Many college students could agree that in no way is college healthy for an individual. Sometimes I feel like as college students, we are in a game of who can survive to graduation without needing a therapist, battling an addiction, or staying out of serious trouble. College is a mental game, and if you can survive and come out the other side alright, then I applaud you. Some of you might be reading thinking, "eh it's not that bad". You probably work out, are involved in things on campus, for the most part try to eat healthy, but I promise you do some of the followed (making you just as unhealthy as the rest of us):
1. Staying up until 2 a.m., to be up by 7 a.m. Every night. What is a full night's rest anymore? Even when you say "I am going to bed early" what you really mean is, "I'm going to stay on my phone until at least 12:30, because I don't know how to function with normal amounts of sleep anymore", and sure enough, you'll be up for a while. Getting five hours of sleep or less per night is not okay. Regardless, we'll keep trying to beat the odds, because between studying, social life, and sleep, college student's will pick the first two any day.
2. On the other hand, an unhealthy amounts of naps... in weird places. Because if we're puling an all night-er, there is no way in hell we are going to pull an all day-er. Setting our phone alarms for approximately 22 minutes and going to sleep in the most strange places. Whether it's on campus under a tree, a couch near the book store, or even your car, if we can nap there, we will.
3. Relying on strangers to give you rides. Okay, maybe not total strangers, but people you only know via twitter. Once 2 am rolls around on a bar night, college kids will typically hop into just about anyone's car in order to avoid driving home. I'm not saying driving is a safer alternative, but I am saying that just because he liked the last picture you posted, does not mean to let him drive your intoxicated self home. So many things are wrong about this picture.
4. Going for the cheaper option, always. This can range from sketchy places to get gas from, or your food choices. I will pick McDonald's fries over an actual meal from a restaurant any day, simply because my friend's and I are always broke. Note to self: stop buying discounted produce, it's discounted for a reason.
5. Training your body for the week. This is the worst, whether it's a gallon of coffee, red bull, or Adderall that isn't prescribed to you. College kids will put just about anything in their body in order to stay awake and ready to tackle responsibilities. I would say there is another option, but that would be sleep, which we already discussed that we don't have time for.
6. Leaving your apartment unlocked for convenience. This is the scariest thing we could do. I personally don't, but roommates love to do this. This is unhealthy and unsafe mainly because we are opening up the apartment to anyone saying "come take my laptop, or come take me" *soft smiles*
7. Midterms/finals. These are the most miserable weeks in college, because you become a zombie. The amounts of stress you face from attempting to study for five exams at once is unbearable.
8. Losing your phone. This happens too often for comfort, and I'm not sure why since it's every student's life line. Losing your phone in college means you lose your alarm clock, friends, GPS, social connections, etc. Which practically means you're alone and stranded in the wilderness, and your mom thinks your long gone.
9. Random Roomies. Everyone does this at least once in their college career, they give the apartment complex the benefit of the doubt, hoping they will pair you with a compatible roommate, and sure enough they do the exact opposite. This is unhealthy, because not only do you hate going to class, because it's class and it stresses you out, but you also hate going home because your random sucks, and on top of that they probably have weird habits that you aren't willing to accept; so now your just unhappy.
10. Lack of cleanliness. This might surprise you, but I see this problem more from girls than guys. It could be a from washing clothes, to washing yourself. Sometimes it's easier to give up a shower than to give up some study time, I wish I was kidding. College makes you do crazy things.
11. Question everything. I've never been so unsure about life, you think you have it all together on Monday morning, then by Monday at lunch your week has been ruined. I've never questioned my choices, morals or friends as much as I've done in college.
Overall, none of these seem healthy, or safe, but somehow we manage, and we survive, strive, and thrive in this setting. Parents if you're reading this, we're totally fine. Once we tackle college, we can tackle anything.
