In the spirit of the New Year, a friend of mine recently sent me her “2025 ins and outs” list, which she rediscovered in the depths of her notes app. For those who might not be on New Year’s resolution TikTok, an “ins and outs” list is a compilation of things one brings with them into the New Year and leaves behind in the past year. I laughed to myself as I read through my friend’s list from last year, clearly a result of New Year’s brain — that fleeting rush of adrenaline and ambition that washes over people come January 1st. It’s the reason why open treadmills in the gym are nearly impossible to come by for the first couple of weeks of winter term.
Call me cynical, but I have never been much of a believer in New Year’s resolutions; the “New Year, new me” mindset only lasts so long. However, I made an exception for this year. I think I can speak for all members of the class of 2026 when I say that this year is a big one. After a lifetime of school, we’ll all cross the finish line come June — I haven’t quite wrapped my mind around it. I have so much to look forward to in 2026: moving to New York with my best friends, starting a full-time job, hopefully running my first marathon, and more. So, with this exciting future in mind, I opened my notes app and began crafting my list.
In:
- Podcasts (for my commute to work)
- Yoga (to prevent injuries during my marathon training)
Out:
- Snoozing my alarm (a full-time job doesn’t allow for sleeping in!)
- Snapchat (no one over the age of 22 should be communicating this way)
At some point, I stopped typing and realized that all of my line items applied to my post-grad life. It’s true that the latter half of 2026 is full of exciting firsts, but it’s also important to consider all the lasts that I will experience in the first six months of the year. Last chance to muster up the courage to Polar Plunge during Winter Carnival; last time waking up to campus’s first snow and anxiously awaiting an email from Dr. Seuss calling for a midnight snowball fight; last afternoons spent sunbathing, playing Spikeball, and pretending to study on the Green. While part of me is excited and ready for life after graduation, the other part of me is scared by how easily I can look ahead and forget the present. I constantly remind myself to slow down and cherish the little moments that will be gone before I know it.
Now that I’ve reset my mindset, here are my revised 2026 ins and outs, Dartmouth edition.
In:
- Studying in Sanborn. At the end of fall term, a friend of mine said she didn’t want to remember the harsh lighting of 3FB every time she thought of studying at Dartmouth. She couldn’t have been more right. We go to a school with beautiful, Hogwarts-like buildings, and I am making it my mission to take advantage as much as possible over the next six months. Perhaps the charming coziness of the creaky old chairs and dangerously comfortable couches in Sanborn will provide extra incentive to hole up in the library in the depths of Hanover winter. After all, Econometrics isn’t going to pass itself.
- Eating at least one meal per day with friends. Meals are often the only free time during the day when my friends and I can meet, so why not sit down with one another instead of running from class to clubs to the library? I would like to limit the number of evenings that it dawns on me that I haven’t seen any of my friends all day.
- Outdoor runs. The NYC marathon is still 10 months in the future, but it can’t hurt to ease into my training. If I’m going to run outside in the dead of winter, there’s no prettier place to do it than the snow-capped Upper Valley.
Out:
- Talking at full volume in the East Reading Room. The ERR used to be a secluded and silent refuge where I would be lucky to find an upstairs table to myself. This past fall, it was impossible to focus there without very powerful, noise-cancelling headphones.
- Novack Cafe’s shrimp spring rolls. Every now and then when I need a study break, I get a weird craving, but proceed to immediately regret my decision as I endure the uncomfortable texture of the cold shrimp and the inevitable stomach ache that ensues. The spring rolls can stay in 2025.
- Complaining about being old and tired. I will admit, this one was on my original list, but it’s important. For anyone even remotely close to college-aged, this is a cop out of an excuse. 2026 will probably be one of the most significant, memorable years of my life, and I don’t want to spend it convincing myself I’ve passed my prime. I’m only 21 years old for goodness sake.
- Dwelling on the past and what my Dartmouth experience could have been. There are a handful of clubs I wish I had been involved in, grades I wish I had received, and chances I wish I had taken over the past four years. I could spend my precious time and energy analyzing everything I could have done differently, but I would much rather be present and focus on living the rest of my Dartmouth experience to the fullest.
With graduation now in calendar view, I am choosing to let go of my regrets and accept my Dartmouth career for what it is. Because it’s been a pretty amazing three and a half years, and all I can do now is enjoy the rest of the ride.
