With the new year comes New Year’s resolutions… for some people. While many people set ambitious goals for the next year of their lives, others don’t quite get the hype.
Students on campus are preparing for 2026 in various ways. Many are being intentional about tackling their goals, while others are simply trying to go with the flow.
Junior design major Lane Guzniczak has decided against New Year’s resolutions for 2026, but has a couple of goals for the year.
“I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions, but recently we decided we’re gonna start going to the gym more, and I decided I’m gonna try and eat healthier, like include more fiber in my diet,” Guzniczak said.
Prioritizing health is a common New Year’s resolution for many people, including students at Ferris.
Senior forensic biology and biotechnology major Isabel Henige discussed her plans to improve her health in 2026.
“I want to be more consistent about going to the gym and eating healthier,” Henige said. “Just being more mindful that I’m putting real food into my body instead of boxed mac and cheese and stuff like that.”
Other common New Year’s resolutions involve cutting back on or deleting social media.
Junior radiography major Emily Heintzelman has several New Year’s resolutions for 2026.
“My New Year’s resolutions are to stay off social media, read more books, and just spend more time outside,” Heintzelman said. “I feel like social media kind of consumes my free time and I don’t like that, and I want to appreciate the outdoors more.”
Many question the usefulness of New Year’s resolutions. While some people see their value, others are hesitant to believe they are actually helpful.
“I think if you’re a motivated person, it can be very helpful,” Guzniczak said. “But I don’t know, I just don’t ever do it. I feel like making an idea of ‘I’m gonna do something better,’ but not making it a New Year’s resolution is more helpful.”
According to some students, success in sticking to New Year’s resolutions depends on many factors, including whether people take them seriously.
“I think they can be helpful if people are serious about it,” Henige said. “But if they’re just making one to say they made one, it’s obviously not going to do anything. I think it has to do with the person more than anything.”
Some people believe that New Year’s resolutions aren’t the best way to achieve goals and that there are much better strategies for self-improvement.
“I think they’re good, but I think people pressure themselves too much in the new year when they can start anytime,” Heintzelman said. “I feel like people aren’t successful with it because they limit themselves to start on this date and end on this date when they can start whenever.”
Another complaint is how so many people fail too quickly and give up on their New Year’s resolutions. Many people make big plans for the new year, but give up shortly after.
“I think many people stick to theirs maybe about a month or two, then they just go back to life as normal,” Guzniczak said.
Many students see how short-lived their peers’ New Year’s resolutions are, which leads them to believe it is kind of pointless to make them.
“I really have never met someone that actually makes New Year’s resolutions, and the people I know of that do, I feel like they fizzle out within a month,” Henige said.
Some students have weighed in on what kinds of New Year’s resolutions people actually stick to, if any.
“I think they stick to it if it’s something that’s only going to benefit them, and that’s about it,” Heintzelman said.
While many people make New Year’s resolutions each new year, it seems that many bulldogs aren’t so fond of the tradition. However, that doesn’t stop them from being ambitious about achieving their 2026 goals.