New Year’s resolutions for students

A new year—a fresh start. Many of us certainly feel this way about January; like we’re finally ready for a big change. New Year’s resolutions aren’t only for sensible working adults; students can try to adopt them as well. While some general resolutions (stop smoking, start exercising) are good for everybody, there’re a few resolutions that might be especially beneficial for university students.

3 good habits you should adopt

Read more books

Reading skill is a muscle. Well, not exactly but it’s true that the more you read, the more you enjoy it. While it’s just fine to watch Netflix if you don’t binge-watch every day, not many people realise reading can be just as relaxing. We get it, for someone who isn’t a bookworm by nature reading sounds strenuous. But again—the more you get into this habit of reading regularly, the easier it gets. Start with something you might enjoy and move to difficult stuff later. Benefits: broadens your knowledge, improves information retention and develops your imagination.

Plan ahead

Planning is half winning. The main reason many students feel overwhelmed when the exam period comes is because they didn’t see it coming. Sure, you know that it happens in January/February and May/June but it still somehow takes you by surprise. A new year is a fresh start so buy a fresh new diary and start planning. Note down all important dates and keep your records updated throughout the year. When your teacher mentions deadline for an essay, note it down immediately so that you won’t forget. If you see clearly how much there is ahead of you, starting to prepare in advance is easy.

Get serious about your studies

We hope you chose to study something you enjoy and that interests you. If so, how come you’re not more enthusiastic about it? Aim to become an expert in your field. Don’t rely only on lectures and recommended textbooks, self-study for your own sake. “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education,” said Mark Twain. Are you, for instance, a literature major but compulsory reading bores you? Sure, you still have to read it to pass your exams but what’s stopping you from pursuing your true passion? After all, all those university PhDs and professors are experts in their own very narrow and often quite obscure subject.

3 bad habits you should break

Stop procrastinating

Okay, it sounds more easily said than done. Overcoming procrastination is a long process and it might entail getting professional aid from self-help books or even a psychologist. Still, it’s a journey that’s totally worth it. After all, the source of one’s chronic procrastination is often fear, not laziness. We fear failure, we suffer from perfectionism or we don’t feel enthusiastic about the field we chose to study. Overcoming these obstacles will help not only your student life but your life in general.

Stop eating junk food

We promised only ideas for student resolutions so this one might seem too generic. But look at what a majority of students live on—fast food, frozen pizzas, bread, sweet cereals, fizzy and energy drinks. Food we eat influences our performance more than you think and bad diet makes you feel tired all the time. And a tired malnourished person can’t get excited about their studies or retain new information efficiently. Improve your diet and your performance will improve as well.

Stop excess partying

While it’s important to relax and have fun, too much is too much. It’s perfectly okay to party from time to time but if you attend your lectures with a hangover almost every day, it won’t do you any good. Limit your visits to local pubs for, let’s say, once a week. Study diligently during the week and then unwind on Friday night. If you do it like this, you get the feeling that you totally deserve it.