Every incoming freshman’s fear is gaining the “Freshman 15” and I was one of those people that feared this forbidden curse. There are ways to avoid this and ways to fall into it, but you get the final say in which way you go. Nobody wants to get hit with the curse of the Freshman 15, so here’s some advice on how you can’t possibly gain weight.

1. You climb up and down stairs in order to get to your dorm, your friends dorm, into your building, and wherever else you have to climb up stairs in order to get to your destination. Stairs are good for your glutes and thighs so you’ll tone your legs and probably get a nice butt.

2. The beginning of the semester you’ll probably sweat half your weight considering the dorms are like a sauna. You may want to invest in 3-5 fans so you’re able to get a good night’s sleep.

3. You literally, no joke, walk everywhere you have to get to, so you’ll avoid the curse of the Freshman 15 easily right there. Whether you’re walking down the hall to the bathroom, to the dining hall, to a party, to class, from class, going to get pizza, Chinese, or to your friend’s dorm. You walk everywhere.

4. Every day is leg day where I go to school, because there’s hills everywhere. It’s almost like a small hike up a mountain in order to get to my dorm, to the library, or to my classes. Not complaining though, I’ll have a nice toned body by the end of the semester.

5. You’ll take a ton of 15-20 minute naps or if you’re luck you’ll be able to get 1-2 hour naps. Did you know you lose weight when sleeping? So TAKE NAPS.

6. You’ll be running to the bathroom after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because the cooks definitely put laxatives in the food. No worries though, happens to everyone so don’t think you’re the only one.

7. Going to the gym will help you improve not only your self-confidence but also keep you slim. This is the best way to avoid the curse of the Freshman 15. Go by yourself, bring a friend, make new friends while working out, no shame in any of that.

8. Join an inter-mural. This is a great way to stay active and make new friends. You never know until you try, and there’s nothing wrong with trying something new.

9. The rugby, baseball, hockey, or lacrosse house may get busted by the cops, so you’ll get a solid five-minute run somewhere in there. You can count that as your daily workout.

10. You’ll laugh a lot at stupid stuff your friends say, do, and don’t do. You’ll also laugh a lot at yourself at the stupid stuff you say and do, too. You’d be amazed how good your stomach will feel after a 10-minute laughing session with your friends. I like to call that instant abs.

All in all, have fun, make memories, make good choices, and don’t live with regret. Have confidence in yourself and surround yourself with positive people. There’s nothing wrong with who you are, who you hang out with, or how you go about spending your weekends. My best word of advice is have fun and laugh a lot. Best of luck to the incoming freshman, currently enrolled freshman, and the people who have already survived freshman year.