A New Year’s resolution is a tradition where one seeks to improve, change, or begin something in the new calendar year. The upcoming year, 2023, is a new beginning, and a new opportunity for students at USAO to set goals for the upcoming year.

One such goal is traveling to a new place for experience or fun. Travel is at the top of some of the student’s bucket list for 2023. Angel Tyson, a freshman, said she wanted to go to a new country in the new year. Tara Utornik seconded that comment, saying she wants to travel to different places soon.

Travel does not just include out of the country or even the state, as freshman Hannah Woodhouse said she wants to visit her favorite restaurant Johnny Carino’s more often in the new year.

Another thing students are conscious of improving is their health. It is an age-old tradition for people to begin improving their health for a new year. Sophomore Gary Jackson said he wants to stop drinking soda, while freshman Rhiannon Allen said she wants to hop on the health train by eating a healthier diet. Freshman Brandon Brown’s New Year’s resolution is to stop cursing completely, which he feels as if he is already making progress in. This resolution is a health-related resolution, just in a different kind of way.

Academics are also on the minds of students as the new year rings in. Freshman Karmen Jaramillo said she wants to do better in her academics, while senior Skylar Garneau said he wants to graduate successfully in the spring. Others said they want to pass all of their classes with A’s.

Some students looked inwardly for their resolution. Freshman Benjamin Huff wants to be more outgoing in the new year, and freshman Kris Rogers wants to be more decisive in the things in life.

Other students want to use 2023 to enjoy the things they love doing. For example, Emily Loughridge said she wants to make more time to improve her photography skills.

“My New Year’s resolution is to shoot an average score of 72 for the spring semester,” said senior member of the golf team Caleb Smith.

Overall, many see 2023 as the opportunity to change something about their lives, and it will be interesting to see how the new year goes.

Paul Tointigh is a third-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.