Resolutions for a new semester

As I sat at my computer and nervously checked my grades over the winter break, I couldn't help but think about all the things I was going to do differently this spring semester. For the third time since coming to Penn, a new semester was about to start. And along with it, I was ready to make yet another list of resolutions about how to be a better student, a better friend and a better person. The truth is that most people don't take full advantage of what they have while they are at Penn. But rather than going on about all that this University has to offer -- a list that most students have heard on countless occasions -- I'd rather give you some ideas about what new semester resolutions we can make together to take advantage of the four years we have here. Besides, these kinds of opportunities won't be there during medical school classes or 14-hour days at those Wall Street financial firms. Take a class for yourself. Learn about something that intrigues you, not because it fulfills Sector V or you want to hook up with the TA. Right now is perhaps the only time you'll really have to expose yourself to vastly different ways of thinking and experiencing the world. And sometimes, what we're interested in takes a backseat to our academic or career plans. Make time this semester to bring those interests to the forefront. Best of all, when else in life will you be able to get credit for clay wheel throwing? Go to a museum. Most of us are going to leave Philadelphia after graduation, and the chance to take advantage of the city's unique cultural resources will then likely be lost forever. Even if you're only going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to climb the Rocky steps, try to pop into the building itself for at least a half an hour. Although few of us have the time to regularly visit museums or see concerts, make some time to learn outside of the classroom at least once this semester. See one of Penn's performing arts groups -- specifically one that you've never seen before. For far too many of us, the only groups we ever see are the ones we have friends in. Many of the groups at Penn are outstanding, and all of them need attendance to help support their efforts. And no matter what you see, it will definitely be more entertaining than watching a rerun of Midnight Live on UTV13. Invite one of your friends to visit you at home. If it were not for one of my best friends, for example, I would never have been able to experience the bliss that is known as central New Jersey. Sometimes one of the best ways to give your friends insights into your life -- occasionally to a point where they don't want to know any more -- is to bring them into the world in which you grew up. Although the clash of the home and school lives is sometimes a scary thing to witness, at least your parents will have to be pleasant for a few days. Become involved in a new activity. The great thing about college is that a new opportunity to become active in a cause or activity presents itself everyday.

Although it may not seem like the opportune time to join something, try to learn more about that club, publication or group you've always been interested in. There are few organizations on campus that will turn away interested people. And the best part about joining now is that you don't have to commit yourself for a full year. Discover someplace new to go. It's so easy to fall into the rut of going to Mad 4 Mex or New Deck every weekend night. At least one night this semester, go downtown and try something new. Between the copies of 34th Street and City Paper that can be found all over this campus , you should be able to find someplace interesting to drop your hard-earned money. Besides, for those of us with bad fake IDs, few places in this town are as tough to get into as Smoke's on a Saturday night. Think you've got enough resolutions to remember? Think of it this way -- they're much easier to keep than those ones about keeping your grades up or losing the freshman 15.

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