this coming Saturday and ended it all. Two years down the drain.

But that’s not the point. The point is that the night I became single, I wasn’t okay. I tried watching movies, I tried being with friends, nothing worked. I threw up that night because I was crying too hard and my residents called the Duty RAs. I am insanely grateful they did because I really shouldn’t have been alone that night. Even closer to the point, I’m still not entirely okay. I pretend I am 23/6 but mess up all the time. I think about that break up every day of my life, even when I don’t want to. Especially when I don’t want to.

To me, this is not normal. It’s been a year. I should be over him. I have told SO many friends after breakups to just “get over him” as if that’s a possibility. It’s truly not that easy. I have taken that language out of my vocabulary. Because for a week or so, I let myself not be okay. But then I stopped. I believed I should be fine so I said I was. I decided to focus on trying my best to be someone Joey would want back. (Spoiler- that didn’t work. He got over me way faster than I ever thought possible, but that’s a story for another time.) I held on the hope I could somehow earn him back until this last July when I saw photos of him and his new girlfriend in California. So the process was delayed for me.

The process has also been odd for me because it’s me and I like to make things difficult. For example, Joey introduced me to my main hobbies I now enjoy. I still juggle even though that was his thing. I go to as many juggling clubs as I can, and honestly make much better attendance numbers than he did anyway. I still run even though we only did that together because we’d also eat a whole pizza on our own. I still hang out with his aunt because I met her at Juggling Club and both decided there’s a lot more to each other than one young man.

I’ve accepted this. I’ve accepted that I'm a little weird and love is hard. I’m finally getting where I should have been in July. I’m finally allowing myself to attempt to find who I am entirely on my own. I’m a kickass RA. I’m an aspiring comedic journalist. I’m a diehard football fan. I’m a senior who needs a job in May with my BJ, not a man for my MRS.

This whole post isn’t just to whine. It’s to be real with you. It’s to show the world that the girl with a reason to smile every morning started that Snapchat tradition every morning because I needed something to help me put my feet on the floor and get ready for another day. People don’t expect me to have dark thoughts or bad days because I’m reasonably happy all the time. So this is my shout out to the people like me- it’s okay to cry it out. It’s okay to take a little longer in the healing process than you want. Mental health doesn’t work on a schedule. However, I’ve been trained to tell people about CAPs on my college campus and if things get worse or stay the same as the random crying and inability to flirt with literally anyone I find attractive, maybe I’ll give them a try too. Because it’s time to end the stigma.

I’m a girl that loves schedules and planners, but I know I have to ride this one out and see what happens.

I’m also a girl who hates winter and being cold. The coldness leads to my seasonal depression shoving its way into my life again and I’m just not ready to deal with that again. So don’t mind me enjoying the sun while I can still feel it and not just see it. Yes, I’ll enjoy the Halloween and pumpkin part of Fall but please don’t shove my summer away. It can feel like I’m just waiting for the sad, dark days to return.

And hey, if you see me around this week, know I’ve got a lot on my mind and don’t necessarily want to talk about it but I would love acknowledgment that I’ve honestly come a long way and the world is just as much my oyster in 2019 as it was in 2018. 

Sorry, this was a messy post, it was very flow of consciousness today.

P.S. Peep the photos. Nobody around me would have guessed I was writing a blog on my phone about what could be arguably defined as a minor battle with depression and lots of pain. You never know what someone’s going through so share some kindness to every soul you see.

P.P.S. Shout out to Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus for giving my moods melodies this past year.

It's my university's birthday week... oh and Valentine's Day

If I told you I hated Valentine's Day, I'd be lying to you. I would be minimizing all of the posts I've personally published and the dates I've enjoyed.

But this year things are obviously different. And not in the most fun way possible.

This year I spent the day practicing self-love, which mostly involved drinking my calories at Starbucks (twice) and pretending I'm not getting some virus that wants my throat to cease existing.

And then I took pictures at the football stadium celebrating 150 years of Huskers existing.

That was the highlight of my day.

And then I came back to my dorm and started scrolling through Instagram and realized something, everyone I know is truly, madly, deeply in love with someone.

Yes, everyone.

Which totally makes sense for why I am spending my night alone! Everyone else is taken!!

And, thus, I was a little sad to be the last single girl on the face of the planet.

So I threw myself a pity party for a second and thought a little bit more.

And I came to an entirely different conclusion.

Not everyone in the world is in a relationship. It's just that everyone in the world that's in a relationship is posting about it.

So I stopped scrolling and pondered a little bit more and made my final realization.

I am truly, madly and deeply jealous of everyone on my feed. Yes, I'll admit it. I love being in love.

