When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, many people are relieved to make it to the new year. For many, this is the start of their New Year’s resolutions. People all over the world come together to celebrate this special day. There is a common New Year tradition, which is to make new goals for the upcoming year. With that in mind, many people try to aim for goals that can be accomplished within the year, hence why they’re called “New Year’s Resolutions.”

Solon High School (SHS) students have multiple resolutions they wish to accomplish. School is a big part of SHS students’ lives. Many students plan to achieve and perform better in school in 2022. With that in mind, it is a common trend for students to make grades their top priority for the New Year.

Freshman Maggie Cruickshank expressed her number one New Year’s resolution.

“I hope to get good grades and focus more in school,” Cruickshank said. “I plan to spend more hours studying after school, and focusing on homework.”

Junior Polina Lopata has a similar New Year’s resolution to Cruickshank.

“My goals for 2022 are to improve my grades to be better, travel more, [be] financially stable, to get a pet cat, to take more notes in class to help me perform better on tests and assignments,” Lopata said.

Another popular trend among students is to be financially stable. Senior Yasmeen Aziz Furguson has set big goals for 2022.

“I want to get into my dream college, graduate from high school, and be financially stable,” Furguson said.

She plans to accomplish her goals by opening a savings account and working more hours to be financially independent while focusing on school.

Some students are prioritizing personal health.

Freshman Jamie Kannensohn’s goal is to get better sleep.

“I want to get more hours of sleep and go to sleep at an earlier time with a strict schedule,” Kannensohn said.

She plans to use her hours of sleep to focus more on school.

Baseball player Ben Kresja has set a goal to improve his health and physical state for baseball.

“Staying in shape, keeping a healthy diet and having a routine of stretching more often before games, so I don’t get injured easily,” said Kresja. “ Last year I found myself getting injured a lot.”

Kresja believes that staying in shape is his top priority for 2022.

With school and sports going on in Kresja’s life, he plans to find a good balance and has a plan to achieve that.

“[I want to have] a strict schedule and [find] time after school to work out,” said Kresja. “ I forget to work out sometimes and it is not consistent.”

Yoga is an activity many people perform to relieve stress levels as well as drastically improve mental awareness. Senior Kyra Pallotta finds doing yoga as a way to be more physically and mentally healthier for her 2022 resolution.

“Yoga will help me be more present as well as manage my stress better,” Pallotta said. “Doing yoga twice a week will help me reach that goal.”

Junior Marlene Ross believes that prioritizing mental health is crucial. She wants to keep a personal journal and write her thoughts in it as well as do her favorite activities.

“I want to be happier and mentally happier,” Ross said.

Many people believe that driving and getting transportation is an essential need.

“My main goal this year is to get my license,” said Annie Wyner. “ I will practice driving more and make it a habit to practice instead of forgetting to drive.”

Students of SHS have shared many huge plans ahead of them. Many of them will work hard to achieve those goals. With that in mind, we can wish students the best of luck on accomplishing their goals.