Scarlet shares her experience of the pressures of New Year’s resolutions as a student.
It’s now January 2024, a brand new year. At the same time though, it is just another day. I remember when I went back to school after the Winter Break, one of the first things my teachers would ask the class was ‘what are your New Year’s Resolutions?’. Whilst resolutions can be an opportunity to take some time to prioritise and focus on goals in your life, many people can feel a huge amount of pressure in maintaining unrealistic objectives. At school, I compared myselves to others in my class far too often, setting goals that weren’t attainable for myself, only to feel disheartened and upset.
You should know that if you are feeling this way, you’re not alone; take it from me!
In any case, here are some tips on New Years Resolutions:
- Don’t feel that you have to wait until the new year to create new goals
It’s very common to feel that after a few months you need to readjust your resolutions. This could be because circumstances have changed, or you are just struggling to meet them the same way and need a change. Don’t feel like you have to give up and wait until January again! This is the chance to have a real think about your goals and how you can realistically achieve them. Even if it takes longer than a year, you can split your goals down into short-term, medium and long-term goals, so that by next year you can be happy that you have made some progress.
Setting financial goals in terms of saving can be overwhelming to say the least. Luckily, King’s has a team of student Money Mentors here to help offer guidance on budgeting, saving and getting the most out of your money. The Money Mentors have been trained by the Advice & Guidance Team and external partners, Blackbullion?on the main sources of statutory funding, money management skills, student discounts, hardship funds and financial safety online. If you require specialist and detailed advice on your options you can also?contact?the?Money & Housing Advisers.
- Supporting your mental wellbeing
Supporting your mental wellbeing is a huge challenge for many, but it is important to remember you can only make change one step at a time. If you are wanting to improve relaxation techniques, why not check out the Chaplaincy Mindfulness Sessions? KCLSU also has a Wellbeing Hub, which offers activities, events, resources and more to help boost your wellbeing. Lucky for you though, at King’s we have 3 whole weeks a year dedicated to wellbeing initiatives, Wellbeing Week in November, and Take Time Out, which takes place around the same time as exam period 1 and 2. The next Take Time Out is from the 8th to the 12th January, so keep an eye out across our platforms for more information on how you can take a break from studying and support your wellbeing.
Many people set resolutions to exercise more, but this can be very challenging to maintain (to say the least). Just think of all of the money gyms make every January… Just remember that different things work for different people. Whilst running may be great for some, for others just a 5-minute walk outside is enough.
Another classic is to ‘improve grades’. The important part to this, though, is to figure out how you study best, and break it down into bite sized chunks. You don’t want to endlessly tire yourself out! A great way to start is to email your tutors, lecturers, GTAs and ask them how you can improve. You can meet with them to go over past work, or just email it over and ask for advice that way. Hopefully they will be able to provide you with specific advice and guidance. If you are struggling with the act of studying itself, try visiting the Study Skills Support pages; they have useful information there as well as appointments for you to chat through whatever you are finding difficult.
Wanting to learn a new skill or take up a hobby can be overwhelming, especially when there are so many! A nice way to start is to take a look at some of the Student Activity Groups at King’s that are focused around a hobby or common interest. They offer many free or cheap ways to explore a variety of hobbies, and you can even try something new with a friend.
Ultimately, there are so many ways for you to make change for the better in your life. Although this can be overwhelming, with the proper support and breaking down of goals into small steps, you can achieve your new years resolutions!
If you have been affected by anything mentioned in this article, or need extra support, check out the KCLSU Wellbeing Hub, including the extra support links.