Students need
focus to learn

With a new year and its inevitable spate of resolutions, SUU students have a chance to look at their lives and evaluate what they need to do to improve. We hope they will take that opportunity. Whether the resolution be to lose weight, quit smoking or do a better job at work or school, resolutions are healthy and provide a sense of renewal.
One definition for resolution is to bring into focus. We believe most students need to bring academics into focus and rededicate themselves to their schoolwork.
Gandhi said: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
We understand it is not always easy to start Spring Semester after a three-week break with friends and family, but as the semester starts, students need to concentrate on learning and improving.
Receiving a degree does not mean a person has earned an education. The more a graduate knows, the better he or she will perform in a career and in life.
The new year is a fresh start for every student. When entering the classroom today, every student has a clean slate. It doesn’t matter how high or low the student’s GPA was at the end of Fall Semester, each student currently has an A in every class.
It is up to the student to make the most of the semester. It is up to the student to keep the goals he or she set at the begining of the year and do the work required to learn the information needed to keep the A grade.
It is also important to realize that students will get more for their money this semester because next fall the price for tuition may rise about 23 percent.
We also suggest students should find a healthy balance between work and school because working too much can cause a student’s grades to fall. Although it is certainly possible, working 40 or more hours a week is not the only way for students to finance their education.
Although we don’t support getting in debt on a credit card, taking out a student loan is not a bad idea. However, we still recommend using good judgement when taking out student loans. Only borrow what is necessary.
For some people, managing their money and debt will require its own set of resolutions.A study in 1997 at the University of Washington concluded that

 

“the keys to making a successful resolution are a person’s confidence that he or she can make the behavior change and the commitment to making that change.”
Any goal, especially learning, can be achieved with persistance, work, and patience. As the year continues, students should strive to remember their goals. They should make reminders and keep trying, even if success is not accomplished the first time. The same study suggests people should “take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed.”
It is good for students and faculty members to remember to try again. Behavior changes can be made throughout the year, not only at New Year’s.
As the new year and new semester begin, we urge students to study what they are currently doing in their lives and how they are pursuing their education. We encourage them to start making and working on goals to better life.
The opinion expressed above is the collective perspective of the University Journal and its editorial board. The editorial board meets every Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Room 172 of the Sharwan Smith Center. Visitors are welcome.