Three tips for staying healthy throughout your Marian experience.

Hannah Robinson '21 | August 2, 2019

Finally, you're in college! No more "be home by 9 p.m.," back-to-back classes for eight hours, or parental supervision 24/7. You can eat, sleep, and hang out with your friends whenever you want. However, it can be easy for college students to forget to stay both mentally and physically healthy.

Here are three tips for staying healthy throughout your college experience:

Fuel your body.

You're young, so health doesn't matter yet, right? Wrong. I get it, really I do. There's no parent in your ear saying you can't have dessert until you have finished your vegetables. You can eat all the candy, fried food, and ice cream you want without anyone questioning your decisions. No fear, Marian is here! Marian provides their students with plenty of healthy dining options. At Marian University, we have a Subway in the Paul J. Norman Center, the P.O.D. (Provisions on Demand) in the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences, and a salad bar and sauté line in the Dining Commons. In other words, whenever you want to eat healthy, Marian offers various dining options for their students!

Stay active.

Let's be honest, if exercise involved sitting on the couch watching someone else exercise, then we would exercise more. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The good news is that Marian wants to make exercise convenient for you. That is why Marian built a new building dedicated to fitness, the Drew Family Health and Fitness Center. The Drew Family Health and Fitness Center includes a new weight room (for athletes and non-athletes). Not a fan of weight lifting or running on the treadmill? No problem, Marian's got you covered. Feel free to take a walk or run in Marian's Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab, which is 55-acres of natural land (NBD). You are able to clear your mind while exercising your body; it's the best of both worlds.

Keep up with self-care.

You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first. Throughout college you will be learning and experiencing new things. It is important to remember to save time to take care of yourself. Being a smaller school, Marian has been able to establish a tight community within campus. The faculty and staff at Marian are always kind and welcoming if you need help or support. In addition, feel free to talk with your resident assistant (RA) or attend some of their events. RAs are there to be a support system and help you throughout your college experience, so always remember they are there. Another resource Marian provides is Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS). Here, experienced counseling professionals can help you throughout your journey at college.