Every Jan. 1, Americans type up, write down or simply make a mental note of the changes they want to make in their lives for the coming year.
For college students, it usually goes something like this: go to the gym more and get wasted less, spend more time on homework and less time on Facebook, invest in a more professional wardrobe and get rid of the unnecessary crap filling up the drawers of your parents’ house.
These resolutions last approximately 10 to 72 hours, according to The Eagle’s completely unscientific calculations. For 2011, try these more realistic resolutions — and maybe you’ll actually keep them going into February.
Take the long way
It’s hardly probable that you’ll get your bum into Bender after the first snowflake hits the ground, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work towards a healthier, less blob-like body this semester. Just by adding some distance to your normal walk to campus or class, you can burn extra calories and get your metabolism going.
If you normally take the shuttle to or from Tenley, try walking. It might mean getting up 15 minutes earlier, but the walk will give you an extra boost of energy with every gust of wind. Substituting stairs for elevators and walking up the escalator — rather than huddling on the right — will also get your blood pumping. Increased cardio will help your waistline in the short term and keep your heart healthier in the long run.
Stay on schedule
Keeping a running monthly, weekly or even daily to-do list will help you stay focused during the downtime between classes. During that hour you would normally spend flipping between Facebook and Texts from Last Night, go to your list instead, and try to get something accomplished.
You can be as detailed as you like; sometimes checking off things like “shower” or “eat lunch” can empower you to get through the rest of the day. Keep your list in a prominent place — say your desk or computer desktop (the Stickies application is great for Mac users) — so that it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
Avoid the Tavern, Salsa, Z-Burger, etc.
Though TDR takes longer than grabbing ‘tenders,’ their salad and sandwich bars offer some infinitely healthier options. If you have Eaglebucks, even a veggie sub from Subway will be kinder to your gut than a beef burrito loaded with rice, black beans, cheese and sour cream. Still looking to save time? Buy prepackaged salad and a low-fat dressing from Whole Foods the next time you’re in Tenley and bring your own lunch in a bag. It’s fine to splurge every once in a while, but for late night cram sessions, greasy food will just slow you down.
sparnass@theeagleonline.com
