What were your proudest achievements in 2024 and what do you hope to achieve in 2025?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. It’s the start of a new year today, and that always encourages a bit of reflection. Looking back at the year that’s gone by, and looking forward to the new year ahead. With the world being such a negative place at times, I thought I’d lean into the spirit of reflection with a nice positive thread. With this in mind, I’d be interested to know; what were your proudest achievements in 2024, and what do you hope to achieve in 2025? Whatever you’re personally proud of from 2024 or aspiring towards in 2025, I’d love to hear about it and celebrate it, and begin the new year on a positive front!

Personally, I would say that 2024 was quite a successful year for me from a personal standpoint, if I do say so myself. If I were to offer up my main proudest achievements from 2024, I would go for:

• Passing my practical driving test and getting my full driving license: Driving was a real uphill struggle for me. As someone who’s long struggled with coordination, multitasking, and thinking well under pressure, I thought for years I’d never do it, and it took me 2 years after turning 17 to even pluck up the confidence to go for lessons. When I first got in the car in 2022, I was a very slow learner, and very nearly gave up on multiple occasions. But after 2 years and 4 driving tests, 2024 was the year where I finally passed the practical driving test and got my full license!
• Completing my dissertation and getting a first-class undergraduate degree: University was less of an uphill struggle for me than driving, but I did not adjust to it straight away by any stretch. In my first semester, I actually failed an assignment and had to resit, and there were definitely times where my anxious mind got the better of me during my 3 years in university. My dissertation was definitely a challenge at times, and I did stress and worry a fair bit during the process, but I came out the other end. I got 85% in my dissertation and ended up graduating this summer with a first class honour’s degree and an overall final grade of 82.85%, which I’m very pleased with and was proud to achieve!
• Doing my first solo overnight trip: This is a smaller achievement than the other two, but I must admit that as someone who’s often struggled with and been nervous about being more independent, I was quite proud of myself for successfully doing my first ever solo overnight trip in June. I went to Legoland Windsor and Thorpe Park, taking the train from Bristol Parkway to Windsor, Windsor to Staines, and Staines back to Bristol entirely in my own, as well as staying in the Premier Inn in Staines entirely on my own. I’ve done solo theme park trips before, but I’d never done an overnight trip on my own before, nor a trip of this level of public transport complexity with the likes of using Uber on my own before, so I was quite pleased with myself for achieving this and I feel like it opens so many doors for me in the future!

In terms of some key goals for 2025, I have two main ones:

• Finish my postgraduate MSc degree: I’m currently doing an MSc, and I’m aspiring to finish that with the best possible grade I can get in September. It’s a really interesting course so far, and I’d like my journey in full-time education to end on a high!
• Get my first professional job: This one is perhaps more of a long shot, but after finishing my MSc, I have hopes of getting my foot through the door onto a professional industry career ladder with my first qualified work. I’m less confident about attaining this one than I am about finishing my MSc, as I’ve already been rejected by 2 graduate schemes, but graduate schemes aren’t the be all and end all and this is still a goal I hope to attain by the end of 2025.

But I’d be keen to know; what were your proudest achievements in 2024 and what do you hope to achieve in 2025?

 

[owenstreet7]

Hi guys. It’s the start of a new year today, and that always encourages a bit of reflection. Looking back at the year that’s gone by, and looking forward to the new year ahead. With the world being such a negative place at times, I thought I’d lean into the spirit of reflection with a nice positive thread. With this in mind, I’d be interested to know; what were your proudest achievements in 2024, and what do you hope to achieve in 2025? Whatever you’re personally proud of from 2024 or aspiring towards in 2025, I’d love to hear about it and celebrate it, and begin the new year on a positive front!

Personally, I would say that 2024 was quite a successful year for me from a personal standpoint, if I do say so myself. If I were to offer up my main proudest achievements from 2024, I would go for:

• Passing my practical driving test and getting my full driving license: Driving was a real uphill struggle for me. As someone who’s long struggled with coordination, multitasking, and thinking well under pressure, I thought for years I’d never do it, and it took me 2 years after turning 17 to even pluck up the confidence to go for lessons. When I first got in the car in 2022, I was a very slow learner, and very nearly gave up on multiple occasions. But after 2 years and 4 driving tests, 2024 was the year where I finally passed the practical driving test and got my full license!
• Completing my dissertation and getting a first-class undergraduate degree: University was less of an uphill struggle for me than driving, but I did not adjust to it straight away by any stretch. In my first semester, I actually failed an assignment and had to resit, and there were definitely times where my anxious mind got the better of me during my 3 years in university. My dissertation was definitely a challenge at times, and I did stress and worry a fair bit during the process, but I came out the other end. I got 85% in my dissertation and ended up graduating this summer with a first class honour’s degree and an overall final grade of 82.85%, which I’m very pleased with and was proud to achieve!
• Doing my first solo overnight trip: This is a smaller achievement than the other two, but I must admit that as someone who’s often struggled with and been nervous about being more independent, I was quite proud of myself for successfully doing my first ever solo overnight trip in June. I went to Legoland Windsor and Thorpe Park, taking the train from Bristol Parkway to Windsor, Windsor to Staines, and Staines back to Bristol entirely in my own, as well as staying in the Premier Inn in Staines entirely on my own. I’ve done solo theme park trips before, but I’d never done an overnight trip on my own before, nor a trip of this level of public transport complexity with the likes of using Uber on my own before, so I was quite pleased with myself for achieving this and I feel like it opens so many doors for me in the future!

