Student Life | Issue 41

MY LIFE
CO-EDITOR RACHEL MITCHELL &
GLORIA DARGATZ
My 2020
BY THOMAS HEATHWAITE
Hello! My name is Thomas
Heathwaite, and I am a second-year
student studying BS(C) Wildlife,
Ecology, and Conservation at the
University of Suffolk. Here, I reflect
upon my 2020…
This year has been a roller coaster
(understatement)! Back when
everyone was all hyped up for the
beginning of the new decade at
the end of 2019, no one could have
imagined the year we just had. No
more of the same, please….
Despite that, I have had plenty of
time to reflect on my life and develop
new positive habits, which I want to
carry forward to 2021. Reflection is
perhaps the greatest positive habit
I have gained, as it allows you to
establish other positive habits, and
through starting to understand your
weaknesses it shows you how to
improve, which I think is extremely
powerful for reaching your new year
goals. I could give you a multitude of
examples right now of how reflection
has helped me, but here are some of
my favourites:
1. REFLECTION TOLD ME I WAS
DOING A LACK OF EXERCISE –
Bad mentally and physically. I
know that, yet my time was just
so congested (or that is what I
thought). In truth, it was not; just
I had never made the time. Joe
Wicks and PE with Joe inspired
me, and i still do at least two
workouts a week. I also took up
endurance running at the end of
March and continued to do it at
least once a week – finishing the
year with the ability to run 15km.
This is proof, I think, that if you
put your mind to something
you can reap great rewards. So,
thank you lockdown!
54 54 • • MARCH MY LIFE 2019 • • STUDENT LIFE LIFE