Aileen, Third Year Psychology Student

Aileen's Midi tote

Hello world, I'm Aileen, a college student studying Psychology with a field of interest in Behavioral Neuroscience.

I live in Los Angeles, California.

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

What's your guilty pleasure? Makeup.

Aileen walking with Midi tote by garage

Aileen Midi tote bag standing

What's one thing you thought you knew at the beginning of your career/school that you now understand differently? As a college student attending, I initially had difficulty with feelings of insecurity on an academic level. I often compared myself to my classmates and blamed myself for not being on their level. Oftentimes, I felt ashamed when I was unable to approach a problem or was not fast enough in solving it compared to other students. I eventually realized that comparing myself to others was not only impairing my mental health but also impairing my academic ability.

"It was in college that I learned that it is absolutely okay to feel lost at times."

Rather than being fixated on what others were doing and how they were doing it, I began focusing on myself. I became more forgiving with myself. I took the time I needed and used any available resources to their fullest potential. It was in college that I learned that it is absolutely okay to feel lost at times. What matters, most importantly, is what you can do to improve your situation.

In my experience, I fueled feelings of doubt into motivation. For example, instead of blaming myself about a topic I was not so confident about in class, I made sure to do extra research outside of school and even go to the professor for extra clarification. I also became more inspired by people and every aspect in life that allowed for improving myself. When I first started college, I didn’t think being in a competitive environment would have an effect on me. As a third-year student, I realize that perspective and how you choose to feel is correlated to later actions in life.


Aileen's Midi tote what's in my bag

What's in your Daame bag? Laptop, passion planner, hydro flask, calculator, i-clicker (for school), calculus notebook, wallet, and book (Musicophilia - Oliver Sacks).

What do you like about your Daame bag? I enjoy everything about my Daame bag. I appreciate the practicality and versatility of this bag. I especially enjoy the fact that the design of the bag is so simple yet really adds a statement to whatever outfit you are wearing. I love the fact that it carries my essentials for college. Oftentimes when I don't want to carry a backpack to school, I always opt for my Daame bag because it looks elegant in a non flashy way. I also like the engineering of the bag, specifically the sleeves. It makes grabbing everything super easy. It also allows you to stay organized, which is fantastic, especially for a college student. Overall I think this bag is superb because of its functionality. It gets the job done.

Check out Aileen's Midi laptop tote ›




Also in Community Stories

Brandi, PhD Candidate and Researcher

Brandi sitting on bench

Brandi weighs in on the meaning of progress (sounds about right!) and the type of future she'd like to be a part of.

Read More

Tate Crossbody Sighting: Lauren, Little Rock, Arkansas

chic ethique look with daame tate crossbody bag

Authentic. Mindful. Exceptional. These are some words that describe music teacher and ethical lifestyle blogger, Lauren Johnson. Living in the charming and historic city of Little Rock, Arkansas, Lauren focuses on awareness and kindness in all aspects of her life.

Read More

Tate Crossbody Sighting: Kaela, Houston, Texas

Daame tate crossbody worn by btswithkaela

Kaela, beauty, travel and style blogger spends the weekend exploring the newly developed River Oaks District that included window shopping, enjoying the food scene and a low key date night with her significant other.

Read More