Stop, Start, Continue: Look back and reflect

It's crazy to think I've finished my first semester of uni already, it's gone so quick! As much as I would like to say that I enjoyed every last second, it unfortunately wasn't the case. For a good couple of months since starting uni I really struggled to adjust, and even sometimes questioning whether this was the right decision for me. The main thing that forced me to persevere however was knowing that I had the opportunity to study and immerse myself in what is more my hobby and passion than work. Also knowing that I had worked so hard to get to uni in the first place, I didn't want to throw it all away. 

But like I said, a semester has passed, and I have learnt so much in that time, not just about the course, but about myself and my own abilities. 

For me I think one of my biggest accomplishments, which may seem small to other people, has been my ability to 'master' (I use the term lightly) Photoshop. Coming from someone who didn't even know what the Adobe suite was, I am now the proud owner of the whole thing, and this is quite a big deal to me. I want to keep developing my skills in Photoshop whilst also moving on to InDesign and eventually even Illustrator. I like that there is a physical representation of things I'm learning, and whats even better is I can utilise these skills in employment. 

But looking forward into a new semester, there are certain things I aim to stop, start and continue to do. 

My biggest one for me that I need to stop is procrastinating! Netflix is my best friend but also my worst enemy when it comes to getting any work done. After the many alnighters I had to pull to get my last module done and handed in on time, I'm promising to myself that I will not leave it to the last minute again but keep on top of it the whole way through (even if that means saying goodbye to Gossip Girl for a bit).

Something I want to start doing is establishing myself with a professional and FCP orientated online presence. That means having all my social media linking back to my blog, and having an instagram account exclusively dedicated to regularly uploading trend and fashion reflective images, and not the pictures of cocktails and cakes that is currently my personal instagram. 

And as for continuing, I started well with this blog, but sadly lost enthusiasm for it, seeing it more as a chore than something I wanted to do on a regular basis. But now that I'm starting to get back into it, I want to set myself the challenge of uploading at least 3 posts a week, and in doing so, I'm hoping I'll find my rhythm and motivation to continue it happily. I also want to spend more time regularly adding to my work book, including all my lecture and seminar notes, and using it as a place to store all my ideas and not just magazine cut outs, though I will definitely still be using it for that. The aim is to be more creative and hands on in my approach to the course.

I think the goals I've set myself are both realistic and achievable, and I hope to be able to look back at the end of the next semester and almost use this post as a check list of what I have and haven't done or kept up with. Wish me luck!