There’s just something I love about a new year. For some, it may just be another day, but I think there’s something special about us leaving one year in the past and embracing a brand new one.

I’m all about fresh starts, and New Years Day is the perfect opportunity to leave all the things you didn’t like about the previous year in the past. As a student, starting a new semester is one of my favorite things. I love starting new classes and learning my new schedule. I also make it a point to let go of any grudges I have been holding on to recently.

As a sentimental person, I love to look back on the last 365 days and reflect on everything that happened throughout them. I make it a point to look through the pictures I took, read the old posts I wrote, and think about the memories I made. Usually a lot changes from one year to the next, and noticing those changes is important to me. It’s easy to forget about things that happened to you, but looking back on them can make you realize that those little things made your world a different place. Side note: I don't care how basic it is to post a collage of my favorite photos from the previous year. They’re cute.

Something else I love: New Years Resolutions! I’m pretty sure I broke 2 of my 4 within the first day of 2017, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up yet. I’m kind of a nerd, but I love writing my goals down, and then at the end of the year seeing if I reached them or not. The thing about humans is that many of us need a reason to do something new with our lives. We could just one day decide that we are going to make improvements, but some people just need a starting point. What better time is there than a new year?

I enjoy making my own, but I also love hearing other peoples’ resolutions. It’s a special thing to be able to hear someone else’s hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. If they tell you about them, then you might be able to help them from breaking their resolutions too. Something that person may or may not like at first, but they’ll appreciate it in the long run…

Finally, what most people think of when they hear New Years Eve is the celebrations. To be completely honest, I sometimes think NYE parties get too much hype, but I still always find myself at one because celebrating the end of the year or the start of a new one is important. No matter what you do, watching the New Year roll in with some of your favorite people is priceless. I don’t know how many times my best friend and I have kissed at midnight on NYE, but I hope it’s a tradition that lasts forever. “Happy New Years” text messages from people who couldn’t be with you are also heartwarming.

New Year's Eve might not mean a lot to some, but I’m really glad someone decided to make it a big deal back in the day.