What’s scarier than the thought of failing a class your first
semester in college or being paired with an incompatible roommate?
That’s right, the dreaded Freshman 15
– those pesky pounds you pack on when Mom stops cooking for you
and you find yourself eating dining hall pizza three times a week
and Chinese food for breakfast.
What’s scarier than the thought of failing a class your first semester in college or being paired with an incompatible roommate? That’s right, the dreaded Freshman 15 – those pesky pounds you pack on when Mom stops cooking for you and you find yourself eating dining hall pizza three times a week and Chinese food for breakfast.
Staying healthy as you adjust to living on your own for the first time is simply a matter of making the right choices. To help freshmen make informed decisions, we’ve compiled some suggestions for how to eat right on a meal plan and in the dorm room, stay fit with easy activities, fend off germs and use campus health resources. After all, your mind can’t perform at its peak until your body is in the best condition possible.
Get Moving
Exercising can be such a chore. Who wants to schlep all the way to the gym when you have a nice cozy bed and a new episode of “Lost” waiting for you?
The truth is exercise doesn’t just keep you physically fit, said Anna Lutz, a registered dietitian at Duke University who works at the health center. “It’s a way of dealing with stress as a first-year student.”
The good news is you don’t have to plan gym time every day to get in exercise. Simple things like walking to class instead of taking the bus and working out with a buddy to keep you motivated are great ways to sneak in exercise, Lutz said.
You should make exercise “just as important as going to class and doing your homework,” she said.
PORTABLE EQUIPMENT
With term papers and tests to study for, sometimes your daily workout gets pushed to the last priority. But the benefits to your body and mind are so great it’s worth it to fit it in.
Martha Tillman, the director of the campus fitness center at Washington University in St. Louis, offered some simple suggestions for exercises and tools that can be used in a small space.
– Stability equipment (such as balls, discs and a balancing board): These tools are versatile because they work a variety of muscle groups. For the board and disc, the workout is largely based on balance. You can add free weights or resistance bands to simple exercises like leg lifts for an additional challenge.
– Resistance band: Perfect for toning trouble spots like underarms and quadriceps, this simple, effective tool will work wonders for your arms and legs. Because there are so many different ways to use it, Tillman suggests sticking with simple moves to ensure you’re safely working your target area. Try placing the band underneath one foot then curl with one or both arms to get killer biceps.
– Free weights: You’ll likely use these for endurance training because you can’t change the weight, but it’s still a great way to work the chest and upper body area. Feel free to get creative and take advantage of items you have lying around your room, like using soup cans to do biceps curls, Tillman said.
Tillman suggests making an appointment with a personal trainer at your university recreation center, a service most universities offer, to help customize your workout. Costs range depending on the school and type of trainer.
You should aim to get 30 minutes of exercise into your schedule every day, Tillman said, but it doesn’t matter if you choose to do it all at once or split it up.
STAYING HEALTHY
A college dormitory, where up to 50 people share one bathroom and two or three people coexist in a cramped living space, is an ideal environment for germs to spread. Classes, exams and parties will go on without you, so learning how to keep yourself healthy is essential.
“For many students, it’s the first time in their lives that they are responsible for their health,” said Dr. Alan Glass, director of the health center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Practicing basic hygiene can prevent many common bugs.
“I always tell students that the best three things they can do is wash their hands, wash their hands and wash their hands,” said Michael McNeil, coordinator of Temple University’s Health Empowerment Office.
Glass and McNeil had more advice to help avoid an illness:
– Get plenty of sleep, maintain a balanced diet and exercise. This helps keep the immune system healthy.
– Your school may require certain vaccinations. Glass recommends that each student should be inoculated against meningitis. Also think about getting an influenza shot from the health center.
– Stop your room from becoming an incubator for germs. Wash your clothes regularly, don’t let dirty dishes pile up and ventilate the room once in a while.
Dealing with illness
If you do get sick during the semester, Mom won’t be around to take your temperature, administer cough syrup and make sure you’re getting enough fluids. Here are some tips on taking care of yourself:
– Stock up on some basic over-the-counter medications and first aid supplies – fever reducer, pain reliever, de- congestant, cough suppressant, antihistamine, band-aids and antiseptic. Some health centers have sample sizes of medi-cations available in their offices. A thermometer is also useful, but not necessary.
– Don’t go to class if you feel too sick. You can’t concentrate when you feel poorly anyway, plus you only risk making others sick.
– If you don’t get better on your own in five days, it’s time to make an appointment at your campus clinic. “It’s better to err on the side of seeking health,” Glass said, so go as early as you feel you need to.
Health services vary from campus to campus, so check out your clinic’s Web site or pamphlets – preferably before you catch a bug.
INSURANCE PLANS
As you make the final preparations to head off to college, you’ll want to take a minute to sit down with your parents and discuss health insurance coverage.
While you may plan to continue to get coverage as a dependent on your parent’s plan, you may not be eligible as a full-time student, as some employers are lowering the age of coverage to 21, or in some cases 19, according to Susan Barry, marketing director for Student Resources, a marketer of student health insurance.
Also, if you’re going to school away from home, particularly outside your home state, your parent’s plan may not cover you (PPOs and HMOs have a specific network within which university health centers are rarely recognized as providers).
The majority of four-year institutions offer health insurance plans. There are several advantages to purchasing a health care plan through your school, Barry said.
The health center can act as your place for primary care, which means you won’t have to worry about finding doctors.
Also, you won’t have to file any claims because most health centers process that information, Barry said.
Regardless of your decision, make sure to sort it out before you leave so you’re not left without a safety net.
