2016 marks the year I, along with millions of other 1995 babies, will finally come into full adulthood. Ever since my 2015 birthday, I had been dreading my next. Not because legal drinking and gambling weren't worth jumping for joy for, but because I convinced myself that it’s only downhill from 21. All that was next was leaving college for the work world, paying off exorbitant student loans and having to buy my own groceries. In the past 10 months since turning 20, not only have I gotten better at buying food separate from my mother, but I have come to appreciate everything life has to offer after 21. Though it might have taken a few months over two decades to realize, the experiences I’ve had and lessons I’ve learned have already given me so much to look forward to. The new year, 2016, offers another 365 days to remember these lessons, and be more mindful and optimistic than the year before.

People come and go, and that’s OK.

Transitioning from high school to college whipped me into shape when it came to realizing that not all friends are people who genuinely care about you. Initially, it saddened me to see the people I had made the best memories with fade into acquaintances. I soon realized that the people who I remained in touch with should have been the focus all along. There is no need to grieve the loss of friendships made out of convenience, nor is there a need to grieve the fact that people grow apart. There will always be more memories to be made and friends to be met.

Embrace differences rather than hide them.

It is so easy to get caught up in trends and following the general grain of things. Far easier than standing proud as a sore thumb. After having spent so many years trying to assimilate to everyone around me, I’ve come to learn that it’s what makes us different that allows us to be special. Whether it’s our political views, ethnic backgrounds or non-UGG winter boots, what we value and hold to be true should never be altered for the sake of conformity. Different is good, different is essential, and let’s face it, no one ever thought UGGs were all that cute anyway.

Carpe Diem. Seriously.

While attending class five days a week and participating in a collegiate sport doesn’t allow room for much of anything else, I have come to appreciate the value of a single day. There are times when I find myself aimlessly muddling through the day, scribbling lecture notes and following my coaches directions for hours at a time, only to return to my dorm to read assigned texts and scribble down mandatory homework. Repetition gets tiring and eventually monotonous, but before you know it, the semester has flown by, and you’re left with very few unique memories. College is supposed to be the height of our youth, so rather than completely immersing ourselves in the obligatory humdrum of it all, do something each day that you want to do. Take a break, make a midnight run to McDonalds, splurge at the mall, go to a concert. The best part about memories is making them (and posting them on Instagram them of course)!

Self-education is as important as the one you’re paying for.

Throughout the five semesters of college I have survived, I have grown into a more well-rounded and open minded person. While I can attribute much of that to the liberal arts institution I call home, a fair amount of research, reading and discovery has been done by myself. By day, you could find me reading Chaucer or Milton, pursuing my English degree as it has been prescribed. By night, you could find me reading up on race and privilege, pursuing a personal desire to learn about how America came to be, through a perspective my professors rarely offer. In this day and age, it’s easy to take things upon face value; whether it’s what is written in a book or headlining the news, there is always more to a story that you won’t find unless you look deeper. The world is not one dimensional, and to be able to see it through varied perspectives makes life fuller.

As cliche as it sounds, smiling is the key to success.

I swear I’m not quoting DJ Khaled here, but he’s got the general idea. The definition of success is not confined to financial wealth, on the contrary, it’s whatever you make it. Some time ago in a philosophy course, my professor gave a two-session lecture about eudaimonia. For those unfamiliar with Aristotle or stoicism, eudaimonia is the “state of having a good indwelling spirit or being in a contented state of being healthy, happy and prosperous.” To me, eudaimonia is success. The way I see it, smiling is the first step. Life has its obstacles, and I’m sure the coming years of being 21 and older will bring hardships with them, but that does not void those years of happiness and optimism. I know for certain that there is no better feeling than being healthy, cheerful and fortunate, and I have the rest of my life to look forward to continuing feeling that way.