Tag: twenty-somethings

Link Love Wednesday: 23-Year-Old Edition

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online datingHappy November! The temperatures have gotten lower, the Halloween candy is gone and the pumpkin-spiced drinks are in full bloom, so it’s starting to feel a lot more like fall around here!

This week’s roundup delves into a few of life’s greatest mysteries. Kidding – just a few interesting articles to get you through the week!

  • Having just celebrated my 23rd birthday in September, I can’t help but relate with these soul-crushing truths about being 23, as I’m sure many 20-somethings will.
  • Which professions have the most psychopaths? Here’s hoping that your career doesn’t pop up on this listing!
  • This article discusses why online dating can be a good thing.
  • Of course, this article suggests that online dating is making us miserable in our love lives because of the number of choices available to us. What are your thoughts?
  • For many of us, middle school was a miserable time in our lives. This BuzzFeed list reminds us of the things we are definitely not missing out on, now that we are all grown up.
  • I stumbled across this site, Forty Days of Dating, a few days ago and was completely glued. Two friends in New York with completely opposite relationship problems decide to date as an experiment for forty days, and the lines between friendship and love become increasingly unclear. You will want to stick around till the end!
  • Looking for a good read? This article will guide you to a classic book you’ll love based on your TV preferences.
  • The most retweeted tweets of all time will give you a greater insight into social media and society itself. (Sad to know that more than one of these tweets came from a member of One Direction!)

Any great articles this week?

Link Love Wednesday: From Goosebumps to Mr. Darcy to Miley

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GoosebumpsHope everyone is having a beautiful week and a lovely October – I know I am! With the fall now here and the weather finally beginning to cool down, it’s time to lounge outside on the porch and check out some of the latest interesting links to hit the web. Enjoy!

What are some of the interesting articles you’ve picked up this week?

Link Love Wednesday: Millennials vs. Baby Boomers

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iphone-5-apple-generations-sympathy-ecards-someecardsWhat do you get when you take a very full work calendar, a birthday and a series of federal and religious holidays? A blogger who forgets to post Link Love for a few weeks! 🙂 Hopefully today’s round-up of posts about topics ranging from Generation Y to jet lag won’t disappoint.

Read anything interesting lately?

Link Love Wednesday: Brackets & Buzzwords

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jargon_push-envelopeHope everyone is having a wonderful week! I can’t believe the first week of fall semester is about to begin, and for the first time ever, I’m not enrolled in classes! Coincidentally, my schedule at work happens to be at its busiest yet, only to get crazier next week. Because of that, I find it more important than ever to uncover some interesting articles and links to de-stress and maintain a fresh perspective! 🙂

What are some of the best articles you’ve come across lately?

Link Love Wednesday: 20 Before August Edition

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Millennial_mainHappy Wednesday! Can you believe it is almost August?

This feature, Link Love Wednesday, was postponed after a series of difficult Wednesdays throughout June and July. However, this week, I wanted to share a few interesting articles I found – especially pertaining to our age group of twenty-somethings!

  • This list of 21 Secrets for Your 20s is fun, practical and easy to relate to your own life. The blog post even inspired a book!
  • Thought Catalog posted a list of superpowers that 20-somethings don’t actually have. If you’re part of this age group, you will probably laugh your way through it, as many of these will apply to you or your friends.
  • Where would we be without one more article about millennials? This article talks about the things that millennials just don’t get. What are your thoughts? (Personally, I can’t stand all the negative commentary that people have about our generation – I think some of it is blown way out of proportion or incredibly misguided! I also think that a lot of this article would pertain more to someone starting out in a new job, rather than specifically to all young people.)
  • Take this quiz to find out if you can tell the difference between quotes from The Bachelorette and Taylor Swift lyrics! (I am proud to say that I earned 100 percent on this one!)
  • Check out the cast of Edward Scissorhands, then and now. The movie (one of my favorites) came out the same year I was born, so it is interesting to see how much has changed since then for many of these actors and actresses!
  • Flavorwire recounts several children’s book film series that failed to become the next Harry Potter franchise. (I was a huge fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events, by the way!)
  • There is a Twitter-themed hotel in Spain, where you can flirt and interact with other guests by tweet and hashtag. Personally, I would prefer if a guy actually walked up to me instead of just mentioning me through social media, but to each their own!

