Twitter users everywhere declared the summer of 2019, “Hot Girl Summer.” A hot girl summer was not about merely looking good, but feeling good! This was a summer of making decisions that were about the individual, about empowering ourselves and the women around us– girls’ nights on girls’ nights on girls’ nights.
But do not fret as classes start and Hot Girl Summer leans into fall, because we are here to empower you to live your best life! Now is the time to embrace a new mantra: Hot Girl Scholar. The “hot girl” of hot girl scholar is about liberating yourself to feel good in your skin; anyone and everyone can be a hot girl scholar inside and out.
Hot girl summer may be fleeting, but a hot girl scholar lasts forever.
Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst
Put Yourself First
Set goals for yourself and see them through. There’s no need to stress yourself out over long-term planning, but what do you want this next month to feel like? Try new things, master old skills, and prioritize pleasing yourself.
Spending alone time with yourself can be essential to self-love! Recognize when you need a night-in and forget the FOMO, there’s always another Friday. A well-rested mind performs miracles in the classroom and off-the-clock.
Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst
But Also: Look Out For Your Ladies
Being a part of your own support system is great (after all you are spending your whole life together), but we can all use a friend– or a whole girl gang– to support us. Just like you need to listen to your own needs, pay attention to your friends and check in on how they’re doing. Friends can help you through tough times, act as an idea bouncing board, and step up when you really need that mom friend. A support network can make life so much more fun. What is success without some other bosses to share it with?
Photo by Nicole De Khors from Burst
Don’t be afraid to say yes
Hopefully your work is fulfilling, with some days not feeling like work at all, but even so, there is more to life. Know your priorities and make time to relax. Whether your vice is a long hike or an occasional wine night, be sure to have some fun and create balance with the grind. And if opportunity knocks outside of your schedule, indulge yourself every once and a while! Enjoy yourself in both your work and time off! As Drake once said, You Only Live Once.
Photo by Brodie Vissers from Burst
The grind is (almost always) worth it
Scholars and bosses alike do what they love and love what they do, pouring copious amounts of energy and resources into their passions. Seeking and fulfilling our passions should be rewarding, full of intellectual and creative discovery, the satisfaction of our work coming together– more often than not, pressures to do more with less interrupt our pursuits. Prioritize your own success, but remember that success is not dictated by only productivity and is certainly not determined by others. Get on that grind, get your work done, but be sure to step back and keep tabs on how you’re feeling and when you might need a break– that could just be for the length of an episode of Stranger Things, or putting your project away for the night.
This list sounds great, but it is by no means an expectation– perfect balance is not possible. Goals are set so that we may strive to be better; hot girl semester, hot girl scholarship, whatever, is just a guide we may follow to keep our habits of self-care in check.
The appeal of these so-called “hot girl” lifestyles is not aesthetic, but rather in their celebration of the individual. All you can ask for is your best, and a few other girls to encourage that of you.