At Christmas time the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated, on New Year’s Eve we celebrate the birth of our resolutions. According to research, 80 percent of the Dutch population has resolutions for 2016. Some of them will work out in the gym to lose weight. Others resolve to skip a party now and then. For many people, a small change isn’t enough, most of the time we want to change radically. EM spoke to students about their resolutions for 2016. Are they fooling themselves or is the first of January indeed the beginning of a new way of life?
Kevin Badloe, 20-year-old student of Tax Law
“Even though it’s cliché, I do have New Year’s resolutions. I’m not the guy to run straight to the gym in the New Year. My plan is to start next month, when it will hopefully be nice and quiet. I feel that I am developing. I won’t give up: I set a target, accomplish it, and move on to the next. I’ve learned to play the harmonica and would like to combine this with beatboxing. Afterwards, I want to eat healthy food only. It may sound ambitious that everything is planned for next month. However, it doesn’t make a difference to me. You shouldn’t simply set a goal and then try to accomplish it. No, I’ll just do it! “
Catarina Grin, 22-year-old master student of Marketing Management from Moldova
“I hope that together we can make 2016 the best year so far, but to be honest I hoped the same for last year as well. In the New Year, I really would like to receive my Master’s and start my career in the world of marketing. Currently I am working for the Erasmus Sport promo team, and I’ll motivate others to achieve their New Year’s resolution. Everyone can make resolutions, but being strict to yourself and to keep trying to accomplish them, isn’t for everyone. I accomplished pretty much all the goals I set last year. I succeeded in finishing my bachelor, found a nice job and I don’t need financial support from my parents anymore. “
Laurens Ras, 20-year-old student of Business Economics
“I don’t really have resolutions for the New Year. Which is nice, because you can’t fail. Of course, I know some things that I hope to happen, for example finishing my bachelor program. Last year I didn’t have resolutions as well. I know myself what I want to achieve, and it doesn’t matter to me when it doesn’t happen on the first day of the year. If I were to pick a resolution for us all, it would be something that really matters and should be improved: combating the waste of energy. That’s something you won’t benefit from individually, but all of us will. “
