This week’s blog post is a special edition for my high school BB girls! It’s college application season and this time period can be very exciting yet stressful. Especially since this application season is virtual, I understand that my high school seniors are going through it. Well, I was in your shoes last year, and it was a very stressful experience for me. However, I have thought of some tips, so hopefully these can make your experience a little bit better than mine. 1. Take a deep breath and stay focused on your own path. As seniors, your entire class is going to be applying to schools at the same time. While this can be comforting, it can also be stressful, because you begin to compare your path to others. Some of your classmates might be getting into their dream schools in October, while you might not find out until March of the next year. It’s ok! Your journey is your journey, so trust in the process. 2. Fill out those scholarships! I know you’re stressed about college itself, but you will appreciate it a lot later when you start receiving free money for college. Sidenote, have those hard conversations with your parents about paying for college early- the sooner, the better. As difficult as it may be, it is better to know early how you will afford your dream school. 3. Trust your intuition! Personal experience: I got accepted into my dream school in December, but I was also accepted into a state school that was a lot cheaper. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to my dream school, so I was constantly emailing the admissions director and applying to outside scholarships. When decision day came in May, my intuition was telling me to choose my dream school even though I had not secured the funds yet. A month later, I received an email from my institution with a major scholarship, so my parents could afford to send me to my dream school without any college debt. Overall, the lesson is to trust your intuition, because it will always lead you to where you need to be. 4. Email your admissions contacts at your dream schools! As weird as it may seem, they are there to help you and will be the same ones reading your applications. If they know you, it can prove to be very helpful when it comes to getting into your top schools. 5. Don’t let anyone diminish your success! This one is especially for my BB girls, because men are quick to blame something on affirmative action when we achieve something that they were unable to. Do not let them get to you. When you get accepted into your dream school, because we are already claiming it, remember that you worked hard to get there, and you deserve it! Overall, try to be as calm as you can throughout this college application season. As stereotypical as it may sound, it will all work out, and you will end up where you need to be. I promise. With love from your fellow BB girl, Ryann Phillips

This one's for the girls who wake up in the morning and already have their phone in their hands. Stop det! Ion like det! If you happened to catch my #ADayintheLIfeofaBBGirl, then you know already a little bit about my morning routine. If you missed it, here’s a small recap: Pray, first thing Face routine & brush teeth Go for a walk Journal & Meditate Shower & Get ready for class In my opinion, the first step to establishing a solid routine is starting with adding things you will actually do/will enjoy doing, be realistic with yourself. Genuinely looking forward to the task will make it more likely to be accomplished, especially if you’re someone who struggles with getting up in the morning, like myself. Some great things to start your day doing are: pray, exercise, stretch/yoga, take a walk, find a creative outlet, read, make an effort to learn something new, etc. I want to emphasize praying and saying affirmations like literally as you're waking up, when you're still in a dream-like state your subconscious is most susceptible to these positive influences. I’ll admit- it is hard for me to not touch my phone completely because I try to journal my dreams in the morning and I use it for music during meditation; with stuff like that it’s just easier to use it. I do definitely try to avoid social media(!), checking my email(!), responding to any messages, or any other notifications. Before giving your energy to anything/anybody else, give it to yourself first. This shift in focus is so important. I haven’t always run my morning this way, and it definitely has taken some work to make it a habit, but I’m super grateful for it thus far. Just a few months ago, if I was awake before even noon, oh it must have been a special occasion. I can honestly tell the difference it makes in my day. It makes my days calmer, more focused, and since I started the day doing things I enjoy, I find myself happier. Reflect on what changes or additions you can make to have your mornings serve you. Small habits like this, lead to big changes! Feel free to share what time you wake up in the morning, some steps in your morning routine, or just some encouragement for the BBGirls trying to make positive changes.💖✨ Love, Co-Founder Jennifer

Life can be filled with embarrassing moments. Tripping up the stairs, spilling coffee on yourself, or even showing up in a costume when no one else did are all under the embarrassing moment umbrella. It’s all about how you handle these situations and your thought process about them moving forward. One time I had a zoom for my microbiology class, and unfortunately I succumbed to TikTok. I was unmuted and the volume was ALL the way up! On zoom, whoever is speaking becomes the bigger screen. It read “Angel Williams” across the screen and my immediate response was to close my laptop. After I slammed my laptop, I screamed! I was so embarrassed. My anxiety literally went through the roof. I try to be such a good student and I got distracted for one moment. I would say the best way to get through embarrassing moments is to laugh it off and understand no one’s perfect. Embarrassing moments can actually bring out someone’s personality in a weird way. Another embarrassing moment that I feel is an honorable mention is the time that I was late for a class. It was originally supposed to start at 11AM on Wednesday. I had a class that ended two hours before 11, so I thought I had time to take a nap because I was extremely tired. After my nap, I headed to class and it was completely filled. There were absolutely no seats available and I was confused as to why everyone was on time. I checked the syllabus for the class and noticed it began an hour earlier than the time I showed up. Completely embarrassed I just stood outside the hall until the class was over cause I couldn’t find a seat. The teacher noticed me after class and told me things like this happen to the best of us. Her comforting words reassured me that mistakes are okay and embarrassing moments don’t define us! Make the embarrassing moments don’t let them make you, BBGirl Angel💖