Starting college is like starting a new adventure, one that will only change your life for the better.

Now it might seem intimidating to have to start at the bottom of the totem pole again, but college is a totally different story, and being a freshman comes with its own perks.

Going to College? No?

Freshman year of college is full of amazing opportunities to figure out your passions, make new friends, and have so much fun.

Here are seven other awesome things about being a college freshman that will have you packing your bags and ready to leave tomorrow.

Great social opportunities

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From clubs to sports to just your normal classes, college is full of a ton of opportunities to meet new people and make lifelong friends.

Even your college freshman housing can be a way to make a new connection because most of the time you will be set up with a roommate that’s most likely someone you’ve never met before.

A chance to try new things

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Being on your own means that you have to make your own decisions, which also means an opportunity to try things you have never tried before.

There will likely be so many different people from so many different places all with different upbringings and lives different from your own. Not to mention the fact that you will probably be living in a new city, perhaps even in a different state, which can also expose you to new things to try.

The place to find your passion

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High school was about doing the things you need to do to get to college, whereas college is where you learn to find your passion.

You can take all kinds of different classes to find out what really moves you and what you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

Time to learn life skills

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Laundry? Clean room? Prepare dinner? Those are all things that you are in charge of doing for yourself now, which can be overwhelming sometimes, but it’s just a few of the life skills you learn going to college.

But it can also be fun, and even in your college freshman housing you can band together with all the other freshman and make doing all your adulting into a fun game or a time to spend together bonding over this new experience.

To learn to live on your own

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Along with life skills, college is the place to learn to live on your own without relying on your parents or even people you grew up with.

Self-reliance is so important, especially in the years after college and on into adulthood.

How to be disciplined

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Between class, work, social life and everything else going on, learning to juggle it all might be difficult at first. But over time you will find out that one of the awesome things about college is that you learn to be more disciplined and make it all work in your favor.

It may not be easy, but it will be worth it and something you will be always grateful for.

Finally, to have some fun

And last but certainly not least, one of the most awesome and greatest parts about college is all the fun you will have at college!

Although there are a lot of serious, adult-type benefits, one of the best is that you are free to have so much fun in your new experiences in this new place and while learning so many new things about yourself.

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Hopefully, for most of us, the answer would be we have no idea. And that is because, for many people, our families are what made us who we are today, for better or worse, and we don’t even want to have to think about how our lives would be without them.

And there are many social and economic reasons that show the benefits of a thriving and healthy family unitand the positive effects it can have on an individual, but most don’t need any scientific evidence to know that is true.

From giving us love and people to rely on and teaching us skills to live in the world, your family is what made you who you are today.

Here are four reasons why your family is probably the most important thing in your life, and hopefully will always be.

They help you feel safe

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The world can be a scary place filled with so much uncertainty, but thanks to your family you learned you could live in it despite those fears.

Your family made you feel that whatever happened at school, work, or with your friends, you could come home and relax in a place where you knew people loved you and wanted to see you thrive.

It helped you to understand how to be that way for them and other people as well, and you want to pass that along to your own family someday.

They help you make the right decisions

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Life is full of so many choices, and not all of them are good ones.

Luckily, if you had parents and siblings who helped lead you down good paths and influenced you to make the best decisions for you and your life that definitely steered you in the right direction.

The great thing about family is they most likely taught you how to have success and be happy, but let you choose along the way how to get there. And when you made mistakes, as we all do, they were there for you too and helped pick you up and get you going even when it felt like you couldn’t do so.

They taught you important habits

Adulting

Thank goodness for parents who taught us important hygiene, grooming and health habits, or who knows where we all would be.

Things like going to the doctor every year, or visiting Family Dental Health Center to get your teeth cleaned and a check-up, or even that showering every day is important.

Sadly, not every person had someone to teach them these things, so if you have parents or other family members who did, it’s good to remember that and be grateful for it.

They showed you love

We sometimes take for granted how great it is to know there are people, sometimes several, in the world who love you exactly the way you are and always will.

Having a family who loves you can a bring a person such comfort and peace, and help them to be a confident and emotionally healthy person.

This is why when you have your own family, or if you have one now, make sure to love them as much as you can.

The post 4 Reasons Your Family Is the Most Important Thing in Your Life appeared first on InstantELLA.

