Being in college for the first time, it is easy to inherit unhealthy habits. Whether it be sleeping only during the day and staying up all night or skipping meals to do some last-minute cramming for a test, it is difficult to establish successful lifestyle strategies.
We owe these habits to the stereotypes associated with the college lifestyle. It is usually pegged as an unmanageable struggle as well as the inability of some to handle the freedom we have desperately sought our whole lives.
College life is not conducive to healthy lifestyle habits. Being a college student, diet, sleep and academic success are compromised.
They say that you can choose only two of the three: sleep, school or a social life. If you want the ideal college experience, which would typically include social interaction, something must be relinquished. You don’t have to pull multiple all-nighters during finals week and you don’t have to party on weekdays, despite what your peers or social media tell you.
According to a study conducted by Brown University, only 11 percent of college students have good sleep quality, and about 73 percent of student’s experience occasional sleeping problems.
Welcome to college, where you either sleep for days, or don't sleep for days. There's no in between.
— Zazu (@alondravelen) November 23, 2015
Although most would prioritize an education over sleep, those who skip sleep for the sake of school work are not safe from consequences. In fact, in spite of their good intentions, their academic performance is most likely harmed.
Learning material while deprived of sleep only accesses your short-term memory. In the long-run, you will not remember the material you memorized during an all-nighter before an exam.
Similarly, diet is affected for college students. Contrary to popular belief, it goes both ways; students gain and lose weight due to stress in college, but the "Freshman 15" continues to steal the spotlight. In a study conducted at Auburn University in Alabama, throughout the course of four years in college, 70 percent of students gained anywhere from 12 to 37 pounds. Additionally, the percentage of students classified as overweight increased from 18 to 31 percent.
The prevalence of alcohol and the party scene is new to a lot of students. The temptation to party and avoid the anxiety associated with school work is too much for some people. This can result in students nursing hangovers on a weekday, which can’t be good for academics.
you know you're in college when you get invited to a party that's on a weekday
— sammy ☪ (@Sammayyenicole) August 18, 2015
According to the CORE institute, 73 percent of students drink at least occasionally in college, and about 159,000 students drop out of college each year due to alcohol or substance abuse.
We are here to learn and prepare for our future. That is why we are given so much freedom. College is a choice, not an obligation. To set ourselves up for future success, healthy habits must be established.
There is a stigma that exists suggesting that students should party, lose sleep and struggle to find balance. This stigma contributes to the excessive anxiety that exists on a college campus.
Once you are in the professional world, healthy habits will be necessary. For the sake of your career, you will need to be healthy and well-rested. Though most believe that now is the time to party because the opportunities to do so lessen as we get older, you would be well-advised to form healthy habits now. Unfortunately, our actions in college do have an impact on our future.
According to a study conducted by UCLA, there was a direct correlation between a healthy lifestyle with exercise and good diet and improved cognitive function.
Healthy habits, though difficult to form with the temptation present in a college atmosphere, are essential to one’s future success.
Reach the columnist at ghirneis@asu.edu or follow @ghirneise1 on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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