NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION FOR STUDENTS

I have been a university student for four years now and each year my New Year's resolution has been basicallly the same: to be a better student. Here are five ways to make that come true.

1. ATTEND YOUR LECTURES
Before you skip another lecture, think: why am I missing part of an education that costs me #80,000 a year?Lecture and seminars cover the content you are going to be tested on and by missing themyou could fall behind.After you leave university, potential employers may ask for a reference from your lecturers. So are those early morning lie-ins really worth missing out on your dream job?

2. PICK YOUR NIGHTS OUT
After a week of clubbing, you can actually forget you are studying for a degree. Yes, university should be fun, but your degree must come first. So while getting drunk, eating fast food on the way back home, and passing out on your bed may seem endlessly pleasurable, you need to work at some point. Don't think tomorrow will come along and solve all your problems.
If you've got a raging hangover, you'll be lucky to get out of bed. The answer is to ration your nights out, or your degree might get lost along with your memories of the night before.

3. LIMIT THE SHOWS YOU WATCH
When an essay is looming, the television shows you can access on your laptop will seem much more attractive than that document with your first few shaky paragraphs in it. Limit the number of shows you watch. Don't start a new series before you have finished an old one. Or stick to live TV – at least you can't get tempted to watch episode after episode.

4. SAVE ENERGY ANN POWER
In student accommodation, gas and electricity is covered. But when you move to private housing you have to pay the bills. Turn lights off if you aren't using them and don't leave your laptop charging 24/7. Do you need to waste water and energy by running a bath and lying in your own filth for an hour? Most probably, no. Cut the waste, and you will save your precious student loan.

5. DO THE HOUSE WORK
In my experience, 95% of arguments in student housing are centred around the washing up. Wash up straight after a meal so you don't forget. If you don't do your fair share, the dishes will pile up and one unfortunate housemate will have to tackle it all – hardly good for house dynamics. Dirty dishes are just one part of the mess that we generate. Why not make a cleaning rota to share out the rest?