Last term, I found myself drowning in uni work. As someone completing a media project I poured my heart into, I learned a vital educational lesson: no grade is worth your mental health. This semester, I’ll be cautious of my workload and make sure to take a break when I know it's taking a toll on me.
Speaking of breaks, instead of spending my spare time doom-scrolling social media, I am going to pick up a new hobby. Recently, I have started crafting my own jewellery, which has been incredibly rewarding as I have a physical product I can be proud of, something I have worked towards outside the context of academic validation.
Last semester, I developed the cheeky habit of ordering a weekly Saturday night takeaway. With the rising rent prices, this luxury, unfortunately, must be sacrificed. This time around, I will prioritise home cooking, meal prep, and planning out shopping lists in advance to prevent those late night cravings. So far, I’ve stuck to my promise, which is a big win for me!
I’ve also decided to put an end to my careless splurging on caramel lattes between lectures. Admittedly, that is exactly what I’m sipping on right now as I write this, so this change will require some serious willpower- nobody’s perfect! Moving forward, I’ll make one to take in a flask before leaving.
Furthermore, this semester, I have challenged myself to focus more on my fitness and go to the gym at least three times a week. As someone who’d never set foot in a gym before, taking the first step into the PureGym access pod this January was incredibly anxiety-inducing, but I’ve since managed to grow my confidence!
Lastly, I’d like to take more photographs this semester to document my time at university. It’s time to put my digital camera to good use and create a scrapbook! Newcastle is such a beautiful city and it would be a shame not to have anything to reminisce with once years have passed.