What I’m Doing Differently This Semester

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

It’s that time of year again where we’re all jamming our notes app with new year's resolutions, collaging magazine clippings into a vibrant vision board, and saving TikToks of new healthy food plans and exercises (and never clicking on them again). Monotony competes with experimentalism and consistency. And historically… stagnation has won more battles.

My Fall 2022 semester was jam-packed with extracurricular activities, an internship, work-study jobs, and creative, art-heavy classes toward my PR major and Communication Design minor. Needless to say, I was up until 3 a.m. trimming shapes with X-Acto knives and gradually losing eyesight toggling around on Adobe Illustrator. My day started at 9 a.m. and never stopped as I’d run around campus and to different Zoom meetings for my commitments. 

Although I see a pattern of the workload repeating itself this semester, I hope to prioritize, or at least hold to the same level, my physical and mental health. I find myself in an egregious cycle of setting weight loss, job application, and mindfulness goals, only to sweep them aside and bury the fear of failure. This semester, I’m breaking this cycle. I’m using this article to hold me to it.

So rather than quivering at the sight of these overwhelming goals like “lose weight,” “get a job,” and “have a balanced life,” hope to practice the following small daily steps towards building healthy habits:

Daily Exercise

This is the semester I get over my fear of being perceived at the USC Village gym and take half an hour of the day I would’ve spent on TikTok to work towards athletic consistency. I’m taking it slow with a revised version of the 12-3-30 with 3-3-30 ("3" incline and "3" speed for 30 minutes) on the treadmill.

Saying “No”

As USC students, we generally have a wide variety of interests and an urge to be involved in every facet of academic, recreational, and creative hobbies. Hustle culture is ingrained in our curriculum, but it’s necessary to take a step back sometimes so I don’t trip. Even more, employers value quality over quantity.

Job Search/Application Hour

Every other day, I’m setting aside at least an hour to research or apply for internships. We all hate those additional cover letters that drag over days or even weeks. By treating applications as a faux 2-unit class, it’s easier to keep myself in check.

A Daily Act of Appreciation

In the bustling lives of college students trying to juggle the school-work-life balance, a small act of kindness won’t go unnoticed. I’m making it a goal to compliment or show kindness every day to a friend or stranger because everyone deserves to have their day brightened, and through this, yours be will too. Positivity will flourish in your mindset and fuel you for your health and academic endeavors.

Want more from Trojans 360?

Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content! You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.