What's changed for you this year?

[Joseph41]

Obviously we still have some time left in 2017; however, the year is starting to wind down (or at least, will be soon).

My questions are as follows:
How has 2017 been for you overall?
What's changed for you this year?

For me, 2016 (so last year, for those playing along at home) was my last year at uni - for now, at least. I was writing my Honours thesis, and that was pretty much my year in a nutshell. Contact hours were limited; the vast majority of time was left for me to use as I pleased. I worked really hard and got okay results, and overall, really enjoyed the year. It made me think that perhaps research could be for me. Admittedly, at least some of that was a desire to continue with research merely to avoid "regular" full-time work haha. I was working a bit - it was pretty seasonal, but kept me going. I broadly enjoyed the work, but felt a little limited in where I could take it.

In 2017, I started working full-time for ATAR Notes, and it's genuinely been amazing. I've learnt a lot this year, and I think I've developed a lot as a person. It's been pretty tricky at times to be perfectly honest but, overall, where I am now is quite detached from where I was 12 months ago. I still have an inkling that, one day, I'll pursue a PhD, but for now, I think this is certainly my calling.

How about all of you?

[HasibA]

2016- Year 12. Utterly confused, worried and scared about what's to come. Ended up finishing much above expectations, so all seemed well.

2017- what can i say.. :/
This was such a weird and confusing year for me. Being my first year of University, and coming from a really academic background, i thought i would enjoy it thoroughly. Unfortunately, i really did not :/ . For the sake of me not wanting to go into details, this made me even more confused and scared for my future LOL i felt lost, and disappointed. It was hard, but nearing the end of it thus far, i have definitely changed one thought process of mine: Support. I thought my family and friends would never support me thinking about whether my Uni course was actually right for me, switching degrees, switching unis and even contemplating a break/deferment. It was hard, considering i thought i would never been supported in any of my decisions, but i guess you really don't know unless you express yourself clearly, and reason and convince : P
Thankful for where i am, and very excited for 2018 and what it can bring.

Hope that all made sense : P

[K888]

I was going to answer the questions separately then realised my answers were practically the same haha.

2017 has honestly been a really big, and really tough year. I moved out - which is super exciting, and also hard. I've struggled a lot with mental health and adjusting to uni. But, I've made some amazing new friends, strengthened existing friendships, and also realised that some people aren't actually my friends. I think I've learnt a lot about what friendship is and it's strengthened me so much as a person and made me better as a person in general.

This time last year, I was sitting my final year 12 exams. Now, I have one exam left before I finish my first year of physio. I think I've matured a lot, I've learnt heaps, and my outlook on life has changed. I've learnt that it's okay to ask for help when you need it (and it won't make people think any less of you) - which, to be honest, is something I still struggle with, but I'm trying.

Perhaps one thing I've taken out of this year is that I now really strongly feel that a) the high school education system needs to change to help prepare people for uni/whatever they pursue, and b) that as a society we should focus more on learning rather than only placing value in whether something can get you a job or not.

[Calebark]

Homeless --> Living in the best house so far

Little contact with family --> See my siblings everyday as they now live with me

Not getting help for depression --> At the highest point mentally in many years

Very secretive; my friends didn't even know my birthday --> Actively talk about myself. Planning to celebrate my birthday next year

Desire to attend uni --> Planning on working for a year after high school as I'm unsure if I wish to pursue tertiary education

Made meaningful contributions to AN --> Shitposter with a green badge

Very lowkey social life --> Out every week with my fucking amazing friends

Long hair --> longer hair

[Aaron]

How has 2017 been for you overall?

This year has been a year of accomplishment. More so than any other really. In 2015 I graduated as the first person in my family to attend university. That alone was a big achievement for me. However, this year.. i've managed to graduate with a Masters and pretty much immediately walk into a full time position. They say everything happens for a reason, and I am glad that Monash screwed my placements up because I would have never experienced the school i'm currently at.

I started working in July and in that time I have learnt a ton more than I have in my 4.5 years at university. Next year will see the continuation of this and by the end of next year i'll be armed with a ton of new experiences that I hopefully will be able to launch into a leadership position.

What's changed for you this year?

* Masters qualified (so now i've got a Bachelor & Master)
* First full-time position - big changes in terms of routine, having responsibility (more so than other jobs.. lets be honest, education is tough).

The transition from uni to full time work has initially been tough but I feel more confident now. I do miss the freedom of a uni lifestyle, but I am getting paid at least for doing something with myself.

[zhen]

2017 has probably been the best year of my life in spite of the many unique challenges I faced. If you’ve read my journal at all, you’ll see that I complain a lot about a certain English teacher. Despite this and all my complaints about this year, I think that the experience of really bonding with friends and supporting each other in this stressful year has really made this experience an enjoyable one. This is probably why I’m so sad and depressed about this year finally finishing. Another thing I really think that contributed to this great year was my change in mindset. Instead of taking things for granted, I was able to appreciate the little things in life which made me happier.

