For the first week of August, I was one of five students selected to be a part of my university's team for Entrepreneurship Immersion Week, a competition hosted by the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium.  The competition focused on creating a product or service of our choice and was then presented to a panel of judges.  The first, second and third place winners received a cash prize for their innovative ideas

Many have referred to my week away as a "vacation," but it was far from it.  There were many late nights, tons of hard work and hours of critical thinking that my team and I experienced over the course of five days.  The pressure was definitely on since John Carroll had won in the past two years, and we wanted to continue that tradition.  Fortunately, we were able to carry out that tradition and won first place!

Initially I did know any of the people I was working with that well, except my one Entrepreneurship professor who was my academic adviser at school.  Being in completely different environment made me somewhat nervous.  I did not know what to expect when working with my teammates but for the most part we all got along and became good friends after.

If you ever set goals for yourself, you will notice that most of your goals require you to go outside your comfort zone.  There may be "what if's," nerves, tears and fears of failure that may come along BUT think of it this way... you'll never know until you try.

By stepping outside your comfort zone, it is helping you live out your full potential.  You are exercising your capabilities and testing your limits.  It will only make you better by experimenting new ideas and things.  Being open minded is really important too.  Sometimes the outcomes of stepping outside your comfort are not what you expected, but you can often take away some type of lesson from it.

Believe or not, a lot of people do not step outside their comfort zone.  Everyone's boundaries are different but that doesn't mean you have to conform to other people's limitations or expectations.  If you want something, go for it.  No one should be holding you back from achieving greatness.  It's your comfort zone- your life, and you are the only one in control of that.

Are you ready to take that "leap of faith?"

x.

C

Part of my back to school series, I first wanted to share my favorite items you to keep in your college pantry.  This is not your average college grocery list, aka it does NOT consist of products like Easy Mac or Oreos (although both are delicious!) but instead healthy selections that will win you over.

Near the end of my freshman year, I learned how important it was to take care of your diet.  Resorting to take out, carbonated drinks and late night snacking did nothing in my favor.  The 'Freshman 15' myth did not seem like it would phase me, but I was wrong.  From the pounds I packed on to various acne breakouts I have since than been more conscious about what I am eating.  

College is definitely a challenging atmosphere if you want to eat healthy.  Parents aren't around to tell you what and when to eat and the copious amounts of free food that is on campus is borderline disgusting.  

While I do not have my own kitchen pantry at college since I am living on campus this year, I do have a place in my dorm room where I store all my food.  However your dorm storage pans out, I use a sealed container, like this one, to house my items.  The container keeps everything fresh and and prevents any bugs from getting into my food (because it's college and you can never be too safe!).  Typically, I keep my container nestled underneath my bed or stacked on top of my wardrobe.

Every college student needs to do a grocery run once in a while and I hope you can incorporate some of these snacks into your healthy diet.  They're tasty, convenient and very affordable!

Pretzel Crisps

These light, crispy pretzels are perfect.  Low in calories and zero trans or saturated fat, they're an easy snack to take on the go or can easily be paired with a dip.  They come in a variety of flavors so you'll be able to choose one that will suit your taste buds.

BROOKESIDE Chocolate Covered Açai Berries

I swear by these.  BROOKESIDE sells many chocolate covered snacks that are made with nuts and fruit.  Sometimes in the mid mornings, if I am ever craving something I have a few of these.  Smooth and creamy, the chewy inside is made from a blend of real berry juice, blueberry juice and other fruit juices.

Sabre Hummus

Hummus is very versatile.  Whether you use it as a spread, dip or eat it plain it's an item you will be adding to your shopping list every time.  I enjoy eating it with carrots, celery or even pretzel crisps.  Sabre also sells many types of hummus giving you plenty of options to pick from.

KIND Bars

Perhaps they're not the most affordable snack BUT definitely worth the cost.  They're better than your average granola bar because they're full of nutrients and made with ingredients you can actually see!  Why should this matter?  Because this proves their bars are not as processed in comparison to other brands.

Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Almonds

This past year, these became one of my favorite snacks.  Almonds are known as a "power food."  They have all sorts of health benefits such as lowering your cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease, a heart attack and diabetes.  They also have a lot of magnesium which can provide a good source of energy.  The average service is about 24 almonds which is plenty because these can fill you up!

Mini Babybel Light White Cheese Wheels

"Aren't those the things moms would pack in your school lunch?"
YES they are and have made quite a comeback.  With having 50% less the fat than their normal cheese, they give you protein and are the perfect travel size.

Minute Ready Rice
Maybe its not everyone's first choice snack, but it is for me.  No water needed, this rice cup can easily be heated up for 60 seconds and then it's all ready to go.  They offer white or brown rice to choose from and it's low in calories.  Again, something light to fill you up if you're in a rush or want to pass on the dining hall.  I add bit a soy sauce to mine to give it some flavor.

Fruit And Vegetables

One of the most disappointing parts about college is the lack of fresh fruit.  Apples, red peppers, bananas or whatever you like stored in your fridge is a great idea!  If your college fridge also have a freezer section, trying frozen grapes.  They're delicious to eat especially during the beginning of the school year when it's still hot outside.

What are your favorite college snacks?

x.
C