Welcome back, one and all. And good riddance to 2016. It will certainly rank among the most tumultuous years in world events of our lifetimes. The fact that we made it in one piece is remarkable. Hopefully 2017 will bring the calm after the storm, a year of reflection, rebuilding, and regrowth.

In honor of the New Year, I thought it would be productive to make a list of New Year’s resolutions, W&L style. You can take them, you can leave them, you can adopt a few for yourself. So, here goes, 17 resolutions for 2017:

1. Give my all in all of my classes. Even that class that meets just a little too early on a Monday morning.

2. Buy a daily planner. Write down all of my assignments and meetings and classes so I can better manage my time. Try to keep this up for more than a day.

3. Go to the fitness center. Explore the place. Get some exercise. There’s a first time for everything.

4. Reward myself for going to the gym. Maybe a Pure Eats donut? I deserve it.

5. Always come to class prepared. It’s so much more fun when I actually know what I’m talking about.

6. Limit myself to a weekly budget for Pronto and LexCo. Tell myself that I’m not allowed to exceed that budget. Make the consequences severe.

7. Take that “Speaking Tradition” thing out for a spin. I might find out just how infectious a simple smile and a “hello” can be.

8. On the first warm, sunny day of spring, take a seat on the Colonnade and sit for a spell. Life’s greatest pleasures are simple.

9. Attend at least one campus event a week, whether it be a speaker, a sporting event, a musical performance, etc. The opportunities abound.

10. Pop the W&L bubble now and then. Get out of Lexington. Explore all that this beautiful part of the country has to offer.

11. Take a step out of that echo chamber I’ve built for myself. Make an effort to seek out different perspectives from my own.

12. Admit to myself that I don’t have all the answers, that I am young, and that I have much to learn. There is no greater wisdom.

13. Don’t have arguments. Have discussions. Don’t try to one-up my opponent. Try to understand where he or she is coming from.

14. Let go of those things that I cannot control. The world is big and its problems are many. So long as I don’t have superpowers, I’ll try to focus on my little portion.

15. Spend time with friends. After all, that’s what makes W&L special: the people. No classroom can teach you what you learn from those you love.

16. Respect everyone around me. Make our Honor System not a set of rules, but a way of life.

17. Finally, always count my blessings. I live in an idyllic town, have friends that will last a lifetime, and attend a world-class institution. These are the best years of your life, people say. How lucky we are, indeed.