College Vlog: Productive Days in My Life - Studying, Note-Taking, Classes -Michigan State University 

When I hit rock bottom with my mental health, I transferred schools and took a semester off. It was both the hardest and best decision I ever made. You should be proud of yourself for prioritizing your mental health over academics! It is so much more important! ❤️

Kaitlyn, i am SO PROUD OF YOU. I am currently on my second bachelors, I want to share with you and everyone else my story about my first bachelors. My first bachelors was chaotic, I'm talking about the hardest classes (similar to yours). I would do full time every semester but at one point the classes were very difficult, especially 5 difficult classes at the same time. It got so bad that I started to fail my classes (something you said you didnt want to do), it got so bad that I failed out of college... It was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me and it's not because I'm dumb, but I was concerned with how people will perceive me with doing part-time. I completely understand you when you mentioned that part but I am so happy you are not paying attention to what people will say about you. That was MY mistake. I was too concerned. When I went back into college I learned to manage my time and take care of my mental health. You're young and i was young just like you and putting that amount of stress into myself at a young age is not good. I changed everything. I managed to finish school IN MY OWN TIMING, and managed to raise my 1.7 GPA (When i failed out) to a 3.1 GPA by the time I graduated. In conclusion, (LOL) don't listen to society telling you that you have a time limit. You do everything on YOUR timing. Your mental health comes FIRST. This is the reason why a lot of us in college struggle so much. I am so happy with all the things you mentioned at the beginning of your video (i recommend everyone to listen, DO NOT SKIP). BTW, I am so sorry for making this so long but this is something so important for all of us to pay attention to.

I really enjoy the iPad note taking compilations when you do the screen record! It’s very satisfying and motivating for me to do my notes lol

Really appreciating the honesty in your vlogs! Love the video, inspiring as always

It blows my mind how you are able to write in perfectly straight lines😂 it’s so satisfying 😍

I look forward to your videos so much theyre always my first choice when i open RU-vid! Love uuuu :))) I also appreciate how you're so real with your mental health and when you struggle, as a college student with mental health struggles myself its so nice to know im not alone :,)

I love the thumbnail! It’s so cute!

Prioritizing your mental health is so important. Went to college right after high school, dropped out, and took 2 years off, I’m currently back in college again. I’m 21 (almost 22) and I’m a freshman, but I feel so good about it now. I’m studying what I love, and that’s so much more worth to me than finishing ‘early’

Never be ashamed or embarrassed for putting your mental health above academics. It’s a tough decision but I am glad you are practical and know yourself well enough to make these decisions on your own. Rooting for you!

Hey, Kaitlyn! Congrats on your pictures of the week with ChilledCow! I love listening to ChilledCow like you do!! 😍 ❤️Aaron

I definitely suggest staying an extra semester. With my mental health, I too can’t do more than like 12 credit hours or I’ll have a mental break haha. So I totally understand. AND I switch my major to psychology so that’s another reason why it’s taking me an extra semester to complete my undergrad. But I’m doing what I love and I’m not causing myself more mental stress than what I can afford. So totally consider staying for another semester (:

Thanks for talking about mental health, It made me realized that I’m not the only one that feels that pressure and stress. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. And now I believe that I can take a break or make a difference choice. Thanks for taking the time to speak of this.

I appreciate you talking about taking an extra semester. I’m also a very thorough student and have trouble taking a large course load. It’s nice to know that it’s ok to learn differently than other people especially going into my freshman year of college.

Yes! It is so important to be realistic on the workload you can handle in school. It's taken me 6 years to get my bachelor bc I've kept having to take semesters off bc of my mental health bc I'd overwork myself. Good for you for realizing this early on!

If I could go back, one of the things I would do differently I’m my undergrad is TAKING MY TIME. There is no shame in taking more than 4 years to finish undergrad, most of the time 4 years is not enough and THATS OKAY. Proud of you & I’m happy you’re doing better! 💖

Hey! I'm in pharmacy school. This means that my entire course load includes those classes that you have to spend so much time to do. They're all hard and all so important. I am struggling. My mental health is declining. It also means I really can't change what I'm taking or how many credits I have. It's terrible. But I just wanted to let you know that I admire you and how you are doing what is best for you. You're doing great.

Your dedication to school is inspiring I love your note taking it’s so neat and structured ❣️

I TOTALLY understand. I took 3ish extra semesters because I tried to do too much and ended up not doing well in a lot of classes. Trust me, spreading out is a great thing for your mental health and grades. you got this girlie!

