Student

My Daily Routine (Fall 2019)

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome back to Capturing College! I hope you are enjoying reading my weekly posts. I am not sure what kind of content you all prefer, so feel free to comment and let me know!

When debating on what to post this week, I ultimately decided on sharing my daily routine with you. While in college, my daily routine isn’t always consistent, but I thought it would be fun to share with you what my average day is like.

My schedule does change every other day, so I figured I would share with you what my typical Monday is like this quarter.

My day starts at 7 a.m. when I wake up to shower. I usually shower fairly quickly and then head back to my room to get dressed. When deciding on my outfit, I usually check the weather so that I am prepared for the day. Recently, it has been pretty cold, so most mornings I am ending up wearing jeans and a sweatshirt under my black North Face rain jacket.

After getting dressed, I wash my face and put on my makeup. Since I am pretty tired and it is very early in the morning, I tend to wear very minimal makeup. After my makeup is done, I usually fix my hair while popping a K-Cup into my Keurig so I can brew some coffee while I finish getting ready. Some days I curl my hair if I have the time, but typically it is straight. However, since it is usually a little frizzy from sleeping, I sometimes run a straightener through it in oder to sleek it over again in the morning.

After my hair is done, I brush my teeth while pouring some caramel creamer into my coffee. I then put on my shoes and jacket, pack up my backpack, and spray on some perfume before slipping on my jacket. After that, I pop in my Airpods before putting on my backpack and heading out the door, coffee in hand.

I head to my first class, Contemporary Biology, and usually am greeted by my friend Harrison, who happens to be the teacher’s assistant for that class. I sit in class and take notes while drinking my coffee. At 8:50 a.m., that class ends and I then tread across campus to my second period class, Writing for Advertising.

After sitting in that class and discussing methods of advertising, I head on my longest journey to my last morning class, Introduction to Music, where we learn all about the history and methods of music composition and how to identify different instruments.

After that, I am typically free until my 1 p.m. class, and I usually use that time to eat lunch. However, on Monday’s, I have an officer meeting from 12:30-1 p.m. for the CommLang Club, of which I am the vice president.

Once that meeting has ended, I head straight to my last class of the day, Media Writing, which ends at 1:50 p.m., but what happens next varies by the day. On Wednesday’s, I have Contemporary Biology Lab from 2-5 p.m., and luckily it is taught by Harrison, so I feel comfortable asking questions. He is actually a very helpful TA and does a great job. On Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Thursday’s I usually work from 2-5 p.m. and that really works up my appetite for dinner.

I head out to eat with Christopher usually right once I am off of work. We try to go to the cafeteria as much as we can, but honestly we do end up going out way more than we should.

If we go out to eat, we usually end up getting fast food, and once we get back to campus, we get straight to work on our homework and studies for the week.

I tend to finish my homework anywhere between 8-10 p.m. depending on how much there is to do that night and how soon I need to complete it. After that, I head back to the dorm to relax.

Usually, I change into sweats and prepare for bed, and then start to watch “Friends.” Right around then, one of my friends, typically Lexi or Allison, knock on my door, and we end up hanging out. We usually catch up and make plans for the following day, or talk about what is going on in our love lives.

Sometimes, if it is a particulary slow week, we even watch a TV show together. Lexi and I have recently been watching the Netflix original show “Raising Dion.” It is amazing and really well done, I highly reccommend it. Other nights, we binge watch One Direction videos and sing along, or we spend the late evening eating a bunch of food at Sheri’s.

Most nights, however, we just talk for hours and leave the door open until we end up with our whole squad gathered at the end of the hall in either my room or Mariah and Allison’s room, which is across the hall. Eventually, we end up deciding to turn in for the night.

To prepare for bed, I usually make sure to remove my makeup before washing my face and brushing my teeth before putting my retainers in. I put an essential oil in my room diffuser and turn it on before turning out the lights and crawling into bed. My favorite night time scent for my diffuser is lavender, but recently I have been running thieves or eucalyptus due to the fact that myself and my roommate have been sick for a while now.

That is the end of my typical day so far this quarter. While it does tend to vary due to after school activities, amounts of homework, changing schedules, and other variables, this is the basic outline of a day in my life.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! If you would like to see more post like this, perhaps a day in the life post with images, or a quarterly updated version of this, let me know by commenting below, Please be sure to follow Capturing College and check out more of the posts I have. Have a great rest of your week!

Group Shoot: Lexi, Alyssa, Jenn and Hope

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

Lexi, my roommate this year, wanted to do a photoshoot with her friends to remember this year, as well as just have some nice photos together. Alyssa will be headed to Zimbabwe next year to teach music and English at a school there as a student missionary. Hope, Lexi and Jenn will be returning to Walla Walla University in the fall to continue working toward their teaching degrees.

