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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter.

It’s now a couple weeks into the semester, classes are steadily becoming more difficult, homework is piling up and exams are looming over our heads and, personally, my goal of becoming ‘that’ girl is dwindling by the day. You know her, we all know her, that influencer on TikTok or Instagram who wakes up with the sun, goes for a run, has perfect hair and makeup and finds time to journal and do a face mask every night. Yes, HER. And just like clock work, when my feeds are filled with dorm room must-haves and back to college essentials she pops up and my list begins. This list consists of ‘go to the gym five days a week’, ‘do a hair mask on Sundays’ and ‘pack a lunch the night before’ and so on. All reasonable requests, but the one thing I always forget to factor in: my inevitable lack of motivation as the semester progresses. I get tired, lose track of time, my daily gym sessions turn into excuses because of homework and my eight step nightly skincare routine turns into a slap of moisturizer and maybe some chapstick. If these are things that you’ve ever struggled with, I have a solution for you.

Multitasking. With only 24 hours in a day, I don’t necessarily have time to relax and put on a face mask or go to the gym around my homework. The essential to-do list for my classes is pushed aside by the little self care I try to do. But this semester, I took inspiration from my favorite ‘that’ girl Elle Woods from Legally Blonde and began rewatching my lectures on the treadmill, doing a face mask while finishing up that daunting math homework and with the help of a sheet protector, learning my flashcards while I take a bath(as silly as it sounds, it really works!) . Although difficult at first, these small changes found me looking forward to my Sunday night study session with my rubber duck and a bath bomb. Daunting homework became fun and exciting and trust me when I tell you no one has ever heard me say ‘I’m looking forward to homework tonight’, but those words fell from my lips last week after excitedly telling my friend my plan to drink tea and light my candle as I listen to the assigned reading in downward dog. 

I know some of this sounds odd but ultimately, when you’re on the journey of becoming the best person you can be, learn from your mistakes. You know you better than anyone else. I found this trick looking at how I have failed before and what I could do to mitigate the same in the future. The idea of ‘that’ girl is different for everyone. For a gym obsessed, engineering night-owl who sees success as prioritizing self-care and self-betterment. When I wake up in the morning, the girl I want to see in the mirror is different from yours, and that’s beautifully perfect. So go out and be that person! Whether it’s using my tips and tricks or not. On your path to becoming ‘that’ girl, always remember that only you can become the best version of yourself, stay motivated and most importantly be kind to yourself. 

Savannah Hafer is an author and social media member for Her Campus at the University of Virginia, she primarily enjoys writing about local events on grounds and topics of interest such as self-betterment, women's empowerment, and career opportunities for women in STEM. Outside of writing, she is a third-year Aerospace Engineering Major at the University. She spent her last summer in the judicial system interning under a County Supreme Court Justice, specializing in criminal law. Although seemingly unrelated to her major, she plans on becoming a Patent Lawyer for aeronautical and aerospace companies using her background in both engineering and flying to aid in her final goal. Outside of her career building and academics she is an Eagle Scout and prioritizes following 'do a good turn daily' as her mantra and finds purpose in empowering the wonderful and strong women around her. She loves backpacking, mountain biking, playing rugby, and writing in her spare time between classes. If she's not outside or in class you'll find her in the gym between the weights and racks probably trying to figure out how many reps she's done because she lost count.