Undergrad Reflections

Dear younger me,

College is hard but you will make so many memories. You will meet so many people from from different backgrounds. You will learn to work with different types of people. You will learn that grades aren't everything. You will learn the importance of being involved in your campus. You will learn that changing your major is ok. Your patience level will be challenged and your patience will grow. You will learn to work hard despite the physical pain.  You will discover the power of To-Do lists. You will learn the joy in small things in life. You will learn that it's ok to take naps while in college. You will realize that stress is really bad and good. You will learn that it is important to cope with stress in a healthy way. You will realize it's ok to have me time. You will learn it's ok to cry. You will realize that family is so important. You will learn that positivity and gratitude are helpful for mental health. You will learn that making big decisions are very hard but it can be done through prayer and support from family. You will realize how God has provided for you. You will learn that it is very important to do your best and not to worry about what happens. You will learn character flaws and learn to change them. You will learn to have more self-confidence. You will learn the value of relationships. Most importantly, you will realize that you couldn't do it without God's grace.

Love
College graduate

International Travel Tips

I have travel abroad by myself to Switzerland in 2017 and I learned some great tips that can be helpful for those who haven’t travel internationally before or for those who want to learn new tips.. It can be such an exciting and nervous time. My perspective is an American traveling internationally but many of these tips can be used for those from a different country.

• passport. This is a very important document. If you don’t have one, make sure you get it in plenty of time before your trip. If your passport is expired or close to expiring , renew it in enough time.
• Visa. Some countries require a visa to get into the country. Make sure to get one in enough time.
• Do some research about the place/places you are visiting. Try to learn customs( for example is it acceptable to handshake or give hugs), the currency, a little bit of the history. It is good to show respect to the places that you visit.
• Make sure to keep a little bit of currency from your home country with you while you are traveling so when you return to your home country, you can buy some food if there is a delay at the airport. Some people like to exchange currency or carry a card ( with the card you have to discuss with your bank at least in the USA. I am not sure if other countries offer these type of cards) or do both. It really depends where you are going since not all places take card. On my trip, I exchanged money into the currency of the country I visited.
• I looked up a map of the airports that I flew into. This was helpful so I had an idea of where I was going. Many airports are really big and some require to take a train to get to other terminals.
• Make sure you have a plug adapter for the country/ countries you are visiting. Plug adapter allows you to plug something into the plugs in other country since the shape of the plug outlet can vary.  Here is an article that lists what plug type and voltage that countries use plug type, voltage   You may need a voltage converter Voltage is the amount of electricity that goes into what you just plugged in. Some countries have a higher voltage power. Some devices are dual voltage that don't require a voltage converter. Here is a great article that explains this all in detailed voltage converter info.  I'm not an expert in this area and I would make sure to research or discuss with someone who understands this. I only brought an iPhone charger and it only required an plug adapter. I didn't bring any other devices such as a computer or hair blow dryer since I was staying with a friend and she let me use her things. If I was studying abroad, I would have brought my own computer.

I hope these tips help with your future travels. Do any of you guys have travel plans for 2019? Let me know in the comments below. 

Have a great weekend

~Liu Miao~

Be Early!

(Pinterest)

So on the first day of class, I showed up to class 30 minutes late. Why did I show up late? I was late because I forgot what time my class started. I had looked at my schedule incorrectly. It was really awkward showing up to class late because it is a small class(20 people). My parents taught me that being on time is being late and one should show up 10-15 minutes early.Why is it

important to be early?

• it shows that you have respect for others at the event or task that needs to be accomplished.
• It shows that you are organized and know how to be responsible with time.
• It allows you to network and potentially get that job/promotion
• There is less stress when you are early. You aren’t rushing in and trying to get the task done

This is why being early is so important. I normally show up to an event/classes 10-15 minutes early. Yes life happens and it prohibits you from being on time. That is ok if you are late every once in awhile but try to be early to an event/classes. I set alarms on my phone to remind me about events/classes. I also like to write a reminder about the event/classes in my planner. If I write the event and put reminders, I tend to remember the event more.

Have a lovely weekend!

