As the New Year approaches, Kent State students are preparing for a fresh start for 2012.

“New Year’s is a chance to start over,” said Lindsay Koontz, junior fine arts major. “After a years’ worth of mistakes, people are usually excited to have an excuse to begin again. It’s a great motivator for people who want to live a better lifestyle, lose weight or achieve any other resolutions they have.”

Koontz had a successful experience with her 2011 resolution.

“I wanted to try and have a more positive attitude towards everything,” Koontz said. “One day I was going to work. I hadn’t been making many tips lately and I thought to myself, ‘What better resolution than to be in a better mood and be nicer to people?’ After that, I started to get more tip money, because I actually went through with my resolution.”

Koontz said her upbeat attitude also helped her academically.

“I started improving my attitude in my drawing classes, too,” Koontz said. “It really helped my performance. I think if you have a positive attitude, you can brainwash yourself into thinking good results are caused by that attitude, when you probably are just getting better through experience.”

Koontz’s resolution for the upcoming season is to find the good in people, and to not automatically judge people by their appearance.

Molly Schatzel, freshman visual communication design major, also succeeded in keeping her resolution to be more organized in 2011.

“I have some organizational and time management issues,” Schatzel said. “They’ve gotten a lot better though, since I’ve made them a priority through my new year’s resolution from this past year. School really motivated me to work on it and it has definitely paid off.”

According to business consultant Stephen Shapiro’s website, only eight percent of Americans achieve their resolutions out of the 45 percent of people who make them.

Schatzel said, “I think people get caught up in their busy daily lives and forget about the goals for themselves. I think that’s the general problem with most people; they get too consumed with work and school and forget about what they need to be doing for themselves.”

Isabella Olmstead, freshman visual communication design major, said people can’t follow through with their resolutions because they make goals that are too unattainable.

Shapiro’s website also states that the most common resolutions relate to money, weight loss, self-improvement or relationships.

Adam Brokaw, sophomore electronic media major, said, “My resolution [for 2012] is to not only set aside time for work, but to also set aside time for play.”

Some students were more philosophical in their responses when asked what their resolutions would be for the new year.

“My resolution? It’s simple for me,” freshman news major Michael Richards said. “Build a healthy mindset. It’s not about change; it’s about getting it together. A fair balance in a sporadic life.”

In contrast to slowing things down, freshman news major Carter Stanislaw wants to get out in the world more and meet more people.

“I want to try and change my perspective on humanity through personal connections,” Stanislaw said.

Other students took the idea of resolutions more light-heartedly.

“I haven’t thought about it, but if I had to say something I’d say step up my motivation,” said Alex Rodia, senior electronic media major. “Stop letting myself hold myself back of accomplishing greatness.”

Sophomore history major Jillian Winter said, “Fall in love. And when that doesn’t work out, date his best friend.”

Kayla Scalf, freshman public relations major, thought outside of the box.

“To donate enough blood to join the gallon club,” Scalf said. “Or to kayak in the Atlantic Ocean.”

Contact Hannah Hamner at [email protected].