Three…two….one…Happy New Year! After two months into 2026, we can still hear that strike of midnight, universal shout used to mark the arrival of the new year.
People everywhere have made some kind of new year resolution, like ‘New year, new me’. This goal, while heartfelt and with a true desire to unlock goals and start the year with a fresh mindset, hardly ever sticks passed Valentine’s Day.
Oftentimes, people even break these new habits within days of setting them. Here at Bak,students aim to grasp their goals and reach them.
There are a variety of goals with students ranging from sports, academics, to friendships. For most, they strive to have a higher GPA and raised grades. This is frequently done by making more time for studying and working extra hard on assignments.
“My goal for this year is to complete sixth grade and make it into seventh,” said Maximilian Raddock, vocal major. “I think it’s important [to make goals] because it boosts your esteem and it makes you happy,” Raddock said. He plans on achieving this goal by, “doing homework [and to] keep it a nice daily routine.”
Eva DuBois, 7, vocal major, looks back to last semester and plans to do better academically this year. “Last year, I didn’t put in a lot of effort to get straight A’s. This year I [want to] use khangmigo [and] other resources to get my grades up. In the future, good grades could really help you with jobs and applications,” DuBois said.
Lots of times, students aim for academic related goals, while others work on improving their health and athletics with a day-to-day exercise schedule.
Naila Shikely, 8, vocal major, plays basketball and looks forward to be more athletic this year. “One of my New Year’s resolutions is to play more sports because I really like to be athletic and competitive. It will let me be more free and fit to be myself.”
Other students like Olivia Zanderini, 6, communications major, works on her self-esteem and wellbeing–things that bring her joy.
“Last year, I focused on the quantity of my friends, not the quality. So, that led to way more drama and arguments. I want to avoid that this year by focusing on who my friends are and how they treat me.”
A new year resolution is clearly a time to set up your path to success for the upcoming year. But, goal-making isn’t only limited to the start of the year. Students have found that when you want something, that is the time to make a goal.
Resolutions, whether they are made at the beginning of the year or not, work when they are specific, broken into small, achievable habits, and are born from a deep, personal desire rather than peer or other pressure.