~Liu Miao~

Be a tortoise

(picture from Pinterest)

    This is a an odd name for a title, don't you think? This title is based of a story that I read as a child. It is the story of the tortoise  and rabbit. The rabbit and turtle race against each other. The rabbit believes that he will win because he is faster than the tortoise. Somehow the tortoise wins the race. I saw this quote online "it doesn't matter how long it takes you to finish as long as you finish.". I love this quote so much.
     In my own life, I have felt like I was the slow person in everything I do. In doing physical activities, I felt slow and was not the fastest person. I learned that it is ok to be slow and enjoy doing the activity. It's ok if I don't win which is a hard lesson for me to accept. ( I am very competitive). There are some things that take me longer to do than most people.  I was much older when I go my permit. I honestly felt like a loser because I wasn't driving like my friends.
    Even though I may take longer to do things than most people, I learned to finish things even if I am the last person across the finish line. I am learning patience while waiting to do things that other people get to do before me.

I apologize for  not posting much. I have not had much creative juices flowing for posts. When I put a post on the blog, I want to do my best. Not post just to post. Thank you for staying with me while I have been absent in reading. There will be more posts coming soon. Have a great week!. On a side note, who thinks a tortoise is supper cute? If anyone wants to buy me a tortoise or something with a tortoise on it, I would be happy person and hug you forver.

~Liu Miao~

Blessed to Bless

( picture from Pinterest)

About a week ago, I was at my bible college group. I love going to this group when I come. It is a great time of fellowship and being in the Bible together. We were in 2nd Corinthians 9:6-13 and on verse 13 someone summarized that verse in these words "Blessed to Bless".

2nd Corinthians 9:13 says "Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all"

This verse really stuck in my mind this week and this verse was convicting me.  God has blessed us through Christ and we are suppose to share that good news. There are many ways to share the gospel. You don't have to preach a sermone to someone. You can share about the gospel in 5 minutes while checking out. My dad likes to wear shirts with a spiritual message and people ask him what the shirts mean. This gives him a chance to share the gospel in a short amount of time.  These are subtle ways to share the gospel. I think that this verse can apply to other blessings that God has given us in life. In this world, it can be hard to be grateful. There is so much advertisement for the newest model of something and that we should buy the new model. We have so many blessings in our lives. Family, the gift of life,  food, the opportunity of education, and having a place to live are some of the blessings that many of us and sometimes take for granted. I have caught myself complaining so much even though I have so many blessings in m life. I need to stop and think about them. If you don't have one or more of these blessings, you can still bless someone. You can comfort someone who is going through a similar struggle and being able to relate to someone can impact someone in big ways. This is such a good reminder for me. Though my struggles are hard, I can help someone with the same or similar struggles.There are so many ways to bless people besides giving money. Giving your time to help them, send an encouraging text or card, or just listening to them are ways to bless people.

Have a wonderful week.

~Liu Miao~

Confetti Please

Hello Readers,

     Confused by this title right? Recently, I hand letter a quote that I got off pinterest. This quote got me thinking about a problem that many of us struggle with including myself: Comparing oneself to another person. Why is comparison bad? It can bring:

•Unhealthy competition
•low self esteem
•talking bad about other people
•ungratefulness

We need to encourage one another. It is ok if someone is better at something than  you. This will cause two reactions from you: Bring all the negative emotions mentioned previously or it will cause you to strive to be better at that something. You can also encourage others to look on the positive.Let's consider the flip side. If you are really talented in one area, try to help those who are struggling in that area. If everyone  encouraging someone by helping them in someway, then there isn't time for comparison. This reminds me of the #communityofcompetition. The blogging community is like #communityovercompetition.I have met some amazing bloggers online. There are bloggers that are better than me but this causes me to work harder on my blog. There are many times that I have received advice from many bloggers and many times that I have given advice to fellow bloggers. Please remember to spread kindness like confetti.

~Liu Miao~

Start with a Hello

Hello Readers!

     School is starting soon for most of us. Who is excited for the new year? I am! Yes I know that I am a nerd and proud of it.  The new school year gives you  the opportunity to learn something new and meet new people. Meeting new people can be very stressful especially if you are shy.
     How can you overcome this problem? Start with a Hello. This opens the door for conversation. I love meeting new people. College is a great time to do this.  Don't be a  secluded person in college. Yes it is a good to have me time but it is important to socialize  with others. It really isn't  scary making friends in college. In college, there are many opportunities to make friends and here are some examples.

- College Classes.
At some sometime you will have to talk to classmates. There will be group projects or in class projects requiring you to talk with classmates. Starting on a good note will make it less awkward to work with classmates.

