After what must have been a productive summer on campus (shout out to our Grounds Crew for the lovely landscaping), everything seems so fresh and new at the beginning of another wonderful year home under the Dome. While many people make New Years Resolutions, I prefer to make New Semester Resolutions. This gives me the opportunity to reflect on the past semester and commit to some simple changes in my day-to-day life. Now that I am beginning my third year of college, I have some perspective on college life and know enough about myself to make a few self-adjustments. That being said, here are my New Semester Resolutions!
1. Make a new friend in each class.
Whether a freshman or a senior, it’s always good to have someone I can chat with and rely on for notes if I happen to miss a class. I have always tried to introduce myself to the people around me in my classes the first week of school, but sometimes I am a little shy about it. Now that I am getting into classes more specific to my majors, it’s a little easier because the chances of having something in common with my neighbors goes up. Even if we don’t share a major, I never know what awesome connection just introducing myself can make.
2. Rekindle old friendships.
Many of my closest friends are studying abroad this semester. Sad. However, this gives me a chance to focus on friends I made freshman and sophomore year but never got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with. Happy! I’m a rather outgoing person but I prefer to stick with what I know. This semester I resolve to branch out more, get out of my comfort zone, and form tighter bonds with the girls in my dorm, with the people I’ve met in previous years, and with those friends whose friendships remained in the classroom.
3. Make time for myself.
True life: I constantly over-schedule myself. I have so many interests and passions that I often find myself refusing to compromise on what activities I participate in. Between taking pictures for the yearbook, planning events for hall council, and working more than one job, I barely get a minute to breath. I tend to sacrifice time “me time” for the sake of extracurriculars. This semester, however, I will be better about taking some time to clear my head by exercising or meditating every day!
4. Don’t let little failures get to me.
People of Notre Dame, IT IS OKAY TO FAIL. IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE PERFECT. It took my 18 years to learn this but I finally did my freshman year. I learned the hard way that life goes on when I fail and good things may even come out of it. For example, if I hadn’t failed two freshman biology tests in a row, I never would have dropped the class. If I hadn’t dropped the class, I would not have realized biology was not the right choice for my major until it was too late. Of course, being a type-A personality, I still let little disappointments get me down. But there’s no room for that negativity in my life this semester!
5. Read for fun.
I love to read but since starting Notre Dame, I can count on my hands the number of books I’ve read just for myself. My “To Read” list is longer than my arm. While reading novels for fun is very difficult during the school year, reading magazines, blogs, and newspapers is easy and equally fun! I pledge to read something rather than watch Netflix each day when I get home from class or done with work. As soon as I finish watching One Tree Hill…
6. Text less, talk more.
While I love being in constant communication with people, I am fully aware of how unnecessary it is to always have my phone in my face. This semester, I would like to bring back the use of my phone of its original purpose – to make calls. I basically only talk to my mother on the phone so why not change it up and call to ask people their plans rather than text? There’s also the added bonus of being able to hear the inflection in people’s voices when you talk to them on the phone rather than reading into the tone of a text message. Revolutionary, I tell you!
So whether in the first or second to last, the beginning of a new semester is a wonderful opportunity to make some positive improvements in your life, too!