Atlanta Dunia

CAMPUS

Ringing in the=20 resolutions!
The New=20 Year resolution is something everyone on campus takes with a pinch of=20 salt!


Samir Vira 4th year student at Georgia = Tech B.S.=20 Computer Science	Mallika=20 Mehra Senior at = Georgia=20 Tech Majoring in Biology with a Biomedical = engineering	Naveen=20 Dittakavi Major: Computer = Science at Georgia=20 Tech

In the beginning is the New Year resolution. By = the=20 middle of the year, it weighs like a guilty conscience on your = mind. By=20 the end of the year though, you are ready to dump it and start planning = for next=20 year's set of resolutions!

New Year determinations are often almost part = of the=20 curriculum on campus, where the academic as well as social pressures can = well be=20 killing. If weight loss is one's bane, studying harder could be = another's=20 fix. So we thought let us ask a few students in Atlanta to gauge = the New=20 Year mood, to fathom what drives their plans for the year ahead and = also, to do=20 a reality check - do New Year resolutions really work?

For most, last year's resolutions lasted - for a = good two or=20 three months! The good part is - most could = remember=20 2003's New Year resolutions! Reasons Naveen Dittakavi, "If it's = reasonable,=20 you'll be able to find a way to keep your New Year resolutions. Many = times, we=20 choose to lose tens of pounds and it never is successful." So = Naveen this=20 year has opted to concentrate on enjoying his graduating year. Last = year's=20 resolutions were a trifle serious though. Naveen resolved to find a way = to=20 balance both a personal life and an academic life, which at Tech, he = believes,=20 is just not feasible. His second goal for the year was to become more = involved=20 with politics and promote the voice of the people. In this, he did = succeed, he=20 says, "because now I am helping to get more people to vote this coming=20 November." Not surprisingly though, by March 2003, Naveen had to = let his=20 personal life die in order to weather the academic whirlwind the rest of = the=20 year.

Mallika Mehra's story is somewhat similar. She started the = year=20 hoping to eat healthy, but had to watch her resolution wither away, as = "in=20 college, it was hard to watch what to eat because sometimes we don't = really have=20 that many options to choose from." Another resolution bites the dust.=20 Undeterred, Mallika this time has resolved to repeat one of her more = successful=20 past resolutions, "I aim to keep up working hard in college...apart from = that, I=20 want to work on being a better person. To help me, I am thinking = of=20 starting meditation."

Personal wellbeing is also high on = the=20 agenda of Samir Vira, a student at Georgia Tech. "I'm going to try to = get into=20 shape (I need to lose some belly and gain more muscle)," he says. = Another=20 unrequited resolution from last year (this one lasted two months) finds = place on=20 his agenda for this year - Samir intends to reach meetings and = appointments on=20 time! Do New Year resolutions have to be kept? Argues Samir, "If they = are=20 realistic, I think they should be kept. You have to be = determined=20 and have the willpower to go through with them." Willpower may well be = something=20 Samir himself could do with, as most of this year's resolutions = sound=20 suspiciously like last year's! Interestingly though, both Samir and = Mallika=20 believe in sharing their resolutions with close friends and family. "I = like to=20 let them know that I'm trying to change certain things about myself and = also to=20 allow them to remind and motivate me to fulfill those resolutions," says = Samir.=20

For Naveen however, New year resolutions are but a good = discussion topic=20 to thrash out with friends, not to be taken too seriously. "It's usually = a goal=20 we want to achieve at some point. We have to make the sacrifices and = changes in=20 our life in order to attain them," he philosophizes.Naveen himself may = not keep=20 his resolutions, but does have friends who do. "My friend gave up = carbonated=20 drinks for a year. Amazingly he was able to keep it - however I truly = enjoyed=20 taunting him throughout the year," he laughs. For Mallika though, New = Year=20 resolutions are serious stuff. "I stuck to concentrating more in school = and it=20 shows from my grades. It has helped me be more confident about = myself,"=20 she affirms. Most of those we spoke to denied that a tough regimen = demanded by a=20 New Year resolution can cramp one's lifestyle. Says Samir, "I = should be=20 able to adjust my resolutions to my lifestyle. I think that is = part of=20 what makes a New Year's resolution a 'realistic' one." As a parting = shot, we=20 asked Naveen, " Is there any resolution that you always wanted to stick = to, but=20 never could?" Quipped he, "Here's the thing: If I can't remember my = resolutions=20 from the past, I think we can safely say I never kept them!"

Touch=E9!