My Year In Review: 2018

I don’t even know where to begin. 2018 has been a year of high highs and low lows for me. But I’m happy to say I survived. I’ll see you all on the other side.

Here’s my 2018 in review.

January was great. I had a lot of motivation and inspiration. I started 2018 on a strong note. I began my second semester of third year. It feels so long ago now. I finished three books and reorganized my shelves. I submitted poems but never heard back.

February sucked. I was hit by a car. I spent the month resting and recovering. I read four novels. Fortunately, I felt good enough to attend my friend’s birthday party later in the month. It helped me get back on my feet.

March wasn’t easy, but I managed. I fell in love with baking. One day, I decided to download Duolingo and improve my Mandarin. I got through three books.

April was busy. I had finals. I found time to grab lunch with a friend I don’t see often afterwards. I started working as a digital marketing intern. I read three novels.

May went well. I worked all month. I hung out with some friends. I finished four books.

June wasn’t bad. I kept working. I changed the theme for my blog. I attended another birthday party. I finished three novels.

July felt short. I still worked. My cousin from China came over, so I spent more time with family. I read three books.

August felt even shorter. I attended an event for book bloggers. I finished three novels. I started driving again.

September signalled the arrival of school. My first semester of fourth year to be exact. I learned that my poem would be published in an anthology. I couldn’t believe it. Later I signed an author release form and approved the proof for print. I read four novels, rearranged my shelves. I continued to drive.

October was good. I won an academic scholarship. I had my midterms. I spent time with more relatives from China. I finished three books.

November stressed me out. Life. NaNoWriMo. School. I only managed to get through two novels. To be fair, one of them was fairly long. I drove.

December had its ups and downs. I finished classes and exams. I finally took my road test and got my G2 driver’s license. I finished 4 books too.

Thank you all for an amazing year. All the best in 2019!

My Least Favourite Thing About University

University is great until I remember that grades are a thing.

Then again, either I did well and life goes on or I didn’t do well and life goes on.

Part of the reason why I want to graduate and get a job is because I don’t want to be graded anymore. I know grades are just grades. They don’t dictate my future. They aren’t a measure of my self-worth. But my ego has a mind of its own.

For my own sanity, I don’t obsessively check my grades. In first year, I focussed on doing work and the results worked themselves out.

I’ve done well before. There’s no reason why I can’t do well now.

To be completely honest, my GPA has dropped every year. It’s okay though. I’ve made peace with that.

In the past, I would check many of my grades all at once. That way, I wouldn’t get too hung up over one bad mark.

As long as I pass every class, I can graduate on time. That’s the main goal.

I keep getting emails about updated grades on my final essays and exams. A part of me wants to look at my grades but another part doesn’t. I haven’t worked up the courage to check any of them yet.

Looking At The Year Ahead

Today, I wrote my last exam for the fall semester. I can’t believe I only have one more semester of university left.

Classes start up again in January, and even though I’m excited, I feel nervous.

Exams finish in April. my graduation ceremony is in June.

After I graduate, I want to work and write.

I’m looking forward to what’s next. I feel like I’m already embarking on a new chapter in my life.

I don’t want to jump too far ahead because anything can happen between now and next year. But that doesn’t stop me from worrying about post-grad.

As much as I love blogging, I might publish less in the future. I’ve been trying to post every day in December, but I’m not sure what 2019 will bring. It’s going to be a year full of change.

I don’t see myself going back to university, at least not anytime soon. So I will try to pursue my dreams and see where life takes me.

I have every intention to keep learning and improving even after I finish school and start work. My goal is to become a better human being with each passing day.

Why I’m Not Going Back To School

I feel like I’ve done everything I wanted to achieve in school. I just need to graduate university in 2019, which I’m on track to do.

I’ve already declared my intent to graduate, and that fact is finally starting to sink in.

After I graduate next year, I plan to work. I will work hard.

I have all these ideas and plans, dreams and goals. I can’t wait to make them happen.

I love telling stories, so I hope I never stop.

I know my career is just getting started, so I have plenty of time. Still, I want to do everything right now.

