back in my home country, Vietnam, i never had any new year’s resolution. this is not because i’m lazy or anything but it’s just not one of our traditions and i think it’s the same thing for most asian countries too. as i celebrate new year in the US, i realize that new year’s resolution is a special long-standing tradition not only in the US, but also in several other western countries. the idea is that the new year brings new opportunities for self-improvement. this could mean any range of things from trying to eat healthier to mastering a new hobby. whatever your personal goal, the first day of the new year is a clean slate - an opportunity to try new things and better yourself.
as an international student, i’m pretty excited to make my own new year’s resolution.
if you're new to the concept of making resolutions, just think of these resolutions as goals—things you wish to accomplish, remove or involve in the coming year. in other words, people make resolutions in hopes of getting rid of bad habits and making positive changes to our lives. however, even for those with the highest determination, committing to our goals in the course of the year can be challenging. life gets in the way and pushes us out of the way, bombarding us with daily activities, the pressure of balancing education, social life, families, or everything. as a result, it is very easy for us to simply lose the motivation we had at the beginning of the year. don't beat yourself up. not being able to achieve all of the new year's goals is nothing to be ashamed of! we can only imagine how hard this has to be for teenagers who have to balance school work and social life and maybe part-time work while away from home and family care.
the popular resolutions are to change one’s careless eating habits, get off the couch, spend less and save more, and maintain a healthy diet while getting regular exercise, in order to lose 984928 pounds. sound familiar? but for both international and local students, you can use this as an opportunity for your academic advantage for another year of “cramming” (life is hard like that:)). below are a few super helpful tips to make the coming year a more positive and hopefully more productive time in your academic life.
get enough sleep - this is what almost every teacher in my school would say to their students. yet it may sound completely idealistic since we are usually snowed under with assignments. while college life is challenging and sometimes sleep-deprived, making sure you get enough sleep every night is key to your long-term success (and health) at school. being more specific about your goal would help. for example, "get at least 6 hours of sleep a night" instead of "getting more sleep." keeping your commitments as specific as possible makes them more achievable and easier to accomplish.
do not procrastinate - if you're like most college students, time is one of your most valuable assets. promise to treat it with extreme care so that you don't always feel rushed at the last minute. many of the most difficult parts of the semester occur as major papers and projects are due. deciding to do something the night before is, basically, deciding to procrastinate. so why don't you prepare instead to finish a bit early so that you can get more sleep, not be stressed out, and—most likely—turn in a better assignment? anytime, you want to do something but are too lazy to start, try to count 1 2 3, and start working on it immediately.
learn to say “no” - teenage age is full of interesting, thrilling, amazing stuff. yet there are only so many hours a day, and only so much you can possibly expect of yourself. sometimes, you have to be independent and stay away from those unnecessary temptations. learn to say "no" early and to be okay with doing so would maximize your use of time.
get involved - make a resolution to really experience and surround yourself in the cultural traditions of the country in which you're studying. attend local fairs and participate in holiday celebrations to immerse yourself in the local culture. this is a great way to learn about new cultures, and also a great way to meet new people and explore your campus and the surrounding city.
quality over quantity - instead of packing a list of resolutions, aims to focus on one and set a deadline. if you need advice and support from a friend, reach out to one of them and set up a list of friends, someone who can check in with you and see how you're doing, or you can check in with them and update them on your progress, or give you a friendly nudge or reminder whenever needed. having one resolution checked successfully off the list is a great achievement. you can always add a second, a third, a fourth, and so on, to the list.
of course, the influence of what I call "psychological gravity" will cause you to start rationalizing "exceptions" to your decisions. be mindful of how easily you can get away from being fixed and then step into utter apathy. last but not least, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. next year is right on the doorstep, why not take advantage of it? have fun and make it a fantastic year!