Tonight, as you look back upon 2010’s days of auld lang syne, what will you resolve to accomplish in the New Year?

Some might say the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions is a futile attempt at fleeting change. Others see it as an opportunity to make lifestyle changes and improve their quality of life.

While ringing in the New Year, consider these, some of the most common, yet fulfilling, resolutions.

3. Get a higher

education

According to Stephanie Burcham, director of Ohio University’s Proctorville Center, furthering one’s education is always a great resolution.

“Any way we can enhance our lives is certainly beneficial,” Burcham said. “Higher education affords many opportunities.”

Burcham said no matter the age or experience, as long as people are proactive and willing to get to know campus personnel and the resources available, they can reach their New Year’s resolution goal of getting a higher education.

“There are so many things that are available that students aren’t aware of,” she said. “Here at the Proctorville Center, we try to make it a goal to interact with our students. I think a lot of students don’t know that we have free tutoring. We have exceptional library services.”

She also said the reason many people fail at their education resolution is because of a lack of confidence.

“I think sometimes people are embarrassed to ask for help, and they shouldn’t be, or they don’t want to bother someone in the office,” Burcham said. “We want to send that signal, certainly at our campus, that we’re here to help the students and if there is a question, come in and ask.”

For those who have set a resolution to go back to college, or begin for the first time, Ohio University Southern has found away to make the transition easy.

“We’ve provided this great program called Make Your Mark,” Burcham said. “It allows adults who have been out of higher education or who have never been apart of higher education for at least three years to sample higher education.”

Make Your Mark allows eligible students the opportunity to enroll in one college class at a special rate of $10 per credit hour. One four credit hour class would cost only $40 to enroll.

“It’s a way for us to allow those individuals to get a taste of what a college class is all about,” said Robert Pleasant, director of student services at the OUS campus. “Hopefully, through that process, they will want to continue their education.”

The offer is available at both the Proctorville and Ironton locations and is for students who have not taken classes at a higher education institution within the past three years. Students also cannot have earned a bachelor’s degree. Students must ask for the special Make Your Mark application at the time of registration.

“We have seen quite a few students take advantage of this opportunity,” Pleasant said. “It’s a great way to get your foot in the door and for those adult students looking for an opportunity, I think this is probably a great way to start.”

2. Quit Smoking

It has been 45 years since Congress required cigarette packaging to carry a warning label, yet the American Cancer Society says that tobacco-related deaths kill more Americans each year than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.

That’s about 443,600 people each year.

What better way to kick off 2011 than to kick the habit?

Shawna Stevens, lung health advocate at King’s Daughters Medical Center, said smoking cessation classes are available year round and participants can start the free program anytime.

“Usually January is our biggest group,” Stevens said. “We’re hoping to seek an influx of participants.”

Stevens recommends that participants stick with the program for the entire 24 weeks. The program at KDMC employs the Cooper-Clayton method of cessation, which utilizes nicotine replacement, the classes and discussion as well as motivation.

The program is free except for the cost of the participant’s choice of nicotine replacement. KDMC also offers free access to the Ashland YMCA while participating in the program. The classes are available on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the lower level of the health education center at KDMC.

“The statistics will show you that there is a better chance of success when you have accountability and you have support,” Stevens said. “You’re not going to find better support than with a group of people who are struggling through this same process.”

The classes are not just for smoking, but also smokeless tobacco, Stevens said.

“We just encourage people to realize that (smokeless tobacco) is not a better alternative,” she said. “There are just as many health risks associated with smokeless tobacco as there is with smoking.”

Stevens said that participants should realize the seriousness of the challenge, should they choose to resolve to quit smoking or using tobacco.

“It’s probably the best New Year’s resolution anyone can have,” she said. “All they have to do is give us a call.”

1. Battle the bulge

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 68 percent of adults age 20 and over are overweight or obese, so it is not surprising that getting fit or loosing weight would be a popular New Year’s resolution.

Parletta Fannin, manager of the Preferred Fitness gym in downtown Ironton, said the gym gets swamped at the beginning of the year.

“People have an abundance of food over the holidays,” Fannin said.

She also said the gym gets busier during the winter months because people don’t want to exercise out in the cold and also because people come in to redeem gift cards. She said even though the gym attendance tapers of in warmer months, she is confident that people still hold to their resolutions of getting fit.

“They know they need to do it,” Fannin said. “They don’t have much energy.”

Once people begin to exercise, Fannin said, they begin to have more energy and feel better.

Fannin said Preferred Fitness has no initiation fee to join, and people can try the gym on a monthly basis.

“It’s for young and old people,” she said. “You don’t have to be a body builder to come in.”

Maxine Lewis, public health educator at the Lawrence County Health Department, said getting healthy for the New Year is an important decision to make.

“It’s an excellent resolution, but it’s something that’s hard to do,” she said. “You must be willing to make a lifestyle change.”

For those who want to become healthier, she said, it is a good idea to start the process slowly. She said to lose weight is a slow process because putting the weight on is a slow process.

“Start with one thing at a time,” Lewis said, suggesting adding more vegetables in a diet plan. “Then when you’ve got that part down, look at another area to work on.”

Lewis said these changes to become healthier must be made for a lifetime, not just for a week or a month.

She suggested calling the health department for help getting steered in the right direction for a New Year’s health plan.