Resolutions are a complicated thing to tackle. While most women make them with the best intentions of keeping them, they usually are dropped within a few weeks whether it is with a chocolate binge or a Victoria Secret shopping spree. It is even more challenging for female students living on campus to maintain a resolution due to the constant pressure to indulge in partying, drinking, and spending. College students also have difficulty making drastic changes to their lives due to the high intensity/time-consuming environment they live in during their four years at NYU.
Rather than set unrealistic expectations for a life-changing resolution, women on NYU’s campus should create small manageable changes that can more easily be achieved. With small modifications, the usual pressure surrounding the concept of a resolution decreases. If there are small relapses, there won’t be as much guilt, and therefore the chance for ultimate success is much higher.
One of the most common and difficult resolutions women make is to lose weight. Rather than start the most recent fad diet, students should focus on small adjustments to their daily eating. Cassandra Delatte, a sophomore in NYU’s Gallatin School, steers clear of the drastic diet and fitness plans because they simply don’t work for her. How can they when she “never [can] stick to them for more than a month.” Therefore, rather than be disappointed when a drastic resolution fails, Delatte can enjoy the benefits of her small alterations and not be discouraged by an occasional junk food slip up.
While some women hope to trim their waistline, others hope to trim their spending. Monica Cho, a student in NYU’s Stern School of Business, will enter the second semester of her freshman year and has realized she must alter her spending if she hopes to enjoy the culture surrounding this expensive non-traditional campus. She “doesn’t want to stop spending money” altogether. Instead, Cho has decided to save her money so that she doesn’t “deprive [her] self of the luxury of new clothes or restaurant food.” Rather than make the large resolution to stop spending, Monica can enjoy herself more through her more manageable resolution to alter spending.
While the aforementioned resolutions seem fairly simple, there are girls who have decided that their personal resolutions must be deeper than weight or money. Jamie Schaffer, a sophomore in NYU’s College of Arts and Science, understands that she needs to improve a relationship-related behavior that “in the past…has been a major problem for” her. Her goal “this year is to work on communication skills.” While this may seem more challenging, it is a still a resolution that can still be achieved through small changes. Through starting out small with daily communication, and slowly working in more serious discussions, collegiettes can improve their communication skills greatly without completely changing their behavior.
Resolutions don’t always need to be so serious though. If a woman simply wants to be happier, they should follow the lead set by second semester senior Gabriella Scalzo from the Steinhardt School, and make life more enjoyable. “Study while sitting in the fountain of Washington Square park…go to Midnight Breakfast and the Violet Ball…order a late night delivery from Insomnia Cookies.” Basically, do something new and exciting.
The reason people ultimately make resolutions is to be happier in the New Year. Why choose unrealistic resolutions that most often end in failure and disappointment? To avoid the usual stress, students should begin their collegiate New Year prepared to install their small modifications to their daily life.