Stick to these Notts New Year’s resolutions unless you want it to be 2018 all over again

It’s that time of year again when we all contemplate the past year and how terribly it went. 2018 has gone and passed; the exams in the first half were a killer but the second half made it all worth it.

You know all those Crisis nights you said you wouldn’t get that drunk and then ended up smashed, spewing on someone’s door in Lenton? Or all those all-nighters you spent at the library promising yourself that you’d start the next 3000-word essay way earlier than 3 days before the deadline and never really do?

This then leads you to decide that you need to get your act together for 2019. We feel you, which is why we’ve come up with a list of New Year’s Resolutions we think you should definitely stick to.

Go to your god damn lectures

I know, I know, you can just read the slides on Moodle or watch the lecture on echo later, but will you actually? This is my theory. If you’re not going to spend your time actually getting to your lectures, are you really going to spend your time catching up later?

You’re probably going to procrastinate right up until a week before your exam, live at Hallward and ingest way too much caffeine than dietarily possible/suggested in an attempt to catch up. Plus, the average debt of a student graduate is now more than £50,000, you should probably make that 50k as worth it as possible.

Tip: try drinking in your lectures to make them more fun!

Watch less Netflix or just shit TV shows in general.

I love the internet, but frankly it’s going to be your downfall. All this easy access to TV shows and movies that eat your time is not helping anyone. The amount of times I have sat down to take a break from barely studying and put on an episode of Friends on Netflix and before I know it, it’s dark outside and my whole to-do list for the day is left undone.

My best advice would be to treat watching TV as a reward. Make a to do list for the day, after you finish one task, treat yourself to an episode. That way you have the perfect balance between productivity and entertainment. Here’s to guilt free, Netflix binging!

Spend that £159 and actually go to the gym!

I can bet that enough of you bought that £209 sports membership at the beginning of the year thinking to yourselves that its time to be get this adulting thing right and lead a healthy lifestyle. Sure, you went for the first 3 weeks then it got cold and you got comfy, all of a sudden getting yourself to David Ross or the Jubilee Gym seemed like the toughest mission.

I am in fact very guilty of just this, but when you get into the rhythm of it, the high you get from the endorphins paired with the knowing that you’re getting your body summer ready is totally worth the trek in sub-zero degree weather. Or better yet, download one of those apps with 30 minute work-out routines and do them right from the comfort of your room.

Try a sport and make your mark in 2019 by winning

Prepare lunches in the morning rather than buying food on campus

That £4 that you’re spending on a Boots meal deal or on a panini and coffee at George Green may not seem like its hurting your bank account that much. Honestly, I am no mathematician but £4 is a lot of cash when you multiply it by all those days you’re too lazy to put together some lunch. You probably find yourself checking your bank balance a week later and it’s definitely not what you estimated it was going to be. Literally all you need is some trusty bread and cheese and you're good to go.

Skip a couple of Crisis Wednesdays and save up for a long holiday in the summer with your mates

Look, I know it’s hard, FOMO is real. But once you graduate from uni and settle into a 9-5 job that gives you one measly week of time off, you’re going to regret spending all your money on blurry nights at Crisis rather than saving up for a month-long trip around Europe or Asia. The choice is yours, flying VK bottles and drunken hook ups or a wholesome cultural experience through the vibrant cities of Europe.

So long to stupid pulls in the club, you're now going to Malta baby!

Keeping in mind these suggestions, hope 2019 ushers in a better year for us in Lenton. May this year give you the ability to be less broke and the strength to get through all those deadlines that come too soon!