For this photoshoot, they wanted an urban vibe, so we ventured into downtown Walla Walla. We did a wide variety of backgrounds and poses, and they ended up with about 500 edited photos out of the 1,800 we shot.

Lexi
Alyssa
Jenn
Hope

To see more, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter, @kirstenimages.

Five Memories From My Sophomore Year of College

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

This is my finals week from my last quarter of my sophomore year of college. To celebrate, I thought I would post some of my favorite memories from this year.

1. Friendsgiving at the cabin

My friend, Luke, has a cabin that we all go and visit sometimes. This year was my first time going to the cabin. It was Luke, Lexi, Ryan, Harrison and I. We cooked, baked cakes, watched movies, and played games. We even got to explore the town of Leavenworth, Washington. We had a “Friendsgiving” meal which we all worked together to prepare, and we enjoyed getting to know each other. We went to a diner that reminded Lexi and I of “Riverdale,” so we had to take a Betty and Veronica pic. Check it out!

Lexi and I as Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper
2. Weezer Concert in Portland

For my boyfriend’s birthday, I bought him tickets to see Weezer. We went with his friends and had a fun time exploring Portland for the weekend. I wrote about it in a previous post, so I won’t elaborate too much here, but it was one of the most memorable things that happened this year.

3. Boise trip

Another friend of mine, Harrison, lives in Boise, Idaho. During a long weekend, Christopher, Lexi, Kailee and I went home with Harrison and were able to explore his hometown. This is another thing I referenced in an earlier post, but I had to mention it again, especially since I was able to explore a new town with my new friends.

4. Joseph, Oregon with my family

One of the first weekends in October, my parents rented an RV and drove out to meet me at school. They even brought our Great Dane, Patrick! The four of us all went camping for the weekend in Joseph, Oregon. We had a wonderful time, despite the cold weather, and really enjoyed spending time as a family to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

5. The many, many photoshoots.

I have done so many shoots this year! I have met tons of people and it made me more comfortable shooting with people I am less familiar with. I have loved all the content I have produced this year. I won’t make you scroll through all the images on this post, but if you would like to see them, please check out my posts on my Instagram and Twitter, @kirstenimages.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my memories from my sophomore year of college. If you want to read more about it, check out my College Journey series under the college tab on this blog, Capturing College, and don’t forget to follow to see more content!

20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 (Part Four)

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

This is the final part of my 20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 series! If you missed Part One, Two, or Three, read those first, and don’t forget to follow this blog, Capturing College, for more helpful hints and advice.

16. Everyone is on a different path.

I struggle to remember that I can’t compare where I am at on my journey with other people’s journeys. We are all on our own journey and have our own struggles and trials, as well as our own successes and triumphs. Don’t compare your phase two with someone else’s phase four. Also, don’t compare your phase two to someone else’s phase one. Don’t go around thinking you are so much father ahead than someone else. You may just have an easier path now, and they may catch up or even pass you. Everyone is on a different journey, just be concerned with your own.

17. You can learn something from every situation.

No matter if it is the best scenario, or your worst nightmare, you can learn something from everything you experience in life. You woke up late and missed your first class? Maybe next time don’t stay up late studying and set multiple alarms. Your friend brought you coffee to work today? Maybe follow their example of kindness and bring them a treat next time you go out, or treat a random stranger by paying for their order at Starbucks. No matter how good or bad a situation is, you can always learn something from it.

18. Love everyone.

Life is too short to go around making people miserable. The world would be so much better if we all chose to love each other. Regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs, sexuality, or any trivial thing that may make someone different from you. Love them. Love everyone. Be kind to others.

19. Take risks.

There are two things I have struggled with since I was a child. One is making fast decisions, and the other is taking risks. Ironically, those two things kind of go hand in hand on a fairly frequent basis. When I was a child, if I did all my chores for the week, my mom would let me chose between a mystery present or $10 or something like that. She was trying to teach me that taking risks in life is okay, and they even help spice up my life. I like to weigh all my options as a kid, and if I ever had to make a choice, I would always try to find a way to compromise and get both things. Unfortunately, you can’t always do that in the grown-up world, so don’t be afraid to take risks. It will all turn out the way it was meant to.

20. Do what makes you happy.

I saved this one for last because this is the most important thing I have learned before turning 20. Do what makes YOU happy. This is your life, and it is short. Don’t compromise when it comes to your happiness. If you hate your major now, you are going to hate doing things in that field for the rest of your life, so change your major now while you still can. If you don’t like your school, don’t just sit there and live through it, make a change and transfer schools. Make this life worth living, do what makes you happy. Pursue what you love, whether it be someone or something, a person or a career. Do what makes you happy.

