1. Start studying earlier
Does this sound familiar? Every exam week you promise yourself you will start studying earlier, but somehow you still end up cramming the last two days before the exam. If this rings a bell, this might be the resolution for you. It will save you a lot of stress, sleepless nights and mental breakdowns in the upcoming year!
2. Attend your lectures
Want to become the best version of yourself as a student in 2025? Then simply start by attending all your lectures. Yes, even the ones at 8.45 a.m. ;). I get it; it is very tempting to stay in bed and look at the lecture slides later. Yet you will see that you end up learning more if you do show up at the lecture. Plus, this saves you self-study time at home! Pro tip: convince a study buddy to have the same resolution, so you can motivate each other!
3. Find a better balance between studying and free time
Studying is of course important, but so is your free time! That’s why it is a great resolution for 2025 to plan enough time for your social life, hobbies and other fun activities.
4. Drink Less alcohol
Occasionally having a few drinks with friends or housemates is of course great fun, but cutting back on alcohol is never a bad idea, especially as a student ;). Plus, you’ll save a lot of money! Do you fancy a challenge? Then kick off the year with Dry January: no alcohol for a whole month. While you’re at it, make it a habit to drink more water. Buy a nice water bottle and keep it on your desk. You will see that you will soon reach two litres of water per day!
5. Eat healthier
In your busy student life, eating healthy can sometimes fall by the wayside. A good resolution could therefore be to eat healthier in 2025. You don't have to pack salads every day but maybe skip the cheese croissant from the Coop during lunch a bit more often. When it comes to dinner, ordering takeout or heating up a microwave meal can be tempting, especially when you’re busy. Yet healthy cooking doesn't have to take much time at all. Try out new recipes and cook with friends or housemates this year!
6. Make time for (new) hobbies
Have you stopped doing what you truly enjoy due to lack of time, stress or whatever reason? Then 2025 is the year for you to pick up your old hobbies again or discover new ones! Have you always wanted to play the piano, do pottery or play Quidditch? Just give it a shot this year!
7. Get more sleep
Let’s be honest: as students, our sleep schedules aren’t always the best. Yet, the impact on your health is often underestimated. A lack of sleep affects your energy, concentration and mood negatively. Therefore, it is quite worth trying to catch some more sleep this year, right?
8. Quit a bad habit
Smoking, biting your nails, not brushing your teeth at night... Everyone has a bad habit they would like to get rid of. This year, make an extra effort to quit that bad habit: make a good plan, try to stick to it and slowly but surely take steps to leave your bad habit behind for good.
9. Spend less time on social media
On average, we spend about two hours a day on social media. Quite a waste, because in that time you can do so many other fun or productive things! Whether you prefer to spend that time on your studies or something fun, try cutting down your phone usage this year, for instance by setting time limits or deleting apps.
10. Live more sustainably
In 2025, living more sustainably is a great resolution, both for yourself and for the planet. You don't have to go vegan overnight: every small step helps! Try eating more plant-based food, turning off the heating when you are not at home, separating your waste or buying second-hand clothes more often.
How to stick to your resolutions?
Of course, these are just suggestions. The beauty of a resolution is that you can choose one that is meaningful to you. Have you come up with a good one? Then the next challenge is to actually stick to it ;). Here are some tips:
- Be realistic. If your goals are not realistic, there is little chance you will stick to them. For example, if you never exercise and would like to exercise more, going to the gym five times per week is not realistic. Instead, start with exercising an hour once or twice a week first. This is much more achievable, so you will also be more likely to stick to it!
- Don't set too many resolutions. It’s better to focus fully on one or two concrete goals than to have a long list of resolutions.
- Plan your course of action. Also think about how you want to achieve your goal and what steps you need to take to do this. For example, if you want to eat healthier, this might mean planning your dinners at the start of the week for the rest of the week.
- Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay if you don't manage to keep your resolutions sometimes. Just don't be too hard on yourself and try to get back on track. And don't forget to reward yourself for small successes along the way. This will keep you motivated for the rest of the year!
