Congratulations Bruins! We have officially survived the first two weeks of the quarter.
As I finally turn off summer mode and begin to get into the swing of the academic year, I am starting to think about what I want for myself for this quarter.
If I had to guess what your quarterly resolutions and goals are, I would say they probably have something to do with going to the Wooden Center and Bfit more often, choosing the healthy plates at the dining commons, improving your GPA, and maybe finding a job– if you don’t already have one you enjoy.
All of those goals would normally be on my list too. But this year, I want something different. Instead of focusing on things that are on the surface, I want to focus on my character.
As I start my new adventure at UCLA as a Junior transfer I want to have courage. I don’t want to get terrible sleep on a nightly basis because I am shy and feel too awkward to tell my roommates not to come home at three in the morning and turn on the lights and talk on the phone every night (my freshman year in a nutshell). I want to be able to speak up for myself.
I want to have strength to carry forward. College is filled with rejection– not getting accepted into the major, sorority, club, or job you want. My sophomore year of college I got rejected from an on-campus job that I needed and was sure I would get. But this pushed me to apply for an even better job that I got right away and absolutely loved. I want to remember this when I am lifting myself from rock bottom.
I want to stress out less. As college students we always seem to be stressing out about something. During finals last year my computer got attacked by viruses. As an English major this felt like the end of the world because I lost all of my papers when the Apple store wiped my computer clean. But although it felt like the end of the world at the time, things worked out. All of the stress I was feeling was totally unnecessary. My goal this year is to take a deep breath and know that I can get through anything.
I want to be more outgoing. I spent too much time watching shows on my computer my first two years of college because I was too lazy or too shy to make an effort to make friends and join clubs I wanted to join. This year I want to become a part of campus. College goes by too fast and I want to have no regrets.
Finally, I want to always remember to be kind. I know what it feels like to be excluded from the group. But even when we know how much it sucks to be left out, sometimes we still do it to others. This year I want to make everyone around me feel good– even the people I am not too fond of. As Selena would say, kill them with kindness.
Well, folks that’s all I have for you. I am done trying to be Gandhi. But in all seriousness, when you think about what you want for yourself this fall, try to move beyond the things everyone always says and try to focus on character.
And for all of my Jewish Bruins who are also celebrating the Jewish New Year along with the academic one, l’shana tova! 5777 is going to be lit.
Photo Credits: the official Cinderella Instagram: disneycinderella