I hope you enjoyed this series. Be sure to check out Part One, Two, and Three if you missed them. Follow me on this blog, Capturing College, for more content like this, and don’t forget to do what makes you happy.

College Journey Part Seven: Spring 2019

/ makenakirsten / 1 Comment

I am currently just finishing up the spring quarter of my sophomore year at Walla Walla University, and I have to say I have really enjoyed this year over all. I will be returning in the fall for my junior year, and I already have my schedule mapped out for the whole academic year.

This quarter has been tons of fun. I surprised my boyfriend, Christopher, with tickets to go see Weezer in Portland, Oregon, with me and two of his friends, Andrew and Maria. The concert was the first weekend after spring break, and it was totally worth it. Weezer was super entertaining, and we had a wonderful weekend overall.

We also went home randomly one weekend to spend some time with our families. It was a nice break from the grind of school, and I think we both seriously enjoyed it.

Over the course of the quarter, we enjoyed spending time with our friends. We had about a billion cups of coffee and enjoyed the sunshine, which was a welcome change from the buckets of snow from winter quarter.

We went to Bennington Lake with Harrison and Lexi earlier in the quarter, and took some fun photos. Christopher walked away with 17 bug bites, I ended up with 21, and Lexi ended up getting lost. It took us a while, but we managed to help her find her way back to the car.

Christopher and I at Bennington Lake
  • Lexi and Harrison
  • Lexi and Harrison
  • Lexi and Harrison
  • Harrison
Christopher and I
  • Lexi and I
  • Lexi and I

As far as school goes, this quarter has been a pretty strong one. I have really enjoyed my classes this quarter, and I even got an amazing job that I love. I am so thankful that I ended up at WWU this year, and I can’t wait for a new year with more amazing memories.

20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 (Part Three)

/ makenakirsten / 1 Comment

This is the third part of what will be a four part series on 20 things I have learned before turning 20. If you haven’t read the first two parts of the series, listing 1-5 and 6-10, be sure to check those out. Also, don’t forget to follow so you don’t miss the final five going up next Monday!

11. It is okay to not be okay.

You are not going to be okay all the time. We will all have our bad days, weeks months, or even years (can you hear the “Friends” theme in your head?), and that is completely okay. You don’t have to pretend you are okay all the time. Also, under the same umbrella, if you are not doing too well, please seek help. There is no shame in going to see a therapist or a counselor. It can really help you think things out and process, and the trained mental health professionals can give you tools to use when you aren’t able to have access to help from other people.

12. Adapt and adjust.

Not everything is going to go to plan all the time. I am someone who plans things in my head all the time, and when things don’t go exactly as I expect, I tend to get a little frustrated. When I was in health class my freshman year of high school, my health teacher told us that we need to be able to adapt and adjust. Whether it may be a new job, a daily plan, a routine, or a move to a new place, we need to know how to adapt and adjust to our situations and surroundings.

13. Friendships (and relationships) are a two-way street.

Friendships and relationships require give and take. Don’t be the only one giving in any relationship, whether platonic or romantic, but also don’t forget you shouldn’t be just taking either. Relationships are a balance. Somedays you may give more than you take, and others you may take more than you give. However, if you feel you are always giving and they are never giving you anything in return, maybe speak to them about it, and if nothing improves, maybe let that relationship fade.

14. It is okay to cut people out of your life.

Cut them out. (I tried to think of a nicer way to say this, but I think this is common language now, so I will stick with it for now.) I have said before that friendships fade and change, and that is true. However, when, in reference to #13, a relationship is always more give than take, and you aren’t getting what you want or need out of the relationship, it is time to let that person go. You don’t have to be rude about it, but maybe say no when they ask you to do something for them, or stop hanging out with them as much. If you are constantly being dragged down by someone, cut them out. If someone is using up all of your energy and never building you up, cut them out. If you do so much for someone and they never do anything in return, cut them out. If they can never be happy for you when you are finally happy, cut them off. It sounds terrible and mean, but you don’t have to be rude about it, please be polite! You just need to realize what you need out of life, and if this person isn’t a good person to have around, you need to let them go, and move on with your life.

