Promises, promises ...

It's time to make our New Year's resolutions - but how many of us will follow through? Xing Yi asked a group of students about their hopes for 2017.

There's a joke about New Year's resolutions that says: "This year, I'm going to complete my plan for 2016, which I had vowed to complete in 2015, because it's a promise I made to myself in 2014."

Because, for all our good intentions - self-improvement, a healthier lifestyle, wiser spending or whatever else - only a fraction of us keep our resolutions in the following months.

Still, it's a good way to start the year - a new chapter of one's life. And some people actually do realize their resolutions.

Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example, sets a personal New Year challenge every year. His goal in 2010 was to study Chinese, and he surprised many when he gave a 20-minute speech in Mandarin about changing the world at Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2015.

Despite high failure rates, a New Year's resolution is, after all, a wish for change.

If you don't change the world, there is still a good chance that you may change yourself for the better.

We asked students at different stages of their studies in China about their New Year's resolutions. Perhaps, they'll offer you inspiration.

Cai Yuheng, 25, graduate student at Shanghai Jiaotong University

Cai Yuheng became a father in December. This year he is graduating from university. "A new member has coming into our family, and I am stepping onto my career path," says Cai, who got married in July. "I hope my work can relieve the financial burden on the family."

Cai has already got an offer from a real estate company and just bought an apartment in Shanghai with a monthly mortgage around 6,000 yuan ($860).

"I am not sure whether I am ready for my new role as a father, but I will do my best to provide my child with a better environment," says Cai. "I have already prepared the milk powder and diapers."

For his New Year's resolution, Cai hopes he will get Shanghai hukou - a household registration for the city - and perform well with his future employer.

Li Yadong, 22, junior at Tsinghua University

Taking a gap year is not as common among Chinese students as it is for Westerners. But Li Yadong, a junior studying journalism, decided to do it. However, he isn't just traveling for fun or self-discovery. He has a plan.

Since August, he has traveled to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to interview people from Chinese companies in Africa.

"I plan to write about the business of eight Chinese companies in Africa," says Li. "I have finished three of them. Four are in progress. And I haven't started the last one."

Li started after discussing the idea with a dozen startups and journalists following his first visit to Africa in August. He saw advertisements for Chinese brands painted on walls, Chinese products in supermarkets and Chinese mobile phones used by African people.

Li says that Africa is becoming a huge emerging market, and he hopes to provide people outside with business insights from his firsthand experience.

"My report might not be objective, but it will be real," says Li, who plans to visit Tanzania or Ethiopia and return to China in March.

"In the New Year, my resolution is to have more self-control to finish writing a report and to keep focusing on Africa - once in Africa, always in Africa."

Li Jiajia, 18, freshman in Tianjin Foreign Studies University

Born in Zhejiang province, like some 9 million Chinese high school students, Li Jiajia studied the same subjects - Chinese, math, English and so on - for the Chinese college entrance examination last year.

"In high school, I went to sleep at 11 pm and got up at 5 am to study every day," says Li. "In university, I have more time of my own, so I want to try new things."

Since she entered the university in September, Li has participated in a debate competition, run a marathon and was part of an outstanding delegation in a Model United Nations contest.

Li has a long list of things she wants to do at university, including developing an everyday reading habit, backpacking on her own, starting a small business and writing an autobiography.

When asked about this year's resolutions, she says: "I have been wanting to study Spanish for a long time, so I'd better get started in the spring semester. I also want to grow some plants in spring. Seeing greenery puts me in a good mood."

Li Yijie, 22, senior at Sichuan Normal University

For most Chinese university seniors, the coming months will be critical for finding a job. But Li Yijie, a senior majoring in English language and literature, has already made his career choice - to become a professional musician.

Li is the singer and lyricist with the rap group CD Rev, from Chengdu, Sichuan province. The group became famous for its English-language song This Is China, which explains their views about China and counters some misconceptions about the country held by Westerners.

The band got a lot of media exposure at home and abroad in 2016, but Li is not satisfied to leave it there.

"We wanted to influence others through our music, but this goal is far from being accomplished," he says.

Besides retaining the group's current style, which mixes elements of rap with Sichuan Opera and focuses on current news, Li wants to try styles that are softer and will appeal to a wider audience.

Another resolution is to do some work on the business side of music. "This year, we want to cooperate with government agencies and companies to host musical-selection events in seven cities to discover and support more indie musicians and groups."

Santana Muthoni, 21, graduate student at Peking University

Santana Muthoni was born and raised in Kenya and came to Beijing in September. She was accepted by Yenching Academy, which is a school in Peking University aiming to cultivate world leaders who will make a difference.

Muthoni graduated with a bachelor's degree in international relations from the United States International University in Africa.

"I want to push myself out of my comfort zone," Muthoni says when asked why she came to China.

Muthoni has met fellow students from all over the world. As well as those from bigger countries, there are also people from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Many of her friends will share Muthoni's New Year's resolution, which is to make progress studying the Chinese language.

"So far I can say 'I want to buy this' and 'I want to go there'. Sometimes when I try to engage in conversation, I'm not able to understand what the other person means," says Muthoni, who has already become a language-exchange buddy with Chinese students and learned some basic Chinese characters.

"After graduation, I want to work in China for two or three years, maybe as a diplomat or in the field of human resources," says Muthoni.

Wu Yue contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn