The semester at Assumption has begun. Week 1 of the fall 2016 learning curve at college has already begun to slowly take its toll on college students' health. Many freshman are navigating food choices in the dining hall for the first time. Meanwhile, sophomores, who are (now living the post-quad not-living-close-to-class life) are trying to figure out how to eat AND get to class on-time. Juniors find themselves trying to balance work and school while trying not to forget that eating is a thing. And, of course, many seniors have already found themselves struggling with the 'eat the donut or don't eat the donut' post-hangover on a Saturday morning after late night celebrating. No matter what year and stage you're at in college this semester, even if you're an athlete or an intermural sport captain, you may find yourself struggling to stay healthy.
There's too many choices in the dining hall, not enough at Charlie's, Dunks is too irresistible. Life is so stressful that your mind might not take that extra time before choosing grub that's going to give you energy that will last. You're so mentally tired that you may not have the foresight to plan a trip to the gym. Maybe you had great plans to hit the gym, but scrapped them when you found out about that 12 page paper, that, somehow, is actually due within the first month of school. We're college students and that often means we're forced to put our studies over everything else in life. In my experience, that can be an unbelievable disadvantage.
My best advice? Get ready to download some piece of mind and use your smartphone as a personal trainer with these 6 apps...
1. EllucianGo -This FREE app will save you time and preserve your piece of mind. It's customized for Assumption and can show you your schedule (even when on the run to class), list of classmates in case you need to get notes from someone after being out sick, professor list to help you figure out exactly how to contact Dr.What's-His-Name when you lost the syllabus, and so much more. (It does require login, but you can keep your ino saved on your smartphone).
2. Assumption bookstore app- This FREE Assumption College Bookstore app is for all of those times that you find out in class that your prof wants you to pick something up for a lab, get another book (whoops, you bought the wrong edition), or those times when your parents call and want you to remember to pick up a size M 'Assumption Grandpa' tshirt for your grandfather's 80th birthday party. It will save you time so that you can just orderived ahead/check to sread if items are available, thus saving you a trip/added stress.
3. S Health (Android only)- This health-tracking fitness app comes FREE pre-loaded on all Android smartphones and tablets. Though usually apps that come with a phone aren't super helpful, this app is amazing. It has lots of special features to track everything from your steps (separate walking and running features that even auto detect your movement whenever you have the phone), to your caffeine intake, sleep levels, food (3 meal options, snacks, beverages), allows you to record heart rate after using your phone to check it (Samsung Galaxy 5, 6, &7 all have this feature but not sure about other devices). It also allows you to set walking/running/daily activity goals aND tells you when you meet them. It makes working out feel so much more productive/worth it because you can literally see results beyond just looking in the mirror. (iPhones also come with a health-tracking app).
4. Mango Health- This FREE app gives you daily medication reminders (1 reminder for each specific medication per day w a tiny visual of what the pill looks like). Set it to remind you at the specific time you need to take the pill and it will vibrate to remind you. The best part? This app rewards for taking your meds as it reminds you, by giving you points that add up and can be redeemable for different things. The first option adds up to allow you to choose a charity to donate to and Mango Health's company will donate it. There's plenty of other options later on and this app will help you remember the meds that keep you healthy even when you'receive tired and stressed.
Download these apps to help make better choices this semester and I guaruntee that you will see results in your life. For more info on how to keep your health in check at school, make an appointment with one of the nutritionists that come to campus. If you're dealing with an eating disorder, please don't think you have to suffer alone in silence and stress. Tell someone or trust someone who makes you aware of the way that you're eating or not eating.
