I've learned many different lessons during my time as a college student, some that I will carry with me forever, and others that I will likely soon dismiss and never think of again. One of the central conundrums of college is how best to develop different eating habits. Finding time in college to even eat can be quite a challenge in the first place, which is why it is vitally important to develop some sort of system or set of rules regarding what you will eat. Will you cook your own food, buy it from restaurants, live off of frozen meals and ramen noodles, or some sort of combination of all of the above?

Only you have the power to figure out what your eating habits will look like during your college years. As for me, I have developed a rule which has regulated and influenced almost every single meal that I have consumed during my college years here at the University of Arizona. What is this rule, you might ask? What is this precious bit of knowledge that serves as the key to mentally preparing for meals? Well, wait no further, because I am about to tell you. I am about to share with you this piece of crucial and brilliant information, an important test for determining whether a certain meal is worth pursuing or not.

Okay, here it is. Don't eat anything that takes longer for you to prepare than it does for you to eat.

Yep, that's it. That's the secret to my success as a college student who both goes to class and consumes anywhere from one to two meals per day. If something takes longer to get than it does for you to eat it, then what is the point? It's just a waste of time. So, what does this rule look like in practicality? Well, if you are considering cooking yourself some dinner but doing so will take you longer than it would for you to eat it, give it a miss. Grab something quick to eat and instead spend that time with your significant other, or studying, or staring at the wall pretending to study. All options would be more productive than waiting for your food to cook.

This rule is very adaptable as it can also apply to judging whether a line at a restaurant or eatery is too long. It is your golden standard when judging whether waiting in line somewhere to get your food is worth it. If you believe that standing in line, ordering, and then waiting to receive your order will, in fact, take you longer than it will for you to eat, then maybe you would be better off ordering somewhere with a shorter line.

Always keep this golden rule of meal determination in mind when deciding what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If it will take longer for you to get your hands on then it will for you to consume, then go eat something else. In order to ensure that you have enough time to study and do all the other things that college students must do, it is vitally important that this rule is obeyed. Now take this genius concept, and apply it to your own life. Good luck.