15. Not everyone wants your advice.

I know this is pretty silly to say, especially considering this list of 20 things are basically all advice from my life, but it is something I have come to realize recently. I am at a different place in my life than a lot of people my age. I have researched heavily what I want and what I am doing, and I have gone through things that other people I know haven’t experienced yet. I tend to offer advice to people that don’t necessarily want it on a fairly regular basis. Of course, I never mean to overstep or be rude, but if I know that a certain school is over twice as expensive as the one I am currently attending, I am going to caution my friend, or if I know that it is going to rain tomorrow and there is a photoshoot planned, I will give them a heads up. What I have to realize is, some people just need to do this on their own. I have conversations about these things with my mother frequently. I just want to help others, but to them, it seems as though I am an annoying know-it-all that just wants to prove she’s better than everyone else, which is not true! I just love my friends so much that I don’t want them to have to struggle to figure things out on their own. However, I need to realize that people need to figure things out for themselves, and they don’t always want my help or advice.

That is all for this week’s edition of 20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20. Don’t forget to check out Part One and Part Two, and follow to make sure you don’t miss the fourth and final part coming out next Monday!

20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 (Part Two)

/ makenakirsten / 2 Comments

To count down the weeks until I turn 20, I decided I would share with you 5 of the 20 things I’ve learned before turning 20. Check out the first five here if you haven’t already, and be sure to follow and come back on Monday for the next five things.

6. You are allowed to put yourself first.

I constantly put someone else’s needs before my own. Whether it be my friends, my boyfriend, or even a classmate, I always find myself placing my own personal needs and wants on the back burner. This is just a recent thing that I am still working on, but I am reminding myself that it is okay to have time set aside just for me. It is okay to not set your whole life around someone else’s schedule. If people want to see you badly enough, they will work with you to find a common time. Of course, relationships and friendships take work and a balance of give and take. However, make sure you aren’t the only one giving. It needs to be a balance. Put yourself first. It really is okay.

7. Just because someone is better, does not make you bad.

I don’t know if this is a teenager thing or a girl thing, but I constantly compare myself to others. Not just my hair, my body, my makeup, but my work, my talent, and my grades are all nothing if they aren’t the best, and therefore better than everyone else. I constantly hear myself saying things like, “Well, they are an amazing photographer, so I must not be good.” Just because someone is more talented than you does not mean you are not talented. Don’t define your self worth based on other’s success.

8. Speak up.

It is okay to say what you mean. You are allowed to tell people what you want and how you want to be treated. Of course, you should do it nicely, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover either. If you want to go to a specific place for dinner, speak up. If you want more time with your boyfriend, tell him. Don’t go through life unhappy because you didn’t want to be an inconvenience. This is your life, and you deserve to live it your way.

 9. Friends change.

The people you are best friends with in high school may not be your best friends in college, even if you go to the same school. This does not mean you will despise each other and never see each other, and it does not mean you are no longer friends at all. Friendships change and people change, but that doesn’t make your bond weaker. Who knows, maybe you will become closer with people you barely knew in high school, or you will make new friends. No matter what happens, friendships change, and that is okay.

10. It is okay to ask for help.

You can not do everything yourself. I am one of those people that loves to be able to do everything by myself. I move my room around, wash my car, make appointments and shoot and edit photos of myself all on my own. I don’t like asking for help because it means admitting that I have to rely on other people. However, I know that it is okay for me to ask others for help. There is no way I can do everything all on my own, and it is okay for me to learn from others by asking for their help.

I hope you learned something new from these tips. If you would like to read more, be sure to follow for an alert letting you know when I’ve posted again, or tune in next Monday for another 5 things I’ve learned before turning 20.

College Journey Part Five: Transition and International Education

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

Once I figured out I was going to attend Walla Walla University in the fall, I had less than two weeks to figure everything out.

I told only a few friends, wanting to surprise the rest by my showing up on campus, and began the process of signing up for classes.

My friends were happy to see me on campus, and several people I knew from high school were puzzled by my appearance on campus. Once they all learned I was attending classes, they realized I had transferred.

I was unsure about how I felt for the first few weeks, but soon grew to like it. I made new friends, and I enjoyed my new major, Strategic Communications. Don’t worry though, I still decided to get a photography minor.

About half way through the quarter, I made a meeting with the registrar to see if it would be possible for me to go to England for two quarters.

After a few hours of juggling classes and transferred credits, we came to the conclusion that I would not be able to go to school in England. I was crushed, and it took several days to process the fact that my dream of traveling abroad for school was not going to become a reality.

My friends were very supportive, but none of them could really help me since they didn’t fully understand what I was experiencing. It was a really hard week for me, and I had to lean on Christopher, who was then just my best friend, a lot.

He helped distract me by watching movies with me and talking to me about things like cars and making sure I was around other people. I was really thankful for his help.

So that settled it. I was staying at WWU for the rest of my college years.

What kind of trouble would I get up to? Would I make new friends? Would I ever get another chance to study abroad?

