Every year New Year’s rolls around and people make grand plans for a huge life change as they set their resolutions…then every year, 2 weeks later, those resolutions are already given up on. So much so, that the second Friday of the year has officially been dubbed “Quitter’s Day”.

It may surprise you, resolutions do not just have to be a New Year’s thing. At any given point in time, you have the option to set resolutions through the year and form healthier living habits. But that’s not the hard part…setting a resolution? That’s simple…keeping the resolution? That’s where the willpower steps in.

Keep it Realistic – Daily Bite Size Studies

Going from not working out to working out every single day for an hour and a half? Not fully realistic for most people…but going from not working out to taking 15-20 minutes out of your day to work out or go for a walk? That’s a little more realistic…the same thing goes for students looking to study and have better school habits. Studying and cramming for tests is a common way to try and get ahead. But cramming information and content within a few days doesn’t result in long term retention. Taking an extra 5 minutes after homework to glance over notes and review material from just that day can be more beneficial. Instead of overloading your brain with material in a few short days, reviewing and strengthening those connections within your brain will result in better long term retention and less stress during exam and final season.

Keep it Realistic – Sleeping

We’ve said it once, we’ve said it twice, we’ll say it again. Sleep! Seriously, students…go to sleeeeeeep!

Your brain does not retain information just because you keep shoving more and more info into there. It’s stuffed, it’s overloaded and it’s TIRED! Your brain needs time to file away the info you’ve already given it, so go take a nap. Better yet, get on a consistent sleep schedule. Don’t stay up ’til 2:00 a.m., even if you have one more chapter…one more deck of flashcards…Review your materials often and sleep regularly…your brain will thank you for the down time.

Keep it Realistic – Social

“Let’s hang out”, “We should get together”, “Let’s grab dinner!”.

Everyone, everywhere is trying to get your attention. You have school, you have extracurricular activities…you may even have college to worry about. And on top of that, you’re trying to balance a social life? It can be a LOT for anyone! While it’s important to maintain friendships, it’s also important to take care of yourself. You can’t be a good friend if you’re not in good shape. Take a night every month for a self-care night…a mental health night where nothing else matters and you just focus on you.

That can even happen with friends…high school and college are some of the greatest times for friendships to flourish, you get deeper with the people closest to you and you have a chance to see them way more often than when you’ll graduate and enter adulthood with a job. Take this time and enjoy it with friends but be sure to balance it with your mental health first.

Keep it Realistic – Get a GOAT.

Ask for help. Get ahead. Take pride in your grades and in being a successful student. Get a Greatest Of All Time tutor to help you out week to week, or month to month in keeping your study resolution. Get answers to your last minute homework questions or even work with a Tutor to ace your next ACT or SAT test. We know being a student isn’t easy, you have a lot riding on you. But we’re here to help, to be your backup when you need us. Grab a GOAT and get ahead on your student resolutions this year!