Although I have only gotten through the first week of classes, things already feel better than last semester. The air just feels lighter and I feel so happy, that is definitely not what I felt like last semester. I think I can say pretty confidently that last semester was not my finest moment, and I am sure many people can relate to that feeling. Last fall, September through December, was kind of horrible. I probably had one of the worst few months in my college career in terms of how life was going. I definitely did not live up to my full potential as a student or even as a person. I know this semester will be different because I learned many valuable lessons that will help ensure greater success in every aspect of this semester and in my life.

1. I am recuperated and rested.

I had an amazing Spring 2016, and as a result I had enjoyed some of my greatest career moments last year. I did very well in terms of grades last spring, and I did great at my job and was a part of some amazing projects on campus. However, being very busy with school and work and some great campus projects caused me to be very tired and almost burned-out by the May 2016. I did not really have any time to rest because from May 2016 to September, I worked a full time for 5 days a week with 8 hour work days. I worked very hard over the summer and helped my family financially in terms of bills and groceries and "making ends meet." I am happy I had that experience, but I felt so tired by the end of summer. Going from a busy spring and summer to a fall semester with six classes (and working and campus projects), definitely had me feeling tired and as if I was stretched way too thin. But this semester feels different. Over my six week winter break, I rested and spent time with my friends and family. I feel ready to handle life.

2. Circumstances are different

My educational life was definitely a mess last semester, but unfortunately so was my personal life. I had a really tough few months. Financially, my family was going through a really bad phase. Even for what we had previously experienced, this time it was pretty bad. My older brother had lost his accounting job, and he has always been supporting our family since he was working retail. But it was a whole income loss and it was tough. My laptop also broke and unfortunately I couldn't afford a new one until December, which affected my educational life and put a strain on my life. The circumstances in my life definitely affected my education. My cystic acne flared up and my whole was face very red and full of blemishes. Cystic acne definitely flares up when there is a high level of stress involved. This further added stress to my life because I was very self-conscious of my skin and it's appearance. My grades were not bad at all, but not to the level they once were. But I know this semester will be amazing.

3. "How do you know it's going to better?"

I know it's going to better because I learned so many valuable lessons over the last few months. I have learned to not stretch myself too thin and to take care of my health and wellness. Thankfully my skin is now normal once again my cystic acne is clearing up really well. I have learned to get my work done on time and make sure my time management skills are on-point. In terms of my family and financial situation, thank God my older brother recently went back to work in his accounting field. For my family, I see things only getting better. I know everything will be much better because the circumstances around me are amazing. I am already more focused at my job at school and in terms of on-campus projects. I feel like the energy is just different and this spring semester will be better than the last two combined. My classes are great, I have wonderful professors, and my life is finally back to normal. I am back to my old self and better and stronger than before. Wishing all my fellow college students a great semester!

Here is a beautiful quote from Rumi that is a great example of how I feel about this spring:

"Don't let them think that we've broken down, that we've cracked up. We merely dropped leaves for a further spring"- Rumi