Maybe 2017 wasn’t your year. Maybe no year has ever been your year. Here’s hoping 2018 will be better (but probably not). Regardless of whether or not 2017 was terrible, we survived, and I personally feel that it brought out the best in me.

So in preparation for 2018, here’s a list of just a few lessons I gained in spite of this miserable year.

1. Fake friend are 100% real.

There are going to be people in your life who don’t support you, make you feel bad about yourself, bail on plans, constantly talk s**t about others, and use you for their benefit. Don’t waste your time. If you think there’s a good friend underneath all that Regina George, by all means, give them some time to get their act together. If they show no signs of change, let them go. It’s hard, but you’ll feel so much better afterward.

2. People really suck.

It just feels like no one has any manners/human decency/empathy/respect for others/honesty/kindness/generosity/acceptance/work ethic/common sense anymore. Get it together people.

3. People can also be really great…

I’ve met some really incredible people this year, friends and strangers alike.

4. But they usually just suck.

I’m still not convinced we’re the superior beings.

5. Dogs are the superior beings.

Small dogs, big dogs, fluffy dogs, all dogs. All dogs are good dogs. There are no bad dogs, just bad people who corrupt good dogs. 2018, give us more good dogs. The world is in need of their greatness.

6. Relationships aren’t like the movies.

The Notebook isn’t real life. No one is going to build a f*****g house for you. And that’s okay.

7. Short hair is SO much easier.

I can actually run my fingers through it even hours after I’ve brushed it. No more knots for me. I’ll never go back. And I dyed it brown. When people ask me if I miss my old hair, I usually respond by saying that I’m basically Rapunzel from Tangled, so my life goal has already been accomplished.

8. There’s so much history I’d never learned.

Take any college history class. You will be amazed by all the things you were never taught.

9. I have ZERO tolerance for discrimination.

Racism/sexism/homophobia/etc. literally, disgust me. You are entitled to your own opinion unless that opinion is hateful towards another person or group of people simply because they are different from you. The way another person lives their life has no effect on you or yours. Stop being a d**k.

10. Nothing feels better than being yourself.

My life has gotten so much better now that I’ve stopped trying to fit in, to look like every model on Instagram, to seem interesting to others. It’s hard. It’s hard to break that habit. It’s a habit you can practice without even realizing it. So stop comparing yourself to others. Stop changing who you are to fit in, your interests, your style, your morals, your personality. Find a real group of friends who love you for you and don’t criticize. The real you is better than any impostor could ever be, so embrace it. Self-love is everything.