By Megan Hines
Social Media Coordinator
New Year’s resolutions have become a time-honored tradition. They are a celebration of not only a new year, but also a time for goal setting, re-evaluation or resetting promises made in years past.
Resolutions come in many forms. Whether it’s vowing to change a bad habit, dedicating time and energy to starting a positive habit, or taking on a new challenge personally or professionally, many view New Year’s resolutions as a chance to start the next chapter in life.
As a university, many of our goals are centered on our students and helping them to succeed. We recently asked members of our social media communities to share academic New Year’s resolutions for 2017 in an effort to better understand what our students want to accomplish this year.
Of the more than 1,000 responses we received, we found that the resolutions and goals of our community members focused on three themes:
- Enrolling in a new class or degree program
- Finishing an academic career in a strong way
- Utilizing knowledge learned from a degree program to make a positive impact in their communities
Starting a New Chapter
“My academic goal is to enroll in a master’s program at AMU. Getting my master’s in healthcare administration will give me the jolt I’ll need to further my career as an echocardiographer. Life gets busy (being a military spouse, mother and veteran). We can’t let the stress of life hinder our personal goals, especially educational goals!” — Brittney Riches, AMU
“My academic resolution will be to finally receive my first degree after 25 years of putting school off. I look forward to obtaining a degree and I will not stop until I receive it.” — Stephannie Logan, APU
“I would like to accelerate my journey towards my B.A. in international relations. My ultimate goal is to also go for a master’s degree but most likely after we expand our little family.” — Vivian W., AMU
“In 2017, I will be the first male in my family to get a college degree. My New Year’s resolution is to set an example for my children by continuing my education beyond a bachelor’s degree and begin working toward a master’s degree.” — Bradley Worthington, APU
Finishing Strong
“My academic New Year’s resolution for 2017 is to finish my bachelor’s degree and go for my master’s! APU is a big part of my life and I have had nothing but great experiences with my classes and all the staff! Thank you!” — Pamela Waters, APU
“My academic New Year’s resolution would be to continue working towards my bachelor’s degree. I plan on hitting the books hard during this deployment and shooting for a 4.0 GPA!” — Ashley Webb, AMU
“My New Year’s resolution for 2017 is to continue to do well in my classes, help others to do well in the forum assignments and have the great support of the staff here at American Public University. I also want to continue to improve myself in my personal and professional life so that I am prepared for the next chapter that comes my way.” — Jason Kemper, APU
“My 2017 goal is to finish my associate degree in hospitality and then start a business plan for my future coffee shop! It is so exciting!” — Catherine Peterman, AMU
“My academic New Year’s resolution for 2017 is to continue to stay focused and graduate with my bachelor’s degree in hospitality by December of 2017. I believe my hard work and dedication to my coursework and career have given me the success I need to accomplish my tasks.” — Lisa Dubinski, APU
Making a Positive Impact
“My 2017 New Year’s resolution is to finish my master’s in criminal justice and to take the knowledge that I have learned in my journey at AMU to make a positive impact on mankind. I plan to use what I have learned to make this world a much better place than it was when I entered it. The best place to start making a positive difference is in my own community.” — Jacquelyn Whiteman, AMU
“My 2017 New Year’s resolution is to complete my undergraduate degree and cross the stage as my daughters watch. I am 36 years old and I have attempted to finish school over 9 times. This time around, it is becoming reality as I am almost done. I want to show them that no matter how old you are or what obstacles your face, it is possible! This may very well be one of the best lessons that I will be able to teach my girls as their father and mentor.” — Walter Babb, APU
“My academic goal for 2017 is to leverage the research skills, honed through earning a graduate degree from AMU in 2014, and update the lesson plans my organization uses to train new hires and incumbent employees on skills critical to this profession.” — Eric Crayner, AMU
“This year, I will challenge myself and meet my full potential by submitting my writing for freelance opportunities. I am taking a freelance writing class this semester and it has opened my eyes and encouraged me. I want to show my sons that they can do anything they can dream of. I will follow my dreams. I will be a writer. And it will be because APU gave me the tools I needed to succeed.” — Alana Faulconer, APU
“I am challenging myself to complete my master’s in emergency and disaster management by September 2017 before I complete my remote tour in Central America. I am also challenging myself to spread the word about the value of education in the Department of Defense and how education will make the biggest impact in developing our military personnel.” — Joshua Yungvirt, AMU
We hope these resolutions inspire you to set your sights on accomplishing new goals in 2017.
Planning to improve your job skills this year? Register now for classes!
About the Author
Megan Hines is a Social Media Coordinator at the University, where she engages with students across various university social media channels. She has more than three years of social media and marketing experience and enjoys working in the ever-changing field of social media. Megan graduated cum laude from West Virginia University with a B.S. in broadcast news and a minor in communications.
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