The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and the Class of 2017 is finally settling into the college environment at Boston University. Welcome to your second home, Freshmen! After three weeks of sharing a room with someone, getting to know your professors, and familiarizing yourself with the dining hall menus, you all have a pretty good idea of how your fall semester is going to be. However, while still in the transition process, you will be creating your own personal agendas and establishing new rules that were different from the ones at home. “New rules” has a nice ring to it, does it not? On a serious note, as freshmen you are almost adults now and each of you has the power to decide how you want to live for the next four years. From experience, I would like to share with you some things that I strongly took into account when I was a freshman. For starters, as you begin to make a life here on campus, you have to be conscious of two important things: eating habits and exercise. I think you know what I am leading up to. It is wise for you newbies to be aware of the food you eat and the amount of exercise you maintain because, as you may already know you could gain the infamous, dreaded, and in your specific case, Freshmen ‘17 without even realizing it.
Food: it is what we look forward to every day. We need it, we crave it, and we dream about it when we are either pulling all-nighters or suffering through a class just before lunch hour. As college students, we rely on food to satisfy us on an early Monday morning or comfort us after a long evening of studying. However, there are certain foods that you do not have to chow down on regularly.
“Avoid the pizza,” warned Anupriya Nagarathnam (SAR’16) when asked about eating tips.
Pizza is a college-kid magnet and attracts anything with a pulse and taste buds. Without a doubt the richness and cheesiness of pizza is mouth-watering, but cheese is deadly to the stomach (not to mention the thighs!) Understandably, pizza is the easiest thing to eat on crunch-time but you can restrain yourself from gorging.
“Vegetables first,” added Nagarathnam. As you scout the dining hall, force yourself to visit the salad bar or to invest in eating more vegetables. After all, it worked for Popeye! Why not mix them in marinara sauce (tomatoes!) to add flavor?
Refrain from the mac and cheese, fries, and creamy soups and try lighter dishes. In addition, if you want to feel that you are eating the right foods, “Look for the Sargent Choice emblem,” said Kathryn Hill (CAS’16). Sargent Choice foods are healthy and nutritious, such as cranberry bran muffins. Most of the Sargent plate selections are made with healthy ingredients like whole grains, heart-healthy oils, reduced-fat cheeses, etc. Make life interesting and dare to explore.
Last but not least, there’s always dessert. Having a dessert once in awhile is not bad but it is not necessary to make it a staple. Speaking from personal experience, I know it is hard not to stuff a cookie or two in your pocket when you pass by the dessert aisle with its tempting smell. Self-control is the name of the game.
One solution might be to set goals for yourself. For instance, if you have an exam coming up, select a grade goal and persuade yourself to not eat any sweets unless you meet or exceed that grade. If that does the trick, then stick with that routine. You’ll up your GPA and lower your body fat! The smallest things can make a big change. I know dwelling on the negative aspects of sweets and pizza is the last thing you want to focus on but it is noteworthy since eating a healthy amount of the right food is necessary to think and work. But, if you are not mindful of your choices or neglect to exercise, those extra calories can all add up… to about seventeen.
Exercise: this can be accomplished in any shape or form. Walking, running or climbing stairs all count as exercise. No matter your preference or speed, just getting regular exercise is what is important. You do not want to let all that you ingest pile up each week, so make a trip to the gym or “enjoy the beautiful esplanade and go for a walk, run, or bike ride everyday,” comments Hill. Running along the Charles River is a worthy investment of thirty minutes. Also, try opting not to ride the BU Shuttle bus or T-train as much during daylight hours. If you live in West Campus, set a new routine to wake up earlier so you have time to walk to class. Walking is the simplest form of exercise and yet so impactful. The same notion goes for the elevator. In the CAS building, discipline yourself to use the stairs. Why waste an opportunity to work off a meal? Riding the elevator might save you time but that time could be used on the stairwell to drop calories. Similarly, use the stairs in your residence building. Climbing five flights of stairs is not so terrible, is it? You will never know if you don’t try!
Just remember that the scale never lies. In the end, exercise maximizes good health. Like Elle Woods says in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy…” Happiness is the key to life, right? Do not fear the Freshmen ‘17. Fight it and have a happy, healthy year ahead!