U of R students reflect back on 2025 resolutions as they make the list for 2026
Happy New Year from the Carillon’s team to all our readers. We are excited to be back and looking forward to bringing you new and exciting stories!
With 2025 being officially closed off, we hope to enter 2026 with a clean slate with no burdens weighing us down. Every year, many of us look forward to the coming year with better expectations. Many of us revisit unfinished goals from the previous year or come up with new ones to accomplish in the next 12 months. Many even make a new year’s resolutions list to help better ourselves and have a better, more accomplished year than before.
The year past and the year ahead
I went around campus and asked the University of Regina (U of R) students three questions – What were their 2025 goals? Were they able to achieve it? And lastly, what are their goals for 2026? A majority of them acknowledged making a list for 2025 but said that they were unable to follow through. Whereas some mentioned accomplishing all of their goals. Way to go!
Czarina Pagador, a first-year international student, remembered setting a goal to stay connected with her family in 2025. Being able to achieve it, she hopes to stick to this intention in 2026 as well.
Padegor said her father’s words helped her achieve her goals for 2025. “With my dad reminding me [that] I should be grateful for everything that is happening because not a lot of people are privileged to have those things happen in their life kept me motivated to actually push myself to complete those goals of mine.” Looking ahead into 2026, Padegor also intends to not skip any classes and to continue fostering gratitude.
When asked if they had any goals for 2026, Kai Blanchard, a first-year journalism student said, “Yes, I have one, to finish my name change, because legally, the name I use is not my first name. I hope to have the money to finish it by summer and have it official by the time I graduate.”
U of R students Alaa and Naimah said that their resolution last year was to not procrastinate, which is also on their 2026 list since they were unable to fully achieve it. They plan to work specifically on it this year. They mentioned that although they were not completely successful, they are better at not delaying work now than they were a few years back, noting slow but steady improvement.
I’ve noticed that many of our goals about school were aligned like attending our lectures, getting assignments in before the due dates, improving grades, etc. I asked Alaa and Naimah if they had any short or long term goals outside of school. Alaa said that she wants to get her fitness journey started. While Naimah said that she hopes to save up money for upcoming trips. She acknowledged that to do so, she will need to keep working hard while also not spending money, accepting that her spending habit is something that needs to be put on a leash.
Remember that resolutions don’t get accomplished overnight. To achieve our goals is to nurture it like a plant. It’s all about baby steps and consistent growth.” – Frances Chiong
Answering the same questions myself
I had many goals to accomplish in 2025, like many others, which I was not able to meet either.
I had two major goals I had in mind last year. First, to read at least three books. The only books that were picked up last year were school readings and fanfictions. My second goal was to learn basic French or Italian, but I gave up when I reached grammar.
For 2026, I am determined to achieve my goals with small rewards at the end. I would like to revisit my goal from last year of completing three books from my growing stack of books before buying more to add to my bookshelf.
My second goal is to reach a basic level of German. To achieve it I am taking a German language class this semester. By accomplishing this goal, I can have simple conversations with my friend abroad.
My last goal for 2026 is to do my best in all of my classes. This year, I am determined to keep my GPA up or even improve it! By accomplishing this goal, I hope I can study abroad for a semester, preferably in Italy or Scotland. Studying abroad might take a while before it comes true, but keeping it in mind will keep me motivated throughout the school year. I like to believe that by focusing on accomplishing my small goals at the beginning of the year, it promotes a positive attitude.
As we now slip into the new year with a positive attitude and new habits to get used to, remember that resolutions don’t get accomplished overnight. To achieve our goals is to nurture it like a plant. It’s all about baby steps and consistent growth. By focusing on your goals and putting consistent effort towards them, they can end up as long term habits for not just this year but maybe for the rest of our lives. Every small effort counts! Cheers to a new year full of accomplishing goals!
