Every time. This happens every time. I go home from college every summer and change the gross eating habits I always tend to pick up when I’m off living on my own. No more McDonalds, no more late night Sonic runs or junk food hauls. Nope, none of that. I go home and my meals are smaller and consist of more vegetables than processed crap. This summer I even started cutting down on the amount of animal and animal products I eat in a given day. Overall, I became much more conscious of what I was fueling my body with.

But of course, just like summer, my good diet (sadly) is coming to an end. I have been back in my college town for about three weeks and in that short time I have already felt my diet falling back into it’s greasy, high-calorie ways. College tends to keep doing this to me. It’s something about living on my own and staying out at all hours of the night that kills me every time. This year is turning out just like all the others. Why am I not surprised?

But I will not give in anymore this time. College will no longer mean a poor diet. I am better than that. Unfortunately this is easier said than done. I am living in a sorority house which at times helps me to better my diet, but at other times only contributes to the lack of nutritious food I am consuming. And of course, there is the fact that I find myself making daily Starbucks runs for iced coffees and teas with a side of a baked treat. College is hard. And I’m not even talking about the academics.

College is a test to your will-power and a test of how well one can really take care of themselves without their parent’s help. Everyone always talks about how this is first time when kid’s really learn how to manage their own time and stay on top of their homework, but no one ever talks about how you are also in charge of managing a good diet. Sure, people talk about the “freshman 15”, but this is not the same thing. I mean, I am a junior in college (a.k.a not a freshman) and I still don’t have the hang of managing my own diet.

College is already killing my diet—again, but this time I’m not going to let it.