College life can be tough, especially for commuter students and freshmen adjusting to a new environment. Between back-to-back courses, extracurricular activities, and long study sessions, finding time to eat and enjoy a nice, quick, and healthy snack or meal can easily be overlooked. This is why our campus’s nutritional lounge is such an essential resource for students and even staff. Our nutritional lounge provides quick access to healthy, nutritious meals and snacks that ensure students can maintain high energy levels and are able to focus throughout the hectic days of a college student. For commuter students who may not have access to meals at home or have time to stop at a grocery store and prepare meals at home, this could be a necessity for many. Freshmen, specifically, may not be aware of this major opportunity, making outreach around campus and on social media crucial for students to be more aware. By taking advantage of the lounge, students can charge their bodies with healthy and nourishing food choices, support cognitive function, academic performance, and overall well-being.
Eating well has a direct impact on college students’ memory, mood, energy levels, and strengthens the immune system. Skipping meals or relying solely on fast, quick, and unhealthy Options can lead to increased stress, fatigue, a lack of focus, and decreased productivity in students. The nutritional lounge strongly addresses these issues by offering well-balanced snacks, meals, beverages (water, milk, juice), fresh fruits, and protein bar snacks that will significantly help students stay active, alert, and focused during long days on campus. Furthermore, the nutritional lounge promotes a sense of community for students to grab a meal or snack and connect with other students in a warm and welcoming environment. For freshman students who are still finding and expressing themselves on campus, this offers a space for them to feel more connected on campus. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with local businesses and donate perishable and non-perishable snacks, drinks, and personal hygiene products to help other students.
Overall, the lounge is more than a quick convenience for students to grab snacks; it’s an investment in student health and academic success. Promoting awareness and encouraging all students at Bowie to take advantage of this resource, the campus ensures that everyone has access to what they need to be able to thrive on or off campus, and even both inside and outside of the classroom.