“I’ll exercise more. I’ll eat better. I’ll work harder in school. I’ll make new friends.” These are all the typical New Year’s Resolutions that most of us are all used to hearing; resolutions that can easily fall through. However, for me, I can easily say that 2017 has been one hell of a year and that there a so many things I want to change but also stay the same for these next upcoming 365 days. Can I promise that I’ll follow through with them? No. But I can say that these are resolutions that I actually want to happen.

1. Really taking care of the insides and outsides of your body in the best way you can

I can admit that I treat my body like crap. I skip meals half the time or eat too many crappy foods, which clearly affects the physical presentation of my body; we all have our moments. I spend a lot of nights up too late than I should or hours being anxious about things that I shouldn’t be, which is still affecting the inner part of my body. Now, I’m not saying that I’ll be able to instantly jump of these habits now that it is the new year, but I can say that I’ll make and effort to put me first.

2. Make amends with the people you still believe in.

Everyone comes with baggage. Everyone comes with bad blood with someone. Even though it may take time, there are still chances to mend all those broken promises that may have torn you apart with an old friend. The world is far too short to be living it filled with hate towards someone that doesn’t really need it. People come and go, and sometimes, they may be gone for a while, but they still manage to come back; despite the fact that this coming back may take time.

3. Don’t give a second chance to someone who did you dirty.

Sure, you want to let someone back into your life. I mean, apart of you feels like you’ve become a different person over time, right? However, when you reconcile with someone, sometimes you have to think about if you can really reconcile with them or you’re just telling yourself that you can because you want to be a “good person.” Yet being a “good person” doesn’t necessarily mean forgiving someone who tore your life apart.

4. Think more about your future.

This doesn’t actually mean that you have to know what you want to be when you grow up, in college, everyone is still deciding that. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t weigh out your options. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look into what your school has to offer in certain programs that may interest you. Take the opportunity to reach out to peers that may even have the same interest in you. You can be as ambitious about your future if you want, who cares if other people call it unrealistic.

5. Make yourself your own best friend.

No, I am not saying that this means you are a loner. If you’re like me who likes to put everyone before themselves, this kind of mentality cannot go on forever. Even though you may benefit from the happiness of others, it’s time to make your own happiness as well. This could be a year where you focus on what you want to do for your own sake, whether that stays in the all your friends are going out or helping yourself first in finding a summer internship before anyone else.

6. Remember who your family and friends are at home, always.

It’s easy to get caught up in college; life is busy, plans change, you and your college friends get busy, calls get pushed back. However, it’s also just that easy to take an hour break from your friends or homework to talk to the best friend that you’ve known since you were a kid or the sibling who you miss being your roommate. For me, my sister and I have made a pact that we would talk at least every other week, and which was going pretty strong before finals happened. But hey, next semester is coming for that.

7. Spend less time being mad at yourself for your feelings or mistakes.

We all screw up. We all fail tests. We are getting into fights with friends. The worse part about it is there are times where we take it more seriously than we need to. For college students, we're supposed to be adults now and handling our own situations, right? Well, that isn’t how it always works. A little bit of self-loathing is okay, we all have those moments of it. But if you end up pushing yourself deeper and deeper into it, you’ll never make it out.

8. Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve.

Work as hard as you fucking can. School is hard, but the real world is so much harder. Getting a job is so much harder. Making a real life for yourself is so much scarier. The harder you work, the more opportunities will come around, in both college and in real life. But when it comes to college, don’t settle for something you think will be good when you can work harder for something that is really great. But in real life, I think we should all be able to take a few hits before really getting what we deserve, and once we get that, never downgrade yourself for less.