Realistic Resolutions

The holiday season is upon us, which means extensive amounts of food, visits with relatives and the anticipation of receiving (and giving) the perfect gift. But after all the holiday hype comes the best night of all: New Years.
The beginning of 2013 not only gives everyone the chance to plan an extravagant night out, but also the opportunity to start fresh and make the upcoming year even better than the last. If one thing rings true about New Years resolutions, it’s the fact that the realistically attainable ones can be the most rewarding. So plan the perfect night, and consider some resolutions that might work for you.

Get Organized
The start of a new semester brings the most exciting week for a college student. Syllabus week is the time to go out without having to worry about papers or exams – yet. But if you are not organized, “sylly week” can dig you into an academic hole.

To avoid this, resolve to buy yourself a planner. Dwellings in downtown State College has the perfect selection.

“Our most popular planners are the Lilly Pulitzer ones. She repeats patterns that everyone seems to like. We have a hard time keeping them on the shelves because they go so quickly!” says Jan Knisley, designer at Dwellings.

Build Your Resume
Use your time in college to have as much fun as possible while also preparing yourself for the future. Penn State offers almost 850 student organizations ranging everywhere from philanthropic orgs to student government. These look incredible on resumes – especially if you hold an executive position –and are a great way to make friends with similar interests and values.

Don’t be shy. Plan yourself a visit to the Bank of America Career Services Center for guidance or attend a Career Fair. You could be missing out on awesome opportunities.

Renew Old Friendships
With the hectic lifestyle we live here at Penn State is can be easy to lose touch with those who we don’t see as often anymore. For 2013, resolve to catch up with your old buddies – maybe your roommate from freshman year or the group of girls you always sat with in class last semester.

Go to the Corner Room downtown for all-you-can-eat pasta Mondays or stop in Baby’s for a quick milkshake. You never know how valuable these relationships could be, and chances are they have been meaning to catch up with you too!

Buy a Gym Membership (Or Just Start Using It)
With four different on-campus gyms and countless off-campus gyms, you are bound to find one that suits you. A gym membership for one semester is only $54 and can be purchased easily online.

Both Rec Hall and the White Building gyms offer fitness classes Monday through Friday, which are taught by trained students, staff, and interns. Treat these as a real classes that you absolutely must attend and kiss those holiday calories goodbye.

Photo by Brittany Trappe