Alex's+Articles

=__ The Infamous Fifteen __=

Ever wonder how you’ll handle the all you can eat dining halls at college? Believe it or not, many incoming college freshman are extremely concerned with the phenomenon that is “the freshman 15.”

Although the freshman 15 is very easy to put on, there’s no reason that any college student needs to endure the stereotypical weight gain. After sitting down with a few HVCHS students, it became clear that this topic is extremely relevant.

“I’m scared of gaining the freshman 15 because there’s going to be so much good food available,” said Emily Huber, a senior at Hopewell Valley Central High School.

Emily will be attending James Madison University next year, where the food is delicious and plentiful. James Madison has been ranked number 3 in the nation for its quality dining facilities and its wide variety of food. “I’m most worried to visit E-Hall and D-Hall, the all you can eat dining halls on campus,” said Emily.

Emily said that she’s not too worried about gaining an excessive amount of weight because of the fitness facilities on campus. “I think that they’ll probably cancel each other out,” said Emily of working out as well as eating next year. “I think its really nice that colleges try to provide work out facilities for students to help them avoid things like the freshman 15,” she said.

Madison Schreiber, who will be attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City this fall was slightly less worried. “I’ll probably be walking a lot since I’ll be in the city, so I’m sure that even if I eat a lot it’ll be fine,” she said.

As previously stated, many colleges do offer a wide variety of options for students looking to stay active. Most schools provided students with free gym facilities, but also have many sports teams, both casual and competitive, that students can participate in.

“I want to try out girl’s rugby next year,” said Dylan Weisinger-Flood. Dylan said that she thinks it’d be fun to try a new sport, but that it would also be helpful in ensuring that she stays active as she makes the transition to college.

Besides exercise, most dining halls make it a point to provide students with healthy options. “Just because its there doesn’t mean you have to eat it,” said Huber of the tempting unhealthy options that she will probably be offered next year. Salad bars and other healthy alternatives are almost always going to be located somewhere on campus, so with a healthy diet, the weight gain won’t even be an issue.

“I don’t even know if the food is going to be that good, so I haven’t really thought about it,” said Abel Meseretab of the cuisine at the University of Maryland. When asked about his thoughts on the freshman 15, Abel casually replied that he was not very concerned, and that if there was any sort of a problem next year, he would deal with it then.

Alcohol is a massive factor in the weight gain that many students face upon starting college. Alcohol is very high in calories and carbohydrates. It is very fattening, and many experts claim that the bulk of the infamous freshman 15 comes from binge drinking.

An easy fix is restraining from partaking in activities in which alcohol is involved. Heavy drinking is bad for both general health and weight. Resisting alcohol will make avoiding the freshman 15 infinitely easier.

After talking to multiple students, it became clear that girls are more concerned with the freshman 15 than most boys. Almost every girl said that they were worried about eating too much or not being healthy next year, whereas most boys had either not thought about it, or said that they didn’t care. This is probably attributed to the fact that stereotypically, girls are more concerned with their appearance than boys.

Although temptation might be high next year as the incoming freshman open the doors to a buffet style feast, it is important to remember that there’s no need to go crazy. Most students will have at least four years to try a little bit of everything, so stick with healthy options, stay active, and the freshman 15 will be a thing of the past. = = = =

__ **Alcohol: Fun or Fatal?** __

The issue of drinking on college campuses is not at all unheard of. Stories of binge drinking and underage arrests have been around for years, so its no surprise that currently, about 40 college freshman will die of an alcohol related death each year.

Whereas drinking in college may seem like a “rite of passage,” students much be aware that this seemingly harmless pastime is actually just a death trap in disguise. Have you ever heard the excuse, “Well, everyone else is doing it.”? This is the mindset that immediately allows for students to get hurt. While it may be true that a large population of college students are partaking in illegal activities, there is no reason that any individual would need to abuse alcohol.

A major factor in this issue is that many students do not understand the severity of the dangers that accompany binge drinking or underage drinking. It is so easy to drink a little too much and loose control. Alcohol abuse can lead to nausea, vomiting, increased risk of personal injury, extreme sickness, poisoning of the liver, addiction, and death. These are not the only consequences that can come from drinking. If you happen to get lucky enough to avoid any health problems, there is a high probability that you could get arrested or face legal problems.

