College is probably one of the most life-changing moments in a person’s life. Since you were a kid, college was probably thrown down your throat by your family, school, and even the media. If you’re like me, you came up with these big ideas on what you think college is going to be like. From your dorm style to the friends you plan to meet, the clubs you’ll be apart of, your college blueprint is full of ideas to keep you motivated. However, I’m pretty sure that a lot of us don’t have a college first aid kit.
We’re not just talking about a kit full of bandages, swabs, and patches here. We’re talking about supplies to keep our mental, social, and physical health during college afloat. Some of the biggest issues people face during their first semester are stress, social involvement, eating habits, and physical health. Here are four easy tips to put in your college first aid kit to make ensure that you keep all these things intact.
1.) Avoid Stress by Staying Organized
Academics is almost every college student’s main focus. Classes can be either too rigorous or too much work in general. When the professors provide you with a syllabus, you usually skim through it and don’t look at it until the end of the semester. Big Mistake!!! Another trend is letting all of your assignments build-up at the end. What’s the big deal? The problem is something as small as typing a two-page report on a lecture for homework can be easily forgotten if you’re unorganized.
Purchase a planner and a calendar to keep track of all of your assignments. You can find them on Amazon, Target, Dollar Tree, and 5 Below. The benefits of having planners and calenders are limitless. For example, I have to take an online quiz every Thursday for History and submit a 1-page report on the books I’ve read for College Connection. That sounds pretty memorable, but other things in your life could interrupt your flow. With a planner, you can color code and label important assignments. You can also use a popular app, like Google Calendar, to send notifications to your email or phone to remind you if something is coming up.
2.) Practice Good Eating Habits
Food is delicious. I love my sweets and fast food. However, I had to set goals for myself to only eat one snack per week. Have you heard of the Freshmen 15? If not, it simply means that the average first-year college student gains about 15 pounds due to eating unhealthy food. You don’t want to be apart of this study. Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables with your meals.
You should try a meal prep. Meal prep simply means to cook your meals in advance for a certain amount of time. There are so many benefits to meal prepping.
- You save money- purchasing fast food becomes a habit that many of us make in college.
- Watching your weight- meal prep allows you to cook healthy food and consume it in moderation.
- On-the-Go- if you’re late to class or work, simply grab your food tray out the fridge and head out.
3.) Exercise
The majority of your time as a college student is usually spent working on assignments. This includes reading, writing, and typing. As you’re working, you tend to get hungry and want to treat yourself to a snack. Unfortunately, this “treat yourself” mentality turns into a habit. Then, classes are over, and you go to your dorm to sleep. The lack of exercise is severely high in the U.S. Not exercising along with unhealthy eating habits can lead to heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Even though working out seems intimidating, it can become more comforting, once you try it. Start by going to the gym with your friends. Ask a trainer to demonstrate certain exercises, so you can try it yourself. If you don’t like to work out in public spaces, it’s ok, you can workout at home. I use Youtube to work out all the time.
There are other fun ways to workout. YouTube has tons of fitness trainers who host dance classes. Also, yoga is a popular form of exercise used by millions of people worldwide. Yoga allows you to burn calories while doing movements that can stretch your muscles. It’s also good for your mental health as it allows you to decompress stress.