Don’t avoid making stereotypical resolutions — but avoid giving up on them. If you're going to make a resolution this year, do not be afraid to set yourself goals like:

1. To work out more.
   If you haven’t already noticed, take a look at the school gym (or any gym for that matter) in January. It’s usually packed, even at weird off times. That’s because everyone has made a loud declaration that this year, they will join a gym (or start training for that 10k, or take up cross fit) to get in great shape. Chain gyms offer membership discounts and advertise like crazy, campus recreation starts a Biggest Loser competition, and suddenly, everyone is out for a Sunday morning jog. By February, most of these people have gotten too busy with school, work, and life to keep up their expensive habit. And that’s just it — working out is an expensive habit! When you feel like giving up, think of the money you’ve spent on workout gear, new headphones, that cute reusable water bottle, and the gym membership itself. If you can make it through the January crowds at your gym, you’ll feel infinitely better about yourself when the hoards of people start to thin out. The weak get left behind — but you’re one of the strong ones, especially with all those new muscles you’ve been working on!
   
2. To eat healthy.
   On a similar note, many people find themselves vowing to give up Chipotle or McDonald's, to pick up baby carrots instead of candy. Again, a few months into the New Year, these same people are probably bingeing on potato chips and mint Oreos (not that I’m speaking from experience) the second they get a little stressed out. Here’s a secret: we all need comfort food! If you console yourself after a bad day with a candy bar, that’s okay! Don’t make your resolution an unattainable one, or you’ll never stick with it. Decide to only eat fast food on the weekend. Maybe get frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. If you change everything all at once, you are more likely to give in to temptation—and we all deserve to order Domino’s once in a while.
   
3. To learn a language.
   Let me set the scene: You’re going abroad this summer, and you can’t wait! Authentic food, unbelievable sights, foreign cuties. How will you survive if you can’t communicate at least a little? How will you order red wine with your pizza or flirt at the club? Maybe you’ve been studying a language since middle school to prepare yourself for this very trip. If you’re really committed, maybe you went out and got Rosetta Stone when there was a deal on Groupon. Or maybe you take the noncommittal, casual route of downloading an app like Duolingo. The pro is that it’s always at your fingertips — if you’re a little early to class you can take a short lesson in family words. The con is that it’s easy to forget about. Before you know it, your trip is next week and you don’t know how to ask where the bathroom is. To avoid this, set aside times where you have to study, as you would for an academic class. Constantly remind yourself of how excited you are for this trip — make a countdown, put pictures of your favorite sites as your phone background, even read travel magazines! If you are focused on the end goal, you’re going to be even more motivated to learn.
   
4. To study harder.
   This sounds like a great resolution over winter break. Classes are over, your mind is clear, and you’ve almost forgotten how traumatic those last two weeks of the semester were. Be wary of what you say while sipping hot cocoa and watching the snow: studying enough to improve your GPA will be a real commitment. The first weekend back when all your friends are heading to a party, you’ll brag about how you’re going to ace your classes. That very Sunday, you’ll realize the weekend is over and you have a paper due the next day you haven’t even started. Compromise with yourself — only go to dollar beers if you finish the reading assignment. Spend Saturday morning in the library if you want to go out Saturday night. Pick a quiet study space outside of your room so you won’t be tempted to socialize when your friends stop by unexpectedly. Balance the work and play!
   
5. To be more aggressive.
   Stand up for yourself! Stop saying sorry when someone else bumps into you. Tell the cashier your change was short. If you asked for decaf but saw the barista pour caffeinated, say something! Aggressive has all these negative connotations, but it doesn’t have to be harsh or mean. It seems like an easy enough resolution; stop apologizing for something that isn’t your fault. The first time you slip, though, begins a downward slope. You apologize once when someone cuts you in line, and before you know it, you’re never speaking up. Think of an affirmation for yourself, like “Speak my mind!” “I am confident and self-assured!” “I am assertive!” and repeat it in your head. Write it on a little slip of paper if you have to! Repeat your affirmation enough and it will become a part of who you are: confident, cool, coy.
   
6. To save more money.
   What college student couldn’t use a little spare cash? Maybe you’re saving for something big, or your bank account is crying, after all, that holiday shopping, or maybe you sat down and calculated how many years you’ll be paying off those student loans. Saving money is a classic (and challenging) resolution. It all seems to be going well until you stop for a latte one day, or until Kate Spade has another flash sale. “I’ve been so good,” you tell yourself. “I deserve this one treat this one time!” Until one treat turns into a weekly thing and putting aside 10 percent of your paycheck turns into 5 percent. This is a tricky fix, which requires real dedication to saving. Set up a separate saving account, one you won’t touch, for the money you want to save up. Pick an amount to deposit every pay period and stick to it! Some employers will do direct deposit, which gives you no room to cheat. It will be difficult to resist that really beautiful sweater in J Crew now, but in ten years, you’ll be much happier you spent the money on something useful.
   
7. To stop biting your nails (or another bad habit).
   The problem with all stereotypical resolutions that they are definitive, sweeping declarations: “I will never bite my nails again!” “I will drink no liquids but water!” “I will not smoke another cigarette!” The second that statement is out of your mouth, you regret it and immediately crave what you promised to give up. Luckily, this happens to a lot of people so there are some products that will claim to help you. If you bite your nails, there’s foul-tasting nail polish to take away the temptation. If you smoke (first smack yourself upside the head because that’s so dangerous and stupid), there’s an entire aisle of gums and patches. For a declaration of the “my body is a temple that shall only be fueled by filtered water” type, start small. Try drinking water during the week and give yourself the weekends off. Is soda your vice? Don’t keep it at home, but treat yourself when you go out to eat. The important thing to remember is that we all have bad habits; some are worse than others. Whatever you do, don’t replace one bad habit with another.
   
8. To spend more time with family.
   Your family may drive you crazy sometimes, but you do love them. And it’s crazy to see your little siblings grow up — when you went to college they were still playing wizards in the backyard, and now, they’re all dolled up for the middle school dance. When you’re away from home, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out on big family moments. Maybe you feel bad about this, or maybe you’re too busy watching"Game of Thrones" to notice. Somehow you find yourself promising your mom when you head back to school for the spring semester that you’ll come home more, which sounds fine until you realize there are only about fifteen weekends a semester. That doesn’t sound like enough time to balance going out, staying in, studying, and taking trips home! Before you head back to school, think about what events you want to be home for: your grandma’s birthday, your sister’s confirmation, your dog’s first frolic in the snow. Block those dates out on your calendar now so you’re not tempted to make plans, and balance will seem much less intimidating.