Before I moved on campus, I had it stuck in my head that I would eat healthy and not gain the “Freshman 15.” I figured I would eat a lot of fruits and veggies and eat salads and fish and stay away from some of the junk food. But once I moved on campus, I felt like I was sucked into gaining the “Freshman 15.”    

Before I moved to Kent for my fall semester, I went grocery shopping for things like granola bars, cereal, juice, oatmeal and other snack foods. I didn’t buy any fruits or veggies, and I didn’t think to even buy peanut butter and jelly. I was new to the campus, so I didn’t think that there would be many fast food restaurants around me, like at The Hub. I thought groceries were cheap, and I kept telling myself that I would take the bus to Wal-Mart when I needed too.

When classes started, I found myself trying to get food on the go, and the snacks that I had bought ran out quickly. I would run to the nearest food place, which was usually The Hub, and I would sometimes go there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would go to Prentice and Eastway to buy groceries because I never had the motivation to take a bus to Wal-Mart, especially by myself, and being a broke college student didn’t help.

Everything started to add up, and I was eventually behind on my meal plan. I had less than I should have because I guided myself with the dining plan matrix. A friend at the time had the Premier Plan, and he was kind enough to buy me my meals and groceries.

I had even told my parents about my dilemma, and they got irritated with me. Telling me that I should watch what I spend and try not to eat out so much. I would go home once every so often, and my mom would point out that I gained weight, asking if I was eating any fruits and veggies and staying away from junk food.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw that there aren’t many healthy choices on campus, unless you buy groceries or go to the Prentice and Eastway cafés, which could be as expensive as going grocery shopping. Even if you stay on campus during the weekends, or never go home at all, you have to watch what you spend or your meal plan will be gone faster than you think you’re spending it.

The prices for every meal could range from $7 to $15, more or less. So if you spend $10 for every meal, that’s $30 every day. I suggest stocking up on a lot of groceries, or buying a Premier Plan if you plan on never going home. Also, keeping up with your Flashcard account every other day helps too!

Lauren Gump is a freshman journalism major. Contact her at [email protected].