Quirk Number Two (How Ironic).

#2: Being nervous about going...well...number 2 in your dear ole' community bathroom at college.
Oh, lordy.
How can we do this?  

Yes, here is the dreaded fact that all college students will face during their time at the University. If you are like me and are living on campus, then you understand that this is a huge delima. I have not overcome this fear of going number two in the community bathrooms yet, though, and I've been here for almost two weeks. It isn't as easy as you think (unless fraudulence is all right with you).

Now, we all know how it goes at home. We go in our own bathrooms, close the door, and we are overcome with a sense of security and peace. When you have to share a bathroom that has three stalls next to each other and a urinal (for some reason there is one the women's bathroom), your peace disappears immediately. Passing waste isn't as bad when you are in a "private room" because when you make certain noises, then you will obviously be okay with it because no one heard you (hopefully). Passing waste in a community bathroom, however, isn't as nice as having your own porcelain-thrown. 

I know this may sound really awkward and you may find it either hard to read or even hilarious, but I will tell you a true story. So, my intestinal track basically hates my body. When I eat anything with the smallest amount of fiber in it, my lower-track goes haywire. They gurgle and constrict as if they were trying to pass  rocks through my small intestine. I still eat a fair amount of Fiber One bars and Frosted Flakes, but I regret it later. A day after I ate some fiber at my cousin's dorm, my body called out, "EMERGENCY," and I went to the bathroom. I swear, my face was as pink as Piglet's pig-face. Usually, when I go, there aren't many girls in the bathroom, but during this time, there was someone on the other side of the divider who was using the sink. I waited. I listened for the depleting footsteps of this girl so I could go to the bathroom in peace. Why did I wait? Well, sometimes when you push too hard, little noises come out that you wish never did. You have to wonder if they modeled toilets after amphitheaters because they make a tremendous echo.  Are you wondering how I go about going number two? Well, my dear readers, I breathe, cover my ears, and let everything go. If I can't hear myself, then maybe other people will not hear me as well. Of course, I know this is not true. It just puts me in the right state of mind.

If you want some tips on how to release your toxins in a semi-public setting, then I will give you some. Take them with you as you please, but you really don't have to listen to these ones. I know, I sound like a crazy woman right now because I am talking about pooping. Hey, it is a big freakin' deal. 

How to Go to The Bathroom In College:

Step 1: Go to the bathroom and find a stall (ends are preferred). 

Step 2: Sit down and do your thing.

Step 3: Breathe deeply and try to picture that you are at home. Turn the rusting stall walls into the (insert your bathroom wall colors here) walls of your peaceful bathroom at home. 

Step 4: If step 3 does not work, then try to sing in your head.

Step 5: If your song is interrupted by someone that comes in, then stop singing and focus on keeping your waste inside of your body until that person leaves.

Step 6: If this person does not leave, then plug your ears and hope that you aren't too loud.

Step 7: Wipe yourself  after finishing, flush, and leave the stall.

Step 8: Wash your hands. 

Step  9: If you happen to make eye contact with the person who was in the bathroom, then put your hand on your stomach and say, "Burritos." Pathetically, of course. 

Step 10: Leave the bathroom with your head held high.

Congratulations! You went number two in your community bathroom! 

Seriously, this is the hardest thing to do. I don't know if I am the only one who has a phobia of pooping in a public setting, but I think it is a problem. Most people are understanding because we all do it! However,  when you are on the spot, it seems like you are the only human being in the whole world who goes poop. My steps aren't to be taken seriously. What message I am really trying to get out there is don't stress out over it. I am still gradually trying to figure out how to be comfortable with going (even though I am almost 19-years old). The only serious tip I can give you is just suck it up and go. You will have to get used to it sooner or later. But, if you are able to find a private bathroom, then take advantage of it for those days when your Fiber One bars and Frosted Flakes have been digested. 

Happy pooping!