I’ve been watching your videos lately and I love how relatable they are. In the beginning when you were talking about stress and overloading and stuff made me happy because I’ve been through that but now I’m taking more control of my life and stuff. New subscriber :P

We really do appreciate how honest you are with us! Don't be embarrassed for prioritizing your mental health over your workload. Like you said, you know yourself better than anyone else, and if you see yourself overworking yourself with that 16 credit semester, don't do it! Also, I learned not to compare myself to others because everything you are doing is essentially for yourself. When you said, "what normally takes others no time at all takes a long time for me..." just stop right there! This creates bad energy, and it ends up breaking you down when you continuously compare yourself to others. You are you!

i was JUST watching you before my classes started for uni! i saw you on my suggested feed and i really enjoy your videos! i love how you talk to us about your mental health and how you’re doing with your classes. it just shows that you wanted to really connect to your audience :)

I am taking 13 credits this semester over 4 classes this semester. I’m used to only taking 3 classes and about 10 credits. The homework load on 4 highly involved classes is a lot. Out of school I do about 4 hours a day on homework every day of the week including weekends. I might spend even more time if I need to study for an exam.

I just love to listen to someone talking while I'm working on my notes and you are not distracting at all! have a nice day :)

Yessss please do a reset routine video ily

I love your videos, I'm from Chile and whenever I feel surpassed by my university, I start watching your videos to relax. I hope you do very well!

Thanks for sharing your updates. You should never apologize for doing what you need to do what us best for you. Figuring out your learning style and capacity is key to processing and retaining the info to do well.

Hey, Kaitlyn! It took me 5 years to get my AA degree because of my struggle with mental health. I took a semester off, some semesters I only took 1-3 classes and some I took 4. I felt bad and embarrassed about it for a long time, but then I decided to stop. Everyone has their own timing, and honestly a lot of people don't finish their bachelors in only 4 years. It's really a matter of not comparing yourself to other people, even though I know it's easier to say than do, especially when your friends are graduating but you're still in school. Just remember that there are a lot more people dealing with the same thing as you, probably more than you know. Yes, it's going to take me 8 years to get my bachelors degree, but I've grown so much as a person and I'll be a better teacher to my students because of it! You got this, girl!!!

I really enjoyed your school update in this video! Thanks for sharing

Mental health is super important. I decided not to take my december’s exams just to make my mental health a priority. It was difficult but I do not regret it now. You’re brave, don’t you ever forget that

I love your honesty with your educational path. The absolute best thing for you to do is to finish at your own pace, not at anyone else’s. I am a college student on the small, but besutiful island of Guam & I’ve been attending since Fall of 2015 & I’m only ganna graduate this Spring of 2020, mainly because classes and professors are very limited during each sem, but also because I wanted to finish and take classes at my own pace & that’s what got me through the semester.

This channel is my motivation ❤️ Keep up the excellent vlogs Kaitlyn ✨

Could you do a video on how you annotate your textbook? Like what information you think is important? That’s one of the biggest things I have trouble with, because when I read a chapter for a class, I just zone out. But great video! Love your channel!

i relate to you on sooooo many levels, you're a total inspiration!!!!

Thank you so much for your vlogs. I get a lot of them. I’m at a local Community college and struggling with PTSD, and it’s nice to see other students share about mental health

Really good that your are prioritizing your mental health! I struggle with similar problems but in the beginning I would cancel activities like bowling as well to be able to study more. Now I realized that doing something fun, not study related, makes my mental health so much better and it is something I need to prioritize as well.

Hearing you drop your physics class made me feel better about dropping my microbiology class! I totally understand your decision 🥰!

I appreciate you so so much for advocating for mental health. I took ochem last semester and wasnt doing well in it at all, I didn't drop it because I was embarrassed and ended up getting a poor grade and I have to retake it next fall. I was super bummed because that had never happened to me before, I've never had to retake classes or not do well so it was a really hard time for me and my mental heath was deteriorating. I had to step back and tell myself that it's okay and that just because I had to retake a class it doesn't make me any less of a student or person. Seeing you, a person that I admire, going through the same situation with physics really helps me to feel like I'm not alone

Honestly you have to do what is best for you. Take extra time if needed, all that matters is that you finish your degree. I rushed towards the end of degree and my last 45 credit hours gpa ended up tanking, which is one of the important gpa’s for veterinary school. Being someone who just went through the application cycle with 7 denials, I wish I hadn’t rushed. I also did a very specific bachelors degree which is now hurting me, so changing your major is honestly a great idea! Also keep in mind vet schools will analyze the number of credits you take each semester to determine if you can handle the 20+ credit load for veterinary school. Now I’m taking time off from school and gaining veterinary experience to hopefully improve my application for next time!

