New Year’s Resolutions for University Students – The Unemployed Professors Blog

Entering a new year and decade, we encounter the longstanding tradition of New Year’s resolutions. As students, we can look at this as an opportunity to recalibrate our expectations, setting them down in the form of concrete, attainable goals. If our grades have been lagging, we can take this as an invitation to improve; and if we have met our expectations, we can look at the New Year as an occasion to set new, loftier goals. Many of us, however, look at this process with skepticism, since few of us stick to our resolutions, preferring instead to fall into old habits – with predictable results.

For this reason, New Year’s resolutions tend to divide. There are many who mock the tradition, suggesting that striving for positive change should be a yearlong endeavor. It’s easy to sympathize with this kind of cynicism. Just go to any gym, and witness the flood of members in January, and their inevitable ebb in February. This exodus of gymgoers shows that, for many, New Year’s Resolutions are an empty ritual.

But it doesn’t have to be so. The thing about the cynicism and mockery directed at New Year’s resolutions is that they are usually the product of complacency.

And if there’s one thing university life teaches is the tragic nature of complacency. Those who procrastinate and avoid, fail. Those who consistently strive, exhibit foresight, and take initiative scale the heights of academia, and develop habits that will lead to success in the ‘real world.’ Setting down resolutions in concrete form, and monitoring progress on a weekly-to-monthly basis can help keep the busy student on track.

Here are a few student resolutions worth making. Set them down, monitor progress, and adjust habits accordingly to ensure they are attained.

Don’t Procrastinate: English poet Edward Young dubbed procrastination “the thief of time” for good reason. To defeat procrastination and secure your future, do the following: create a daily ‘to do list’ based on upcoming assignments, and structure your day around it; have a regular study schedule and stick to it; and limit or eliminate all distractions.
Form New Habits: Research study habits, and begin incorporating some tried-and-true methods for economizing time and improving performance. Begin with one new habit, practice it for a week, and then add another. Ensure that habits are followed daily, rather than sporadically.
Switch off: Immersed in the digital universe of likes, followers, hashtags and tweets, a student can get absorbed in an artificial reality and lose track of deadlines. Cut down on these distractions by turning off your phone when attending class, or studying.
Exercise and Eat a Healthy Diet: Vigorous exercise and healthy eating will help refresh and invigorate the mind, create a positive outlook, and enhance self-confidence.
Participate: Find ways to step outside your comfort zone, engage peers, and contribute to your scholastic community. Speak up in class; join student clubs and organizations; involve yourself in intramural sports.

There are many other resolutions an ambitious student could make. However, these are an excellent platform on which to construct a more fulfilling and successful New Year and decade! That being said, we’re always here to help you with your school tasks at Unemployed Professors.