"This year was just kind of like, I ended up in all these classes, and (participation has) always been something that I have wanted to get better at," Longcore said. "So it just kind of happened."

Though she doesn't typically set New Year's resolutions, Longcore said, the circumstances in her life this year provided the space and motivation she needed to set a goal. She said she feels it's important to have other changes happening in your life that coincide with goals of personal growth, like starting a new semester.  

"The classes that I'm in are kind of forcing me in a way to stick to this goal, and that's helping rather than just being a goal that I alone am setting," Longcore said. "So I think you definitely have to … have goals that are kind of relevant (to your life)."

Criminal justice freshman Andi Soto said moving away to college inspired her New Year's resolution to meet new people and make more friends on campus. Soto likes to set a few goals at the beginning of each year to help her feel focused and have a more positive outlook on life.

"I want something that gives me meaning to my life and stuff," Soto said. "I think it helps me be more positive and have something to look forward to."

So far, Soto said, her efforts to push herself outside of her comfort zone have gone well. She uses some of her free time to explore campus and make new friends, working towards her goal and fostering good experiences at MSU. 

"I think it’s going great," Soto said. "I've met new people. I've been trying to socialize more."

Social relations and policy freshman Marisol Macias strives to make the most of her freshman year. Macias's resolutions include taking care of her mental and physical health, trying new things and having more fun.

"Me and my roommate have been really good with working out at the gyms here on campus," Macias said. "I've personally done a lot better having less sugary drinks, and I've been doing a lot of yoga too which has been really nice."

While Macias is happy with how her resolutions have been going so far, she also discussed how not every day is going to be spent making great strides in your personal growth, and "that's okay." By not holding herself to incredibly high standards, she said, her goals feel more achievable throughout the year and easier to stick with. 

"I think a big part of New Year's resolutions when it comes to things like health and workout culture is knowing that you also have to cut yourself some slack sometimes," Macias said.

Macias stressed the importance of being kind and understanding with yourself in the face of self-improvement pressure. She recommended setting accomplishable goals and taking them one day at a time to help you stick with them through the entire year. Sometimes ,the smaller, more feasible New Year's resolutions are the ones that will change your life for the better, Macias said.

"People make resolutions very idealistically, and they want to be very, very disciplined and very, very on top of it, but in the process of doing, that they come to find – or at least I've come to find – that you have to think about authenticity too," Macias said. "You have to be more realistic with resolutions."