5 New Semester Resolutions

With the exam season almost over, and coursework complete, you may find yourself reflecting on your last semester. Whilst most of us enjoy our time at university, we all have things that we know we’d like to change. You may have even tried to make some New Year’s Resolutions, until you realised that the beginning of January is deadline and revision time, a.k.a. the worst possible time to start new habits. So why not create some New Semester Resolutions? Here are a few suggestions:

1.       Take up a unique hobby

Refreshers Fair isn’t just for exchange students to find out what a society actually is. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to scope out something new to do in your free time. The university has over 200 societies, from bellringing to juggling and circus skills, and there’s always the Student Volunteer Centre if you want to leave the student bubble and help out in the community. You never know, you may discover a new passion, meet your new best friend, or change your entire outlook on the world.

2.       Get fit

It’s the most stereotypical resolution of them all, but for good reason. As students, we’re often criticised for our laziness, but why not try to get more active whilst you still have the energy after a break from study all-nighters? Gym membership for the semester is only £80, but if you’re really broke, try walking or cycling to and from uni every day, and maybe take a walk around the lake on our beautiful campus whilst you’re at it.

3.       Go for a careers interview

This is one for my fellow third years. It’s really kicking in now that there’s only one semester between us and the great unknown. Even if it’s all you do, going for an interview with the Careers Department and having a chat about your plans can make you feel like you’re taking steps to answering the question, ‘What do you want to do after university?’

4.       Learn why you procrastinate and what ways you study best

As students, we’re always saying how our procrastination is getting out of hand, and that we’re going to solve it once and for all (well, it’s too late for this essay, but maybe for the next one…). However, this will never work if you don’t know why you procrastinate and if you don’t know how you study best. It can be scary to confront your personal demons, but if you know what really freaks you out, and you know what you’re aiming for, you may actually be able to solve your procrastination problems. Take a look at my article all about procrastination for more details.

5.       Have a silly semester

My New Year’s Resolution for this year is simple: to be sillier. There is so much pressure to be more adult and conform to society’s expectations that we don’t appreciate how much fun and stress relieving being silly can be. We appreciate it when we watch sitcoms and YouTube videos, but we rarely apply it to our daily lives. Silly means different things to different people: cheesy dance moves, lip-syncing, dying your hair blue, going all out on fancy dress. If it’s slightly unconventional, but you want to give it a go, do it! I guarantee shame is the only thing stopping you, but when is a better time to be silly than university?

Ultimately, resolutions are difficult, but if there’s something you want to change about yourself, make a specific goal and go for it! Try and make it as enjoyable and habitual as possible, and who knows what the semester will bring?

Edited by Jayde Richards

Image Sources

http://www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/societies/find-a-society/

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/facilities/universitypark/fitnesscentre/exerciseareas.aspx

http://www.elizabethany.com/2013/05/the-perfect-memes-for-recent-college…

http://weknowmemes.com/2013/02/procrastination-no/

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/jimmy-fallon-paul-rudd-comp…

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