Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

As of January 2020, according to CNN, every year, an estimated 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. 

These resolutions range from losing weight to quitting smoking and many other admirable things. However, while everyone has different resolutions, most of them fail.

Most people tend to fall back into old habits and give up on their resolutions by January 17th. To avoid being one of these people, you have to set attainable goals. You don’t want to make too many changes all at once and risk falling back into your patterns. 

What are some realistic New Year’s resolution ideas for students? How about furthering your education? Here are a few suggestions to help inspire you to make a real change in 2020!

Realistic New Years Resolution Ideas for Students

The most important part of making a resolution is to keep it realistic. You should pick something that will be achievable and make your life better. Setting a goal, determining the path for getting there, and understanding the benefits will all help ensure you don’t join the ranks of those who give up before achieving something.

Take a look at these five awesome New Years’ resolutions — which one fits best into your current life plan? 

1. Finishing a Degree

It can be hard to tell if you’re ready to go back to school. Returning to finish a degree can seem like a daunting challenge. After all, there were probably reasons why you didn’t finish in the first place. 

Some of the biggest deterrents are lack of money and time. If you want to set a resolution to finish a degree, it’s important that you can do it in under a year. If not, reduce your resolution to something like, “Complete 4 classes by the end of the year.” This way, you’ll have a sense of accomplishment when the year ends. 

There are a plethora of reasons to finish a college degree. You’ll likely make more money and, since more people than ever have degrees, you’ll have a greater number of opportunities. It is also true that college graduates also have a higher rate of homeownership. 

You’ll feel a lot better about yourself if you can finish your degree. Leaving something unfinished that costs so much and took so much time can be hard. Leaving a degree unfinished can haunt you and finishing it will relieve a lot of self-doubt and stress from your life.

Many people don’t get to work in the field they study for. In this case, finishing a certification for a vocational trade may be better for you. The results are more immediate and the rewards are quickly measurable. 

2. Finish High School

If you never finished high school, you probably should. This resolution is not unmanageable because it’s now easier than ever to finish. Online resources make receiving a high school diploma a goal that everyone can reach.

According to the BLS, high school graduates make more money than those who did not graduate. If you’re in a decent-paying job but want to make more and do better, you need that diploma first. You also can’t receive a higher education until you get your diploma.

Even vocational schools require that you have a high school diploma. So, if you want to push forward and do more, you’ll need to take care of this. The only thing stopping you from reaching higher is yourself. 

If you want to finish your high school diploma but don’t want to go to college, there are other options. Finishing your degree while learning a trade can make the goal of finishing high school more realistic and worthwhile. 

This is also a way to reward yourself. Having a diploma and earning a certification can make you a lot happier and provide a lot more of what we all want in life. 

3. Start School

One of the best New Year’s resolution ideas for students is to continue their education. Setting your goal in two stages can help here. You might want to prepare to start college or vocational training for the first half of the year.

The next step is trying to get into a college or vocational program. There are many tips about getting into a trade school, but just getting admitted isn’t the only hurdle that you’ll have to face. 

Education is more expensive now than ever, so you should also be prepared to seek student aid. Getting the money you need will reduce the stress of trying to afford an education. Understanding how to seek financial aid is critical to starting school successfully.

Also, don’t let age hold you back. There are students of every age achieving success. Whatever your reasons to start school, you can rest assured you aren’t too old. Adult students make up more of the student body than ever before. 

4. To Not Quit School

We’ve already covered why you should get a diploma and pursue higher education. Just saying these things doesn’t make the journey any easier, though. If you’re struggling to stay in school or college, resolve to not quit. 

More people than ever have degrees, and anyone is capable of achieving one if they work hard. You may have trouble with certain aspects of school such as studying or tests, but you can succeed. 

A key step to success is to not fall behind in school. The further behind we feel, and get, the harder it is to recover. Staying positive and having a strategy for success will help you overcome this hurdle. Quitting school will have negative impacts on your life. 

Don’t sell yourself short and just settle for a job that doesn’t require a degree. Even if you enjoy that job now, there’s no guarantee you will continue to enjoy it. As we age, we change, and having a diploma or degree gives you options.

5. Switch Fields

You might already be in school and are doing fine in your studies but are still not happy. Perhaps the career field you chose to study isn’t what you initially thought it would be.

It’s okay! Things in the real world have a way of not meeting our expectations. 

If this is the case, don’t let yourself lose all interest in education. There are tons of exciting fields that you can go into which are both rewarding and financially viable. 

If you already have a degree and are working full-time but still not happy, you have options. You could pursue a degree in another field that will allow you to do something you really enjoy. 

When you switch fields or further your education, you aren’t failing, you are climbing higher than ever before. The more education you have, the higher your earning potential will be. 

Set Small Goals for Your Resolution

Whatever your resolution ends up being, make sure you have small goals that are actually achievable. Setting small goals is like building a road map to success. You are less likely to get lost if you have signposts to keep you on track. 

If the suggested resolutions seem too big for you, that’s fine. Scale them back and start with something more basic. Your resolution could be something as simple as “finish math this year” or “pass finals in English”. 

These types of resolutions are smaller, but they’re also easier to achieve within the year. Your goals do not have to be dictated by anyone else. Your New Year’s resolution is simply a way for you to make a positive change in your life. 

You Aren’t Alone

If you have trouble making and sticking to New Year’s resolutions, you aren’t alone. As a student, you should know that people are struggling to reach their goals all across the country. 

If you need help, or even just want to know what some other options are, reach out to Intercoast. We’re here to help you further your education and achieve your goals. 

Sometimes real life makes it hard for us to accomplish what we know we’re capable of. Don’t let yourself get discouraged. Set a resolution that will make you feel stronger and better about yourself than ever before. 

No Time Like the Present

If you need to finish your high school diploma or your college degree, start now. Don’t put off studying for later. The sooner you get your degree or certification, the sooner you will be the person you want to be. 

Graduating with a higher education degree is imperative to increasing your chances for success in life. Options and earning potential are all higher when you have a degree, certification, or, at the very least, a high school diploma. 

The best New Year’s resolution ideas for students are ones that you can achieve. Set yourself up for success in the New Year! 

You don’t want to be another person toiling in a manual labor job while everyone else moves on ahead with their life. “Opportunity waits for no one,” and we at Intercoast are eager to help you seize your moment and stop waiting. 

Whatever resolution you choose, stick to it and achieve it. You’ll prove to yourself and everyone else that you can do it. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your dreams.