Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for the Busy College Student

After a year plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic and never-ending variants, we need to be kinder to ourselves–and more realistic–when writing our New Year’s resolutions for 2022. Here are a handful of simple goals for college students that are much more specific and realistic than “travel more” or “be healthier.”

Take the Stairs

Between the gym, intramural sports, and outdoor fields and courts, there are plenty of ways to stay active on campus. But one of the easiest ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life is by making the simple choice to take the stairs to class. We are all familiar with the temptation to ride the elevator up to the academic quad, especially on a hilly campus like my own. But making this simple change in your routine will benefit both your physical and mental health. In addition to strengthening your body, regular exercise can improve your mood when midterm season rolls around and sharpen your memory to help you master those accounting concepts. Even if your class is at 8am on a Monday morning on the opposite side of campus, commit to taking the stairs. After all, you have to get to class anyway–you might as well walk there. Try it a few days, and you’ll be surprised how quickly this switch in routine can become a permanent habit.

Stick to a Study Schedule

In college, scoring high requires more than just solid notes and preparation. Behind every “A” is a carefully crafted study schedule. This past fall semester, I earned no grade below a B in my five courses, the majority of which were business-related. While this is not as commendable as earning all As, I would not have achieved this without my rigid schedule guiding my actions. In my digital calendar, I blocked out specific times in the morning and afternoon every weekday strictly for studying, which helped me enjoy my weekends more. When you choose to head to the library instead of your dorm in the hidden hours between classes, you’ll be surprised how much work you can extract in a single sitting, even if the sitting is short. However you plan your study time, it is absolutely critical that you stick to a regular schedule. I simply cannot start my day without my calendar guiding me. Remember, it is much easier to go through the motions than to set the motions everyday. Your future self will thank you when you inevitably run low on motivation (and sleep) halfway through the semester.

Commit to Your 8 Hours

To be honest, I can’t remember one morning during the semester when I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested. A night owl at heart, I have developed the bad habit of staying up as late as 2 or 3am reading, listening to music, or binging shows. This has made it hard for my brain to shut off and enter sleep mode, and I envy those who can drift off to sleep as soon as their head hits the pillow. But I know how important sleep is and the immense benefits it brings, and with some practice and commitment, I can build a healthier sleep schedule and get my much-needed 8 hours of sleep. As we enter a brand new year, right now is the perfect time to restore your sleep schedule, once and for all. Trust me, you will thank yourself once classes start back up again!

Reduce Your Mindless Scrolling

It’s a fact: college can be overwhelming. You don’t need the pressure and expectations of social media adding to that. When you can, try your best to unplug from the world of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or whatever app is stealing your precious time, headspace, and cell phone battery. You can attempt a complete detox for a month or longer, or simply place time limits on certain addictive apps via phone settings, such as limiting yourself to no more than 15 minutes on Instagram per day. Easy enough! One strategy I have used to reduce my social media use is deleting the Instagram app from my phone. In doing so, installing Instagram again becomes a barrier between me and the app that is not worth my time or storage breaking to quickly check my feed. Plus, the UI/UX design of Instagram on the web browser makes the habit much less appealing. I also use the SelfControl app on my Mac to block access to social media websites, further reducing my drive to check new posts and stories.

Practice Saying No

As a college student, I’m sure you are well-acquainted with the critical skill of time management (or at least trying to be). Between classes, student organizations, internships, and social life, it can sometimes be hard to find any “free time” just for yourself, so it is important that you spend and budget your time wisely. Everyone has had the experience of partying or going out on a weekday because your best friend insisted that you come and that you can study for your exam later, only to come back exhausted much later than expected, barely able to stay awake at your desk. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t get me wrong–your friends certainly mean no harm, and there is a time and place for having fun, but if you say yes in this scenario, you are sacrificing precious study time that you won’t get back. Learning to say no applies for any situation, but is especially necessary when making decisions that would sacrifice your grades or mental health. There will be times when you get “FOMO” seeing your friends partying on social media when you’re deep in study mode in the library, but when the exam results come out, the scores will speak for themselves.

Stay Spiritually Active

If you consider yourself to be a particularly religious or spiritual person, this one's for you. In the stress-induced, caffeine-filled, chaotic blur that is midterms or finals season, it is tempting to put our spiritual lives on the back burner until all exams, papers, and projects are turned in. But for the other eight or so weeks of the semester, commit to carving out time in your busy schedule for a spiritual activity, whether it be regularly attending church service on Sundays or setting aside time each morning to meditate. For me, if I didn’t have church or Christian fellowship as my anchor every week, I know I would be infinitely more stressed, isolated, and more than anything, spiritually dry. If you consider this area of your life important, then make an effort to schedule it on your calendar, wake up a little earlier, and drive or carpool to church. Nothing refreshes me after an exhausting week like a couple hours of praise and worship.

I hope these ideas inspire you to change your habits this year! Remember, these are only brief descriptions of my suggestions. It is important to set your own SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound) to become your own boss in 2022.