January 2018
Vennela Vellanki: New Year's Resolutions
It’s finally that time of the year where the most common phrase you’ll hear people saying all around campus is “New Year, New Me” - my favorite saying. I think most people will agree when I say that last semester was hell. For me personally, it was a time of coping with a loss in the family, adjusting to apartment life, realizing I’m no longer a freshman and still feeling completely clueless, struggling to balance my academics and my mental sanity, realizing my classes were not at all what I expected them to be, not making it in more than half the clubs and programs I signed up for, spending unnecessary amounts of money on food and clothing to make myself feel better for not making it, gaining weight from all the food I was shamelessly buying, and pretty much always feeling confused, sad, lost, and lonely.
To summarize: It’s been tough.
But that’s why I love the new year so much. It’s a time for fresh starts, new goals (or retackling old goals), reorganization, a clear head, and newfound motivation. It’s a chance to be hopeful again. So here are some of my New Year’s Resolutions to show how I’m ready to be back and feel better than ever:
LEARN HOW TO COOK - I think I can credit a lot of my apartment struggles, eating out, and gaining weight to my lack of culinary skills. So, for this semester I want to stop being so lazy and afraid of using the stove and start making myself some proper and healthy meals! I’ve already begun to plan out a list of recipes and I’ve scheduled Grocery shopping and Meal Prep time into my calendar to ensure that I follow through with this goal!
EXERCISE - Now I know I didn’t eat healthy last semester, but I also know that this unhealthy lifestyle and weight gain can be credited to my lack of exercise. Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins that will not only help me look good, but also feel good and stay happier, which is crucial to crushing this semester. So, I plan on exercising for two hours at a time for at least 3 days a week. One of my favorite youtubers/fitness gurus is Cassey Ho of Blogilates! I’ll be following many of her tips and tricks to kick start this new year so, if you haven’t had a chance already, check her out!
LEARN HOW TO BUDGET - There was a point in last semester where I completely shut down any part of my brain that let me feel guilty for spending money and I sort of went crazy. I am definitely fortunate enough to have parents that allow me to splurge and come from a very privileged background, but last semester I completely took this privilege for granted. This semester I plan on coming in with a very specific budget for how much I can spend each day and am giving myself a cut-off limit for each month. I’m also getting a job!
READ THE NEWS - I don’t know about you guys but something I found out over this winter break was that there was a whole other world outside of our college classes and clubs. I know, I was shocked, too. Not only was I so behind on general global and national affairs, I was completely outdated on the latest music, movies, TV shows, you name it. Did you guys know a new Disney movie came out called Coco that legit beat basically all Disney movie records as the best one yet?! Ya, it’s definitely not the most important thing that’s happened recently, but in my world, Disney is always important ;). Point of the matter is, I need to break out of my bubble and catch up with the rest of society. So, I plan to read the Skimm (a shortened online version of the newspaper that highlights all the basics of what’s happening in the world, for those of you who don’t know), everyday while I eat breakfast, subscribe to newspaper apps on my phone so I can get regular updates on latest events, and catch up on all things Pop Culture through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist, youtube videos, and general communication with other knowledgeable souls. Hopefully, this semester I stay more checked in!
STUDY HARD - I know for many of you this may be your first priority and therefore, would probably be listed as your first resolution. However, I am trying hard this semester not to focus so much on grades. That being said, I would still like to stay motivated and work hard, but instead of working hard for the grade, I really want to try working towards learning something new and applicable from all of my classes. The grade will come with that determination (at least that’s what I’m hoping). I have a tendency to mentally shut down when a subject becomes difficult, especially if it’s one I find no personal interest in. And I’m taking a few of those kinds of course this semester for major requirements. So, my resolution is to push through and not quit halfway in just because it gets a little tough. For this goal I plan on taking detailed and useful notes, and studying and reviewing every subject’s material for a bit each day of the week. I will also stay organized and use a planner for once!
I really want this semester and this year overall to go well. I want to see a change in myself. An improvement. I want to do and feel better. And I hope you all will gain a bit of inspiration from these words, too. So, let’s go into this year with high hopes and high spirits! Here’s to a wonderful 2018!