Food for Thought
Food is another seemingly simple adjustment which may become more important, and thought consuming, than you realize. The freshman 15 seems to be a concern that only becomes a reality for a few people, from my experience, but food will impact your first few weeks in some way. You will either love the food, hate the food, or like a few staple items and never stray from those foods for the rest of the year. My school had a Panini station and I think I had a ham and swiss Panini every day of my first semester. I think it is really important to try to imagine what you would be eating if you were eating a home cooked meal and try to have a similar meal at least once a day. It is so easy to grab a burger, fries and a brownie (every school cafeteria seems to have amazing brownies for some reason) but you need something nutritious in your body. Aside from health reasons, I also find it much easier to focus in class when my stomach isn’t growling at the same decibel level as a tiger’s roar.
It’s so hard to try and store healthy snacks in that tiny little fridge covered in tempting pizza delivery magnets, but it is really important to give yourself healthy snacking options. Some great food options that I found filling and tasty were almonds and raisins (great for snacking while studying), hummus, string cheese sticks, and instant oatmeal. Boredom equals snacking in college and having healthier choices around turns free time into guilt-free time. AN APPLE A DAY MAKES YOUR MOMMA HAPPY!
...big help in preparing me for college ...
Thank you so much for everything you've done over the past couple of years! You were a big help in preparing me for college and in making the final decision... I don't know how I could have done it without you...
--Rose, Wittman, Md.
