New Year's has passed and college students are back at school. With homework assignments and looming tests, club meetings, and sports seasons, you may have lost track of the resolutions you pledged before the semester swept into full swing.
[Follow three steps toward college resolutions.]
But while college students might be busy, they also have a leg up on the rest of the population when it comes to meeting resolutions: access to free campus resources. Your school likely offers myriad tools for free or at very low prices. (And, depending on your tuition and fees, you might already have paid for some of these services, so it makes sense to get some value out of mandatory payments.)
[Make these resolutions to get more money for college.]
If these are some of your goals, let your school help you reach them by capitalizing on campus resources.
1. Get in shape: It's a common resolution for people of all ages, and if better fitness is one of your goals for 2012, consider taking advantage of your on-campus gym. At many schools, including Arizona State University and Indiana's Purdue University, students are automatically charged a standard gym fee within their semester bill, meaning there's no additional charge to use the basic on-campus fitness facilities.
"I get comments anecdotally from people about how they wish they would have taken advantage of [the gym] as students," says Michelle Jung, assistant director of fitness and wellness at Arizona State. "Now that they're in the real world, they realize how expensive [traditional gyms can be.]"
2. Start eating right: As any seasoned dieter knows, there's more to weight loss than hitting the gym; good nutrition is key, too.
[See how dining halls help students fight the Freshman 15.]
Whether you want to lose weight or just be healthier, consider your school's student wellness program, which might offer sessions and training. If you're looking for clinical help, there may be free options for you as well. At Emory University, for example, students can attend 15 free nutrition counseling sessions each year they're enrolled.
3. Cultivate financial responsibility: Don't wait to hone your financial know-how until after you graduate when you may be saddled with more expenses, bills, and possible student loan repayments. Check to see if your college offers financial literacy courses or training sessions, such as the ones at the University of Southern California, led by Gabe Albarian, an M.B.A. student and author of Financial Swagger.
[Find out how 20-somethings can get their finances off to a good start.]
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test of IN 7:35AM January 23, 2012