What are some of the interesting articles you came across this week?

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Classier and More Grown Up (Part 2)

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kcs_2388501aBack in June, I wrote a post for twenty-somethings about the transition to adulthood and some of the steps we can take in making that transition. With graduation just around the corner for many of us, it is important to polish ourselves for the working world or whatever will come next. This week, I would like to discuss five more tips for college students that will help them continue to grow!

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Classier and More Grown Up (Part 2)

1. Let others share the spotlight.
Friendships and relationships should be mutually beneficial, never completely one-sided. However, if you use everyone in your life as an adviser, personal stylist or confidante, and never return the favor, then you aren’t offering much to the friendship/relationship. Ask people about how they are doing and pay attention to their needs in addition to your own.

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2. Stop cursing so much!
It’s something that a lot of us are guilty of – myself included – but excessive profanity just isn’t pretty, especially in a public setting around strangers or people you don’t know well. You can let your guard down around friends, but be careful about what you say when you aren’t around the people closer to you. Class up your act with a tad fewer four-letter words.

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email3. Respond to emails promptly.
There is nothing worse than sending an important email to a coworker, team member or anyone else from whom you need a quick answer, and then waiting a thousand years for a response. A lot of people will argue that “I don’t really check my email,” but as you get into the professional world, it becomes more and more imperative that you check email regularly and respond to people in a timely manner. Many people have to work on deadlines, and your late reply might set them back.

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4. Dress appropriately for different occasions.
I’ve talked about this in greater detail before, but it is important to present yourself well and know what is proper for different events. You don’t need an unrealistically extensive wardrobe, but having a few options for “cocktail attire” or “business casual” makes life a whole lot easier. I’m a firm believer in putting effort into your appearance even if you don’t have crazy plans for the day, because it can boost your own confidence when you leave the house.

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5. Know what little things will hold you together in a crisis.
Have outlets and use them. Things won’t always be perfect, but finding a mature way to handle them and making that outlet as accessible as possible is necessary for holding yourself together. Be aware of those small comforts, and utilize them to avoid doing something potentially harmful or hurting someone you care about.

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What are some of your tips?

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Slightly Classier and More Grown Up

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No matter where we turn, we are constantly bombarded with new articles about why our generation (mainly teens and twenty-somethings) is lazy, unappreciative, self-centered and the worst thing to ever happen to society. Of course, at 21 years old, I completely resent and disagree with many of these accusations, but I will be the first to admit that (much like the youth of each generation before us), we are known to make mistakes and represent ourselves in a negative way.

As we graduate from college, look for jobs and are released into the Real World, what defines our ascendance into adulthood? I believe in the importance of transitions, which is why I suggest a few little nuggets of advice for being slightly more grown up while you’re still young. I am no Emily Post, so feel free to add your own tips in the comments below!

The Weekend Five: Small Tips For Being Slightly Classier and More Grown Up

1. Don’t put anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t want to resurface if you were running for public office.
Similarly, if you wouldn’t want your employer or your family members to see it, then don’t take a picture or video of it. Obviously, the best way to avoid this is to not to do stupid things, but the next best option is to keep it off of your Facebook (or Myspace, if you still live in 2005). Let’s be honest – nobody is judging you for having a social life, but there are still some things that you should keep to yourself, especially in this social media-obsessed world. Not only can sharing the bad things paint you in a bad light, but it can also keep you from getting certain jobs and coveted positions later on.