I am a true fan of forehead kisses, tight hugs and being told "goodnight, I love you" before I fall asleep by some amazing young man.

I don't hate having someone I can always count on to be there for me or someone I know I can probably make plans with. Those things aren't awful.

But what is awful is pretending to hate the people that have that right now simply because I don't.

I am not the first person to admit or realize that being single on Valentine's Day is not the best. And I can admit I really enjoyed the stress of making a long* distance relationship meet up in the middle of the workweek to celebrate having love between us.

But things don't always go as planned and relationships end everyday. Sadly, there are likely even some ending today.

But I promise this blog has a point.

Here's the deal ladies and gentlemen, everyone deserves happiness. Each person on this planet deserves to feel those fluttery little butterflies for someone.

And, every day has something to be happy about.

There is ALWAYS a reason to smile.

So, sure, today kinda sucks to think about that empty heart on my Facebook profile announcing to the world my singleness and the guys in my messages telling me I'm hot and asking if I have a boyfriend remind me what being single incorporates in 2019.

But that doesn't mean today has lost all hope.

I am still smiling.

I have amazing friends, one of which froze her fingers off because she knows I can never turn down the opportunity for a photoshoot. I have a super strong support system that will probably read this whole blog just to make sure I'm okay.

And I have an incredible school celebrating 150 of fostering knowledge and creating an identity for us Huskers.

So, happy Valentine's Day, if that's your thing.

But no matter what, find a reason to smile in the mirror and remind yourself you're incredible.

For me, that means taking a hot shower with my Husker football Spotify playlist blaring and then watching a chick flick or rom-com on Netflix.

Single, not ready to mingle

I realized recently that I have broken the family tradition.

At 21, I am the first in several generations to not be married yet.

High school sweethearts run in my family. My grandma and grandpa, my parents, but not me.

Let's be real here, we all know by now that I got dumped. And yes it hurt. Like hell, actually.

But, here's the deal.

I'm okay. I still have random flashbacks that will make me cry and I wonder if my ex-boyfriend and I will ever be true friends or if that was just what we were supposed to say that night.

Contrary to most of my friends' advice, we have talked. I have seen him on occasion in group settings. We even had thought about getting coffee one on one over break. But that didn't happen. It's probably for the better.

It has been a little under four months since the break-up. Four months since my world changed. We were together for almost two years and I personally saw a lot more of a future for us.

But, the thing is, that's okay.

What's not okay is how many people have decided to tell me what to do now.

I have been told that I should remove my purity ring, change my values or at least flirt with more guys.

Well, I can tell you that I am not the flirtiest person but when the right guy comes around, he'll know. I think I am a decent flirter, so nothing should be confusing.

That also means that this is not the boat I am in just yet.

Right now, I know I am not ready to flirt, go out with or start a new relationship with a new guy.

And it's driving me crazy that I feel bad about this.

It's actually to whoever the new guy is's convenience. I can promise you, new man, that you do not want into my life as I am still comparing each and every thing about you to the last love of my life. It's not fair to you and will leave both of us disappointed.

Right now, I want to have fun. I want to get to know the Christa who isn't in a relationship. I haven't seen her in a while.

My goal? I want to ace my classes this semester and get my beach body into shape before I go to the Dominican Republic this summer.

While this should keep me plenty busy, I also have my one, petty goal of having a guy buy me a drink at a bar eventually. But, that means I need to go out and not stay in bed or doing homework every weekend. What a sacrifice.

What The New York Times got wrong

I recently read an article in The New York Times calling out people like me. People who work to see their GPAs sing "Aaaaa" and who expect the best of themselves.

Let me set some things straight before I dive in:

1- I am a college junior who has never received a grade lower than an A- in my college career.
2- I am a journalism major who would love to one day write for a paper as prestigious as The New York Times. I just think they got this opinion piece a little wrong.
3- I am admittedly awful at writing opinion pieces and research papers and I would consider this a mixture of both.

So anyway, Adam Grant told his readers that he was once someone like me. He wanted the good grades, too. He believed the As would allow him to advance in his school and career and wanted to see these grades do the work for him, or so it seems.

Grant also mentioned that the students that do receive these grades are lacking in the places that matter.

Maybe I am a miracle. Maybe I stand out. But, my current GPA is a 3.947, I received all As or A+s my sophomore year and I am on track to earning another 4.0 this semester. And I have friends and a social life.

You may be thinking right now about my previous blog post in which I revealed that I am still on the look for more friends- you're right. But, this lack of a tight social group has nothing to do with how many hours I spend working on papers or studying for exams.

