It has become tradition for the striking of midnight on Jan. 1 to not only usher in a new year, but also give hope to people around the world. Every year, thousands, if not millions of individuals make resolutions to better themselves in some way. The resetting of the calendar appears to be the perfect opportunity to start fresh with their hopes and dreams.
College students in particular will take this opportunity to set new goals for themselves as they not only go into a new year, but also a new semester.
Sophomore mass communication major, Mason Foster is entering the new year hoping to “get [his] mental health back on track.”
Foster said, “Over the break, I’ve found it very easy to slip up in some areas emotionally and it’s become quite scary. I was dealing with panic spikes and anxiety attacks. So, for New Years, my wish is to be able to get it all under control.”
According to Foster, he has been able to keep to this resolution throughout the first couple weeks of the year, stating, “So far it’s been going well. I hope to keep myself in the right direction.”
Another student entering the new year with plans for betterment is sophomore English major, Tabith Webb. She said that her “resolution is to literally just make better grades.”
While Webb thought this resolution might be “kind of boring,” it is one that many students likely share as the daunting task of starting a new semester with all new classes quickly approaches.
Junior English major, Julia Breitkreutz, said that “In 2021, I want to aim to be kinder to myself.”
Breitkreutz admitted, “In the past, I have set pretty stringent New Year’s resolutions for myself. I am a goal-oriented individual and when I don’t accomplish what I set out to do, I tend to be extremely self-critical as a result.”
“Something important in my life is creating art and writing stories,” she said, “I often struggle with feeling that what I create is not good enough and this leads me to dark places at times. This year, I want to try and focus on the process of creating and learn to live more in the present instead of focusing so much on the final product of my artistic endeavors.”
Breitkreutz recognized the struggles that the world as a whole faced last year and mentioned how it helped open her eyes to the larger picture around her.
“Despite all the hardships and global unrest that 2020 has brought us all,” she explained, “I think 2020 has revealed to me the importance of being present in my day-to-day life. I know this might sound cliché, but I really do hope that 2021 brings peace of some scale to our nation and the world in general.”
As the turmoil of 2020 spills into the opening moments of 2021, students around the world look forward with hope in their hearts that the new year will bring brighter days for the world as a whole. No matter what though, they are determined to at least personally strive onward and upward in the months to come.
Photo by Gwen Manten
