This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

So the new year is still settling in, and most people will be viewing it in one of two ways. There is the ‘new year, new me!’ club, for whom January is beautiful and exciting and optimistic. Then there are the rest of us, who use NYE as an excuse to get a bit crazy, but then it’s back to normal life again. 2014 may just be another year for some, but HC Nottingham has rounded up some of its upcoming highlights and significant moments to hopefully show you just how special it’s going to be, whichever category you fall into!

History

– For those of you who enjoyed GCSE History, this year marks the 100-year anniversary of the beginning of World War 1. England is commemorating this milestone in many ways – the BBC is planning a WW1 centenary season, and events are taking place in museums and town centres all over the country, including right here in Nottingham. To find your nearest event, visit http://www.1914.org/events-calendar/.

– Another significant anniversary this year is that of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which occurred 25 years ago on November 9, 1989. A watershed moment in global political history, it effectively ended what was known as the ‘Cold War’ between Western Europe and the Eastern Communist Bloc.

Politics

– It’s a big year for Afghanistan as their presidential elections will be held in April. The current President Karzai cannot run for re-election, and in December UK and US forces are due to retreat from the area for good – so 2014 promises a mountain of change in a country still ravaged by violence and terrorism.

– Closer to home, September will see the referendum on Scottish independence. Many of us couldn’t imagine the separation of England and Scotland, as they’ve been unified for over 300 years, but a majority ‘Yes’ vote could mean a very different future for us Brits – we might not even be ‘Brits’ anymore!

Sport

– The Winter Olympics are being held in February in Sochi, Russia. With bobsleigh, curling and figure skating included, what’s not to love about watching people glide around on ice?

– For all you footy fans, the FIFA World Cup will begin in June hosted by Brazil (as if you didn’t know already). All eyes will turn to South America this summer, whether to cheer on our favourite teams, or to watch hotties run around in shorts…

– Summer also sees our Northern neighbours hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Tickets are still on sale, and for ways to get involved, check out the site here.

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Music

There are some MASSIVE names on tour in the UK this year, including Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry. For those of you who miss the upbeat pop rock that was our childhood, McBusted (McFly + Busted) have teamed up for a special run of concerts which promises to transport you back in time (or maybe to the Year 3000?).

Nottingham will see everyone from Ellie Goulding to Elton John, You Me At Six to Bombay Bicycle Club. Our beloved homeboys McBusted will also be visiting the city – whatever your taste, you’ll find it here.

Film

2014 is a big year for movies, particularly sequels. Franchises including Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, and Transformers all have new films coming out – although sadly it’s a long wait till the end of the year for Mockingjay Part 1 and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Some films to watch out for include The LEGO Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 22 Jump Street and Blended (sorry, but a Sandler-Barrymore reunion?! HAD to get that in there).

Random

– 2014 is the year of the horse in Chinese astrology. If you’re born in 2002, 1990 (or are just an equestrian fan), this is your year.

– The upcoming year has also been named the UN International Year of Crystallography, Family Farming and Small Island Developing States. If you think that’s random, 2013 was the year of quinoa!

– To round things off our list of random things, Miley Cyrus hopes that 2014 will be the year ‘they start censoring dudes nipples’ (#genderequality). The girl’s got a point – we’ll be keeping an eye on her Twitter updates for any progress in female celebrity rights.

Hopefully there’s something on that list that has you slightly more excited about the prospect of the upcoming year. If not, just remember: you’re young, smart, and in that small phase called university where you can get away with doing pretty much anything. With that in mind, happy new year from HC Nottingham! xo