As 2015 comes to a close, it is time to give thought to what we want 2016 to look like. Whether you accomplished your 2015 resolution(s) or not, you have arrived at that crucial time again. What promise will you make to better yourself during the new year? Hopefully, this list will help you make that important decision. Now without further ado, time to choose!
1. Read for leisure.
Secondary and higher education have really given reading a bad name. People don’t want to read and frankly don’t have the time. Yet, you can always make time to read if you really wanted to. Reading helps to expand your knowledge and vocabulary plus many more benefits and the best thing is, you can read anything you want. One day you can read BuzzFeed or Her Campus UCF *wink* articles while the next day you can read Shakespeare. I would recommend reading books because most likely you are reading online articles anyway. So challenge yourself this new year. Read one book a month or something along those lines.
2. Schedule personal time.
In this fast-paced world, this can be a difficult one to accomplish. Yet, don’t let that scare you. Taking time to stop and smell the roses is important because all the running around is going to get to you eventually. Trying to balance school, a job, an internship, a social life, one or more extracurricular activities, and everything else is insanity. Couple that with not taking personal time on a daily or weekly basis to breathe, and it is going to take a toll on you. Don’t let it get that far. Make it your resolution and schedule an hour a day or a full day a week to relax so you can keep up with your hectic schedule. Beware that this resolution is not an invitation to procrastinate! See number five for help with that.
3. Spend less, save more
As college students, we might not necessarily be thinking about how our spending today can affect our tomorrow. I would rethink this frame of mind in 2016. We are approaching complete adulthood as graduation nears. After that, we are on our own to fend for money, shelter, and stability – unless your parents will help you with that after graduation, in which case you’re super lucky! Thus, think about opening a savings or 401(k) account and watch those dollars increase as the days, months and years pass by. Who wouldn’t like that?
4. Spend more time with family and friends
Having a hectic schedule can leave little time to spend with those that really matter. Moving to a new place where you aren’t able to see your family and friends as often can take a toll on your relationships. Don’t allow that to happen in 2016. Family and friends are one of the most important things in this world. Keep your relationships with them as strong as possible. If they are not strong at the moment, consider mending them in the new year. You won’t regret it.
5. Stop Procrastinating
This is one thing our generation has a significant struggle with. I myself have struggled with this demon for many years, and I am hoping to begin the process of overcoming this bad habit in the new year. Join me in kicking this habit to the curve and ring in the new year oozing productivity. Use this as an incentive to get it done in 2016: If you don’t, you risk becoming poorer, fatter and unhappier. Let’s not have that. No Freshman 15 here for UCF students! Only lots of money and happiness, please.
6. Volunteer
Giving to the community is a great hobby to develop in the new year. Not only will making a difference in your town be beneficial, but it will also make you happier. Who doesn’t want to be happier? I know I do! Consider volunteering at your local food or homeless shelter. They will greatly appreciate your help and you may make a few new friends along the way, which will help you with number four.
7. Cut or eliminate your alcohol intake
Being a college student is synonymous with partying and drinking. People expect us to drink our brains out. Despite what image college students may have, I say don’t fall into this trap. You do not have to be a part of this stereotype. Not every night has to be a blackout night. In reality, you shouldn’t have any blackout nights; it is very bad for your health. There is nothing wrong with having one or two drinks a night. Yet consider drinking in moderation or stopping completely. Your body will thank you.
8. Travel
Traveling seems to be on everyone’s list of things to do. Heck, it is on mine. As college students, we are in a unique situation where we can study abroad. Follow Marketing lecturer Dr. Carolyn Massiah’s advice of traveling at this stage in our lives. We are young. We have the stamina to travel and deal with time zone changes. Don’t wait until you have your ducks in order. Travel and widen your horizons next year.
9. Learn to cook
If anything, try this one! This is a skill that you will need for your entire life. Start becoming the chef you have always wanted to be. Begin with learning with basic, like scrambled eggs and rice and chicken. These are going to become staples in your cooking life. You will love yourself when you can impress that new guy in your life. Literally, you get to survive and impress cute guys. Doesn’t get any better than that.
10. Spend less time on social media
This one might be hard for us. We are a digitally native generation. We grew up with TV’s and computers at our figertips. Now with smartphones and tablets as portable substitutes, we are constantly staring at a screen instead of at the world in front of us. Pew states that “90% of young adults use social media, compared with 12% in 2005, a 78-percentage point increase.” We are increasingly more engaged, especially as “currently adoption rates for social media stand at 76% for those with college or graduate degrees [and] 70% of those with some college education”, which is where we stand. Statistically, we are glued to our social media and we should take a break. At least consider using social media in moderation. There is so much to see in this world we live in. Let’s take our noses out of our phones and take it all in during 2016.
*Bonus. Get healthy and lose weight
Despite being the cliché New Year’s Resolutions, I wanted to include this on the list. It is an important resolution because we should be maintaining good health. This is the only body we are going to get in this lifetime and we shouldn’t take that lightly. So if you are considering it, let 2016 be the year where you don’t procrastinate (go back to number five for more advice on that). Get healthy and make your doctor proud.
I hope the last few days of 2015 are filled with family, lots of food and presents, and love. This year we have endured a great deal as a country and individually. Reflect on what you did well and what you would like to improve on. It is never too late to change for the better. Choose your resolution wisely. It will set the tone for 2016.
Happy holidays my fellow Knights. See you in the new year to start another semester of this crazy thing called college.
Photo credit: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12, Image 13
