The new year is a great time to make back-to-school New Year’s resolutions for yourself for the upcoming academic year. However, setting goals for the new year can be difficult if you’re not sure where to begin. That’s why we’ve created a list of 4 back-to-school New Year’s resolutions for students.
Before we dive into the 4 back-to-school New Year’s resolutions you can make, it’s important to first understand why you should set back-to-school New Year’s resolutions in the first place.
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Why Do Students Make Back-to-School New Year’s Resolutions?
Students make back-to-school New Year’s resolutions to get a fresh start on the academic year. The purpose of having these back-to-school New Year’s resolutions is to give you a clean slate so that you can (hopefully) avoid making the same mistakes as the previous year.
Common New Year’s resolutions students often centre around any one of the following categories:
- Self-improvement: This New Year’s resolution may include goals that focus on learning something new, such as upskilling yourself with an online course.
- Academic achievement: Many students try to achieve better marks in the new year by setting academic goals. This could include giving extra attention to the modules that they are struggling with by hiring a tutor.
- Personal development: A New Year’s resolution centred around personal development may include goals such as being happy and fulfilled, and you may focus on living a healthier lifestyle by eating well, exercising and regulating your sleeping pattern.
- Financial goals: Students who are struggling to pay off their student debt may make it their goal to get a part-time job or internship—or by acquiring funding for their studies.
Although these goals are realistic, many people often struggle to stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. There are many reasons why New Year’s resolutions fail, but in this article, we’ve gathered the most common ones, which are listed below.
Why Do New Year’s Resolutions Fail?
According to a recent study, 23% of people fail to follow through with their New Year’s resolution after just one week. Although this number isn’t limited to just students, it’s fair to say that students also quit their own back-to-school New Year’s resolutions before the end of the academic year.
There are a couple of reasons why New Year’s resolutions fail and students are unable to stick to their academic goals, which include:
- Setting unrealistic goals
- Failing to have a plan
- Overconfidence
- Not being able to accept your mistakes
Thankfully, there are ways to overcome these obstacles and keep your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions in the academic year.
How Can I Keep My Back-to-School New Year’s Resolutions?
Keeping your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions can be difficult, and things don’t always go according to plan. That’s why it’s important not to be too hard on yourself if you don’t keep your New Year’s resolutions.
With that said, all you can do is try (and try again). That’s why we’ve come up with some tips on how to overcome the obstacles listed above to help you keep your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions.
Set Realistic Goals
Set realistic goals for your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions that you know you’ll be able to achieve. For example, if you’ve been getting an average of 50% in your courses, it wouldn’t be realistic to set a goal of achieving 90% in the new year.
To avoid disappointment, rather set a realistic goal for your New Year’s resolutions. Using the same example above, you may look at improving your mark by at least 5% to 10%, which is far more realistic.
Have a Plan
In order to achieve your goals and keep your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions, you need to have a plan in place.
Create your plan for your New Year’s resolutions by setting SMART goals, and remember to place your goals somewhere where you’ll always be able to see them, such as on your desk or the fridge.
Manage Expectations
Do not set time constraints for your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions that you’ll be unable to manage.
For example, if your back-to-school New Year’s resolution is to study for 3 hours a day, only do so if you have the time and have taken all other factors (such as your other responsibilities) into consideration.
Embrace Your Mistakes
Embrace the fact that—when you are trying to keep your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions—you may make some mistakes along the way. You’re only human, after all, and making mistakes is part of the learning curve.
Just be sure to take note of the above tips, which will hopefully help you keep your back-to-school New Year’s resolutions.
If you’re unsure of which back-to-school New Year’s resolutions you should make, then be sure to find ideas in our list of 4 back-to-school New Year’s resolutions for students.
4 Back-to-School New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Students
Whether you’re looking to study more effectively or find a part-time job, there are plenty of New Year’s resolutions you can make before you head back to school.
With so many options to consider, you may be wondering which back-to-school New Year’s resolutions to make for your upcoming academic year. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our list of 4 back-to-school New Year’s resolutions for students.
1. Upskill Yourself with Online Courses
Make it your back-to-school New Year’s resolution to prepare yourself for your future career by upskilling yourself with free online courses.
Completing online courses and adding new skills to your CV is a great way to impress any prospective employers after you graduate. It also doesn’t hurt to have a couple of soft skills that will help you get a part-time job while you study.
Online courses can also help give you clarity on certain modules that you are currently enrolled in or struggling with. For example, if you are busy studying toward a computer programming degree, you may look at doing a couple of coding bootcamps to enhance your knowledge of a particular subject and understand it even better.
If you’re wanting to upskill yourself with a free online course in the new year, then be sure to check out our guide on finding the best free online courses in South Africa.
2. Learn How to Study Effectively for Exams
Knowing how to study effectively for exams is an excellent goal to have—not just as a back-to-school New Year’s resolution but also throughout your entire study duration at college or university.
If you would like to know how to study more effectively for your exams, but you’re not sure how to do it, then don’t worry! We’ve got a couple of tips on how to prepare for exams to get you started:
- Create a study schedule and split your study sessions into smaller, more manageable pieces.
- Find a tutor and take extra lessons to help you study more effectively for your subjects and modules.
- Organise study groups to share ideas with fellow students, discover good study habits and get tips and study advice from your friends.
Want more tips on how to study effectively during exam season? Then be sure to check out our top 11 tips for studying effectively for exams.
3. Take Care of Your Mental Health
Mental health is extremely important, which is why you may want to make taking care of your mental health a back-to-school New Year’s resolution for the next academic year.
Being a student can be incredibly taxing, which is why it’s important to know how to take care of your mental health while completing your studies.
Not only does taking care of your mental health improve your overall well-being but it can also increase your academic performance, leading to higher marks and lower stress levels.
One of the most stressful parts of being a student is the exam period. If you’re eager to know how to get rid of exam stress and take care of your mental health in the new year, then be sure to check out these 5 ways to manage your mental health during exams.
4. Get a Part-Time Job
There are quite a few advantages to getting a part-time job as a student, which is why this is a great back-to-school New Year’s resolution to make.
Some of the advantages of getting a part-time job as a student are:
- Having money in your pocket to store in your savings account or spend on activities that you enjoy doing while being a student
- Being able to network with other people, which could potentially open the door to other career opportunities
- Adding additional skills to your CV and acquiring job experience
- Getting rid of financial stress by paying off your study loans and other educational costs
If getting a part-time job is your back-to-school New Year’s resolution for 2023, then be sure to check out our list of the top 5 part-time jobs in South Africa.
Fund Your Studies in the New Year
Getting a part-time job is just one way to rid yourself of financial stress in the new year. If you’re a student who is looking for financial assistance, then let Fundi fund your studies in the new year!
Fundi offers students the funds they need to pay off all their educational costs—such as tuition fees, accommodation, technical devices and more!
Want to know if you qualify for a study loan with Fundi? Then be sure to try out the Fundi Loan Calculator and get a fresh start to your next academic year.
