As preparations for the new year are underway, one of the most common practices for January includes New Year’s resolutions. Athens is no different, as many students have already figured out plans for bettering themselves in 2025.
According to a survey done by Pew Research Center, 49% of adults ages 18-29 set at least one New Year's resolution in 2024, many regarding personal health, finances, career or academics.
As Bobcats prepare to head back to campus and take on new classes, students are setting goals they hope to stick to.
Carley Guy, a freshman studying journalism, is hoping to focus on self-care and growth this year.
“My New Year's resolution is to practice setting better boundaries and saying ‘No’ when I want to prioritize my well-being, personal goals and my time,” Guy said. “I want to figure out more of what my real core values to my own person are. I want to take time for the things I care about more, like pick up more hobbies and find new music.”
Setting resolutions is meant to be a constructive concept; however, people often set too high of expectations for themselves and feel defeated when they fall short. According to an article by WRI, the most attainable goals are ones that slowly but surely make an impact. Guy agrees there are ways to set realistic resolutions.
“Start small, start with what you need; don't set crazy goals,” Guy said. “Set something you can achieve quickly and be satisfied with it and you can do more (later on), set new goals.”
Following through with resolutions usually revolves around personal habits. Utilizing campus and local resources such as mental health support, Ping Recreation Center, getting involved with student organizations and the Academic Achievement Center can help support these goals.
“I do want to join more clubs,” Guy said. “I don't know what I want to join, but there's been a couple of times where I've almost gone to the counseling ‘Let's Talk’ hours, so I think I want to start prioritizing those because they are available to me. And why would I not?”
Reid McCain, a junior studying engineering and technology management, also plans to get the most out of campus resources. He plans to focus on getting back to a school structure and succeeding academically.
“For the new year, I'm really excited to get back into class,” McCain said. “I've enjoyed the break my brain has gotten, but I'm excited to start challenging myself academically again.”
McCain plans to meet these goals by staying more organized in his personal life.
“(I plan on) just being a lot more organized in my personal life, making sure that I stay on top of things like dates, doctors appointments, just being more organized and aware of the things I need to do in the time that I have to do them,” McCain said.
Many students use the AAC for academic help such as peer tutoring, and McCain plans to utilize it as well.
“I will take full advantage of tutoring at the Academic Achievement Center, anything they offer,” McCain said. “I will gladly partake at Ping, they have a rock wall, and I love to rock climb. You know, physical activities also help your mental health.”
McCain agrees the New Year seems to be a universally good time to start new habits, but it can make it less likely to carry these goals into the future.
“People tend to view years as these isolated things, like, ‘Oh, one year, so it seems like a good opportunity to start looking to do something new, to try and start some new good habits,’” McCain said. “But in reality, a year is like an abstract concept. One year just goes right into the other … I'd say that anytime is the best time to start new stuff.”
Many people have an ideal image of themselves they hope to achieve by the end of the year. While McCain’s aspirations are more centered on personal successes involving academics and his career, Guy’s are more focused on self-care and well-being.
“My ultimate goal, like all of my life, is to just be happy,” Guy said. “So hopefully, by the end of 2025, I'm happier than I am now. Though I'm happy now, I just always want to reach the point of ultimate happiness, as happy as I can be.”
