Top 10 New Year Resolutions For Students

There is something about the new year that makes us want to start things over. Even if we have not had a particularly bad year or made that many bad decisions, there is something comforting about the phrase ‘a new year a new start’. True, those who say ‘new year, new me’ probably won’t become a better person over night and some won’t even change at all! But the new year does seem like a perfect time to have a ‘fresh start’. 

Another popular trend that goes along with the new year celebrations is making new year resolutions. We pick the things we dislike the most about ourselves and vow to change them and often the goals we pick we don’t or can’t achieve. 

In order to avoid the bitter disappointment of breaking your resolution thirty minutes after you've made it, I have mad a list of ten new years resolutions that you can stick to that will help you make the most of uni! Yes, this is aimed at students but these resolutions can still apply to anyone if tweaked! Let’s, for once, stick to the resolutions we made! Here’s to a wonderful 2015! 

1. Become More Organised 

One of the best ways to make your life at uni easier is to keep organised! Being organised helps you to keep on top of things like your work and time keeping, it also makes it less likely that you’ll forget things. An easy way to help get organised would be to keep a diary or a calendar, where you can write down your timetable, any appointments or work shifts you have and any dates or information that you have to remember. To be extra organised you can even colour code your notes in your dairy so you know what is happening without even reading for example keep your work deadlines blue, the days you are work red, and days you are going home yellow etc. Little things like this will make life much easier!

2. Stop Procrastinating 

At university its common that you have a lot of work to do all at once so its no shock that people procrastinate to avoid the heavy workload however, procrastinating is never good especially when its come to the day before a big assignment is due and you have to pull an all-nigher to get it finished. Procrastinating is a problem many students have however, there are ways to get over it! For starters, use that new diary or calendar we mentioned earlier, that way you can keep track of how long you have to complete your work before the dreaded deadline day another (slightly obvious) tip would be to not leave your work until the last minute! True, when you first get handed your assignment its easy yo think ‘Ive got ages’ but time will soon come around and you will start to stress that you don’t have a lot of time left, help yourself by getting started as soon as possible for example, that essay that has to be handed in next month, start writing a little bit every day starting from when you first get it to make sure you have enough time, that way you might even be able to do a few drafts to make sure it’s as close to perfect as possible!

3. Try Harder

Yes, part of the university experience is meeting new people and going out and having fun, but at the end of the day you’re there to get your qualifications. So make sure are always improving yourself and your grades. Making sure your grades are as good as they can be can take off a lot of pressure and will always be a benefit,  now that can be easier said than done when you have lots of work to do and so many notes to remember so here are a few tips to help improve those grades and keep them up!

 Although this is very obvious and you probably get told this but tutors and family members but its true, make sure you go to your lectures and seminars even if its at 9 o’clock and you were up until 3 the night before! Make sure your work is submitted on time, there is nothing worse than working hard on a piece of work it to be downgraded because you didn't hand it in until after the deadline. Admitting you’re struggling can be embarrassing but don't hesitate to ask your lectures for help if you don’t understand something, yes it might be a ‘silly question’ but it will be worth it when you know the answer and aren't struggling to do your work. You can even make a ‘study group’ with your friends, that way it will be easier and more interesting but make sure you actually study!

4. Become Healthier

A resolution everyone promises to do, and lots fail. A good way to kickstart your new healthy life style is to join a gym. Yes, not everyone enjoys a good work out and gym memberships are expensive however, lots of universities have their own gym and many local gyms offer student discounts to help you save money. If you are serious about getting in better shape and you know you will make the most out of your membership, spending your money will be worth it. 

Another good and simple way to become heather is to really watch what you eat a good way to do this is to plan your meals for the week so you know exactly what ingredients to buy that was you are less likely to buy junk food, this can also help you save money. Walking more instead of using public transport or driving is another good way to lead a healthier lifestyle (and save money). 

5. Save Money 

You probably heard this even way before you started uni, but have a strict budget for the week and month and stick to it. Write down everything you spend money on and how much money you spent so you can see exactly how much of your budget has gone and how much you have left, this will make you more conscious of how much money you are spending and encourage you to spend less. Also, set necessities like rent and bill money aside and don’t touch it so you know you have enough money for the important things (like the roof over your head).

Lots of students tend to spend a lot of money on a big night out don’t be fooled, those deals on drinks will eventually add up and you’ll soon be wondering where all your money has gone. I’m not saying don’t go out or don’t have fun (we are students after all) but a good alternative to a big, expensive night out is to have a big house party and invite lots of people and ask them to bring their own drink. That way you can still have a good night but you’ll save yourself a lot of money!

6. Get Involveed

I think that part of the ‘uni experience’ is to get involved with as much as you can, you could do this in a variety of ways. Chances are your university has hundreds of societies you can join from sports, to television and radio stations, societies are a great way to get involved with something you enjoy and meet lots of new people and make loads of new friends. If you’re a bit nervous about joining a society or club on your own, join with a friend who will also enjoy the society this way it will be less scary and it can be more fun. 

7. Make Better Choices 

Although it doesn't seem very fair, a lot of choices we make now will be ones that affect our future, so it's important to make sure that the choices you make a good ones. A good place to start is to stop watching so much tv, you can watch the next episode another time, if you’re bored catch up on your reading list true, it might not be as appealing as the idea of seeing how many episodes you can watch in a day, but it’s going to benefit you more.

If you know rent is due soon, try taking less money with you on a night out. You don’t want to panicking that you can’t afford rent and there is always the  ‘pre-drink with cheap alcohol’ option.

8. Use Your Spare Time Wisely

Yes, sometimes doing nothing can seem like a luxury but it's always best to put your spare time at good use. A good example of this is lots of people get part time work while at uni. Yes, it might mean you have a few less night out but the extra money can come in handy. Work experience is also a good opportunity for students although it might not necessarily be paid work, the extra experience in the industry can really make a lot of difference when you graduate and will benefit you greatly. It’s also a great way to get you out of your room watching Netflix all day on your days off! Just make sure you still have enough time to keep on top of your work and you don't take on too much.  

9. Keep On Top of Housework 

Let’s face it, no one likes a slob! Keeping on top of your housework can prevent that dreaded ‘all day clean’ so many of us find ourselves doing! Don’t leave your dirty dishes in the kitchen or in your room, you’ll only have to clean it up later so why not get it out of the way? 

10. Actually Stick to Your Resolutions

It’s so easy to make resolutions and even easier to forget about them or give up on them, but achieving goals you set yourself will benefit you and you’ll feel so much better knowing you’ve achieved something you’ve wanted to do.

So there are ten new year resolutions that can work for anyone and are ideal for students! Sometimes it's easier to just give up and forget about your resolutions but it's better to achieve them, you made them for a reason remember!

I hope you all had a good 2014 and have an even better 2o15. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thank you, 

Becca x