Progress on the Plains: Do Auburn students make New Year's resolutions?

As we’ve reached 2026, just like with every new year, it is very common for people to make New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are a way for people to recognize areas that need growth within their own lives and make an effort to develop in them. The first of the year, when resolutions are typically made, is when gym memberships skyrocket and people have significantly less screen time.

Many see the new year as the perfect time to start over, as it represents the ability to leave what’s old in the past and start fresh. According to the Pew Research Center, people from ages 18 to 29 are the most likely to create New Year's resolutions. Most of Auburn’s student population falls within that age range. That leaves the question: How did Auburn students approach New Year's resolutions this year?

Many students uphold the tradition of creating resolutions and making an effort to stick to them. They find resolutions to be helpful and important motivators for change. These students see the new year as an opportunity to better themselves through their lifestyle choices, habits and many other lifestyles.

“I think they’re helpful. I think even if they do it for a month, it’s helpful in some regard," said McKenzie Kellams, a sophomore studying elementary education. 

Students like Kellams fully embrace the common New Year’s practice. These students work diligently to keep their promises to themselves through a myriad of tactics, some of which include writing them down or telling others.

“I tell people about them, so they can keep me accountable. And they do, like, my friends,” Kellams said.

Some students take a less dedicated approach to New Year’s resolutions. While they still find them valuable, there are some who put forth less of an effort toward making resolutions and keeping them.

“I went out of town on New Year’s, so I didn’t really think about it," said James Tolar, a senior in industrial engineering.

Tolar, like many other students, values spending time with others and ringing in the new year with friends and loved ones. While these students value the long-standing resolution trend, they placed their focus on alternative ways to spend the new year. Although some may not have made resolutions for 2026, students still find making goals for the new year to be quite helpful.

“It’s about having goals and striving to achieve those goals. As long as, you know, they’re obtainable goals,” Tolar said.

Students like Tolar appreciate New Year's resolutions, but take a more pragmatic approach to achieving goals. Instead of immediately committing to strict goals, these individuals may set goals and gradually approach them. However, regardless of the way that they approach things, Tolar and other students find the new year to be a great place to start.

In contrast, some people do not embrace New Year's resolutions at all. Some believe that any day is a great day to start something new, and that the new year shouldn’t dictate when people start working on themselves.

“I don’t think a new year should be the reason somebody starts something they’ve been wanting to,” said Annika Huff, junior in business administration with a minor in entrepreneurship.

Opinions regarding resolutions vary greatly among Auburn students. Some believe that resolutions are the key to bettering yourself. Others believe that resolutions are helpful, but not absolutely necessary for change. Finally, there are the students who believe that it’s better to start goals immediately, and no one should let the time of year stop them from doing so. 

Beyond these three standpoints, there are Auburn students who hold various stances on New Year's resolutions. Regardless of differing opinions on resolutions, all students can still work to better themselves, and in turn, others.