I really like the iPad note taking compilation video. It’s so motivating. Your videos in general motivate me to do my homework :) 💖

you're so inspiring and motivational. trust me I know the struggle is real but sometimes we need to push forward and know that everything happens for a reason. love your videos :) you truly make me want to study and be more organized

So proud of your journey!! Your gonna do great ❤️

Mental health is very important! I did not have the courage to take a semester off. As a result, my mental health hit rock bottom and it took me months and months to recover. I highly appreciate your decision. Know what's best for you and keep doing it!! More power to you girl!!!

I like watching these videos even though I’m not going to college until 5 or 6 years from now... I’m going to try to be an actress 😊

I just found your channel and you're so naturally beautiful omg!! I'm starting grad school in the fall and your videos make me excitedd and motivated to go back to school and study again

I can totally relate to this! This semester (especially my midterm week) has caused me so much stress. I've slowly been feeling my mental health slipping and I hate going back into this hole because it happens every spring semester because there's so much to get done in so little time. I'm so glad that you spoke about this because it gives me some type of relief that I'm not the only one going through this. Keep striving! It'll get better!

I hit rock bottom with my mental health last semester and it was brutal, I considered dropping the semester in total but I was able to pull myself enough together to finish most of my courses and take two incompletes which I am finishing up now. It is totally normal to have to go at a slower pace. You want to make sure that you are getting the best grades that you can but that you are also focusing on your mental health. It also takes me much longer to do things because I am so thorough so I get where you are coming from. You are such an inspiration and you got this!

I can't believe a counselor told you to take 16 credits just to save money! I've taken 16 credits for ENGLISH and was basically loosing my mind (so much reading, by then end, I couldn't even remember what book went to which class). Heck, when I told my dad I was taking 16 credits he freaked because when he was a science major, taking 12 credits was a lot! It's good you realized your limits!

I would love to see like a studying schedule or something like that because you're always studying and I love your dedication to it! BTW Don't feel embarrassed about not taking all those classes next semester. Like my professor says you can't take all had classes at once not because of the grades but because of your sanity. If you take 5 classes 3 should be easy and 2 hard ones. Also, what is one more semester? Where I'm from people here take 5 years minimum to graduate because they want good grades and have a happy and fun college life. So don't beat yourself up for that. Remember it's your life and your career, your own path; it's not like high school. It's not a race to see who gets out first. So enjoy it honey!

Your videos are so inspiring, makes me actually want to put in effort to do better in school. I’m glad I found your channel

Hey there! I just found your channel and what a video to start with. My academic journey has definitely been a wild ride. My first time in university I wasnt in it for the right reason and I hated my major. I tried switching to something I thought I would like but the math was crazy in it which i hated. I finally switched into a different major but by the time I switched I was suspended from the university for academic probation status for too long. This point I hit rock bottom and felt like I just wasnt meant for school. My mom pushed me to find something that I would really enjoy so I went to the local college for Educational Support. I learned some study skills and by the end I came out with straight As and got the academic and leadership award! It was all about knowing myself and taking my time. I am a lot like you and can only take 3 classes in one semester where the normal is 5, so I put myself down about that a lot but i know myself and know i will succeed with this course load. Best of luck and I'll be following your videos!

I would love a reset video. Good luck with your academics, I'm sure you'll do great ❤

hey girl! i also struggle with feeling embarrassed because i'm not always able to do as much as my peers (like taking 18 credit hours each semester, being productive all day every day, etc) because of my mental health. thank you for talking about this!

hey Kaitlyn! i just want to say that i absolutely love your vlogs and i really admire you for being able to keep up with all of your classes + youtube. i really appreciate how open and real you are with us and how you are always bringing awarness about mental health (that's actually why you are one of my favorites youtubers). keep on working hard girlie; i'm sure there are many beautiful things coming your way!! sending lots of love from Argentina💕

You have no idea how bad I needed to hear this. I’m currently in the process of dropping a class and I have been so negative to myself lately but hearing thins definitely puts my head in the right place. You got this ❤️

your notes are so aesthetic!!

don’t be embarrassed for being honest and only wanting to take classes you have time for and can be successful in!! this semester has been the worst one I’ve had so far bc of the work load and I’m taking 5 extremely hard classes which I need to complete this semester to transfer colleges. next year I really want to space my credits out and after hearing you talk about it makes me feel so much better! I agree, all I hear is people trying to cram their education into just 4 years or less and it just seems unrealistic to put that burden on yourself when you know what you’re capable of. much love :))

omg I finally found someone who does vlogs who is also pre-vet! I'm so happy omg I love your vlogs so much!!

