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From moving in to getting to class on time to learning all the ins and outs of college life, freshmen students have a lot on their minds.
Although there are many things incoming freshmen have to worry about, they can take preventive measures to ensure that personal health is not one of them.
Dr. Linda Lekawski, the Texas A&M Student Health Services Director, said there are a few common sense measures that can be used to help students maintain their well-being and a healthy lifestyle.
"Students should eat healthy, get enough rest and have good hand-washing practices," Lekawski said. "Just doing routine things like that can help them be healthier."
According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), college students rarely get enough rest. Although sleep may seem like the least of a student's worries, sleep deprivation can make one more susceptible to colds and more likely to feel stressed or depressed. It is also detrimental to concentration.
Likewise, malnutrition can be a negative repercussion of college life. To avoid the dreaded "Freshman 15," it is very important to eat a healthy and balanced diet. The AAP reminds students that it is imperative to get a fair share of fruits and vegetables. In addition, getting enough calcium is of utmost importance, as well as avoiding foods that are fried, processed or high in fat, sugar and salt.
Lekawski said students should learn good safety procedures to maintain their health, especially when it comes to alcohol consumption.
"If students use alcohol, they should be cautious," she said. "Accidents are the number one cause of injury or death for college-age students."
It is important to be safe in all situations, regardless how small they may be, Lekawski said.
"For example, there are so many students riding bicycles that do not wear helmets," she said. "Anyone that is on a bike or a motorcycle should definitely have a helmet."
She also said students should take safety precautions like locking doors and cars, as well as keeping their valuables safe.
"If you take certain precautions like these, you can keep your emotional health well," she said.
In addition to common sense aspects of good health, Dr. Lekawski offered advice that may not be obvious.
"When students come back to campus, there is a rise in viral illnesses," she said. "They come back and share all their little colds."
College students living in dorms are especially susceptible to these types of illnesses. The meningococcal vaccine can be a good preventative measure in this case.
The vaccine is given in order to prevent the meningococcal disease, which usually shows up as meningitis or septicaemia.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection, two things that can be found in abundance in communal living halls.
Other vaccines Student Health Services recommends students receive are measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B, hepatitis A and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccinations.
Lekawski said students should be aware of the West Nile Virus, a disease that is present in mosquitoes.
"West Nile Virus is a problem until the first freeze," she said. "Students should consider using bug spray and wearing long sleeves."
female students, Lekawski said, should consider taking the Gardasil vaccination, a series of three shots that protects women against the human papyloma virus and cervical cancer. The vaccine is available at the student health clinic.
Students should take advantage of the A.P. Beutel Health Center, Lekawski said.
"Any time (students) have a question, the health center is always here," she said. "A lot of times, new students aren't used to making their own doctors appointments. We have a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year Dial-A-Nurse service. If a student needs advice, they can automatically get it from a licensed nurse.
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