Here are five new semester resolutions to stop Glasgow students burning out in 2025

With the celebration of New Year’s comes the long-dreaded journey back to university, and settling back into campus life brings its challenges alongside the excitement of reuniting with your flatmates and getting ready for Wednesday sports socials again.

A lot of students fall into the trap of making resolutions to become the absolute academic weapon, and whilst all these promises sound good in theory, it is important not to hold yourselves under the pressure of desired top grades whilst neglecting time for yourself and others.

So, here are a few ideas on how to reset for the new semester without completely burning yourself out.

Time organisation

One of the most common struggles as a uni student is trying to find some way to balance all the readings, assignments, extra study alongside your job, social life and time for self care.

Whilst buying a cute 2025 diary from Waterstones might sound like an easy solution, it is often not stuck to and then halfway through the year you completely forget you have it.

Instead try to organise your week around at least one night where you close the computer and switch off, spending time with your friends or even just catching up on your to be watched list on Netflix. Using your phone to set reminders for assignments will notify you rather than you having to go and seek out what you have to do.

Look up

As technology is ever advancing with the creation of AI and all the apps you could possibly want being in your phone, we are beginning to see the consequences of technological aid slowly cutting us off from what surrounds us.

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We are seeing extreme phone usage amongst young people, and the side effects of declining attention spans, anxiety, depression and limited social interaction is on the rise.

So, take the new year as an opportunity to limit your phone usage, which you can control in your settings and instead get outside.

Walk through the Botanical Gardens as spring begins to blossom or pick up a new hobby you’ve been eyeing up on your Pinterest boards, read something that has no relation to your course and escape from the white-knuckled grip doomscrolling has on us.

Get active

It’s a tale as old as time telling ourselves that this is the year we are going to transform ourselves completely and have a completely shredded body in time for summer. Whilst it might be a farfetched goal to commit yourself to the strictest diet and gym plan, getting active will increase your endorphins, giving you more energy to tackle those massive university hills without collapsing from exhaustion by the top.

It doesn’t necessarily mean forking out money for a gym membership, even going for a run or walk in the many parks and alongside the canals can get you the fresh air and steps you need. Or, if you’re more of a team player sportsperson, try booking a court at Kelvin Hall for a round of tennis or badminton with your friends.

Honestly, anything that gets us out of the same routine of bed rotting will actually do you a world of good.

Go to class

This might seem like an obvious one or at least one that should be the minimum, but it is so easy to sleep through those 9ams and convince yourself that the lecture will be uploaded anyway.

But getting up and ready for class and then actually going can lighten your mood, which is much needed in these cold February blues. Besides, this way you won’t fall behind like last semester!

Set up a reward system

If you’re anything like me, a complete procrastinator then the idea of a reward system is essentially what you need to keep yourself on track for your academic life this semester. This can be anything from rewarding yourself with a sweet treat or a cafe trip once a week to letting yourself splurge on a shopping spree every so often.

Get your flatmates or friends in on it too and it will naturally develop into a habit of rewarding yourself for all the hard work you’ve and increasing dopamine levels, giving yourself a break from academic life and avoiding mid semester burnout.