1. Change is okay

2022 was the most developmental year of my life. After finishing A-Levels, I couldn’t be more relieved to get out of that place. I was so ready for the stress to leave me, so I could enjoy my lengthy, well-deserved break in peace. However, the months following turned out to be more emotional than I expected. Alongside me separating with my closest friends because of University, I also moved away from London to live in Dunstable. The transition from secondary school to higher education wasn’t necessarily hard in terms of workload, but it was hard to be away from my normal routine of being around the same people for 7 years. It was strange to think that our lives were no longer intertwined, and I had to start over again. Such a drastic change scared me and is still taking some getting used to, but just because me and my friends weren’t in the same place every day did not mean that our friendship would discontinue. A genuine friendship is not altered by distance but is maintained by both parties who genuinely care about each other. Change scared me initially, but then I realised that it’s only as bad as you make it.

2. Kindness goes a long way

In a world that can be so cold and depressing, the beauty of kindness is easily overlooked. We don’t realise how powerful our words can be in uplifting someone. I feel like Covid created an anti-social environment, especially for our generation; a lot of people suppress how they really feel instead of opening up. We’ve become so accustomed to being absorbed in our own world that we don’t even expect or appreciate when someone says something nice. Last year taught me that it’s not so much the grand gestures that touch someone, it’s the little things. Merely saying ‘I love you’ or ‘I appreciate you’ could make someone’s entire week. Appreciate the people you have in your life. Even smiling at someone as you pass them on the street could do something for them that you cannot comprehend. It doesn’t cost you anything to smile or say something nice to others. Not only does it make someone else feel good but exercising kindness will make you feel better also. I always feel satisfied when I know I’ve put a smile on someone’s face.

3. Cherish time

It always amazes me how fast 12 months can go. As A-Levels came to an end, I realised that my teachers were right. They’d always say, ‘you hate it now, but your high school years fly by’, and I never believed them. Then Covid sped up the process completely by cutting off half of Year 11. And then I was in sixth form, which were undoubtedly the most stressful two years of my life. One day during sixth form felt like three days in itself - but then it was over. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was actually growing up! Even during sixth form, the joys of high school constantly played in my head. To this day, I miss high school. 2022 taught me that time does not wait for anyone. I missed the Maths lessons I dreaded so much, the Science lessons where I learnt nothing, the PE lessons where me and my best friend killed Just Dance…it seemed annoying, draining and stressful at the time, but now that I’m not in that era anymore, I miss it insanely. Starting University emphasised the fact that time does not stop! I learned to cherish every moment, because one day, it will be a memory.