By Brittney Bruner
Once the holiday season has come to a close, many opt to establish their “New Year’s Resolution.”
After students stuff their face with Christmas candy for the final weeks of the past year, calling Jenny Craig may seem like a solution in 2008.
Or, after receiving everything on their wish list, donating clothes to Goodwill may seem like a just cause.
No matter what the resolution may be, many people feel the need to start out the New Year on the right foot, righting the wrongs they made in the past or making the changes they always wanted to make.
Andrew Murphy, a junior political science major said, “My resolutions are to be more thankful, lose ten pounds and read the Bible every day this year.”
All of these are typical resolutions, and can be found listed among Naomi Rockler-Gladen’s suggested realistic resolutions for college students in her article; “Student New Year’s Resolutions.”
In addition to these, Gladen also suggests that students resolve “to get an extra hour of sleep every night, to keep up better with the news, to spend less time on Facebook.”
While suggesting that students, “call mom more often, to eat breakfast every day, and to take a class that pushes your comfort zone.”
“This year I’m not letting anything hold me down,” said sophomore education major Megan Fentress. “I am not going to let stress worry me. I’m going to let everything that’s going to happen… happen.”
Many may be afraid of failing when trying to live out their resolution and there is a high likelihood that they ultimately will fail.
However, most don’t realize this is because they do not set realistic goals for their New Year’s resolution. Ultimately driving them to give up within the first few months.
But with realistic resolutions like the ones Gladen suggests, students have a greater chance of success in living out their pledge for 2008.
“I find that I have chastened expectations: If I can get out of the house in a matching pair of socks, I figure I’ve beaten the odds,” said Humanities Professor Derek Penwell. “One year I resolved to quit smoking-which I did successfully for a week. So, I’m more of a cautionary tale when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.”
However, with both Gladen and Penwell’s words in mind, it is important to understand that resolutions are simply customs that can help individuals better themselves as a new year comes along.
It’s not always the act of accomplishing them that matters, but the mere attempt at trying to make a positive difference.
“New Year’s Resolutions are only there to help you get to that state of mind and being where when someone sees you and what you are, they see a happy person, someone who enjoys themselves,” said freshman Mason Bryant, a computer engineering and science major.
