A First Time College Student's Voyage

     Mental Health. While commonly talked about, the concept is still very foreign, especially to older generations. Everyone has had some sort of run in with their mental health. Maybe last week you had a bad day but you can't stop thinking about it. Or you continuously made yourself anxious for no reason at all. Obviously, some mental health is more severe than others. When gone unchecked, it can create many more issues further down the line. That is why mental health needs to be talked about more and should be the forefront of the occasional deep conversation.     Personally I have had my fair share of mental health hiccups. Being diagnosed with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) at ten years old was definitely not my plan. And it especially was not my parent's plan either. What many might talk about is the effect of mental health, not only on you as a person, but on the others around you. This can be scary. It might make the people around you feel...

      This week, I was tasked with analyzing an Allstate commercial. This sounded silly to me at first, but then I realized how much the ads use rhetoric and how they are a great example to start an analysis on. I had chosen the Tailgate Grill ad, which can be watched  here.       The author of this ad wanted the audience to experience the game day excitement and dread that would occur after it. Since the grill in the car leads to the car catching on fire, it shows the risks that can happen during a big game day. By stating the product, (insurance), at the end of the advertisement, the author obviously wants to promote safe and wise decisions. The target audience is adults who are looking for a safe and reliable insurance plan.      The context of this ad is a football game. This is to hopefully get the audience to relate to the ad, almost to say "what if that happened to me?" You can see how American culture greatly influ...

     Fostering animals has been one of the most exciting, rewarding, and challenging experiences that I have ever put myself through. Currently, I am fostering three kittens at once. Since my family and I were given these kittens in September we decided to name them after the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus. They are named Sarah, Winnie, and Mary and they are such energetic balls of joy. Originally, I had began fostering cats because I just loved the felines. Little did I realize the true impact fostering cats had in the U.S.      According to ASPCA, around 3.2 million cats arrive to animal shelters just in the U.S. alone. Every year approximately 860,000 of those cats are euthanized. When I initially read this statistic I was mortified at that extremely high number. Since I am a cat lover at large, I realized that I had done some good when deciding to suddenly foster three kittens from the same litter and bring them into our loving home.   ...

       It was a pretty chill night. There was a brisk breeze outside and the night was glimmering. I was craving a nostalgic item to satisfy my sweet tooth at the late hours of the night. I slowly unwrapped the paper packaging, creating a swift but quiet shredding sound. This, revealing the roll of smooth, white candies. While they looked perfect inside the roll, some were imperfect, with slight cracks and small bubbles on the coating. I immediately popped one in my mouth. The candy presented a cool enlightenment on my tongue. I had the candy in my mouth for a second before I bit into it, revealing a stretchy and enticing center. It was a nostalgic feeling, as I used to eat one after every dance practice I would attend when I was a child. It wasn't quite the same since the ones I used to get after practice were of the fruity variety, but the texture was extremely similar and familiar. While remembering this fond memory, the mint eventually dissolved as well as my rec...

     Often when I do self reflection, I think back on all of the embarrassing things I have said or done. Which results in me cringing at myself. But who doesn't? This is pretty frequent, but occasionally, I will have a break through. After having one of these sessions recently, (usually late at night when I have nothing better to do) I had a major realization. I had noticed that throughout my life, I have been a people pleaser. Now being a people pleaser isn't a bad thing, but it isn't a great one either. In the moment you may feel in control, and that everyone around you enjoys being around you. Until you realize that you aren't being genuine. While thinking about this concept, I had realized that I wasn't one hundred percent sure who I was. Was I a chill, free-spirited person? Maybe more uptight? I didn't know. Which scared me. How does someone who is eighteen not know at least a little bit of who they are? So, after my little self-loathing session, I made so...

       Blogs! They can be about pretty much everything. From DIY projects for your living room to recipes for the table, blogs can be an incredible source of information. Not only that, but they can also showcase people's lives and day too day activities. With blogs, the possibilities are limitless. Anyone has the ability publish writings to the internet and discover an audience that can appreciate them. Now you may be asking yourself, "Sarah, what is your opinion on blogs?" I'm glad you asked! I believe blogs are great! But it takes a certain type of person to be able to create a cohesive and well thought out one.      For instance, a good example of this would be The Skinny Confidential. You can explore this masterpiece of a blog  here.  This blog is clear and is visually interesting for its audience. The blog is organized very clearly with easy to access links and directories. All of the visuals on the page relate back to the top...

    Hi everyone! My name is Sarah and I am an 18 year old college student who is slowly, (but surely), working towards an associates degree in science with an emphasis in biological sciences. While I wish I could say that I know one hundred percent of where my future lies, that is what makes the journey that much more exciting! Now that I am done making myself sound like a motivational speaker, I might as well start talking more in depth about myself. So sit back, relax, maybe put on my favorite song  (which happens to be linked for your viewing pleasure), and let's get into it!      I was born April 12, 2002 right here in Arizona. I live with my parents and my sister Amy. We have two cats (Vader and Cheesy), and a dog (Ellie). When I was younger I always gravitated to creative activities. This led me to eventually get into painting. I specifically like to paint portraits. I also loved (and still love) Halloween and all things scary. This eventual...