advice for a new college student?

jaci232

i know a lot of you on mfp are college kids or recent alums--do you have any advice for a new college student? it doesn't have to be diet/fitness related...maybe if you could just share your experiences about the transition? i'm a little anxious : /

pepperika88

I'm about to enter my second year at college and am now starting a new diet to lose the weight I gained in my first year. I found it quite easy to stick to healthy eating at first, but if like I was, you'd always had your parents around for cooking it can be quite easy to slip into a pattern of eating basics like pasta and rice dishes. After I'd settled into my new house and new housemates the social aspect of consuming alcohol as well as lots of takeaways does take it's toll! I think as long as you are still in control of what you're eating and have a good list of healthy easy to make meals you'll do great. Alcohol and take out in moderation is part of student life and if it's something you enjoy too, treat yourself in moderation and enjoy yourself.

jtsmou

Don't submit to the pressured to join -
Don't jump in without looking -
Keep an open mind, but maintain a healthy level of skepticism -
Don't form opinions based on infatuations with a particular movement -
Don't form opinions based on infatuations with any person who represents a particular movement -
Schools of thought are only that -
Avoid people with cameras when there is alcohol present -

If you want to make it easy, just parrot your profs opinions back to them.

If you want to learn something, question everything.

liannac

are you living at home or in residence?
if you're living on rez, most would have a small gym within it which is great because its so close by so you can slip in a 30 minute workout before class, in between class or after class with not much trouble at all.
residence food can be quite unhealthy however most colleges now should probably have a nutrition chart on most of their cooked foods so that should help. rez cafes can also feature some healthy options too like fruits, salads, sandwiches and wraps.
and yes alcohol the main source of freshman 15. you can always bring your own and limit yourself to that (plus it'll probably be cheaper) so go with light beers (bud light, coors light etc...) and low calorie drinks.

ivyjbres

Don't take an 8 am class unless you absolutely can't avoid it.

Find out what the math professors specialize in, and take your math classes from the engineers; they're the only professors who will be able to explain it in a way that makes sense.

Schedule an hour break between your classes. That way you have time to do homework right after class when its fresh in your mind, and you don't end up saddled with tons of homework at the end of the day.

Find the gym if they have one, and use it. Even if you have to pay for it, you'll never get a cheaper gym membership, so take advantage while you can.

If your high school wasn't very rigorous, don't take more than the minimum course load your first semester. College is actually designed to challenge you, so if your not used to it, it can be a huge shock, no matter how smart you are.