I like watching the screen recording of your notes! Glad its easier for you too!

You should definitely try to take a full course load and just get your undergrad done. I don't know a lot about vet school, but its anything like med school you be taking several classes that require your full attention. I'm currently in my first year of optometry school and every semester we take about 10 classes that require your full attention. Challenge yourself now to either prepare for vet school, or realize if it isn't the path for you.

Hey girlie, it's me again (hope u remember my pfp 😂). You really thought ppl was gonna skip ahead and move in with the vlog. Nah for me. Just wanted to let u know that I appreciate u were real with your mental health. If u need someone to talk to, I'm here!! Youll perhaps expect me spammin u a lot of motivational memes and such so don't worry 😂 and I wanna let u know that since you're taking harder classes, I want for u to look ahead and see what you're gonna expect.. please eat well and please take a few breaks from here and there to refresh your mind. You're super passionate and smart. Rooting for u girlie 💖. Stay safe ✨

If your intuition is telling you need time off, or can't handle a class, it's mostly right. I've probably dropped about 5 courses because I knew I couldn't handle the course load, succeed in the exams or even understand the material. It took me 5 years to finish my degree, but by cutting down on my classes, and focusing on just 3 per semester, i was able to increase my GPA from 2.6 to 3.75 in the end.

Trust me, do everything on your own time. I know staying an extra year can be annoying but you’ll definitely thank yourself in the long run. I’m a pre nursing student so the pre requisites are hardddd. They wanted me to take 2 of them at one time plus other classes and I decided to make my own choice and take them separately which sets me back a semester but tbh idc. It’ll be better for my mental health (which is kinda shitty right now) in the long run and I know I’ll do better in the classes taking them separately than together. There’s no rush girl, you’ll do great 💖💖

I have gotten a lot of grief for only being a part time student. I’m taking calc & botany. I already had 120+ units at my CC due to registration issues and scholarship requirements, and they were the last two classes I needed to transfer. but only having a couple classes has helped my grades so much. I’m glad I’m not the only one though. I have never been good at math at all, but have still managed to keep an A in calc by not overwhelming myself. I’m also starting to accept that my bachelors degree take me more than 4 years.

Hey Im in vet school right now, and I know that what Im gunna say is gunna suck but I wish someone had said it to me. Vet school, as Im sure you expected anyways, is hard. way harder than taking 18 credit hours a semester. I feel like it may be really hard, and I know its tempting to spread it out because you have the option to but I think it would be good practice to see if you can handle that kind of work load before you get into a program and get hit with 24+ credit equivalents a semester. my biggest issue was learning time management cause i used to have all this time in undergrad to get around to things, not the case here. I wish you all the luck, Im proud of you for pushing through those rough times and continuing on your path.

Hey---MSU alum here! I took a lot of the classes you are taking next year and you are not being overdramatic at all! Those classes are challenging! Don't worry about taking an extra semester. It's much better to be able to enjoy those classes because they are very interesting and a lot of the professors are really awesome than to be stressing about everything. You've got this!

Please make a reset video! I love that idea and that is something I want to accomplish over break ! Or even like a self-care video over break because I feel like I don't even know how to do self -care. Love your videos!!

I really love your videos 👌🏻 i always get motivated and go back to studying. Thank u 🖤

I love watching you taking your notes in your ipad, it is not that interesting for me when it's screen recording. I aslo want to know how your stay healthy during exam season, if theres certain efford you put in your outfits or how you manage your sleep! I love your videos and I always feel inspired by you, keep going girl your can do it, just breath and keep taking your notes

Girl! I’m so proud of you in your decision on switching you major to integrative biology! I completely understand that it gives you a general feel of what to do! I did the same thing I went from Nursing to Human development and Family Sciences. I felt that human development gave me a variety of options for grad school! I’m very excited to see your journey with college! You got this!