The Keto diet is basically a low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet. You cut out all grains and high-carb foods like potatoes, and many partakers of the diet also cut out all sugar. The idea is to stay under 20 net carbs every day (sometimes more if you workout intensely). Many researchers who are pro keto, have claimed that the keto diet takes us back to what our ancient ancestors ate.

While it might sound terrible to cut out all of your favorite sweets and comfort foods, the benefits might entice you to try it if you’ve struggled with other diets.

Weight Loss

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Okay, we have to list this one. Weight loss is the number one reason people start a keto diet. As your body adapts to the high fat diet and is denied its regular carb-energy intake, it starts to burn fat for energy instead of glucose. Initially, most of your weight loss will be water weight. But you’ll find that the natural fatty foods are much more sustaining than your carb-loaded snacks and that you can go longer in between snack breaks and meals. You’ll naturally eat less calories because the keto diet can sustain you longer, thus, losing more weight in the long run.

Dental Health

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When you cut out all the sugar you were consuming before, that will naturally have a much better impact on your dental health. Of course you still need to brush and floss, but less sugar means less opportunity for bacteria to form and eat away at your enamel. Professionals like those at Washington Periodontics will have a much easier time at your regular cleanings when you cut out sugar.

Disease Prevention

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While this is a little harder to prove overall, there have been many instances that show the keto diet helping with disease control and prevention.

Research suggests that people with type 2 diabetes can see improvements in their HbA1c levels when they go on the keto diet.

Others have seen improvements in their mood, particular those with bipolar disorders. It can even help people with epilepsy, by significantly reducing the amount of seizures a person experiences.

‘I Tried The Keto Diet For Weight Loss And It Did Not Disappoint’

The keto diet isn’t for everyone though, particularly pregnant women and those with kidney damage or anyone who is at risk for heart disease. If you want to try keto to lose weight, but are concerned about the potential impacts of it on your health, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to find out if it’s right for you.

All diets work much better when complimented by mild exercise, quality sleep, and stress management techniques. Do what you need to take care of your body and ensure a healthy, happy life.

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But now one big question comes to mind: where will you live? On campus or off campus is the question, which one is the best option for you? Should you choose on-campus housing or off campus? And what does that even mean?1

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Here are a few pros and cons for housing on campus and off campus from some student apartments for BYU-I housing, which can hopefully make the decision process a little easier.

On-Campus

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The definition of on-campus housing is that the housing is considered to be on the actual campus, the most well-known type of on-campus housing being dorms.

Pros

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There are many pros to living on campus, especially if you are new to college and this is your first semester. Also, a lot of on-campus housing includes a meal plan, meaning you won’t have to worry about cooking.

The first pro is that you are on campus, meaning you are close to all the amenities that campus offers such as the school cafeteria or gym.

Another is that you most likely won’t need a car because you will be within walking distance for most parts of the campus.

Cons

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One con that many attribute to on-campus housing are that the people who tend to live there are mostly first or second semester students, so there isn’t a lot of variety in age and experience.

Also, some may find concentrating a little more difficult due to a large amount of activity in or outside the rooms.

Another con is that most of the on-campus housing means having more roommates than some of the off-campus housing.

Off-campus

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Off-campus housing is most apartment complexes that are around or very near the school but are technically not in school housing. Some colleges even have an approved housing list, which differs from just the community housing for that city.

Pros

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The off-campus housing means a little more independence and freedom, which can give the student more opportunity to learn responsibility and accountability.

Off-campus housing can also offer a little more variety of students, as well as more freedom for activities and such.

Another benefit of off-campus housing is that it can sometimes offer the student more privacy than on-campus housing can, with opportunities for private instead of shared rooms.

Also, there are instances where off-campus housing can be a little more cost-effective than on-campus housing just because there are more price options to choose from.

Cons

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One of the cons of off-campus housing is that depending on where you live it can be more of a commute to campus and may even require a car.

Sometimes with off-campus housing, you may need to make a little more effort to get involved in social activities on campus.

Also, there may be times off-campus where the tenants may be more rambunctious and noisier than on-campus housing.

Even though there are pros and cons for both on-campus and off-campus housing, either way, there is a great option for you and your needs.

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