KEYLA HOLMES
campus editor
keyla.holmes@my.tccd.edu
With students returning back to campus, New Year’s resolutions can be a way to get one’s spark back and help students grow individually. While some don’t have any resolutions, they’d still like to see those that do considering their health and treating themselves with compassion.
“The concept of new years is a great way to start new and get rid of old habits to start the year nice and fresh,” SE Campus student Karimme Chairez said. “The only problem is people always feel the need to change everytime new years comes around – almost pressured.”
While some students may feel the need to change or tweak their routines, others are okay with allowing the new year to naturally mold them into a better version of themselves.
“I don’t really have a resolution for this year, but I hope to flourish and learn as an individual to become a better person,” SE student Bailey Hays said.
New Year’s resolutions can cause those to not only think about their personal goals for the current year, but think about the things they’d like to accomplish later in life.
“One of them that I wrote down is to attempt to save enough to retire early,” South Campus library specialist Dedra Thomas said. “One of the things I’ve noticed as a millennial is that there aren’t a lot of safeguards for us.”
She also said that one of her resolutions not only has to do with the betterment of herself, but of her environment.
“There are just many places that I will not be shopping,” Thomas said. “I will be going on strike from anything that does not bless me in the future, and is not blessing the planet that we currently live on right now.”
While Chairez doesn’t have personal resolutions, she’d love to see staff practice more compassion when advising students.
“When it comes to TCC I’d love to see them have their own new year changes, such as more attentive and understanding counselors during the semester class sign ups,” she said. “It’s understandable stress is high due to a high amount of students signing up for classes, yet it’s also nice to be able to have a counselor who you can trust and ask questions about classes you’re unsure about.”
When it comes to TCC related goals, Thomas said she’d like to connect with the student population that is homeless.
“A lot of the students are homeless and we have senior citizens who come here and our homeless,” she said. “I plan on finding out a little more about them individually, and finding out their story if they don’t mind telling it – seeing how I can be of service or how I can be of help.”
Although planning on improving yourself or a specific area of your life can be beneficial, it can also be harmful.
“New Year’s resolutions can be harmful if they’ve practiced the wrong way,” Hays said.
Accepting the idea of failure can be difficult. Especially when so much value is being placed on accomplishing it.
“When you’re frightened to fail, that actually may be something you’re supposed to be doing,” Thomas said.“Most of the time doing something that’s going to push you through a door, is going to make you run away, and if you run away, how will you ever know.”
Succeeding with new year’s resolutions can also be frustrating. Goals can take time.
“Don’t be discouraged if you feel you aren’t making progress in your goal,” Chairez said.“It’s good to take breaks and look back at where you first started.”
For those trying to make positive changes in their life, big or small, it can be important to know, or simply be reminded of some last remarks made by those interviewed.
“Even having the will to start a resolution is incredible and I believe that you can go far with whatever you are planning to accomplish,” Hays said.
Chairez said what her advice was for students who may struggle with trusting the process.
“For someone who would like to accomplish a new year’s resolution, my advice would be to remember some changes don’t happen right away, some take time and patience,”
Thomas said what she wanted students to remember about their ambitions.
“Your goals are your goals and no one can take them from you,” she said. “Take your time on your dreams.”