I think that a lot has changed for me this year. From the end of year 8 to the end of year 11, I had a really toxic mindset. Basically, I used to think of VCE and life as a competition to be the best. It was due to this mindset, that I would completely refuse or try to avoid helping people because it may allow them to get better than me. This was such trashy and selfish mindset to have. I basically thought only of myself and even half broke off a relationship with a close friend of mine cause exams were approaching and I refused to hang out with him. Fast forward to this year and even though I’m still that crappy human being, I’ve tried my hardest to change. I’ve tried to help everyone I care about with their studies. Unlike last year, I’ve made sure I kept in contact with everyone even during exam period and ask them how they’re going with revision. I’ve tried to help people on atarnotes and contribute to this amazing community. As I said, I’m still that completely flawed human being, but I’ve tried to change for the better. I think that’s the biggest thing that has changed this year.

[tashhhaaa]

This year I think my outlook on life changed a lot ever since being ill. Initially I thought it was only bad news, but it ended up being a humbling experience that led me to seriously evaluate who I am as a person & what I want in life. It taught me a lot, such as the fact that I'm probably doing the wrong university course (lol), but it also showed me that I should just go with the flow and embrace any opportunity that comes forward, whether it's social, academic or something else. Admittedly this has resulted in some poor decisions HAHA but what I also learned was that nothing is a failure, only a lesson. I strive to learn something from everyone I meet, from every experience and every interaction. I try not to focus on being 'perfect' anymore, instead realising that what I do and who I am is enough, but despite this I should also work on myself eg. by trying new hobbies

I also think it helped me find my true self again (a curious person who probably asks too many questions), rather than what I 'should' be.
Consequently this gave me a new appreciation and inquisitiveness for everything around me, and now I pay more attention to the small things. I've tried to realise that not everyone will like this/me but that's okay because enjoying your own company is important

Through this whole process I lost a few friends but rather than being sad about it I'm looking forward to the opportunity to meet new people
I'm trying to be more positive in general, and it does make a difference, at least in my struggles with mental health which are slightly easier now. I hope this is somehow visible to others because I want to expand my social circle to include more like-minded people. I just hope I keep looking in the right places

[heids]

Love this thread.

2017 has been a year of recovery.  After a murderously difficult 2016 that put my life on hold, 2017 has been learning to get back on my feet and pick up normal life again gradually. I've clocked no suicide attempts or hospitalisations, and have started volunteering and yoga and being social once more.

Yoga has been the biggest breakthrough that's changed me this year (the last four months, at least).  I breathe consciously throughout the day, am much physically stronger and more flexible, and have learnt a lot more philosophical shit that helps living a more aware life lol.

I feel like 2018 has potential, sort of a clean slate after two very challenging years, a year of semi-normality once more.  Not that I know what normality is like haha - I'm not going back to my pre-depression self, but forwards to a new post-episode life.

[Joseph41]

Thread has definitely delivered. Reading these posts is great.

[elysepopplewell]

Reading this question literally started making me get teary because 2017 you've been unnreeeeeeaaaaal. I could write words on words on words about what has changed for me this year.

I cannot even talk about exchange - but just know that it changed everything. Who I am, how I do things, general outlook on life...every day I'm realising new ways that exchange altered the course of my life.

So I'll start with when I got back from exchange. It was depressing. Actually, like, it depressed me. I was depressed. I came back and nothing had changed at all - yet nothing felt the same as it used to. Everyone was still in the same jobs and same degrees and dating the same people, and somehow I couldn't slip back into it all. Reverse-culture shock for sure. But I guess this meant I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and moved on with it. And I think my outlook on how I deal with adversity has changed - I have a far greater sense of agency now and I'm ready to mobilise myself or my emotions at any time when it gets too tough or too down. It's not like I'm choosing flight over fight, it's a combination of both. I deal with my mental health a lot better. I'm kinder too myself, I'm more acutely aware of the way I interact with other people, and I'm happy to say I've really put my foot down in a situation recently that really hasn't been right. Old me would've tried to ignore the way it affected me. New me, does something about it.

I've started a new internship, I want to do post-grad studies (somehow, somewhere, some time), and I have this sense of mobility that I never had before.

Everything's changed.

[abbeyrose]

To be totally honest, 2017 has been one of my best years (thus far). Whilst I'm not entirely out of the woods yet in terms of school, I think I've achieved so many incredible things at school this year. I have made myself really proud this year, which would have to be one of the most incredible feelings. Throughout this year I've gained really meaningful relationships with peers, teachers and the like and I've made such wonderful memories during my time in year 12. I've gone from being a year 10 student who consistently failed classes and never really studied, to being a hard working student in year 12 who has achieved A's and A+'s that they once could only dream of. Considering in year 10 my parents thought I'd never make it to year 12, I'm pretty happy with how my 2017 (so far).