Of course, there are also long term effects. Drinking heavily slowly destroys your liver and your body’s ability to function. If you think that your binge drinking is not effecting you just because you managed to go a few nights without getting sick, you’re wrong. Choosing to partake in illegal activities at college could actually result in serious health problems later in life.

While colleges are often thought of as large hubs for drinking and partying, each campus tries its best to provide a safe environment for its students. Many schools offer campus-wide bus systems and blue light security posts which students can use if they are in danger or even if they just need a ride home. One of the only benefits of drinking on a college campus is that the number of drunk driving accidents is reduced. This is because the public transportation systems are so popular, and most students do not have access to cars.

College also try their best to provide non-drinking based activities for students to participate in. Most colleges frequently hold events that provide social gathering and entertainment without alcohol. Substances free dorms are also offered for students who absolutely do not want to be around substance abuse.

Clubs and anti-alcohol campaigns exist in colleges all over the country, but it is imperative that more of these kinds of organizations be erected on campuses to promote a healthy option for students who would like to either choose to be substance free, or to influence other students around them. Small doses of positive peer pressure might actually be able to help students who are too afraid to speak out for themselves.

Overall, it is obvious that the number of alcohol related deaths seems on college campuses can easily be reduced. The harmful effects of alcohol are 100% preventable, although it sometimes seems as if not partaking in these activities would make you seem like an outcast. There is plenty of support for college students who choose to be above the influence, so it is important that you explore your campus and find out what kind of groups would be right for you.

__ **Size Matters!** __

Does size really matter? In choosing a college that is right for you, it probably does. Both large and small schools have their pros and cons, and these factors could be the deciding factor in choosing which school you attend.

Each size has its stereotype. Large schools are typically thought of a schools big on sports, partying, and spirit. Small schools are though of as being liberal and either more preppy or more hippy-esk.

The truth is that neither stereotype is 100% accurate. Both small and large schools have the ability to offer the same educational and social experience. In deciding what is right for you, you should weigh the positive and negative factors of each size.

Large schools typically have a very varied selection of majors and courses of study. Since bigger schools have more students, they make more money and in turn usually have more resources and a very well-stocked library. Well-known faculty usually choose to affiliate themselves with large schools, so students may have the chance to work with highly esteemed professors.

Of course, large schools also offer a wide variety of social options. Since there are so many students and so many varying interests, the school is sure to have something that each student will enjoy. Large schools are known for being very social.

With more students, general study class sizes are typically very large, so students risk getting lost in the crowd. These is less of an opportunity for professors to meet the needs of each student, and a lot of times, classes are taught by the teaching assistant and not the professor his/herself.

Small schools, on the other hand, have smaller class sizes and allow for more individual contact with professors. Educationally, the learning experience can be more hands on if the class sizes are smaller and there is a smaller student to teacher ratio.

Smaller schools also typically have a very tight knit community. Since there are less students, it is easier to get to know a larger percentage of students who attend the school, and the relationships have a greater tendency to become intertwined.

Unfortunately, many small schools lack an abundance of resources and have smaller facilities. At a lot of small schools also don’t have as many choices as large schools both academically and socially because they lack the sense of obligation that large schools have to appeal to absolutely everyone.

There is no proof that larger or smaller schools perform better academically, as this kind of ranking depends on many other factors. It is important to note, however, that Ivy League colleges are considered smaller schools.

Ivy League colleges are the highest performing academic colleges in the nation. This is not attributed to the fact that they are small schools, but it is known that the course of study in Ivy Leagues is much more rigorous and concentrated than that of many other schools in the country. It would be safe to assume, then, that smaller class sizes and more hands-on learning is very helpful to those who study at Ivy League colleges, and therefore might affect performance.

Before you decide whether a big or a small school is right for you, think about what you want to get out of your college experience, and choose a school that fits your needs best. There are many other factors besides size that affect the college decision process, but make sure to include consideration to the size of the school, because when it comes to college, size does matter.