In terms of some key goals for 2025, I have two main ones:

• Finish my postgraduate MSc degree: I’m currently doing an MSc, and I’m aspiring to finish that with the best possible grade I can get in September. It’s a really interesting course so far, and I’d like my journey in full-time education to end on a high!
• Get my first professional job: This one is perhaps more of a long shot, but after finishing my MSc, I have hopes of getting my foot through the door onto a professional industry career ladder with my first qualified work. I’m less confident about attaining this one than I am about finishing my MSc, as I’ve already been rejected by 2 graduate schemes, but graduate schemes aren’t the be all and end all and this is still a goal I hope to attain by the end of 2025.

But I’d be keen to know; what were your proudest achievements in 2024 and what do you hope to achieve in 2025?

Happy New Year and well done @Matt N

Those are some incredible achievements and you should be proud of yourself I enjoy reading up on the detailed analytical responses you make on here and the other forums.

For me, 2024 has been very much a year where I've been very much going outside of my comfort zone.

These were a few of my personal achievements:

• Completing my first solo travelling experiences in Germany not once, but twice. These were for visits to Phantasialand (with Cologne alongside) and Europa Park.
• Taking part in a few of the Attraction Source events which has given me the experience of Hyperia ERT, a surprise Gold Rush BTS tour, Gold Rush ERT, Deadbeat BTS tour and numerous talks.
• Joining some of the theme park forums including here and joining in the discussions.
• Going over to New York for two weeks in what is my first time in America. In addition, I've explored Philadelphia, Niagara Falls and Washington as part of the trip.
• Going back over to Blackpool and making new memories there
• Doing my first solo theatre trip to see Wicked at the start of 2024.
• Going on a date for the first time in years recently - it was only a virtual date playing Portal 2 and I got dumped for being a complete beginner but the important thing is I did it
• Finally, conquering Hyperia at least 60 times this season I am lucky to have a decent coaster about an hour from me.

Now for 2025, these are my key goals for 2025:

• Make some friends! I am a very introverted theme park enthusiast and whilst I am making steps towards this, I hope to make friendships within the community as someone who's friendship and relationship experiences have been hit and miss I'm thinking RCCGB and ECC would be fantastic opportunities for these and I'd be on the lookout for events such as AS or Your Experience Guide.
• Continue solo travelling to different theme parks - I have got the Benelux, Netherlands and Germany tour with Coaster Breaks booked which is fantastic and I'm looking at other theme parks such as PortAventura being at the top of the list.
• Making it to Alton Towers at some point in 2025 - it's something I haven't done since 2022 and being a Merlin Passholder, it'd be good to get back there.

I'm looking forward to building up on 2024 and carrying on the good work I've done for 2024.

I hope you have a good 2025 too

 

[Jonathan]

My proudest achievement of 2024 is arguably buying my first house. I've been in for six weeks, and I'm quite used to it now. Slowly making it my own, and rebuilding my Lego collection is helping there.

As for 2025 aims? Erm...Pass.

 

[Alix]

My proudest achievement of 2024 is arguably buying my first house. I've been in for six weeks, and I'm quite used to it now. Slowly making it my own, and rebuilding my Lego collection is helping there.

As for 2025 aims? Erm...Pass.

And yet no housewarming, no photos... No virtual tour....did you actually move Jon??

 

[Jonathan]

And yet no housewarming, no photos... No virtual tour....did you actually move Jon??

Yes. I moved. And you bleeding well know it.

 

[Bowser]

Proudest achievement for 2024 was taking my son to a theme park in another country. For a few years i never thought it would be possible as we struggled to overcome the issues with staying overnight anywhere. But in 2024 we managed one night at Plopsaland (driving to Europe was also an achievement) and then 2 nights at Efteling.

So in 2025 i hope to extend on that by visiting Europa Park which will be a minimum of 2 nights away too and a more challenging journey. Haven't booked that yet but we have booked Disneyland Paris for the first time which is also 2 nights so if that goes well will then look at Europa.

 

[rob666]

I proudly managed elective surgery on the nhs, after waiting ten times as long as usual due to covid.
I got to the front of a seven million person queue without throwing a paddy or using fastpass.
I managed to run my gardening round for four full months in an MX5.
Bloody stupid idea.
And on one of the very last days of the year, I finally allowed myself a little go with the kickdown on the new autobox on the volvo thoosie cruiser.
Oh joy oh joy, like a drag racing hearse.