As a college freshman, the excitement of starting a new chapter in your life can be overwhelming. Amidst the tons of orientation events, making new friends, and exploring your campus, it’s essential to prioritize your health and well-being. As you embark on your college journey, think of your body as the canvas and your choices as the brushstrokes. Each meal and every physical activity is a stroke of the brush, shaping the masterpiece of your well-being. This post will guide you with how to stay on top of your health.
Eating Well on Campus
Start Your Day Right: Breakfast Matters
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a college student is skipping breakfast. It’s often tempting to hit the snooze button and rush to your morning classes, but a nutritious breakfast fuels your body and sharpens your mind. Opt for options like whole-grain cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal to kickstart your day with energy.
Choose Balanced Meals
When dining in the campus cafeteria or choosing meals at local eateries, aim for balanced options. Include a source of protein (like lean meats, tofu, or beans), plenty of colorful vegetables, and whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta) in your meals. This balanced approach ensures you get essential nutrients to stay healthy.
Smart Snacking
Snacking can be a healthy habit if done right. Keep nutritious snacks like fruit, nuts, and yogurt in your dorm room or backpack to satisfy cravings between classes. Avoid vending machines filled with sugary or processed snacks.
Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is often underestimated. Carry a reusable water bottle and aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased concentration, which can affect your academic performance.
Staying Active on Campus
Explore Campus Resources
College campuses offer a variety of fitness facilities and programs. Take advantage of your student ID, which often grants you access to gyms, fitness classes, and recreational areas. Explore these resources to find activities you enjoy.
Incorporate Exercise into Your Routine
Establish a regular exercise routine that fits your schedule. Staying active on campus is kind of like getting some fresh air; it’s like a little boost for your overall well-being. Whether it’s early morning yoga, midday jogs, or evening weightlifting sessions, consistency is key. Find a workout buddy to make it more enjoyable and keep you accountable. Working out doesn’t have to be everyday- a few times a week is more than enough.
Walk and Bike
Instead of relying on cars or public transportation for short distances, consider walking or biking. This not only reduces your carbon footprint but also helps you stay active. Many campuses have bike-sharing programs or designated bike lanes for safe cycling.
Join Intramural Sports or Clubs
Participating in intramural sports or campus clubs is a fantastic way to stay active and meet new friends who share your interests. Whether it’s soccer, ultimate frisbee, or dance, there’s likely a group for you.
Active Study Breaks
During long study sessions, take breaks to move around. Short walks, stretching exercises, or even a quick dance party in your dorm can refresh your mind and keep you energized.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a college freshman is entirely achievable with the right strategies. Eating well and staying active on campus not only supports your physical health but also enhances your mental and emotional well-being, ultimately improving your overall college experience. Remember, college is about ‘learning’ both inside and outside the classroom. So, while you’re ‘studying’ in the library, don’t forget to ‘exercise’ your right to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t just eat to live; live to eat wisely.
After reading this post, I really enjoyed the positive atmosphere you held throughout the entire journal entry, especially when talking about eating well and staying healthy. In the first few weeks of college, I was only focused on going to my classes on time and finishing homework and I completely forgot about healthy eating and exercising habits. The balanced meal image definitely gave me insight into how certain portions of food can help me with my nutrition goals, such as more protein intake.
I have started eating breakfast in the morning, and let me tell you, it truly does work wonders for my energy levels in the morning. Before I would not eat breakfast I would come to class half asleep and truly not grasp what we talked about in class. I also have been going to group workouts at the IM gym. I have tried cycling, HITT, and cardio kickboxing classes and I love them. These also help with the stress that I have while also keeping me healthy. Thank you for the additional advice!
This was a very important blog post for everyone to read. I think a lot of people get caught sleeping in if they later classes, I know I do, that it causes them to get ready quickly and miss breakfast. In high school, I used to eat breakfast everyday because it was easily accessible, but in college my habits have become eating breakfast every other day. Additionally, it has been hard to balance meals in college because the fruits the dining halls offer are not ones that I tend to like. I know I have to change a bunch of my habits in order to lead a healthy college life.
After reading this and the comments, I think it’s time for me to start eating breakfast. I was never a huge breakfast fan (savory > sweet) so I don’t normally eat breakfast. Sometimes I do, a bagel and coffee work just fine for me. However, I think I need to upgrade my current breakfast routine. I work-out at least 4-5 times a week with one day of what my friends and I call “IM-Day”. It just means we go to the Intramural Building and play sports. We’ve played badminton, pickleball, raquetball, and volleyball (I love volleyball so I always try to play with people once a week). Being active is not hard (especially when you walk everywhere), it can be as simple as walking around town or campus. It doesn’t need to be lifting weights like I do! Fitness is whatever you make it, do what works best for you!
I think this specific post is one of the highlighted things every college student need. I know I’m scared of the freshman 15 to hit me so I know eventually I will have to change my eating habits. But highlighting that you need to eat breakfast is very important and reassuring because I skip breakfast a lot, so I needed that reassurance that its needed! This blog was helpful and I think you touch on a lot of important points for all college students, keep it up!
Sitting here on a Monday morning, with my stomach making noises galore, I definitely want to second your argument for breakfast. This class is just too early for my brain, so I always eat breakfast after, but I find it to be an absolutely necessary part of my day. I eat a lot to sustain myself because I’m always on the move, so I need to start early in the day to make sure I have enough energy to make it through the day. I also think I read this blog at the perfect time, because I needed someone to motivate me to get back into an established exercise routine. I’ve fallen out of my typical routine because college is so different from what I’m used to, but I really want to get back into it. How do you think you can stay motivated to get outside and be active even when it’s going to get so cold here in State College?
All the points are unarguable, but the most key point for me is the sleep schedule. The amount of sleep affects your next day or even days if you miss enough sleep, and it is unhealthy to consume too much caffeine. I recently have thoughts of going to the gym, but as a complete rookie, I often have no idea what to do as a daily schedule.
Hi Sakshi! I love the way you concisely explain what it is that students can do to stay healthy, and how it directly affects your life. I’m taking Nutrition 100 this semester and some of the themes in this post really align with that of the class in a very brief but informational way. It is so important to stay active, but sometimes it is hard to find the time to go to the gym. I say this as someone who has been too booked to go within the last WEEK haha. Anyways, great post this week, Sakshi. Keep up the great work.
Hi Sakshi, I really appreciate your views on healthy eating with dorm food. I find it really hard to eat healthy when I face the combined problems of readily available processed food and poor quality health foods. I think there’s definitely ways to eat healthy in the dorms, but it takes a little extra bit of work that some students aren’t willing to put in (Including me sometimes I’m gonna be real w/ you). I also think you make a really good point about utilizing campus health resources, especially the IM. I love the variety of the IM building but I especially enjoy the climbing wall, and I spend a lot of my evenings there (When I don’t have passion posts to write lol).