Design Your Dorm

Share or Bookmark This Post

The days of home cooked meals are over. Mom is no longer there to nourish you with the 5 daily food groups at every meal. The decision of what to eat is now in your hands and vegetables are no longer mandatory.  Are you going to choose to eat healthy, somewhat healthy, or abandon dietary restraints all together?

For many schools, the choices for what to eat are endless. You got your fast food like McDonalds, Burger King, Panda Express, Taco Bell and Subways, but then you are also provided with various Cafeteria options (and salad bars) where you can customize exactly what you want to eat.  While the choice seems to be easy if you are trying to eat healthy, you will be surprised how many times you are in a rush to class and choose the easy option like McDonald’s. It is also difficult to stick to “healthier” foods when all of your friends are eating whatever they please. The keys to eating well are also quite similar to doing well in school: time management and planning ahead.

Holiday Season: Buy a Healthy Care Package!

Every day for the most part you will have a pretty set schedule of classes. Try to structure your meals around your class and homework schedule. For example: If you know you have to wake up early and won’t have time to go and get food, plan a quick healthy breakfast¹². Realistically, you will spend a good amount of time on campus and be subjected to the dining facilities that the University provides. If you decide to have a sandwich for lunch, choose wheat bread instead of white and only add a very small amount of condiments if possible. These are just two small examples of the many things you can do on a daily basis.

Most kids these days have a decent understanding between what is healthy and what is not. Student’s go off to school and hear of the dreaded “Freshmen 15”, but don’t think it could ever happen to them. The truth is, it can happen to anyone! It’s completely normal to splurge once in a while, but as long as you follow some of these basic health tips you should be fine. Below are some helpful links that can guide you to a healthier lifestyle.

Helpful Links:

1)   A Health Nuts Guide to a Quick and Healthy Breakfast – http://gomestic.com/cooking/a-health-nuts-guide-to-a-quick-and-healthy-breakfast/

2)   We Test it: Healthy Cereal – http://www.prevention.com/health/nutrition/smart-shopping/healthy-cereals-9-best-tasting-and-healthy-cereals/article/74f950d1fa803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/

3)   College Eating and Fitness 101: A Guide for College Students – http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/college101.html

4)   Healthy Dining in the Dorms – http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1200&page=2

5)   5 Quick and Healthy Foods to Keep in your Dorm: http://www.healthcastle.com/newsrelease_2007-06-19-5-quick-and-healthy-foods-to-keep-in-your-dorm.shtml

Share or Bookmark This Post

The typical “dorm” has changed quite significantly over the past two centuries. Previously, dorm rooms looked similar to jail cells and there only functionality was to sleep. Back in the early 1800’s, only men were in residence halls and had to follow a strict dress code, attend chapel service, follow a fitness program, and even adhere to a strict curfew! A century later, more and more women started applying to Universities and getting accepted. Soon enough, women only Residence Halls were built and the rules were twice as strict as the males’ halls.

In order to communicate, the men and women would often send messages in morse code through flashing lights back and forth throughout the campus. As time evolved, so did the dorm rooms. Now, there are Co-ed Residence Halls that have fitness centers, restaurants, tanning salons, and even rock climbing walls! Numerous schools offer “suite” style layouts that have a traditional bedroom, but also offer a living room and kitchen area.

In the past few decades, the dorms have evolved more into “living learning communities” where students can truly call their dorm their new home. Students bring all kinds of furniture items/decorations to make their new living environment as comfortable as possible. Student’s don’t just go back to their room to sleep, but go back to hang out and socialize with their friends. Due to the change in the living facilities, various school administrators have had a recent push to have students call their “dorm” their “residence hall room”, but students still continue to refer to living quarters as their “dorm”.

Living in the “dorms” is an integral part of the freshmen experience. You have the ability to make friends easily, study with large groups of people, stay up late eating, and always have someone to hang out with no matter what time it is. You can’t beat it! Throughout the course of the year, you will become close friends with everyone in your hall and even begin to know the names of most of the people in your building (depending on the size of the building). As always, you have to remember to balance your social life with your schoolwork. Many people that live in your building may eventually dwindle away because they couldn’t seem to find a balance. If you plan on attending college next year, you should definitely plan on living on campus in a dorm. If you’re already living in a dorm, make sure to: talk to anyone you don’t recognize coming in & out of the building, involve yourself in building activities, and make the most of every experience possible.