It may seem like it is too early to even be thinking about making up New Year’s resolutions, but honestly now is the perfect time to think about them. There is no better time during the year than the end of a semester to see what areas you need help in. If you think about it, now’s a great time to reevaluate what you did this semester, to try to improve next semester. That’s where New Year’s resolutions come in; if you decide to stick to them. The trick is to pick something that you can and want to stick to. That way, come next semester, you can continue on the right track for where you really want to be.

But where should you start? Well, you can go for the generic resolutions of I won’t eat too much junk food or I’ll go to the gym for countless amounts of hours. But everyone knows that those resolutions last all of one week, if that. Sometimes January 1 just ends all hopes of keeping that resolution going. So then maybe it’s time to think of some new, more beneficial, longer lasting resolutions for us college students; something to get you through next semester perhaps? What can you do to improve this past semester so that next semester is more enjoyable or even more productive?

A good place would be to start with grades. Didn’t get the grades you had hoped for this semester? Why not focus your resolution on improving your study habits? Dedicate so many hours a week to the library, vow to visit the CLR at least once a week or on an as needed basis, and talk to your teachers about difficulties early. You have to get decent grades in college, and there’s just no getting out of assignments and tests. You might as well make your resolutions about improving something you already need to do.

Are grades not the issue for you this semester? Maybe you weren’t as involved on campus as you should have been. Did you only hang out with your roommates and spent most of your time sitting on your bed playing video games? It’s time for a new resolution then. Make it your resolution to try to go to at least one campus event every week. There is so much going on. I guarantee that as soon as you actually start looking for something to go to, you will find more than one event that interests you each week. Make it your resolution to join a new club if you are already involved, or you could even dedicate you semester to trying to make a new friend. Sometimes we get so caught up with the people we do know, we miss out on knowing other people who are equally just as great to hang out with.

If you are feeling especially dedicated to doing new things or improving yourself in the upcoming semester and year, there’s other things you can try to accomplish. Try applying for a leadership position, plan a campus-wide event for everyone to enjoy, or even try a new activity that you may not have thought to try: rock-climbing, a ropes course, etc. Who knows what next semester can have in store for you. You just have to pick one thing to dedicate yourself to and you will be surprised as to what a great year you will have.

I wish everyone the best of luck on final exams this upcoming week. (We all know from last week’s editorial how I feel about them.) Just study hard, don’t forget to relax, and you will all do fine. I also wish everyone a happy and safe winter break. Enjoy it while you can because more often than not, the spring semester likes to sneak upon us very quickly after the holidays have passed. See you all next semester!