New year, new resolutions for Spartan ladies

2016 had its share of laughs, tears, and memories. Here we are, approaching the new year of 2017, wondering what our New Year’s resolutions will be this time around. Sure we could do something simple and typical like: “go to IM West everyday” or “stop eating so much cafe food,” but that’s easy.

Real change comes when we look deeper into ourselves and understand the true potential that we possess, and the developmental possibilities within us physically, emotionally and mentally. As college girls – and college students in general – we struggle with relationships, self-confidence and positivity among other things. It’s time that we recognize what we should really be working towards in the new year. Being more fit and eating healthier are important, of course, but those changes will come when we alter our image of ourselves.

Here are just a few things the ladies of MSU can focus on as we enter the new year.

Change your outlook on relationships

It’s natural at this time of year – knowing Valentine’s day will be here before we know it and wishing we had someone to cuddle during these harsh winter nights ahead – to wish that we had a special “man” in our lives. As girls, we spend much of our time thinking about boys, and the idea of having someone to love. But shouldn’t we be more focused on loving ourselves? Yes, it can be hard to watch friends in relationships enter the new year together and having someone to kiss as the ball drops, but relationships come with their own challenges. In 2017, let’s stop searching for someone to complete us. We are whole all by ourselves, and it’s true that the right one will come along when we’re not even looking.

Improve your self-confidence

Being at MSU, we’re surrounded by thousands of people. It’s natural to feel jealous or out of place. We don’t know how beautiful we look to a stranger, and have no idea how many girls at that Sigma Chi social might be whispering “She’s so pretty!” looking at us (trust me, you get more attention than you’d believe). As we prepare to go back into this atmosphere in 2017, full of people who have the ability make us feel inferior in regards to how we look, we must enter the year, and the school, with a newfound confidence in ourselves. Yeah, she’s beautiful, but you don’t have to be pretty like her when you’re already pretty like you. Confidence isn’t all about what’s on the outside. We must be confident in our ability to succeed and in our friendships and relationships. Building our confidence starts from within, but people will see it shining outside.

Focus on your academic success

In the heat of the fun that is college life at MSU, we can forget why we’re here – school. While meeting new people, building relationships and getting involved in extracurriculars is extremely important to our college experience, we must also remain focused on the academics. Let’s be honest, in 2016 there were a few skipped classes because of things like: “We had a social with Sig Ep, I couldn’t NOT go!?”, and then failing to drag ourselves out of bed the following morning, or due to late nights in the lib that ended up being less about studying and more about Netflix and socializing which led us to being too tired for our 8 am. As we enter 2017, we should focus on waking up early, eating a proper breakfast, grabbing a coffee at Sparty’s, making it to class maybe even 10 minutes early and paying attention. It’s crazy, but you might have a more successful second semester.

Realize that the glass really is half full

We so often are surrounded by this idea that when things are bad, that’s just how it is. Most things in life are not permanent. We play a role in how we let something affect us, as well as in the outcome of a situation. Sure, in 2016 we had hardships like getting over that one boy, maybe losing a close friend, struggling in your chem lab, failing to find a major yet or something as simple as the “dreadful” walk across campus to take a required gen-ed course in which we have zero interest. While all of these seem completely negative, we could shift our focus to see the little bits of brightness shining through. Getting over that boy? You get to have ladies night, now! No more focus on someone who you and I both know was just a phase of life anyway. Losing a friend? It happens. This gives you time to focus on the friends you do have, and grow with them. Struggling in class? Maybe that cute boy in front of you in the lecture hall would be a great tutor, or better yet, get in contact with your professor; they really do want to help. The long and necessary walks across campus? Throw in some headphones. Make those 30 minutes back and forth your you time. We only get so many chances to be by ourselves on this giant and busy campus, so use that time for you, and enjoy the views of MSU around you. Every situation has a little good if we look for it. 2017 should be a year of positives.

So, there’s a lot we all could work on as we enter into a new year, and a new phase of life. Yeah it’s still the same old us as it has been every year, but maybe a little wiser this time. We all deserve to be happy, and it all starts with changing our outlook. We can’t depend on anyone or anything to bring us happiness, because if we want it to stay, it needs to come from within. Let 2017 be a year of growth. Find your place on campus. Grow with the people who mean the most to you, and never stop growing. Then, when we approach 2018 next year, waiting for the ball to drop at a New Year’s party in EL with our closest friends, we can look back on how far we’ve come.