New Year's Resolutions for Students

When I was a little kid, it was really easy to think of a New Year’s resolution. I’d always convince myself it would be really easy to not drink soda or be nice to my siblings or to not talk back to my parents. I’d really stick to my resolution for a week or two, but then I’d usually fall back into my old habits.
Now that I’m older, I can typically follow through on my resolutions for at least a month or two. My goal this year is to keep my resolution for the entire year. But since I am aiming to keep it for 365 days, my resolution has to be something good.
Here are a few of my ideas for high school and college-appropriate resolutions:
1. Stop procrastinating, or at least scale it back a bit. Last semester I had a 10-page paper due on a Monday morning. I started it one month before it was due and got a really good grade. I didn’t start studying for my final in that class until two days before the exam, and I didn’t do as well as I had hoped. I learned that if I stop procrastinating on my schoolwork, I’ll probably get better grades.
2. Visit the gym more often. It drives me crazy when people say their resolution is to lose 20 pounds in two months, or something like that. My personal opinion is that it better to focus on being healthy, not focus on lowering the number on the scale. By going to the gym at least three times a week, I will lower my stress levels and improve my physical fitness.
3. Stomp out that cigarette. Smoking cigarettes is a hard habit to quit. If you can’t stop smoking entirely, scale it back. Try smoking one less cigarette every day until you reach zero cigarettes. There are nicotine patches and gum to also help. If you stop smoking cigarettes, you will not only improve your health, you’ll also save a lot of money. If you smoke a pack a day at $5 a pack, you’ll save $1,825 in one year. That’s enough for a very nice Spring Break trip, which sounds a lot better than a midnight trip to the gas station to cure your cravings for a smoke.
4. Learn something new. As a student, sometimes it seems like all we do is study and learn. But maybe I should try to learn something fun. I could take an art class or a ballroom dancing class. Learning doesn’t have to be just textbooks and exams, so try to think of something you would actually enjoy learning about, and then take a community college class to learn it.
5. Get organized. I have a Blackberry and I have to admit that I am totally in love with it because I use it to stay organized. Every event, due date, and meeting is entered into my calendar so that I do not forget anything. Try using an agenda or your phone’s calendar to stay on top of things. This could also apply to organizing your study area. My desk is currently cluttered with folders that are spilling last semester’s papers all over the place. I don’t think I could find my stapler if I really tried. My resolution should be to organize my desk and keep it organized for the entire year.
Then again, I am only human and I’m not sure it that’s possible. Hopefully yours isn’t as bad as my desk, and you could use this goal to keep yourself on track this year.
I hope my possible resolutions got your brain thinking about what your resolution should be. Feel free to borrow my ideas or create your own.
Happy New Years!