Those questions swirled around in my mind for the remainder of fall quarter, and soon, winter was approaching. What was next for me?

20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 (Part One)

/ makenakirsten / 3 Comments

My 20th birthday is coming up in less than a month, so for the next four Monday’s, I am going to share five things I have learned before turning 20 years old, which will add up to 20 things. I hope you enjoy these little pearls of wisdom, and be sure to follow to make sure you don’t miss out on the next three parts of this series.

1. Don’t play the victim.

I’ve heard my parents say this frequently through out my life, and it is something I need to remember while I enter my 20s. Take responsibility for your actions, no matter what it is. If you walk into a door frame and stub your toe, it is your fault, not the door frame’s fault. If you decide to skip class and miss an in-class assignment, the zero you receive is your fault, so take responsibility for your choices and actions. You are not a victim of your circumstances.

2. It is okay to say no.

You are allowed to say no to something someone asks you to do. You do not have to do everything someone asks of you. It is perfectly okay for you to not do that favor for your friend, and it is okay for you to back out on a preplanned event in order to take care of yourself or your mental health. You can not do everything, and it is okay to prioritize yourself before the things others ask you do to for them.

3. You will miss your family (even if they drive you crazy.)

We all love our families, but family can also drive you crazy. You may think you’ll be glad to be out in the world on your own, but you will miss your mom telling you to go to bed at a reasonable hour, and your dad cutting up fruit for you in the morning.

4. Experiences are better than things.

I’m not saying buying things isn’t great, trust me, I like shopping. However, what I have learned is that I would rather spend my money on a concert I can experience with my friends rather than buying those expensive Nike shoes at the mall. Chances are, those shoes won’t last very long. You may grow out of them, they may soon be out of style, or you may just wear them so much they fall apart. Regardless, you’ll probably hold the memory of the concert closer to your heart than the memory of those shoes.

5. School is not the most important thing.

I know, sounds crazy to say, especially coming from someone who works very hard for her grades, but school is not the most important thing. While you should work hard to do well in everything you do, you should not let your education take control of your life. There will be times where you can afford to make sacrifices, like taking a break from studying for a quiz in order to grab coffee with a friend you barely see, and you should take those chances.

Boston

/ makenakirsten / Leave a comment

Last spring, while I was a freshman at Andrews University, I was in an Advanced Photography class. We had a final project we needed to do for class, and it had to be between 20-30 images.

I spent my spring break visiting a close friend in Boston, Massachusetts. He was attending school there, and another friend of ours was going to school close by. It was wonderful exploring this place they had both come to hold so dear.

While I was there, I became interested in the architecture and the architectural elements throughout the city and surrounding areas. I would stop every three minutes just to shoot more photos of the gorgeous buildings and little things I would notice along the way.

As I explored, I noticed that this city would be the perfect subject for my final project. I started to notice some repeating forms and the stunning contrast of the old stone and the new glass skyscrapers.

Fast forward a few months, and I had completed my final project. I decided to edit the images in both color and black in white just to see what looked best, and ultimately decided to finalize the black and white images. They were stronger compositionally in black and white since the colors were faded originally due to it being late winter at the time.

I edited them originally in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, and then imported them into Silver Efex Pro 2, which allowed me to add some more details to the images. After that, I added them into Adobe Photoshop, where I did some touch ups, like removing some distracting poles or branches, and then added a border.

The final step was creating an artist’s statement. For those of you that may not be familiar, an artist’s statement is a piece that accompanies the title of the piece/series and explains it. Sometimes it provides some background information, other times it is simply a poetic statement of types, or leaves the reader to add their own interpretation.

Since I captured these images and the project was completed, a lot has changed in my heart and in my life. It has been over a year, after all. I will only slightly adjust the statement in order for it to be more clear, but I hope you will enjoy the artist’s statement as well as the images nonetheless.

“I Wish I Could See the World Through Your Eyes”

Those words echo through my mind to this day.

When I was asked why I wanted to become a photographer, I would say I wanted to show people how I view the world and all of the little things I would notice in day-to-day life.

With the jobs I have been presented with in my field, I have been so focused on capturing events that I no longer saw photography as an art form and I lost sight of my original purpose in what I wanted to do as a photographer.

While shooting in Boston over spring break, I was amazed by the artistic side of me coming back to life. I would walk down the street and have to stop every few seconds just to capture something new that caught my eye.

As I stood there, I had someone I cared very deeply for standing patiently beside me. As I started to shoot, I heard him say, “I wish I could see the world through your eyes.”

Since then, that has been my goal every day.

If you would like to view more of my work, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter, @kirstenimages.