I can confirm that I am a part of my fair share of clubs, I write for our student newspaper, and I will never miss a home football game. Prime example- I could have earned 40 extra credit points in my hardest class this semester if I would have given up one game, but I would not give up on my Husker football tradition of staying until the clocks hit 0:00.

I was also told when I accepted my Resident Assistant job that I would more than likely see my GPA drop. I am a stubborn individual who enjoys proving people wrong, so I studied just a little harder, talked to my professors and rose my GPA my first year on the job.

Grant said that students like me are good at "cramming information and regurgitating it on exams" and I will admit I do this. Actually, I would like to add that to my resume. As a future journalist, I hope my editors will see how good I am at memorizing information and retelling it in a new way. I think that's a lot of what my job will be.

However, if all we had to do was cram and regurgitate information, wouldn't more people have straight As?

From what I have seen at UNL so far, for those of us with the grades Grant is calling out, cramming doesn't work.

I have found that the people who pull the most all-nighters, you know- missing out on their social life because they're in the study room all night long- receive lower grades. Actually, I am not the only one who sees this.

Psychology Today reported that students who have a healthier sleep schedule tend to be those individuals with better performance in school.

Doing well in school is also beneficial to one's mental health. Sure, in high school it can crush us, but once a routine is found, it is possible to earn a 4.0 without mental breakdowns every three days.

When a student earns a good grade, it contributes positively to their self-confidence, optimism and self-efficacy. All of these things are positively related to enhanced well-being which contributes to a longer, happier life (source- EDPS 320: Positive Psychology).  This could, in fact, give you more time to join another club or volunteer when you're older.

Grant also said that students who receive all As require conformity.

I am biased and I come from an education in the journalism department, but I think Grant's idea is outdated.

More often than not, when I am graded it is based on my ability to apply a concept and create something new. To conform is to fail.

For example, last year I took a multimedia journalism class with a final project that needed to be completed with only an iPad and a laptop for typing. The project was to contain elements of audio, video, a story and a multimedia graphic of some type.

That was all we were told. Not only was there no feasible way to conform to anything but if I would have, it would not have been rewarded. My class was taught by Pulitzer Prize winner Matt Waite. He earned the prestigious award by being a leader in the creation of PolitiFact- if you know politics you've heard of it at least once or twice.

I'm telling you this because professors are no longer just old men in suit coats that want to be told back what they've told you. Professors like Waite look forward to grading projects because they want to be inspired by what their students have thought of- at least the students that might receive an A.

This might sound intimidating, and trust me it was, but Waite told us he would reward failure if it meant we tried something new. This concept has been shared throughout my college and it is something that both freaks me out and excites me.

I am not always the most creative person in the room and I actually enjoy conformity. But, like this whole essay has told you, I also like to see As on my transcript. So, I must push my box open a little wider.

Pushing this box is also what I had to do to get my foot in the college's door anyway.

Grant made getting all As sound like something that could be earned through giving up any type of social life and studying at all hours of the day. It's not like that.

I have seen it happen for myself and many others that becoming a name and face your professors know is to your benefit if you're looking for As.

I am the girl everyone hates in class because I speak up. I am the girl in class everyone hates because I sit in the front and still have separate notebooks for my different classes. I am the girl everyone hates in class because even if I don't answer the question out loud I know it or write it down.

I am the girl in class everyone hates because I make sure my professor knows my name.

To get As, I will admit you might have to give up on half an hour of your social life to meet with your professor during office hours, but I can promise it will be worth it.

I will even admit that you may want to join a club your professor advises because they will get to know you as a person outside of the classroom. This can help them write a better letter of recommendation one day for scholarships or future endeavors. Plus, if you like their class, the club will also most likely interest you and you can find out what else that professor teaches.

This dispells Grant's argument that straight-A students take the easier classes for the grade they know they will receive.

I can willingly admit I have taken a class in college I knew would be easy, however, I also found enjoyment in the concepts and would have taken it despite the ease of an A. Theatre 112 is known for being an easy A at UNL, but it also allowed me to see three plays for free and I enjoy theatre, so I cannot complain. It was the best of both worlds.

I was not, however, "in my comfort zone" as Grant suggests. I attended more than one uncomfortable play and learned from those experiences. I believe Grant was making a shallow point and it could quickly be dissolved.

So students, work for that A in your classes. It will take work and prioritization but it will pay off when you feel more confident in yourself. Increasing your self-efficacy will grow your willingness to try more difficult things and conquer them as well. Admit it, like your ACT scores in high school, you only remember your GPA if it's really good or really bad.

Come on, nerds, let's get those As we know we deserve and show Grant what's up. Plus, you've read this far in a junior in college's blog she wrote during Finals Week, you must be half decent at studying anyway.