Looking back, I’ve come a long way. Once upon a time, I entered the public school system not knowing a word of English. Then I went on to win an English award at my elementary school graduation. I even won writing scholarships in university as well.

I’ve accomplished a lot in academia, and I’m proud of my achievements. But I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life.

You Don’t Have To Do Everything

I often need to remind myself that I don’t have to do everything. Besides, I only have 24 hours in a day like everyone else.

There’s only so much I can do. Too bad I’m super stubborn. Even during the school year, I still try to do what I did over the summer.

I’m doing my best, and that’s all I can do. I strive for balance. It’s tough though. But I like my lifestyle. I have what I need. Hopefully, I can sustain my way of life for a long time.

As much as I love the idea of daily habits, I can’t do all of them some days. Which is why I should prioritize. Depending on the circumstances, I might put one thing before another.

I also can’t wait to graduate. Most likely, I will find work afterwards. Maybe in the future, I’ll return to university, but as of right now, I’m ready to begin my career.

I’ve done a lot in school. I want to do a lot in the real world too.

I have no idea what I’ll be doing in a few months. Or where I’ll be for that matter.

One day, I hope to look back and think my hard work paid off. Until then I’ll tell myself I don’t have to do everything. It’s okay to focus on a few things at a time.

What Are You Going To Do After Graduation?

I don’t know what I’m doing post-grad. It makes me anxious just thinking about it. But everyone and their dogs love to ask, “what are you going to do after graduation?”

I keep changing my mind. I can’t decide. Still, I’ll try to summarize my goals for 2019 in a nutshell.

My last semester starts in January and ends in April. That’s crazy. I’m so close to being done.

The graduation ceremony is in June. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.

Afterwards, I’ll probably work. I have no idea what or where. Regardless of my day job, I still plan to blog and write as much as possible next year.

I’ve never spent entire days or an extended period of time working on my own creative projects. Perhaps one day, I can get to a point where that’s possible.

On my hand, I feel like I need to work all the time. On the other, I also need to live my life. I’ll figure things out.

If I want to go back to school, I will. If not, I can find a job. I’d love to travel too, see more of the world.

Whatever I end up doing, I will do my best. And whatever I end up not doing is probably for the better.

Writing On A Deadline

Writing on a deadline can be stressful. Bad time management on my part makes things worse.

When I write for fun and for myself, I’m in control. In school however, I don’t get much of a say.

I also like doing things my way. I’ve been wondering what it would be like to write full-time for someone else. I’d probably like some things and dislike others. Then again, that could be said about any job.

When I set deadlines for myself, I can afford to be more flexible. If someone else is setting them, I have little to no flexibility.

Since I hate being late to anything, I do my best to meet every deadline. I never ask for extensions.

The creative process is hard work. Trying to create under time pressure doesn’t help.

I have no idea how people manage to work full-time and write on the side. That’s my goal after I graduate though. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

I don’t ever want to give up writing. And while I may not write full-time, I’ll still create whenever I can. Besides, writing wouldn’t be as worthwhile if everything was easy.

I worry I’m trying to do too much, and I’ll burn myself out eventually. I’ve never been this exhausted before. It’s not a fun experience. Still, I’m too stubborn to stop writing.

Balancing everything is tricky. But I’ll manage.

How To Do Well On English Exams

Here’s how to do well on English exams from someone who learned the hard way.

Be specific.

Avoid making grand sweeping generalizations about all of humanity since the beginning of time. Narrow your scope and focus on the topic. Look at how the little details paint a bigger picture.

Be careful.

Read the questions carefully. Make sure you actually answer the prompt. Reread your own work. Sometimes your hand writes the opposite of what your head wants.

Be concise.

Don’t beat around the bush. Get to the point. Make a clear argument. Support your thesis with evidence. Be clear. Don’t be confusing or convoluted. If you can’t comprehend what you’re saying, how will anyone else?

Be yourself.

It is not the time to try to write like someone else. You have your own voice. You’ve been developing it for years. Give yourself some credit. You’re better than you believe, so prove that.

Be forgiving.

Your word choice won’t be flawless. Your sentence structure won’t be impeccable. That’s not the point. This exam is in a test of your ability to write perfectly.

Best of luck!