I love your Animal Crossing videos! This is the first video I’ve watched (and I watched all to the end) on this YT channel! You are one very busy person! Just remember sleep 😴 is important too! Take care of yourself! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Not in college anymore but I still love your videos kaitlyn !! 🖤

Of course I got to the end of the video haha I love your video's

yess I watch all of your videos till the end, you are amazing!

I stumbled upon your videos a few weeks ago and I love your content. :) I am also in university at the moment and I am struggling a lot. It is nice to relax and watch how you study to get inspired to study myself as well as take tips from your studying. Keep up the excellent work :)

I watched the whole video, and I like you so much!!! Thanks for the motivation to do my own homework!

Of course i made it to the end of ur video, i always do! Love ur videos/content💖 also u have rlly pretty handwriting😍 Hope ur having a good/productive day!🤗

Loving your videos !! 💚

i think it’s really cool to be able to choose classes and the number of credits bc where i study in belgium (and it’s the same in france when i was studying there) you have to take 60 credits for the year and so like 30 credits per semester. i have like class everyday from 8am to 5pm non stop with just little breaks and lunch break (and home work, i do like 3 or 4 hours a day of homework) so it’s a ride lol

don't even feel bad for the course load you can or can't handle! Ive been taking 14 credits since my first semester because I know if I take more I won't be successful and my mental health can barely handle the 14:/ you've got this because from your videos I can tell you are SUCH a hard worker! also, your channel is my go to channel when I need some motivation to be productive!

Screen recording 😍😍😍 so much more satisfying to me

Yes Kaitlyn I watched till the end xx

I'm totally in the same boat about the amount of credits I can stand to take. But causing that much damage to my mental health just isn't worth it!!! I'd so much rather take my time and admit that I just need a different plan for myself. Also, I started copying my notes by hand since I started watching your videos and my grades have improved sooo much! So thank you for the inspo!

I like the recording on the phone more than the screen recording. Idk why but for some reason the screen recording me feel dizzy. Also, good luck!!!! Knowing your limits is so important. I v sterile with that and seeing you do it, helps me to do or in my life.

I like the screen recording and recording the screen with your phone, I like watching both 😊

I’m so proud of you! That’s amazing and you can do it just have faith🙏🏾 I loved this video❤️❤️

Your videos inspired me to buy an iPad and start taking notes on it. Legit every time you upload it motivates me to get through college lolol!!

I had biochemistry, physiology, cell & molecular bio, molecular genetics, and statistics last semester. This sem I have organic chem II, physiology II, pharmacology, and immunology. If I can do it you can too! You just need to prioritize your time wisely. Wish u the best with your studies :)

I love your channel Kaitlyn

I use GoodNotes too! It's so crazy helpful for organization. You def have way more aesthetically pleasing notes tho lol, I might try and actually write legibly... Loved the vlog, just posted similar one from my school hehe

I really like the screenrecording things :)

Thanks for your videos! These make me motivated. Love u❤️

I love your content so much! Keep up the good work ❤️❤️

Thnx 4 vids & good luck with your studies ✌️🌷

Do you think you can make a video on how you edit, and what you use to make your videos sooo darn good? I love your channel❤️

I’m in my first year of college second quart semester and it’s going pretty well except I’m a little over the place with my assignments and studying plus it’s spring semester so it’s really stressing me out but the only class I’m having trouble with is precalculus like I’m doing really poorly on the tests since I’m putting my concentration first by reviewing and organizing my notes from bio/lab and doing my other classes hw that im studying very little for it and the only thing that’s helping my grade a little is the assignments but I’m thinking of changing my major since I want to study biology and medicine but I want to at least have a job to sustain myself in those pre med years and further specialization (if I hopefully get accepted) since my mom is already paying half and fafsa the other half. So seeing you making this difficult decision has made me think in the idea of probably changing it to something else that relates to biology. SORRY FOR THE RANT AND I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS.

I love every single of your college vlog and your handwriting are more pretty and neat than mine. Good luck with everything you're going to do with your life. I've always support you. I'm having a little mental breakdown and not really feel want to memorize my economy subject, I just taking some notes so that I will get distract and not sad for a long time 😊 . Btw love you 😘 .

Would love to see more posts on your art journal instagram!! I miss seeing your portrait drawings!! :)

Loved this! you're so inspiring!

props to you girl. you’ll make the right choice for yourself and that’s what’s important. if you ever want to chat to someone who is going through some of the classes, let me know (:

I love your videos! They are so motivating😌