A Red Bull clasped in one hand, your eyes glued to your notes while you try to memorize the material, while you simultaneously stuff your face with chips. Yeah, we’ve all been there.
College is an all-consuming time. When students enroll they are most likely poor, have no parental supervision around, they stress, and stay up late studying or hanging out with friends. And all these factors greatly contribute to gaining the dreaded “Freshman 15.”
Going to college and going to high school are very different. Everything has now changed. Students are no longer required to take a physical fitness class like P.E., parents no longer buy the groceries, and it’s the first time in the world alone.
In college, students pick up bad habits like staying up late, missing meals throughout the day, and stressing about everything. But if the students pay attention they can deal with the issues. Most of the problems boil down to three fundamental factors: fitness, schedule and stress.
Students no longer take P.E. and it is extremely hard to discipline yourself and voluntarily workout. But the hardest part is simply starting.
“If you want to work out and better yourself and live a healthier lifestyle then do it. You can. All it takes is just one step and that one step is to start it, and once you achieve that step of starting, then the next hardest step is to keep going,” said Michaelina Gonzales, a communications major and theatre minor.
But many students don’t trust themselves to get up early in the morning or head to the gym after a long day of classes, and if that is a variable then go with friends who will push you to go every day, and will help you to work out.
College life creates unusual and inflexible schedules. Some students have classes all mornings, and some take evening or night classes. These unconventional schedules affect students’ eating habits and also messes with their biological clocks. Giving yourself healthy options, and maybe cutting back on the sugary treats are some good ideas, but skipping meals is never the solution.
“I tell students all the time to eat something simple. When you don’t have anything in your system, it is like having no fuel in your car. It won’t work,” said Maricela G. Bowyer, the business operations manager at the Student Health and Wellness Center.
And finally the stress. Students have to deal with the stressful aspects of college in healthier ways. College will always be stressful so take a step back and breathe. Students should avoid or reduce their consumption of nicotine and anything containing caffeine and alcohol, then go for a run or walk, catch up on sleep, try relaxing techniques, or talk to someone. Students can fight stress, they just have to find a solution that works for them.
“When I first started college I was super thin, and then after a while I noticed I was getting kind of fat. I was eating junk food all the time because it cost less than the healthy stuff, but now I’ve cut back on chips and sodas and I try to go to the rec at least three times a week. I wish I had started this as a freshman, but it’s one of those things you have to go through to learn,” Abigail Rendon, a history major, said.