Who says that resolutions are only allowed to be made on January 1st? As I enter my second semester in college I decided that there are some things that I would like to change. A lot of these things were learned the hard way during my first semester. In order to have an awesome second semester, these are the things I would like to change.

1. When using a laptop in class, stay focused on taking notes. I have a terrible tendency to get distracted by my computer (Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook always seem to end up on my tab somehow). This semester I vow to focus on class when I'm in class. If I find myself browsing the latest Victoria's Secret Sale instead of taking notes in my honors class I'll either set up restrictions on my web browser or just ditch my laptop and stick with old school notes.

2. Keep a full pencil bag in my backpack. I know this one seems kind of childish but there have been way too many times when I got to class and realized I forgot a pen. I also found that asking for a pen from someone else is embarrassing sometimes. This resolution is multi faceted for me: if I have a cute bag I'll be much more likely to utilize it and I'll be more than happy to help someone else out that slept a little late and is having a bad morning.

3. Keep gum in my backpack. I know what you're thinking: this seems completely pointless. However, I read somewhere that just by popping in a mint or gum you can wake up your senses. This could really help in  my 2 hour class when I just want to crawl back into bed.

4. Keep snacks in my backpack. This one seems really similar to the last one but it is much more important to me. There have been so many times I have been caught running from a practice that ran too late to a class that I will be in for a couple hours. Pairing that with a growling stomach is just a disaster. This semester I'm going to be proactive and avoid the growling stomach and pack some things in my backpack. Just make sure these are quiet snacks (grapes, granola, raisins, etc.) so you could avoid jealous glares.

5. Pack the night before.  This is one revolution I learned the very, very hard way. 5:30 am wake up calls for swimming required me to go to bed extremely early for a college student. Having two back to back classes within a half hour of practice ending did not leave me with sufficient time to make sure that I had everything. This semester my bags will be packed and ready to go the night before.

6. Use cute notebooks and supplies in class. Okay, so you're probably rolling your eyes right now. But hear out my theory. Personally, if I wear something that makes myself feel good I feel like I have an extra aura of luck around me. If I wear some new Nike leggings to work out, I feel like I might have some extra stamina that day. Is it all a mind game? Yes, of course. But the mind can do marvelous things if you let it. This semester I want my notebooks and supplies to make me feel as good and confident as a killer pair of heels do. I applied earlier to be a brand ambassador for Office Candy. I'm still waiting to hear a response but I'm going to plug them anyway because everything there is so cute. http://www.officecandy.com/

7. To actually write down things in my planner. I love my planner but here's the weird part: When I get really stressed out I don't write in it. This makes absolutely no sense even to me. But this semester I will actually use the tools I wanted to invest in.

8. To actually get 8 hours of sleep every night. I'm trying a new experiment this semester. My bed will not be used as a desk or a kitchen table this semester. I want to earn an 8 hour a night relaxing sleep and this semester I will get it!

9. To use my desk for homework. This one goes hand in hand with the last, but this is one resolution I really need to get on. Using my desk can help me learn to focus on what's right in front of me, rather than everything else.

10. Take advantage of the offers around me. A majority of this semester will not include swimming and as much as I absolutely love it, I had to make a lot of sacrifices. I absolutely love New York City and this semester I want to learn the ins and outs of it. I'm really lucky that my college offers so many awesome opportunities in the city and now that I have some free time I'm definitely going to take advantage of the Broadway tickets, site seeing tours, and trips to 5th Ave.

11. Keep fresh flowers in my room at all times. There's something relaxing about fresh flowers. I'm not sure if it's the smell or the look but pretty flowers make me feel relaxed. Doing something small to make a concrete wall dorm room feel like home is definitely worth the time and investment.

Infinite x's and o's,

Kylee