Avoid the Freshman 15
If there's one thing college is never short of it's burgers, pizza and bad choices in the dining hall. Before you know it, the pounds pile on. Many freshman find that the food choices they make, and eating habits they develop, at school result in weight gain called the "Freshman 15 Phenomenon." Eating healthy at college can be a challenge, so we've compiled some tips to help you keep on track:
- Make wise dining hall choices. Many college dining plans offer an all-you-can-eat mentality, tempting you to eat more than you really need. Look for the healthiest choices on their daily menus. Try to focus on salads, fresh veggies, chicken or fish entrees and fruit. Limit the high calorie menu options, like burgers, fries and ice cream, to two times per week.
- Avoid late night snacks. Every student will face the following situations such as these during their college career:
- Your friends decide to stop for an extra large pizza after your last class of the day. Limit yourself to one slice of pizza and if that's not enough to fill the void, have a side salad with the slice.
- You're up late cramming for an exam and you need something to keep you going. Have some microwave popcorn instead of a bag of M & Ms or potato chips. It's tempting to eat late at night. . .but try to avoid the temptation. Indulge in late night snacks repeatedly, and you'll find extra pounds creeping up on you.
- Exercise. Try to exercise regularly. . . walk briskly to classes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, swim, etc. Thirty to forty five minutes of moderate exercise, three to four times a week, can help ward off those extra pounds.
- Watch liquid calories. Beer and other alcoholic beverages have high calorie content.
Eating healthy on campus is difficult, but not impossible. The key is to eat sensibly (most of the time), avoid late night snacks, and exercise three to four times a week. Following these tips will make you feel better and help you avoid the Freshman 15.
It's 3:00 AM and I'm not Thinking Clearly
A recent study of college students who pull all-nighters preparing for exams found they actually score lower than students who get sleep prior to a test.
Let's face it, nobody thinks clearly at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning and most students cite difficulty remembering information after staying up studying all night.
Researchers say that data shows short sleep duration interferes with concentration and interferes with performance on objective testing.
So, the next time exams roll around, prepare ahead of time and get a good night of sleep.
Laptops Top the Campus Theft List
College campuses are not immune from crime, and theft is one of the major crimes that students encounter each year. Thieves look for unattended laptops more than just about anything else.
Why? Your laptop probably contains all kinds of personal information. So when someone steals a laptop, there is a good chance they're getting more than just a portable computer.
Many students use their laptops for activities such as online banking, shopping for textbooks and buying concert tickets. As such, laptops contain information like social security numbers, credit card numbers and other personal information.
Here are some suggestions to help keep your identity and laptop safe:
- Think about purchasing a small safe to put in your dorm room closet. Keep your laptop locked up when you're not using it.
- Never leave your laptop unattended.
- Use a strong password that nobody else will easily guess.
- Use a firewall program on your computer and be careful about opening emails from strangers or clicking on hyperlinks from people you don't know.
- Never carry your social security card with you rather memorize the number.
- Review your bank statement every month to make sure there aren't any unauthorized activities.
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