So, what's changed? Everything. It sounds really cliché, but changing my mindset has literally changed everything. I was always one of those students who, though I tried to try hard, I always thought that I was never 'born with it' so I would never get it. I progressed through school in a class that had those few students who were really gifted, the ones that just understand everything and the teachers would get them to explain to the other kids how to do the things we were learning, and I, someone who things didn't come to quite so easily, would always think "well, I'm not good like them... I'll never understand it so what's the point?". Such mindsets are so toxic. This year (and last year too) I decided to stop thinking like that, and instead I realised that to get to that level all I needed to do was apply myself. I just realised that that type of student didn't have anything that I didn't - they just sought to learn and understand the concepts. Fast forward 15 or so months, and here I am. Now, I have a work ethic that I'm proud of. My successes aren't built on 'talent' but rather sheer determination and hard, hard work. Things that will, in my opinion, take me further than any ATAR will. Up until last year, the best score I had ever gotten was an A- on a year 10 history essay and a fluke of good score on a year 10 trigonometry topic test (I credit such score for allowing me to realise that I actually was capable of getting good marks). This year I've achieved so many incredible things, like getting 100% on some SACs, and being 0.5 of a mark away from 100% on a legal SAC. I went from failing year 10 maths to getting an A in maths on my year 11 semester one report and further coming leaps and bounds this year. This is what a good work ethic, growth mindset and some incredible teachers can do. I've become a really determined and committed person that I'm really proud of. I've begun embracing all opportunities I was given (such as the extra-curricular activities at school) and given them a fair go, and I've become such a better person for it (hey I even managed to be a speaker in the winning year 12 debating team at a local eisteddfod, the first year 12 debating team my school has had in a long time). Despite it's challenges, year 12 in 2017 has been such a valuable and incredible experience for me, and I wouldn't change how it has gone so far even if I could. (this is so long yikes haha)

[sudodds]

At the recent lecture series (and a bit beyond) elyse loved to point out how I became "Susie 2.0" this year, and my drastic transformation as a person who didn't realise which KFC they applied to and turned up at the wrong one for my first ever job interview (needless to say - didn't get that one...), to now - but tbh it's actually a very true statement, I feel like 2017 has signified a massive turning point in my personality.

Prior to 2017, I was a REALLY shy and nervous person. I wouldn't say I was "anti-social" per say, I had a group of friends who I saw regularly, and was comfortable with, however I was always super shy around new people - especially if they were older than me. I would over analyse everything, and my brain would always somehow twist anything that I or someone else said to me to mean "you're annoying them" or "that was really weird, why did you say that" etc. etc. Last year was also a pretty shitty year for mental health as well, which probably didn't help anything aha. This year however, I've found that that none of that has really been an issue - which is really weird, considering that this year I was expecting it to be a disaster, starting uni, getting used to a whole new group of people again. But it honestly hasn't been bad at all! I have no idea why this change occurred, but multiple long term friends have noticed it too. Super confusing, but definitely not complaining

Also made a bunch of new friends which has been great (through uni, tutoring and ATAR Notes, both on and offline), and kept a lot of my old ones as well! I was super worried that as my closest friendship circle was splitting off into different unis (one to UNSW, one to the Conservatorium, one to MQU and then myself, to UTS) that we wouldn't stay in touch, but I see them super regularly which is fantastic!

On a negative note though, this has been a year of questioning my future a lot - particularly whether I have actually chosen the right career path. I'm feeling a bit better about it now, but at the beginning of the year I thought I had made a big mistake - which was strange considering going into film has literally been the dream since year 5. Started questioning whether I should actually go into teaching - which I have found through working with ATAR Notes at the lectures, and also through tutoring that I have a real passion for. Being a high school history teacher actually sounds amazing, and sometimes I regret not going down that path. However, this semester I have been feeling a lot better about my decision - hopefully that continues

but yeah, thats really all i can think of so far ahaha

[Joseph41]

as a person who didn't realise which KFC they applied to and turned up at the wrong one for my first ever job interview (needless to say - didn't get that one...)

This whole post made me smile, but what I've quoted actually resulted in an audible giggle.

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

2016 for me was utter shit tbh HAHAHA, it's mostly just be trying to adapt to a new life/culture without any new friends+problems with my family and all that fluff. (won't go into so much details for this one it still hurts)
This year has been comparatively more enjoyable, because I don't feel like a total piece of shit, (I actually studied this year, and my mental health+interactions with the people around me has been so much better) and I hope that my life here would improve as the years go by.
Sorry for the brief sentences I wouldn't want to go into that much detail. :p

[spectroscopy]

2017 has gone by very quick. i definitely feel I didn't do as much this year as I would've liked in terms of socializing and hanging out with people in my last year of uni but oh well. studying in america was fun though. overall i would say 2017 has just been the anticlimactic end to my undergrad degree littered with a few work trips  here and there and a sprinkle of existential crises on top

nothing much has changed for me throughout the year. started with loads of swag and spending too much time on the internet, and im still the same now