The month of January elicits a lot of emotions for people. Some of you may have met the new year with a clean slate. While some of you may be trying to pick up the pieces from 2018.

Maybe you feel stuck emotionally, physically, or creatively.

We should treat the new semester like the new year. One way we can do this is by making resolutions.

Our resolution is to be a better paper. We are diving into deeper stories and altering our designs to look more eye-catching. We are enforcing photography as a priority. We want to redesign our website.

Those are merely a few examples of how The Chart is going to improve this semester.

Think about what you specifically need to work on. What did you struggle with last year, and how can you make it better now?

No matter what it is, remember to recognize that each semester is a fresh start for everyone.

You want to make more friends? Join a club or meet up with the people in your classes for coffee.

You want to eliminate unnecessary stress? Prioritize assignments and don’t forget to make time for yourself. Putting off work is more stressful than buckling down and getting it done.

Do more of what makes you happy–buy a facemask, plan a game night with your roommates, eat at Chick fil A, read that book you keep putting off. The smallest steps you take to take care of yourself can make a world of difference.

Also, don’t let your grades from previous semesters dictate your grades now.

Like we’ve been saying, it is a fresh start for all of us. If you were not happy about your academic performance last year, don’t dwell on it. Remember how those grades made you feel and use that to motivate you to succeed.

We are at Missouri Southern because we chose to be here. We can make the most of our time if we put in the effort. By no means is this an easy task.

So many distractions can get in the way of our success. It is important to surround yourself with people who can snap you out of your mid-semester slugs and put you back on track.

As we ring in a new year, ask yourself how you can make this the best one yet and do what you need to make it happen. Take charge of your life personally and academically.

While you are busy doing that, us at The Chart will do our best to hold up our resolutions and continue to provide students with a quality newspaper. Have a wonderful new year.

Go Lions!