The Freshman Fifteen is a phrase with which most incoming (and current) college students are all too familiar. Generally, college students gain anywhere from three to fifteen pounds within their four undergraduate years, although sometimes the weight gain can be more than that. While there's no shame in putting on a few pounds after getting to college (we've all been there), there are some distinct weight-gaining triggers every student can be on the watch for, and hopefully avoid.

1. Late Night Snacking

In college, both bed times and meal times become later. Whether you've eaten dinner at 9pm or would rather order Dominoes at 3am after a long night out, the excess calories typically consumed at night are not efficiently metabolized (especially those coming from salty, fried, or fatty foods) by the time you wake up in the morning.

2. The Freedom to Do Whatever You Want

You live your life wherever, whenever, and however you want. This includes the unhealthy eating habits you form, or the exercising you may never do. Everything is up to you, whether that means making smart choices or developing unhealthy vices.

3. Unlimited Dining Hall Access

Think about it: the dining hall is basically your own all-you-can-eat buffet. From pizza to french fries and ice cream, there are so many different options for things to go awry. That being said, most dining halls are extraordinarily accommodating and should offer healthier options, such as salads, whole grains, and protein sources that aren't fried or covered in butter.

4. No Parents to Restrict You

Whether you eat on a meal plan or do your own grocery shopping, your mom and dad aren't going to be there anymore to reprimand you when you completely forgo walking through the produce section in favor of a 24-pack of ramen and a family-size box of Oreos.

5. Boredom Eating

Sitting in your room alone, whether you're watching Netflix or doing work, can get fairly repetitive and boring. Every few minutes you find yourself wandering over to the fridge or your snack pantry, even though you know nothing new has magically appeared in the fifteen minutes you were gone. Yet you munch anyway.

6. You’ve Stopped Playing Sports

In high school, varsity sports occupied at least an 1-2 hours of your day, five days a week. Unless you were an athletic superstar who continued on to the NCAA or got involved in club/intramurals, you've most likely quit your sport of choice. The adjustment is new, but don't forget about all the energy you're no longer burning each day at practice.

7. Liquid Calories

Ah, alcohol. A classic example of empty calories that can lead one to pack on the pounds. There are many different approaches to handling this scenario (it's college, after all), but make sure you're aware of just how many calories you're consuming in a night (a couple hundred at least).

8. Study Eating

I find myself guilty of this all too frequently. That calc midterm coming up tomorrow? Integrals are fascinating, but that Pop Tart sitting in your backpack is also calling your name. Fight this by limiting the amount of food kept in your study vicinity, and keeping only healthy, portioned snack options around you.

9. Gym Access

A college gym is a very strange environment for one to experience. Some people are too terrified to go, and others minimize their time spent there in fear of being judged. First of all, if you're going to prevent college weight-gain, you're going to need to overcome that fear. Second, spending time at the gym does not give you an excuse to go on an eating frenzy later in the day (although we've all been there).

10. Not Enough Time to Eat a Proper Meal

With classes, extracurriculars, meetings, office hours, and homework; there are hardly enough hours in the day to eat a proper meal. Rather than going all day without eating, plan your days out ahead of time and account for your meals. How are you going to get your food and when will you eat? Preparedness is the best step of action to prevent bingeing later in the day.

11. Lack of Sleep

After a long night of studying, you're sleep deprived and exhausted. Generally, this causes us to over-eat the following day to compensate for the lack of energy we're experiencing. My main point here: get enough sleep. Your body will thank you later.

12. Free Food EVERYWHERE

Pizza! French fries! Cake! With all the hustle and bustle of a college campus, there are opportunities all over the place to acquire free food. And we're college students, so how could we say no?

13. Social Eating

You may not be hungry at 2 a.m., but when everyone in your hall decides to order Chinese delivery or Dominoes, the peer pressure is on. Of course a meat lover's pizza is going to sound delicious! This also falls under the issue of late night eating.

14. Irregular Schedules

Some days you may eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Others, you may grab something when you first wake up and not eat again until dinner time. Like stated earlier, my best piece of advice here is to plan ahead.

15. Starting a New Chapter of Your Life

All in all, college is a new and wonderful experience that every freshman should enjoy and appreciate. The time goes quickly, and dealing with all of the independence and change of living on your own can be overwhelming. No matter the case, keep calm and don't beat yourself up too much if you do choose to eat those fries or skip the gym. As you'll learn, college is all about finding balance.