Love,

Tiffany G. Carwile

*Stay tuned for my third quirk! If you need motivation to finish packing, then make sure you read it!*

Quirk Number One

#1: Throwing random things away just so you feel like you are doing a decent job at packing.
Packing scares us.
Oh, who cares?! Just throw it all into a box.

As you can see, I was packing for college during this time. I really dislike packing. I've moved many times during my life and I have touched, smelled, taped, and opened way too many cardboard boxes in my day. If you want advice on moving, then I am the person to talk to. 

During my past, I have moved about 5 times. I lived in an apartment as an infant (I know, this might not count, but it was still a move), then moved to Aurora, Illinois where I went to Kindergarten. We then moved to Batavia, Illinois because there were too many knives in our backyard. True story. Anyway, after living in Batavia for 3 years, I moved to Cortland, Illinois and stayed there until my Junior year of High School. Our home was about to be foreclosed, so I moved into Dekalb, Illinois for the rest of my Senior year. After graduation, I moved in with my Mom in Saint Charles, Illinois for the summer. Now, I am back in Dekalb, Illinois for school. See, I wasn't kidding around here.

Let's get back to the quirk.

"Packing scares us." Yes, it quite does when you are packing to go live on campus because you have NO IDEA what to bring with you. Your mind races with thoughts about what to bring, why you are bringing it, how much of it to bring,  what box to pack it with, and where to put it later. Whoa. Slow down there, Betsy. I know, it is very overwhelming, but here are some tips to make your packing day go smoothly:

Packin' Tips:

1). Throw away clothes that you hate, but still have, that do not fit anymore, or that has no purpose for your body. Give away your ugly shoes, your ugly underwear, tight pants, small shirts all to a thrift store or sell it at a garage sale. There will always be someone who want's your things. You and the other person will both benefit from your wardrobe-downsize. (See picture at bottom).

2). Only bring your summer clothes. If you can come back home in the Fall, then exchange your shorts for sweaters. (See picture at bottom).

3). Get rid of old papers or desk junk. You won't have room for any of that later if your desk has small drawers.

4). Don't bring everything you own. If you bring all of that to your dorm, then you will have no place to sit down and relax without thinking, "Where am I going to put all of this??"

5). Make a schedule of the days you want to pack so you aren't doing it last minute.

6). Make a list of what you want to bring. Look for lists of what to bring and what not to bring to your dorm. Your College's website will have a list of the basics. Also, search online for lists to build your own!

7). Take breaks! I know you may be excited, but you will get too stressed. 

8). Save money for the things you would like in your dorm. Most stores around campus during the beginning of the year will have sales for incoming/returning students.

 9). Make sure you bring a lot of different storage pieces. For example: baskets, tubs, smaller boxes, bags, crates, storage ottomans, etc. (See pictures at bottom).

10). Talk to your roommate about what they are bringing so you can compare. You want as much space as possible! Double items will ruin the space!

I will stop at ten tips. I think you collegeboundladies and laddies can manage from here. I hope this was useful! 

*If you are wondering about community bathrooms in college, then stay tuned for quirk number two. I will be posting some advice for that in a couple of days! *

Love you, kiddies!

-Tiffany G. Carwile

The Beginning

Buon giorno!

Welcome to your first look into how to survive your first year of college! I know you may be a little skeptical because I have only been in college for a little less than two weeks now, but I know enough to start off a typical (or in this case, not so typical) "How-To" blog. Like you, I have been figuring out how to get from point A to point B over the past year. I took the soul-sucking ACT test, got a 20 on it and stuck with it. I could have took it again, but it took my soul with it as I transferred my graphite into its' bubbles. I planned to go to Aurora University because it was small, far enough to be away from home, but still close enough, and they had a fair amount of majors to pick from for someone who was undecided like me. Then, I suddenly changed my mind in March of this year to go to Northern Illinois University, a medium-sized campus right-smack-dab in the middle of my hometown, Dekalb, Illinois.