- Orientation
This is a great way to meet new people. Everyone is new to the school and talking with people make orientation less boring. Plus you can try to  find out who will be in your classes.

-Social events on campus
I meet many people through social events at my university. It is nice to meet people when it is in a relaxed environment. I love that universities offer many fun activities for their students. It is great to be able to bond with classmates over something that isn't academic related.

Have a great semester. Be brave and say Hello. Friends help make college a wonderful experience. You never know who you will meet.

~Liu Miao~

Take Chances

Hello readers! Today I want to share an important life lesson I am learning. No I don't have this life lesson figured out but I have encountered this life lesson a lot in the past year. Taking chances is very scary. We face this situations frequently. We have two choices: stay in our comfort zone or step out and take chances. I tend to stay in my comfort zone. I don't like chance and I prefer to know what will happen. I am boring.

Here are some situations when I stepped out of my comfort zone:

Then last autumn, I started to step out of my comfort zone. I talked with the Spanish profesora (which I wasn't in her class) and helped her with Mesa de español.  This is where I helped Spanish 1 students practice their Spanish. This was so out of my comfort zone, but this experience helped me so much. 

In the spring, I was the professor's assistant. I helped her in her Spanish 1 class. I was nervous helping her because I wasn't confident in my Spanish.

I participated in my school symposium. This involves making a poster for my presentation and talking about my presentation. Public speaking makes me nervous.

I went to Switzerland by myself. This was an amazing experience. It was my first time flying international. Airports scare me since they are so big. 

In each of these experiences, I had to step out of my comfort zone. I learned so much from theses experiences. My Spanish improved, I learned how to be a TA, public speaking improved, learn to fly international, and make memories in a new country are the things that I gained from the past year. If I had sad no to one of these situations, I would have missed out something amazing. I have learned so much from stepping out of my comfort zone.

~Liu Miao~

Please Give Credit

  Hello guys! This is a different type of post. I am in a college blogger group and the topic of people using their pictures without permission/credit came up.  One time on Instagram I messaged a blogger and they mentioned that people would use parts of her posts without permission or give credit. This is a very important issue. I personally have not seen a post like this but I think this topic needs to be addressed. In college, giving credit is stressed so much, but sometimes in the blogging community it slides a bit.

     If you are going to use someone's picture of Instagram or something, give them credit and link to their insta account/website. Note that some bloggers state that they want written permission before using their pictures. If they want you to ask for permission, then ask for it. Also images from google or pinterest, give credit even if you don't know the exact person.

     If you are going to use someone's content in your own blog , ask permission. Bloggers work hard to create content for their readers. It's like writing a paper in college. A person needs to cite their sources. If you got an idea from a blogger, give them credit. For example, I saw one blogger(@pastelnpinkblog go check out her blog)  who did #followfriday on Instagram. I thought it was a great idea and decided to do it too. I gave her credit since it wasn't my own idea and I used the same exact hashtag as her.

     I am not saying that I am perfect and never forget to give credit. ( I have forgotten to cite my sources but I went back to give credit.)  Try to do your best and give credit.  This is to bring awareness about giving credit to bloggers and artists.  It doesn't matter if it is a famous blogger/artist or a new blogger/artist, give credit.

~Liu Miao~

A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

I really love this verse. The rest of the chapter talks about a time for laughter, crying and etc. I am seeing the truth of this verse in my life. My life has been pretty easy. It really makes me think. Right now , I am in a season of struggling and learning to wait. It is hard to be in this season. Everything happens for a reason. I know God can use my struggles for something but I don't know what it is. One positive about struggles is that you can relate to others who are going through the same struggles. This can encourage your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ or just any person. What season are you in? Let's encourage one another in our different seasons in life.

~Liu Miao~

Relax

As a college student, I feel like the word relax is a foreign concept. There are many responsibilities that college student have. In this day, people have a mindset of always going and never stopping. This is not good for people to do. It is a hard struggle balancing responsibilities and relaxation. Everyone struggles with finding this balance in life. College students need to find this balance especially during the college years. Homework, work, family, and personal struggles are some things that college students have. One can burn themselves out during college. Trust me, I have done this in my short time in college. Here are ways I find the balance of work and play time.

- Have a hobby while in college. I like to do hand lettering, color, watch Netflix for an hour each day. This gives me the relaxation I need each day. You need to take time to do something fun each day. This will help you be less overwhelmed with your responsibilities.

