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New Year, Different Outlook

Changing the way I think after an off year.

Jan 16, 2017

2016 was one of the absolute worst and best years of my life. I’ve seen many people reflecting on this past year, most of them were eager to put it behind them. I can’t say I disagree. To be honest, I’m just glad I didn’t drop before the ball did.

It was a year of change for me. I moved out of my parent’s house, worked at three different jobs, changed majors, and decided that purple would be my new favorite color. My “to do” list seemed to be ever-growing and ironically, so was the monstrous pile of dishes in my sink. I was drowning. Drowning in due dates, late nights, and unobtainable expectations, most of which were coming from myself.

Basically, things were really bad.

It has always been mysterious to me how nothing feels like it changes day to day, but the shift from December 31^st to January 1^stalways seems monumental. Suddenly everything feels a little bit fresher. I’m not saying I suddenly arose from my bed, threw back my curtains, and sang along with the birds. But overall, I felt a little better.

It probably sounds like the year was all bad. Which don’t get me wrong, it was really tough. But I learned valuable lessons that helped me prepare for a better 2017. Though I would never go back and relive it, it was one of the best years because it showed me what I needed to change in my life.

If your year was as rough as mine, here are a few tips on how to make some changes.

1. Stop trying to change things out of your control.

It’s much easier said than done, but once you realize that you are only in control of your own actions, life gets a little bit simpler.

2. Learn to say no.

If you’re not free to be somewhere Friday at 3 p.m., don’t drive yourself insane trying to make yourself available. Or if you simply just don’t want to go out for the night, don’t.

3. Take time to take care of yourself.

Self-care is extremely important. Make some time for yourself. Take a bath, watch a movie or my personal favorite, take a nap.

4. Find what makes you happy.

You only get one life to live. Find the things you enjoy and pursue those things. Happiness can be found through yourself.

5. Adopt 8 dogs.

This is just a suggestion, but I firmly believe it would improve the quality of your 2017 by 300%.

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New Year, Different Outlook

Changing the way I think after an off year.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

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Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

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