Aim for balancing hard work and fun with healthy habits
College is often the first experience away from home for about 3 million young Americans every year. Not only does it test independence, but it can also mean confronting challenges like new influences and late nights. As “textbook” as it sounds, laying down a healthy baseline of behavior as a college student highly influences the success you’ll have once you leave the classroom and dorm.
“One of the most important things we stress to college students is to eat breakfast,” says Frances Dougherty, Director of Student Health Services at Thomas Jefferson University–East Falls. “Many times, students will come in with headaches, dizziness, and low energy. They would feel much better if they didn’t skip this important meal.”
She says that eating breakfast doesn’t mean a flavored coffee to go. “Too much caffeine can cause heart palpitations and jittery nerves, so it’s a caution,” Frances says. “We recommend breakfast that contains one-third protein, one-third fiber-rich complex carbs, and one-third fruits or vegetables, with a small side of healthy fats.”*
College health basics include setting up a regular routine. “The routine ideally would prioritize sleep, not miss meals, and making room for some downtime,” Frances says. She also emphasizes knowing what resources are available on campus, such as counseling and academic success services. She puts getting involved in activities high on the list as well, to stay socially connected.
If you’re lucky enough to attend a college that has a health center, it’s wise to check it out. While the staff is there to help with minor illnesses and injuries like the flu or a sprained ankle, you don’t have to be sick to avail yourself of its services.
Guidance ranges from assistance with insurance to well exams that help you work on health goals such as better sleep or starting an exercise routine. On-campus health centers give students a kind of “go-to” for anything related to their health. Some will provide free essentials – like toothbrushes, pain relievers, hand sanitizer, or tea – when you’ve run out. Most importantly, they provide reassurance.
“Students are coming from all over the country, and some have complex medical issues to manage,” Frances says. “When they visit on-campus health services, we can become a ‘connector’ to all other services at the college and in the community.”
Many times, the services offered at the health center are free or covered by tuition, so no payment is required when students visit. Student health services can connect students with on-campus resources such as mental health counseling, accessibility services, career counseling, or tutoring services.
The staff also works with local resources such as JeffExpress Urgent Care in Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley and may recommend virtual care options in the Delaware Valley and the Lehigh Valley. Students must pay for virtual care unless it is free through their own insurance.
Here are additional awareness items for college students:
Immunizations and vaccines
Some diseases can spread quickly in settings like dorms and classrooms. That’s why colleges and universities have vaccination requirements for entry to school. For residential students these often include meningitis A, polio; hepatitis B; chicken pox; tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis; measles; a tuberculosis screening; and seasonal flu and COVID-19 boosters. Check with your college to find out its individual requirements.
Assemble a first-aid kit
You never know when a first-aid kit will come in handy. The American Red Cross recommends keeping a kit in your dorm or apartment, and if possible, taking it with you to events. Include items such as a thermometer, bug spray and sunscreen, analgesics such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, instant soup, and adhesive bandages. Find more items here. Make sure to have extra prescription medications, or emergency medicine such as rescue inhalers and epinephrine pens in good supply.
Insurance
If you’re not covered by your parent or guardian’s health insurance, many colleges offer student healthcare plans. Checking with the student insurance office is the best way to find one. The healthcare marketplace in your state also offers options to keep you covered. If you have insurance or are covered under your parents’ policy, make sure you carry an insurance card with you. It is also wise to understand your dental and vision plan coverage, and your prescription plan.
Managing money
Living at college is often a crash course in being thrifty. Find ways to stretch your money such as cooking for yourself, meal prepping, limiting unnecessary spending, and sharing items with other students. Financial experts recommend establishing a budget to make sure the necessities are covered, and reaching out for help if overspending becomes a problem.
Eating well, staying hydrated
Studies of college students’ eating habits show most of them skip breakfast, snack frequently, and consume fried food often. The experts say, try to break “fast food” habits and cook nutritious food where you live. Hydration recommendations range drinking 11 to 15 cups of water a day and keeping a thermos of water with you. Establishing healthy eating patterns early in life is important to prevent or delay the progression of chronic diseases over time.
Regardless of the current statistics, Frances sees college life as an opportunity. “In everything from diet to exercise to taking care of physical and mental health,” she says, “college is a great place to learn to become healthier.”