- Time yourself. Finish some tasks and then do something fun. I like to work for one hour then "play" for one hour. There are a variety of apps that help you with this. Sometimes I like to read a couple of chapters then take a ten minute break. It depends on the assignment on how I will time my work and play time. 

- Eating helps me relax. Yes, I know this is weird way to relax but it helps me relax. I like to eat my favorite foods/snacks. Chocolate, guacamole &chips, Asian snacks, vegetables with ranch, and ramen are some of my favorite things to eat.

- Post it notes and my planner help me keep up with my responsibilities. Writing reminders down is really helpful. There are so many responsibilities to remember as a college student. It can be easy to forget a test date or homework assignment.

This is the first post of a new series. The series is called :Making 2017 great. How do you keep the balance of work and play time? Don't forget to check Instagram @awordwithlm and Facebook @A word with Liu Miao: ParrieLiu

Facing Fears

 Hello guys! I hope you all are doing well. Hang in there it is almost summer. I would say everyone is afraid of something. It is very hard to face your fears. I am discovering that it is hard to face my fears. What are some of your fears? I will be honest here and I will tell you guys some of my fears. Heights, self-worth, and being judged are some of my fears. How do I conquer these fears you may ask? In reality, I have not conquered these fears. I struggle with these fears but I am learning how to face them. Here are tips on how to face your fears. This process can take a long time to fulfill.

Talk to someone. This has really helped me. I love that I can talk to close friends or family about my fears. They always give me good advice and encourages me. I know that I can always talk to them and I love that I can receive hugs from them.

Writing your thoughts down. This can be a great alternative if you don’t prefer talking to people. I use this method when people aren’t available to talk with me at the time. Both these methods help you get your feelings out. It is better to get those feelings out rather than keeping the bottle up.

Sometimes it helps to work up to facing your fears. For example, pretend that you have a fear of snakes. Gradually work up to liking snakes. A person many never love snakes but they will have less fear when seeing a snake.

Comment below and tell me how you face your fears.

 You can receive updates about blog on Instagram @ awordwithlm or google plus at Liu Miao.

Motivational Talk

Just Keep Swimming 

( image taken from Google.)

This is from the movie: Finding Nemo.  Dory is the name of the fish in the image above. She says this quote a few times in this movie " Just Keep Swimming ". I believe there is a good lesson from this quote. Life can be really hard. There are so many stressors in life and it can be exhausting. Work, school, health, and relationship problems are some of the stressors that people have. Here are some tips that can help you conquer your stressors and motivate you to keep going in life.

1. HAVE ME TIME. When life is busy, you need to have some personal time. This allows you to have a break and it can calm you. Doing art, cooking/baking, watching a movie/ tv show/ YouTube, and spending time with friends are some of the things that I like to do for me time.

2. BREAK BIG TASKS INTO SMALLER CHUNKS. The task will seem less intimidating. This helps with time management and helps reduces procrastination. I use this technique for homework and studying for exams/quizzes. When I use this technique, I am less stressed and I feel more confident about the exam/ quizzes. This tip could be applied for other projects that you need to accomplish.

3. DO YOUR BEST. There are times that people will criticize you on something that you have done. Do not beat yourself up when you receive criticism. What matters is doing your best. Sometimes criticism can help you accomplish doing your best. We learn from other's peoples mistakes and wealth of knowledge.

I hope these tips can help you. I would love to hear how you conquer stressors and stay motivated in life.

Acquiring Self Confidence.

Since some requested that I write about self confidence, I decided to write on the topic. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary online, self confidence is defined as "confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities"
. Many of us struggle with lacking self confidence. " I'm not pretty, I'm poor, I'm stupid, I'm different and etc" are thoughts that can destroy self confidence. I have struggled with not having self confidence. "I'm not good enough or I'm a loser" are thought that have crossed my mind.  There are two tips that I have learned about gaining self confidence.

STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!

(I got this quote from Pinterest.)

We are all different. I think many people would be happier if they stopped comparing themselves to other people. Self confidence is a good characteristic to acquire. People in general do not want to be around someone who thinks "I'm a loser". Instead of comparing yourself to others, just be yourself.

 BE POSITIVE 

For every fault that you find/ hear about yourself, there is a positive attribute about yourself to find/hear. For example, you may not be the smartest person in college but you are great at sports. In this example, do not dwell about not being smart, but focus that you can play basketball well. 

I hope this post encouraged you in some way. Remember to be yourself.