As the snow begins to melt across Dartmouth and the Green finally lives up to its name, students find themselves at the fresh start of spring term. Gone are the North Face puffers and Canada Goose parkas, swapped for light fleeces — and for the bold, even shorts. The turn of the term offers more than just a seasonal transition, however. Spring term provides a moment to reflect on ambitious New Year’s resolutions set while possessing a more optimistic January mindset.
“There’s something really ceremonious about sitting down in January and writing out everything I want to do in the upcoming year,” Minelle Jeddy ’27 said.
For this year’s resolution, Alexandra Ponasik ’26 set out to journal every day with “no structure,” simply to “[get] whatever’s in [her] head onto the page.” While she maintained her habit while at home, she soon started to write less and less.
Although Ponasik didn’t stick to her resolution as rigidly as she’d initially intended, she said the practice of simply setting a goal had a “positive impact” on her mental health.
“It has helped me be more emotionally available and better at communication,” she said. “That is specific to writing and journaling, but I think any time you stick to a goal it is rewarding.”
According to Nick Matanmi ’28, setting resolutions was less about productivity and more about connection. He sought out “more genuine relationships” at Dartmouth.
He learned that meaningful relationships required more than just meeting new people; they demanded vulnerability and a willingness to navigate conflict.
“It’s more about nurturing the connections I already have,” Matanmi said. “I learned that community matters to me more than I realized. And part of that is learning how to work through the messy parts, too.”
For some, goal-setting isn't about a singular resolution but rather a cluster of aspirations. Nardos Mengesha ’28 set out to exercise more regularly, deepen her faith, save her money and return to her love for the violin. While achieving her goals hasn’t been a linear journey, she said she has remained committed overall.
“Accountability has been the most essential to staying committed,” Mengesha said. “Specifically for some of the goals that I have made good progress towards, it’s because I told myself I would make small amounts of progress toward it, rather than doing it all at once.”
Not all of her resolutions are so high-minded. One of Mengesha’s tangible resolutions was to get a summer internship. Every weekend, she “[sat] down for a couple of hours and just went through LinkedIn and Handshake and submitted a ton of applications.”
“Because I made that small step each week, it wasn't a huge time commitment at all,” she said.
Jeddy echoed this sentiment, realizing that the small steps toward her goals kept her motivated rather than succumbing to an all-or-nothing mindset.
“Maybe I didn’t go to the gym every day, but I still went,” Jeddy said. “Or maybe I only read two books instead of ten. That’s still something.”
For Ponasik, this lesson was eye-opening.
“I always thought I was someone who followed through on everything,” she said. “But this taught me that it's okay not to be perfect, as long as I’m trying.”
There is a shared sentiment among students that social media can also make or break your motivation.
“You see these morning routines of people waking up at 6 a.m., and then they go to the gym and have meditated, prayed, and done their work by 10 a.m.,” said Mengesha. “Social media just shows a very idealized version of reaching goals, without the pitfalls and mistakes that come with trying to reach goals.”
Matanmi pointed out that social media doesn’t just influence motivation; it can also dictate what people aspire to. He acknowledged that people sometimes set resolutions because they are “trendy and not because it’s something they really want,” making it “harder to commit.”
Jeddy agreed, noting how platforms like Pinterest and TikTok romanticize and aestheticize self-improvement.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m trying to chase someone else’s version of success,” she said. “But I’m learning to check in with myself more often.”
Still, social media can instill motivation. Mengesha expressed that when she sees people from similar backgrounds achieving high amounts of success, she feels reassured that she can do the same.
“Especially as a Black woman, seeing someone who overcame obstacles and made it gives me hope,” she said.
Jeddy highlighted a similar sentiment, describing how her mom once “showed [her an] influencer from Pakistan who lives in the U.S.,” and that “it felt really validating” and made her “feel like there's a space for her too.”
Now, as spring blooms, students have the opportunity to assess what worked, what didn’t and what they want to carry forward. At Dartmouth, where the terms are fast-paced, reflection is essential. And whether it’s tracking journal entries, fostering connections or simply reading one more book, students are proving that growth doesn’t need to be dramatic in order to be meaningful. Even small steps matter, and a pause to reflect counts as progress.
As Mengesha put it, “sometimes it’s about trying to break it down into smaller pieces rather than trying to do it all at once.”
