Dear Her Campus Diary,
Cheers to a new year! You’ve officially survived another 365 days of ups and downs. It’s a tale as old as time to say “New Year New Me” and proceed to not make any change and instead give yourself a good bob haircut and perhaps a tattoo to cope.
However, let’s dive into some real talk: What made us grow in 2025 and how can we keep evolving this year? How about the things we want to leave behind?
It’s not often we as human beings confront our flaws and imperfections in our New Year’s resolutions. Instead, we jump straight into the deep end with these outlandish and even unattainable goals that we believe will be accomplished overnight.
That being said, I’d like to discuss a few college habits I plan to discard and others I’ll hold onto coming into a fresh year and semester.
I think we can all agree that leaving this until the last minute is a cliche and far too normalized habit in our college lives. In my time in college so far, I’ve become the master at this. This year I hope to change this.
I’ve always struggled with procrastination, which essentially stems from the lack of time management. This is an example of an actual tangible change that can be made. I might actually use my Notion calendar rather than make it aesthetically pleasing in the beginning of the year and leave it untouched.
A busy college schedule is beginning to affect my ability to be a regular human, and if you’re in this boat you probably understand. If not, we get no sleep! My lack of sleep and inadequate amounts of pure relaxation is officially being discarded in the “No” pile.
As Marie Kondo says, it just doesn’t bring me joy! Here’s to sleeping before I’m too afraid to leave my room for a glass of water in the darkness.
This next one goes hand in hand. Amidst my packed days, I often tend to forget to actually nourish my body with three full meals. This year, I want to prioritize my time to mindfully eat, not just balanced, but also eat regularly to maintain my sustenance throughout my class times.
These last two habits I’m ditching apply not only to college, but to my life in general. I want to quit being comfortable. Now this might sound insane, so let me explain. I think in life we are too used to doing the same things every day and settling in our mundane activities.
I want to take risks. I want to explore my capacities and see where they take me. My final habit I’m leaving behind is my self-deprecation. I often doubt myself and bring myself down to the point where I feel like everyone does it.
That was until I saw confidence in my peers and realized that my lack of it is truly hurting not only the way I see myself, but how I am perceived by others. Not that other eyes matter, but I want to be the best version of myself and that starts with having trust in who I am today and throughout my semester.
Let’s pivot to the flip side! It’s not all sad and scornful. On a more positive note, there are definitely things I’ve learned in 2025 that I will keep in my college journey for the better.
Something that I found to be a bit “taboo” and not as talked about, was the willingness to seek help and rely on people when you truly need it. In 2025, my life had its fair share of rock bottoms like everyone else.
When it got difficult, I started to notice myself shying away from support, until I recognized that it is much more beneficial to actually lean on someone – whether a loved one or seek professional help – when the world feels a bit too heavy.
Especially with the current state of our country, my nervous energy has taught me to allow myself to reach out when I require it.
I explored my college style in 2025! I tried new outfit combinations, built my first curly hair routine, and messed around with new makeup! I also engaged in a lot of retail therapy, which along with the style expansion, is a habit I’m more than happy to keep.
Does it pass if I say it’s for educational purposes?
This one may seem a little surface level, but it truly made a lot of difference in my academic outcomes. I simply just tried. Whether it was an important paper or an exam I really did not want to study for, I learnt how successful I can be if I fully apply myself.
I plan to continue this course of action. Sure, we all have our days, but to the best of my abilities, I will work at something instead of just on it.
The best way to end this off is to talk about all of the friends and people I connected with last year! I definitely hope to keep them around. My people are my anchors and I’d be more than grateful to go through the rollercoaster called college with them by my side.
What are your discards and desires for this upcoming year? Share it with us @HerCampusSJSU!