Louisville freshman Anna Moore wants to get in better shape this year. She works out three times a week and tries to vary her routine by going to exercise classes at Preston Center.

“I started before New Year’s and just decided to keep going,” she said.

Moore is one of many Western students making New Year’s resolutions to better themselves in 2004.

“Humans like to have things that motivate us,” psychology professor Patricia Randolph said. “The New Year helps motivate us to improve ourselves.”

Some popular resolutions students make include losing weight and getting in shape, improving relationships and being more successful by getting a new job or making more money. Randolph said personal goals such as monetary goals are highly achievable because they depend on the individual’s motivation.

“Dangerous ones are the ones that involve another person,” she said.

Those would be resolutions such as getting a boyfriend or girlfriend or getting engaged or married.

“College students particularly are aware of the social clock,” Randolph said.

Students may think college age is the appropriate age to get married, but it is difficult to set a goal that depends on the feelings of another person, Randolph said.

Georgetown sophomore Kyle Moody said he is keeping his resolution to lose five pounds by participating in a racquetball class this semester.

Edmonton freshman Joseph Embry said he doesn’t make resolutions because he doesn’t believe in them.

“I always break them anyway,” he said.

Embry has made past resolutions to get in shape and lose weight.

“Forget it,” he said. “They don’t work.”

People tend to break their resolutions, Randolph said. She said it’s usually difficult to keep motivation throughout the year.

“Most people learn to moderate their expectations,” she said.

Reach Emily Gries at [email protected].