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If you鈥檙e like most of us, you have a couple of New Year鈥檚 resolutions floating around in the back of your mind, either bad habits you plan on breaking or goals you plan on achieving in 2012.

New Year’s is the perfect opportunity to make a fresh start, but it also provides college students with a brand new semester鈥攁 great chance for students to get off on the right foot academically, professionally, and socially!

8 Top New Year鈥檚 Resolutions for College Students

Here are some totally do-able New Year鈥檚 resolutions for college students. Decide which ones you鈥檙e going to follow through, and be sure to share the list with your friends!

1. Stop complaining 鈥� and start doing.

In most instances, all you have to do is ask a college student, 鈥淗ow鈥檚 school?鈥� before the complaints start flying. After all, there are just too many classes coupled with too many tests to take and too many papers to write! It鈥檚 easy to procrastinate when you start to feel overwhelmed, so in 2012 vow to stop complaining and start doing!

reported in 2010 that the average college student studies just 14 hours per week, so that old 鈥淚鈥檓 so busy!鈥� excuse isn鈥檛 going to cut it much longer. Turn off your phone to resist the urge to text and be sure to log out of Facebook and Twitter. You鈥檒l be amazed at how good you feel鈥攁nd how much free time you wind up having鈥攚hen you get things done on time or (gasp!) ahead of schedule.

2. Manage stress wisely.

If you鈥檙e constantly stressed to the max, you won鈥檛 even have the motivation to 鈥渟top complaining and start doing,鈥� as resolution #1 suggests, but it is possible to learn how to manage your stress wisely. recommends starting with small steps, such as taking a hot shower or telling a friend or family member how you鈥檙e feeling. The Mayo Clinic offers some more in-depth advice for tackling stress

3. Use your meal plan.

points out that room and board help escalate the cost of attending college like you wouldn鈥檛 even believe. Living and eating your meals on campus gets expensive quick, but you might not even be aware of the costs if Mom and Dad are footing the bill for your education.

Stopping by the dining hall or flashing your student ID to use your flex dollars for fast food on campus might seem boring, but if you constantly order pizza or go out to eat even though you鈥檙e on a meal plan, you鈥檙e essentially paying for food twice鈥攁nd draining your wallet in the process. Make dining off campus a special treat and you鈥檒l be amazed at how much money you鈥檒l save by using your pre-paid meal plan!

4. Manage your debt.

Student loans and credit cards have become a way of life among today鈥檚 college students鈥攄ebt is accepted as 鈥渙rdinary鈥� rather than frowned upon as it was in the past. However, it鈥檚 a good idea to start keeping track of how much you owe now. Far too many students figure they鈥檒l worry about debt once they graduate, only to realize they can鈥檛 find a job earning enough to make minimum payments, let alone pay for housing, utilities and other basic necessities.

reported in 2011 that as people get older, they begin to experience 鈥渢he burden of debt repayment versus the pleasure of going to college.鈥� Know what you owe, and only use your credit card(s) in case of emergency. And no, that cute new Coach purse does not classify as an emergency.

5. Buy a few nice outfits.

Although you were just warned against growing debt and only using credit cards when you really, really need to, you should invest in a few professional outfits for upcoming internships and job interviews.

Torn jeans and flip flops might be okay for classes, but they’ll be frowned upon in most professional workplaces. There鈥檚 no need to purchase uber-pricey haute couture, but a nice-looking suit or simple dress-shirt-and-pants combo can go a long way when it comes to landing an internship or job.

6. Party less often, or limit the alcohol when you do.

Parents often think, 鈥淣ot my kid!鈥� but the reality is that a lot of college students drink. Parties are abundant on most college campuses, and even though can earn great salaries, learning about the effects of alcohol are sobering for many people.

According to drinking too much鈥攚hether on a single occasion or over time鈥攃an have serious health consequences. Binge drinking or alcohol abuse can damage your organs, weaken your immune system, and contribute to different types of cancers. That said, if you鈥檙e going to drink, drink in moderation鈥攁nd never drive after you鈥檝e been drinking.

7. Expand your horizons.

College is a great time to expand your horizons by getting out of your comfort zone. Take a class outside your major as an elective, join a club that deals with something you鈥檝e heard of, or go to a worship service with a friend that鈥檚 a different religion than you are. It may feel weird or seem odd at first, but once you graduate and enter the 鈥淩eal World鈥� you鈥檒l be faced with these 鈥渃hallenges鈥� on a regular basis鈥攁nd you鈥檒l be expected to follow through with them.

8. Start networking now.

Even though you鈥檙e still in college, it鈥檚 never too soon to start networking. Get in touch with people that work in your potential industry now rather than once you鈥檙e holding that new diploma. 鈥淭he concept is to plant the seeds before you need to harvest them,鈥� Heather Krasna, director of career services at the 911吃瓜网 of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs, told

Your best bets? Use the fact that you鈥檙e still in college to gain people鈥檚 interest鈥攎ost people are willing to help students. Use LinkedIn and Twitter responsibly, and see if a professor or your parents鈥� friends or co-workers would be interested in mentoring you.

There are plenty of other New Year鈥檚 resolutions for college students, but we think these eight can help you out in more ways than one. Happy 2012 and good luck this semester鈥攕pring break will be here before you know it!

Posted on 31 Dec

Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the 911吃瓜网 of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.