This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Fordham chapter.
New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past and look towards the future. It’s a time to look back on the changes we wish to make and resolve in the New Year. New Year’s resolutions provide the perfect opportunity for new beginnings. For inspiration, here is a list of the top 10 resolutions for the New Year in college.
1. Stop procrastinating
The deadline for your 10-page paper is tomorrow, but instead of getting started on it, you occupy yourself with social media, BuzzFeed quizzes and Netflix. You know you should be working, but you just can’t bring yourself to do anything. We have all been there before. Procrastination is a bad habit that prevents us from achieving greater results in life. It is important to tune out all distractions and not let procrastination take over. Some ways to avoid procrastination include breaking up your work into smaller parts, making a to-do list and surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to take action.
2. Become more active
There are many ways of becoming more active rather than just going to the gym. You can exercise a few times a week but still sit around most of the time at home, school or at work, which can have a negative effect on your health. Simple changes like taking the stairs, parking your car further away and taking your pet for a walk will make a difference in the long run. It is important to find more ways of moving around throughout the day to improve your posture, mood and health.
3. Get a better night’s sleep
It can be challenging to fall asleep at night when we are distracted by our phones, laptops and TVs. Research shows that the blue light from electronics disturbs sleep and prevents us from realizing how tired we truly are. It is best to turn off all electronics and cellular devices before going to bed in order to ensure a better night’s sleep. The goal should be at least 8 hours per night.
4. Organize your dorm room
It’s easy to become messy and disorganized in your tiny, cramped dorm room. People tend to disregard keeping their room clean and organized because of time restraints. However, quick fixes like making your bed and placing your books in a neat pile can make your room appear tidier. Taking out your trash at least once a week or as soon as it becomes full will not only keep your room neat, but nice-smelling too. An organized dorm room will keep your brain from feeling cluttered.
5. Reduce stress
It’s hard to avoid stress nowadays with the hectic lives we lead, especially as college students. Between academics, clubs and social events, it’s difficult to find time for ourselves. Although there may be no way around our busy day-to-day routines, we can learn to cope with stress with easy practice tricks. These practices include tuning out to some relaxing music, going for a run, enjoying a hot bath, or trying yoga/meditation.
6. Read more
Reading is another way to reduce stress and has many great benefits. It can help improve your knowledge, expand your vocabulary, enable you to think more analytically and make you a better writer. Not only can reading boost brain power, it can also make you more empathetic. Getting lost in a book full of complex characters can make it easier to understand and relate with others.
7. Find an internship
Finding an internship is important for gaining experience and networking. If you can get more than one throughout your time in college, you will become more exposed to different opportunities in your field of interest. The more experience you have, the easier it will be to find a full-time position after graduation.
8. Be more charitable
Helping those in need is a benevolent gesture and a reward in itself. There are many charitable clubs in college that you can join such as Colleges Against Cancer, Habitat for Humanity and Relay For Life. Volunteer work gives you an opportunity to meet new people, acquire new skills and can help boost your resume.
9. Make time to visit your friends from high school
You and your friends might talk about visiting each other at school, but the plans are never set in stone. This year make solid plans to visit your high school friends at their school. It will give you a chance to catch up with old friends you miss and do something fun together.
10. Meet new people
Make an effort to go out and introduce yourself to people you have never met before. Meeting new people can educate and open your mind to different cultures and backgrounds. You can meet great friends who you can learn from and genuinely enjoy their company. Some may share similar passions and interests as you. Some will make great travel companions. Others will make you laugh until you cry. Life is too short and you never know when you’ll meet someone who is going to make a difference in your life.
HERE’S TO 2016!
