As they start the year off with the first day of classes, many students’ minds at Eastern are set on different resolutions and goals they hope to accomplish in 2018.

While some hope to benefit their personal lives, others want to focus on their academics.

“I think my biggest resolution this year is to be more social,” said junior business accounting major Jessica Watson. “I spent the majority of last semester working hard in my classes, which is a good thing, but I would like to be able to balance my social life and academic life and be able to enjoy myself also.”

In the coming semester, Watson said she wants to join some new clubs and meet more people.

Katelynn Yuhas, a junior business management major, has never done yoga before, but it is something she wants to start doing in 2018.

“I’ve heard amazing things about how beneficial it is to our bodies and how it can reduce stress and improve health,” she said.

Along with improving her health, Yuhas wants to improve by studying harder this semester and making good decisions overall.

Senior psychology major Austin Misner also has his health on his mind. He said he wants to cut down on drinking soda in 2018.

“I know that’s kind of cliché and probably something that most people want to do, (but) I am hoping I can accomplish that this year,” he said.

This being his last semester at Eastern, he also wants to make sure he gets good grades before he graduates.

Junior psychology major Megan Keane’s resolution includes getting used to a new schedule.

“This semester I have some morning classes that start out early,” she said. “I was used to getting to sleep in last semester, but I guess my goal this semester is to get on a good sleep schedule and be able to train myself to wake up early on a consistent basis.”

Keane said although school is bound to be stressful, she hopes that this semester will not be as bad as her last one.

“Last semester was my first one here as a transfer student and it was definitely a big adjustment to living on my own,” said Keane. “I am a homebody so it was difficult for me to be away from my parents who live up North, but I think this semester will be much easier since I am slightly used to it now.”

Though it has only been a couple of weeks, some students have already encountered tragedy this year.

Dydra Arnold, a junior psychology majors’ niece was stillborn.

“My family and I spent the first week of 2018 grieving that loss,” she said.

While still dealing with this, her father had to go to the hospital for an operation. Then, her grandfather found out he has lung cancer.

“I guess you can say 2018 hasn’t been the best for me or my family,” she said. “I don’t have any particular resolutions or goals, except that I hope for my sake and my family’s that 2018 will turn out to be a better year than the way it started out.”

Andrew Paisley can be reached at 581-2820 or at abpaisley@eiu.edu.