It's no secret that college is an exciting and rapidly changing part of every student's life, and you can immediately get swept away by classes, events, and meeting new friends. While it is so important to start making those bonds with your roommates, classmates, or other people you meet, there's one person you cannot forget about: yourself. With everything that's going on in your life at this time, with new classes, a new school to explore, and possibly your first taste of independence, important things like your physical, mental, and emotional health may get swept under the rug for things that seem like a higher priority at the time.
Now, early in the semester, there's so much going on that your main concerns are not yourself and what's best for you. Sure, you may have "glanced" in the direction of the gym, "glanced" in the direction of the salad bar, or "glanced" in the direction of your bed when you're sitting up doing nothing and could probably get some extra sleep.
Since glancing doesn't actually do anything, I recommend trying to start a routine as early as possible. Nothing intense or actually challenging, but just enough that you don't forget to take care of yourself entirely.
Maybe try to start going to the gym or for a run 2 times a week, and see if, over time, you'd want to increase it or find other ways to keep your physical health in check. If you're loving all the delicious (or maybe not so delicious) options at the dining halls, try to reach for at least a piece of fruit or veggie a day (or more!) and see if that can help boost how you feel.
For your mental and emotional health, try to get to bed a little early on days where you're just sitting up watching tv, and you'll thank yourself for feeling even more refreshed or block in when you're going to complete assignments once they're assigned, so you're not panicking the night before, trying to figure out what to do.
SEE ALSO: I Took A Semester Off Because Mental Health Is More Important Than College
Every person is different, so everyone will have their own experiences navigating the waters in college and finding their own ways to be relaxed and take care of #1. Especially early on, trying to put yourself in a mindset to be most successful for the year can make a huge difference. Now of course, still go out and have fun and make friends and eat that piece of pizza, but remember who you're doing all this for (yourself) — and keep your #1 well-balanced.