by Kate Ferrante
For some, this week will mark the sixth week of keeping up with a New Year’s resolution. For most, this week is just like any other: filled with procrastination, lacking in exercise, and overeating what we promised ourselves we would avoid. This year my New Year’s resolution was to snack less and cut back on my coffee intake. I realize now, as I sip from my third cup of coffee today and snack on my Cheez-Its, that these resolutions may be unrealistic.
This got me thinking, am I the only one who has a hard time committing to the resolutions I make? Last week I asked students on campus what their resolutions were and how well they have stuck to their word.
“My resolution was to go to the gym at least four times a week, and I haven’t given up yet!” said UMass sophomore Julia*. Even though she was the first student I asked, her response made me a little uneasy. Am I the only one who can’t stick to my resolution? I thought everyone cheated. Then she continued, and I was relieved.
“My best friend and I made this promise together, but she has been bailing lately,” said Julia. With homework beginning to pile up and the Rec Center seeming like such a far walk in this chilly weather, it takes a lot of motivation to work out nearly every day.
“It took so long to find an open machine at the gym during syllabus week, but it is less and less packed as the semester goes on,” Julia said.
“No more drinking beer!” Emily* said enthusiastically. Emily, a UMass freshman, said she has never had to worry about her weight until coming to UMass, and she thinks this is directly correlated with her newfound love for Coors beer.
“I could never really stomach beer in high school, but how can you turn down free alcohol at frat parties?” she said. Emily sticks strictly to mixed drinks now, using chasers under 100 calories such as cranberry juice. “How can you go wrong with Rubinoff?” she said.
UMass sophomore Lauren Kostegan had two resolutions. She wanted to start dressing up for classes and stop going to Late Night at the Berkshire dining commons – both resolutions were broken before the second week. In her defense, one of the first Berkshire Late Nights back at school was loaded waffle fries. As for her section resolution, when asking why she had a hard time dressing nice for school she said, “There are some girls who can look cute and dress warm. I am not one of those girls.”
One resolution I admired was a sophomore who said she planned to not let her boyfriend from home hold her back from having fun this semester. I was glad when she said she was doing great.
“I love my boyfriend but I don’t want to look back at my college years and regret all the things I missed out on,” she said. She told me all about how she wants to experience “The Zoo” all while staying faithful to her boyfriend, of course.
I ended my resolution research by asking my friend John*, a UMass sophomore what he wanted to change in 2014. “I planned to give up Thirsty Thursdays,” he said. He explained how he had an early Friday discussion with weekly quizzes and did not want to skip or go hungover. I assumed this meant he had successfully stayed strong so far and prided him for not giving in to the Thursday temptations. He responded with, “Thanks! But since syllabus week doesn’t count I was obligated to go out for my buddies birthday that first Thursday, but I’m ready to start this week!”
Boys will be boys.
So New Year’s resolutions are tough to stick with. But, rather than considering it a failure when we break them, acknowledge that it means we have something positive to work towards. As a college student trying to balance grades, relationships, work, play, and planning for the future, making goals is important. So don’t give up just yet. Keep making them.
* Names were altered due to the content of the story
Kate Ferrante can be reached via email at [email protected].