Last year presented me with a lot of trials and obstacles that were difficult to overcome. In the moment I certainly did not appreciate these trials, but now I do. These obstacles made me more resilient and stronger than ever, and for that I will forever be grateful. Thank you 2016, of helping me grow as a person.

1. Real friends have a way of sticking around.

Even in the toughest of times they stand by you, and somehow manage to pull you through.

2. Never take family for granted.

This year was definitely a wake up a call when it came to family. It's so easy to get wrapped up in your own day to day life and forget about how special these people are. They are the few people that will always be there for you no matter what.

3. You have it a lot better than you think you do.

Sure, there are a lot of people that have more than you, but there are a lot of people that have less than you. Learn to appreciate everything in your life

4. Love what you study.

It will make your life so much more meaningful.

5. Put yourself out there.

People tend to wait for opportunities to land in their laps. Very few of us are lucky, but most of us need to make things happen. If you're unhappy with something in your life work to change it.

6.Communication is key.

So many disagreements can be avoided by simply communicating with others. A lot of times it's not what you say, but how you say it that makes all the difference

7. Values are so important.

With trying to please everyone around you, it can be easy to lose pieces of yourself. There's nothing wrong with putting yourself first every once in a while

8. There's no need to rush anything.

You have your whole life ahead of you yet you feel like you need to experience everything right away. There's a special moment for everything in life if you just go with the flow.