New Year, Same You — Just a Little More Relaxed

Welcome back to campus, Dragons! We hope you had a fantastic winter break filled with celebration, quality time with those closest to you, and some much-needed rest! With the new year and winter term now in full swing, we thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some helpful tips to ensure you stay refreshed, focused, and motivated well into the new year.

Set Realistic Goals

New Year's is a joyous celebration filled with optimism and hope for the year ahead. If you're anything like me, it can also be an anxiety-inducing inflection point — one that brings up all the changes I feel like I should make this year. Before you start overwhelming yourself with thoughts of hitting the gym again, cutting back on takeout, or finishing that novel collecting dust on your nightstand, please ensure your goals are actually achievable. Shooting for the stars is great, but an unaccomplished goal will leave you feeling defeated. Once you settle on one or two realistic goals, then take the time to break them down into small habits that can easily be ingrained into your weekly schedule.

Add a Siesta to Your To-Do List

We oftentimes feel guilty for just needing to rest. But taking some "me time" is just as important as all those pressing items on your to-do list. Without a little downtime, you may find yourself feeling burned out and out of sorts.  Helpful tip: Regularly carve out time in your schedule to unwind and treat this like any other task on your list. Think of it as "actively relaxing" to help minimize the guilt for not being traditionally "productive" at that moment.

Do Something Fun!

While you go about your busy day-to-day, please don't forget to pencil in some fun time. Consider this your time to let loose, connect with friends, or meet new ones. Plus, there are plenty of exciting activities and events popping up all over the city this winter. Here are some of our favorites:

• Lace up and skate under the sparkling city lights at the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink in Dilworth Park.
• Take shelter from cold by exploring the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Franklin Institute, and the Philadelphia Art Museum.
• Feeling fancy? Put on your finest evening wear and see the renowned Philadelphia Orchestra perform at Ensemble Arts Philly.

We hope these tips help you kick off the winter term and 2026 with a fabulous start. From all of us in Admissions, we wish you a happy, healthy, and rewarding new year!