New Year, new me? The best way to kick off 2018 is to make some New Year’s resolutions. Whether it be trying to be more fit, skilled, or productive, a new year is a perfect opportunity to change something you always wanted to change. In interviewing around SSES, I’ve found some students want to be better at the sports they play while other students would like to perform better in the classroom. Although many students claim tough resolutions, a problem that many people run into is how to keep them.

A common New Year’s resolution is to be more fit or active. Rishab Ramamurthy senior, for example, wants to be healthier and more fit for the new year. This is a common goal for not only Saint Stephen’s students, but also the general public. As a result, most commercial gyms like LA Fitness are unusually packed with “New Year resolutioners” like Rishab, all of whom are trying to take advantage of the New Year so they can meet their new goals.

While some students like Rishab want to be more fit, students like Luke Valadie (’18) want to continue reading more books. Like so, some students who did not meet their academic goals in the 2017 year would want to improve their grades and become better students.

In addition to being a better student or a healthier individual, the New Year is also a chance to pursue other personal interests. Personally, I’d like to spend more time getting into the stock market and learning about finance.

Of course, other students would like to pursue different hobbies of their interests. Staff writer, Trevor Mulqueen ’18 would like to get into the sport of boxing in addition to his rigorous contributions to The Gauntlet.

Creating a New Year’s resolution is even an assignment in Mr. Yanelli’s Economics class this year. His students are working on something they would like to resolve and create a better habit for the new year. In doing so, Mr. Yanelli is helping his students to further “know thyself”, a common theme in his class.

A typical problem for New Year Resolutions is keeping them. One obvious way is to constantly remind yourself of why you created the resolutions in the first place and have the proper mindset of constantly bettering yourself. Another way is to tell your friends, so your friends will help remind you of your new goals.

A new year provides a perfect opportunity to improve one self either physically or mentally. In addition to your own self awareness, your friends will keep you on a straight path towards your new goals. The New Year is a chance to refresh from the previous year and restart better than ever. Leave your comments below and even let us know how you will keep them.