Perspectives:
Meghan Brennan, a junior photography major
Q: What kind of resolutions did you set for the new semester?
A: Pray to God I get into grad school and to be more involved in the school itself.
Q: Did you want to make any personal changes for the New Year?
A: Just to treat people better.
Q: How do you plan on keeping that resolution?
A: If you don't treat people well you will definitely find out because it will come right back to you.
Keith Davis, a senior public policy major
Q: What was your New Year's resolution?
A: I want to be healthier, eat better, and get into shape.
Q: What will help you keep this resolution?
A: Being healthy helps you get ready for old age, which will help me stay motivated by knowing I am bettering myself for the future.
Kari Judd, a freshman biomedical sciences major
Q: What goals did you set for the new semester?
A: I want to get a B or higher in all my classes.
Q: How do you plan on achieving this?
A: By reading the books more and working harder.
January is the perfect time for new choices, new changes, and a brand new frame of mind. Along with the New Year, students face the challenge of a new course load, possibly scary professors and balancing the social with the academic.
If keeping a yearlong resolution is hard, then maybe keeping a semester-long one will have a better chance of resulting in success.
According to Keith Davis, a senior public policy major, when it comes to New Year's resolutions, having a role model helps keep the train on the track.
"Jack Lalanne is 112 years old and still doing push ups," Davis said. "He is living proof that eating better and working out keeps you healthy longer."
If having someone to look up to doesn't do the trick, then Davis suggests writing down the resolution to keep a contract with oneself. By writing down goals and having a list to review, it will be a constant reminder throughout the year.
For some students, a New Year's resolution is just too unrealistic of a goal and only creates disappointment. The cure for non-committal types is the semester resolution, which allows for easy, not too long-term changes.
According to Kari Judd, a freshman biomedical sciences major, setting a goal for the semester helps keep grades up as well as helping to manage a student's social life.
Fixing last semester's mistakes can seem hopeless, but making a conscious choice not to focus on the past and to create a solution can really help ease the pain of that D from last semester.
If circumstances don't come out as planned and the end of the semester is a letdown, the need for another change occurs, Judd said.
"If I do everything I plan to and I don't end up with B's, I will change majors," Judd said. "I could also try taking other courses, and maybe take more or less of something."
Students attempt to do their best year-round, academically and in the social atmosphere. But distractions are just destined to happen, from that hamburger in the Student Union to the party happening down on South Campus. Blunders are impossible to avoid.
New Year's resolutions have a trend of not lasting past January; luckily, the semester is only a couple months long.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