Before I go on, I want to add a tid-bit of advice. If you live in a town that has a college nearby, then I suggest you go to that one (unless you are dedicated to your number one choice school) because it may be cheaper and you can always commute. Also, do not do what I did which was convince yourself.  I convinced myself to NOT go to NIU because I have lived here for so long --  I wanted to go on an adventure that will bring my life away from the vast fields of corn. But, when you can't afford a little over $30,000 dollars to go to a private school, a cheaper and closer option starts to sound heavenly. So, I filled out an application and here I am, sitting in my very hot dorm room typing away in this blog to give insight to those who need some. I am dedicated to helping people feel better in every way possible. So, dwell on these tips (or quirks) as much as you please and I swear you will find yourself in a less-stressed position. I get stressed very easily, but I find that by taking my stress and turning it into something hilarious can be quite rewarding.

So, to all of you newcomers or active-students out there, I wish you the best. Take the time to look over what I have to say and hopefully you will be able to find yourself in a happier world rather than one that seems to hate your life.

Good luck with all of your endeavors!

-Tiffany G. Carwile

Proceed to next post to see advice on my FIRST QUIRK! <3

A Formal Introduction

Hello there dearies!

I'm Tiffany. As a child, I aspired to do many things. Well, things that normal children did not usually do. I walked on all fours, feeling the Earth on my skin and smelling its' stains on my skin at bedtime. I would sit by a tree as I hunted down squirrels so I could have a lovely chat with them (yes, as you guessed it, in squirrel talk). I rode in my rusting wagon down the small incline of our door path and I smashed rocks with a hammer until it was time to eat dinner. As you can see here, my childhood was a little strange. However, I was not like that 24/7.

I enjoyed the world, animals, and playtime as much as any other child. I just enjoyed it in a very different way. I have always been unique by taking different approaches to certain ideas or jokes. My personality is, as you can say, quirky. It is not awkward (unless you find it to be) nor is it ultimately depressing. I like to make the worst things in life seem to be ultimately beautiful/humorous in every way. But let me tell you, when I get pissed off, the world is nothing but an annoying fly to me.

So, here is my quirky approach to a new type of "Freshman 101" blog. As a Freshman, I have experienced a few events that have made me start thinking heavily about the college experience. With quirks, I take the impossible, scary, and unknown aspects of college life and turn them into bubbly facts that make living on campus seem possible, exciting, and familiar. Quirks of a Collegeboundlady came about this July. I started with a number one quirk as a status on Facebook. Once people liked it and even commented on it, I realized I could possibly make a blog out of this. So, I made it a goal to create Quirks of a Collegeboundlady after the 10th  quirk.
And yes, I do not use hyphens because I wanted to be quirky. See the irony?
Here is the first quirk if you are so very interested:

#1: Throwing random things away just so you feel like you are doing a decent job at packing.
Packing scares us.
Oh, who cares?! Just throw it all into a box.

I won't give advice on this subject at the moment, but I will do that in a couple of days once I am free. (I am a college-bound-lady after all). So, bear with me as I gradually shape this blog. I have created many, but I have never stuck with them because I got lazy. To be honest, it was more like I was a crappy-ass writer. I don't mean to brag, but I think I'm pretty good nowadays. Let me tell 'ya though, I've improved a lot.

Expect your first quirk response in a few days!

I Hope you have a safe and exciting time being college-bound-ladies and laddies (If you are not bound, then have a fun time anyway!).

Sincerely,

Tiffany G. Carwile

*Kudos to Mr. Chris Lapeyre who was my English 3 and Creative Writing one and two teacher! You have taught me well! I also want to thank my friends Shelby, Rachel, Sara, Jenn, Sarah, Pooja, and Ebony in supporting me through the past! You guys are seriously amazing. I dedicate this blog to my non-sister, Danielle, for being so supportive with my ambitions and dedicated. Your hours of reading has paid off! Love you!*