One of the most popular things to do when the new year hits is to make a New Year’s resolution. Here are six common resolutions every college student could use.
- Spend less, save more
One good goal to have, especially as a college student, is to save more than you spend. We often struggle with having money, since most of it goes to paying our tuition. A great tip is to put a set amount of money from your paychecks directly into your savings account. This helps prevent you from spending all of your paycheck at once and allows you to continually increase how much money you have.
2. Don’t procrastinate
One common problem many college students face is procrastination. This often results in students becoming very stressed the night before a huge essay is due or the night of their midterm or final. A good rule to follow is to give yourself plenty of time to complete your essay or to study for your test. Starting on your homework a few days before rather than the night before can also reduce the amount of stress that you experience.
3. Get more sleep
In college, there are many stories of students getting very little sleep. This common resolution is one that is often broken due to various reasons such as finishing procrastinated homework, watching Netflix or hanging out with friends. However, getting sleep usually helps the mind and body be more productive and more awake. A good way to get more sleep is to go to bed at the same time every night and to avoid drinking caffeine after lunch.
4. Get active
Not only is this resolution one of the most common, but it can be a very good one to have for improving the overall health of the body. Some simple goals to set could be to plan a certain amount of cardio exercises and a certain amount of weightlifting for a set amount of days. Doing this will allow you to improve your health by being active.
- Learn to say “no.”
Everybody experiences the feeling of dealing with more they can handle at some point in their lives. In college, it is easy to say “yes” to a lot of things, and then be overwhelmed later. Learning to say “no” after you’ve said yes to a few things will reduce the stress you will have later on. While it may make you feel guilty, it is a better thing to say no and give your best work on you remaining projects instead of saying yes and giving everything only half of what you can give. In the words of Ron Swanson, a character on “Parks and Recreation,” “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”
- Get academic help before your grades slip
It is easier said than done when asking for academic help, leading students to suffer up until they have no choice to get help, rather than asking for extra help beforehand. This causes you more stress in the long run as you watch your grades slip because you are not understanding topics to the extent that you should be. Asking a professor for help during office hours and going to the tutors or to the writing center will be more beneficial for you in the long run.
