Ol`gita Major: International Economic Relations Status: Workygirl I am fond of chocolates, flowers, friends, loud music, watching movies, taking pictures and traveling!!!

Student Health Tips
Olya Bezvushko

College influences student’s health not very good. Usually they do not have enough time to eat healthy stuff, sleep enough and do some physical exercises. Moreover, if you are an international student, you will consider having many other things to worry about, besides your everyday meal and rest issues. What is more, due to the amount of people, universities are full of various germs.

So, how to study in college and stay healthy?

You are busy, so if you do not have an excellent health, do not tire yourself out! You’d better try to bring small healthy habits into your usual campus life. While doing so, you will feel yourself better both physically and emotionally and will navigate the stressful college life much more successfully.

Here are some easy tricks for how you can stay healthy while studying in college:

1. Get enough time for sleep. Do not put your sleep low on the list of priorities. It is almost impossible to function on 3-4 hours of sleep per night. You won’t concentrate well without good sleep. If you are not able to get a normal sleep at night, add some regular naps into your schedule.

2. Eat consciously. US College students are famous for gaining weight especially during first year of study. It happens due to late night eating and junk food abuse. Read this tips that will help you to avoid putting on weight:

     - Walk more. You may not have time for regular jogging, but you have plenty of opportunities to walk from class to class. Maximize your working for burning extra calories. If there is a shuttle service between classes, do not use it, unless you are in a hurry. For faster campus transportation use a bike or a skateboard.
     - Control late night pig outs. Calories do not get enough chance to be consumed in night.
     - Limit beer consumption. Do you know the word combination “a beer belly”.  It appeared for a reason. Even light beer contains about 100 calories a bottle, the regular one – up to 225 calories. This can add up very fast. 
     - Do not skip meals. If you do this, your organism will be eager to overcompensate at your next meal. The most important is not to skip breakfast, get at least a bowl of cereal or a banana in the morning before a class and in such way you will also prevent weight gain.
     - Control emotional eating. Of course some double ice-cream may help you to go through the breakup with girlfriend/boyfriend, but consider lively walk or a moderate shopping as an alternative therapy.     
     - Limit fast food! You are not a child any more! Hot dogs won’t come with no consequences!

3. Drink enough water. When you go to another country, very often you go to another climatic zone. So you need to drink additional water and limit the soda consumption. 

4. Attend student recreational centers. A part of your student’s fees is going to the gym, so take advantage from it.

5. Get regular checkups. You are entitled to an annual exam at the student health center.  
 
6. As it was said, college campuses are absolute cesspools for germs. At the same time, many schools offer flu shots at low cost. It is always better to take this step to help protect yourself.  

7. Learn to relax.

8. Speak to a mental counseling service representative students often suffer from depressions, anxiety, eating disorders, homesickness and addiction, and counseling services are usually well equipped to help with this issues. .

Do the best you can! Use your chance to be as healthy as you can, and you will enjoy your international college experience a lot!