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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 TAMU chapter.

I cannot be the only one who thinks this semester went by insanely quickly! I’m somehow at the end of my freshman year, like when did that happen?? So, I thought I’d recount some of the different eras I was in this semester:

Nude Acrylics Era:

I am not someone who gets her nails done often, I will have them painted almost always, but I usually only get them done around 2-3 a year. So when I do, I will usually get a colorful set. But at the beginning of this semester, I got a brown/pink/nude colored set of long coffin-shaped acrylics and I had never felt so put together. It’s a timeless choice that goes with everything, and complimented my skin tone so well! I felt sophisticated, cool, and classy. I was Her. ;)

Met Miss Rev Era:

Okay yes, I realize this isn’t an era, so to speak, but this was such a happy moment that stuck out to me from this semester. At an event for an organization I’m a part of, I received the absolute pleasure of meeting Miss Rev, giving her pets and a treat, and taking pictures with her. She was so sweet and nice, and SO SOFT OMG!

Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso Era:

At about a third of the way through the semester, I decided to try the brown sugar shaken espresso with some modifications as recommended by the Starbies queen herself Annaxsitar on TikTok, and it was LIFECHANGING. However that drink was $9, so for months now I have been getting a normal brown sugar shaken espresso, with an extra pump of brown sugar or two pumps of toffee nut. An extra shot if I need energy and if I’m really feeling like I need a treat, Salted Caramel Cream Cold Foam. Oh and also, booooo to Starbucks changing their rewards system.

Breakfast Taco Era:

I have been on a serious Breakfast Taco Kick. The ideal one that I made at home: Flour Tortillas, Turkey Bacon, Eggs scrambled with broken Tortilla Chips (Migas??), Cheese, Avocado, Onions, Cilantro, and Salsa. I don’t buy them out as much here in CSTAT, except for Fuego obvi. But back home in Round Rock, I have three top spots that I tend to rotate through! I look forward to getting home and making it cause it’s such an easy thing to throw together, and easy to make customize or make healthier if you want, and will always fill me up. 

Miss T Swift Herself Era:

With her Eras tour and the never-ending hype around Taylor, I have been nonstop listening to Blondie’s music!! It’s literally perfect for any situation: when I’m sad and I need to hype up, when I need to focus, when I’m driving and jamming out, etc. Also, another complimentary artist I’ve been obsessed with these last few months: Gracie Abrams, who’s consistently releasing the best music.

Chronic Binge-Watching Era:

This semester I have finished watching 7 seasons of The Good Wife, which is criminally underrated and a total must-watch. This is followed up with 4 seasons into Suits, which is also a very good show and filled the hole that was left when I finished The Good Wife. I also have some Abbot Elementary and Grey’s Anatomy episodes that come out weekly sprinkled in there. Clearly, it’s my way favorite to escape reality and destress.

Engineering Student Era:

ETAM is a process unique to A&M and very few other universities, and let me just say, the amount of stress it brings to engineering students is intense. All engineering students enter as general engineering majors, and after the completion of certain parts of the engineering curriculum, you apply to the major you want to study, ranking your top 3 to 5 choices. For specific majors like Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering, the competition is insane, with almost all entries coming from auto-admits who have met the ETAM GPA requirements. The application is basically the decider of your future as an engineering student at A&M, and of course, falls at the busiest time of the year. I have been under an extraordinary amount of pressure and stress this semester, to keep my grades up in some of the hardest classes I’ve been in, while also now completing the application process. 

Sad Girl/Degenerate Era:

In relation to the eras above and below this, I have been academically and personally quite busy and spread thin between school, student orgs, ETAM, family life, and friends.  All while still trying to stay healthy. Being incredibly transparent and honest, I feel like I will be go-go-go during the week. As soon as a round of tests, or a particularly busy few weeks will end, I will take an entire day to just lay in bed and do nothing. I’m drained in every way but still anxious about everything upcoming and left to complete, unable to REALLY rest. And that cycle will repeat itself over and over again, leading me to call it my “degenerate” days. I do however recognize this isn’t the healthiest way to lead life, so I’m trying to do better, starting with more breaks and time blocking my day. I also am putting less pressure on myself to have a great workout every time, reminding myself that any movement is good movement. I start every day by getting ready with makeup and a cute outfit, which is my “me” time. This helps make me feel good about myself! A little bit of a sad note, but just keeping it real, cause I know others have had a hard semester as well :)

Sister of the Groom Era:

My older brother is getting married, and let me tell you, Indian weddings are NO joke. They are a minimum weeklong event, with 7 different events, tons of family, and in our case, spanning across two countries. Meaning that our families hosted a traditional engagement ceremony combined with an engagement party for all of our friends and family in the US, while the actual wedding and the 5 other events/receptions occurred in India. It’s been an incredibly busy past 6 months and will get even busier as soon as we get to India, A WEEK after finals end. But I’m also crazy excited and know it’ll be so much fun!

Hope you enjoyed a peak into my semester and how I’ve been doing. Lastly, remember to romanticize your life… it’s way more fun that way!

Aditi Jakkani is a second-year member of the HER Campus at TAMU chapter. As part of the Events Committee in the chapter, she helps in organizing social events for chapter members. Through these events, the chapter gets the chance to socialize and bond in a more informal environment. Her writing covers personal experiences and recommendations for college students, with a particular focus on Texas A&M students. Apart member for her time spent with HER Campus at TAMU, Aditi is currently a Sophomore General Engineering major at Texas A&M. She works in food service, as a barista at an on-campus Starbucks. Aditi hopes to work within a Technological setting, with a focus on Data Analytics or Cybersecurity, in the future. She treats her articles written for HER Campus as her creative outlet in the midst of her STEM surroundings and considers the discipline and skill derived from writing, valuable in being a well-rounded individual. She has conducted a 7-month long research project, a qualitative correlational analysis study, as the main focus of a high school course. This resulted in a research report discussing the access to environmentally ethical clothing for female adolescents and identified ethical fashion consumption barriers in suburban areas for them. In her free time, Aditi enjoys reading psychological thriller novels and listening to Podcasts. Her workout style of choice is any cardio or reformer Pilates. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially while trying new coffee shops or restaurants. Her perfect day would end snuggled up with her dog, Abby, and hopefully will add a kitten to her life soon!