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2. Read something other than just Fifty Shades of Grey.
By all means, don’t be afraid to indulge in a little E.L. James here and there if that’s what you’re into, but try to be somewhat familiar with some of the classics as well. You don’t have to deconstruct anything the way you did in high school and college literature classes, but it’s a good idea to have a basic framework for some of the stories people are still talking about today. Not only does it make you sound older, but it also makes you sound a little more scholarly and well-read!

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3. Be a gracious house guest.
Don’t be the one friend who shows up to every social gathering empty-handed. Even if all you were able to bring were break-and-bake cookies, the thought will be appreciated and possibly reciprocated in the future.

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4. Thank you notes are a must.
A handwritten thank you note can go a long way. Whether my friend bought me a birthday present or I was just interviewed for a position I wanted, I always make sure to send something to let others know that I recognize the things they do for me and that I appreciate them. Everyone likes to be appreciated, so why not go the extra mile?

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5. Know when to share your opinion.
It’s always good to be able to have a frank discussion with someone about a controversial issue, and to be able to communicate freely. However, sometimes it’s better to sit back and avoid expressing your opinion, especially if it’s going to lead to more conflict than it is worth. One mark of maturity is being able to let go of your own pride to avoid letting an argument get out of hand — in other words, agreeing to disagree. After all, if you and a friend have two strong but very opposite viewpoints about a specific topic, you probably aren’t going to change each other’s minds no matter how much you duke it out, so why not enjoy the other person’s company instead?

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What are some tips you have for being classier and more grown up?

The Friday Five: Gradients of Friendship

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We’ve talked about the boys you date in college. We’ve talked about the girls you become or befriend in college. But here at So It Must Be True, we’ve never really talked about the gradients of friendship in college. Scroll through your Friends list on Facebook, and you’ll start to find patterns. Now narrow it down to the friends you actually come into contact with regularly, and you’ll be able to start categorizing.

Of course, as I’ve said before, there are exceptions to everything, and there are plenty of categories that I’m not even going to touch upon. However, this is The Friday Five, and therefore, I am going to discuss the five main types of friendships you will experience throughout your college (and possibly young adult) career. Try and figure out where your friends fit in!

The Friday Five: Gradients of Friendship

1. The friend who isn’t really your friend.
This person is really more of an acquaintance, but you try to make nice when you have to. Maybe he or she is somewhat of a frenemy (I can’t believe I just used that word), or maybe just someone you don’t have anything in common with and don’t have much to say to, but you still manage to run in the same social circles and occasionally have to interact. You don’t necessarily like this person, but you can tolerate him or her for short periods of time.

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2. The “class” friend.
You met this person in your Intro to Psych class as freshmen and have since planned your schedules so that you would take all of your psychology classes together. Whenever you’re in class together, you get along great — you catch up on all of your personal anecdotes and always notice how you really hit it off. However, while you both constantly promise to plan a lunch date in the near future, it never happens. The only time you hang out when you’re not in class, it is at Barnes & Noble for a quick study session. True, the two of you have never been to a party together, but this person is your buddy for all things psychology.

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3. The platonic friend.
You’ve known each other for a while, but you placed each other in the Friend Zone a long time ago and honestly do not want to leave it. Everyone thinks you’re dating, but you’ve made it clear to each other that there’s no attraction and that it would never feel right, so you laugh and respond, “No way, he’s like a brother to me!” and then he replies with something offensive and you punch him in the arm.

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4. The mostly platonic friend.
You’re “just friends,” but one or both of you has entertained the idea of something more. The attraction is there, but neither of you wants to leave your comfort zone or rock the boat. The two of you claim to linger in the Friend Zone, but even you know that the idea has crossed your mind and will continue to do so.

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5. The best friends.
You are the Blair and Serena, the Marissa and Summer, the Batman and Robin of the group. You finish each other’s sentences and sicken other people with your skills in reading each other’s minds. This is the first person you call after you’ve had a successful first date, purchased the perfect new outfit or found something awesome to decorate your apartment together. You love everyone else in the five gradients of friendship, but anyone who fits into this category is the most important of all. 🙂

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What other categories of friendship have you encountered?