Alison HarmanDeputy Features Editor

Each week, sometimes like clockwork, students’ days are dictated by habit. A cup of coffee here, a shower there, a consistent class schedule — routines are everywhere.

Some habits, however, aren’t as beneficial as a cup of coffee — nor are they easy to change once a general occurrence or event turns habitual.

Starting a good habit and chucking out an old, bad one can be difficult for those who have just entered college, Marianne Turnbull, director of Health Promotion, said.

“A habit could be something you do on a regular basis and enjoy doing. It tends to have a life of its own. You could start out with the basics of eating a good diet and trying to maintain physical activity,” she said. “Sometimes [students] have been doing really well on that depending on how their family set up activities and diets.”

Once students try to balance their social life with their studies, Turnbull said, they have trouble maintaining their good habits and take up unhealthy habits that, in some cases, encourage stress.

“Sometimes students don’t choose the best food — they get hurried, miss a meal, stay up late, have too many snacks, and because they’ve had snacks they’re not hungry for a real meal, but since snacks aren’t filling they eat more snacks,” Turnbull said. “This all leads to weight gain.”

Turnbull recommends scheduling a regular fitness program and recording all foods consumed — a habit that helps students truly realize what they eat and drink on a daily basis. Students who add these habits to their daily routines, she said, will better manage stress and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

“Some people look at their calendar and say ‘It’s four o’clock, I’m going to get up and go to the gym.’ Students should schedule time for themselves — that’s a really good habit,” she said. “They can also take an extra PE class when they know they’re not going to do that.”

It is imperative, Turnbull said, for students to preserve their diet and activities. Whether healthy habits are newly added or years old, allowing them to fall apart impacts one’s stress level.

Using her bike as a primary means of transportation around campus, Lindsay Slone Joyner, a freshman in the Transition Program, said she tries to fit her exercise routine into the middle of the day when she doesn’t have anything else to do.

“I’ve gone riding for the purpose of riding, because rides between classes are just really short spurts, not long rides,” Joyner said. “I’m going to start riding on the weekends when there’s not as much obligation.”

Not only does Joyner ride her bike on a regular basis, she completes at least eight hours of studying a week through a study hall conducted by the Transition Program, which was created exclusively to help undeclared freshman select a major and develop a personalized plan of study, according to the University Web site.

“The students in the Program use freshman year to learn time management, study skills, etc. — stuff many college students have problems with,” Joyner said. “It’s your responsibility to go. I’m almost being forced to study, which, you know, I don’t have a problem with.”

Joyner said she attends the study hall, which is held from 5 to 9 p.m. four days a week, anywhere from one to three hours a day, depending on how much work she has to complete that week.

“I use the time [there] they tell most students to go over their notes every day. It’s quiet, really easy to get work done,” Joyner said. “I get too distracted at my dorm. [The study hall] will help me a lot — you get what you put in to it. I can go to the study sessions, but if I sit there and don’t do anything it’s not going to be helpful.”

Armand Brown, a junior in sports management, said he tries to leave his apartment before he studies.

“If I stay, me and my roommates always end up doing something else, like watching TV or listening to music,” Brown said. “I do procrastinate — I do. But I try to get better.”

To help him remember what school assignments he has to finish, Brown said he keeps a calendar on his desk with each assignment’s due date for the month.

“That helps me a little bit, but I definitely still procrastinate,” he said.

In addition to staying on top of his studies, Brown said he exercises three times a week — and though sometimes that quota isn’t fulfilled, he said he attempts to work out when he has free time.

A regular exercise plan is one habit Turnbull said will help students maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, she added, students who are worried about adding weight from alcohol tend to cut down on or skip regular meals so they can worry less about alcohol consumption later that night.

“Alcohol has a much stronger affect on them because there’s not much food in their system,” Turnbull said. “It’s not a good choice either. Everything in moderation.”

Smoking is another habit Turnbull pointed out. New students, she said, have passed through middle and high school without having tried a cigarette. However, when some arrive on campus they will choose to become a social smoker or to alleviate stress — but that first smoke, according to Turnbull, is one that will not allow students to shake the habit.

“[Smoking] does nothing to help their stress,” Turnbull said. “If you look at the physiological impact of nicotine, it raises your stress level. It’s the absolute opposite of what people think. It increases blood pressure and raises heart rate. People think cigarette breaks help their stress — but it’s not the cigarette, it’s the break that’s helping with stress. It’s a hard habit to quit.”

However, in order to pick up a new, healthy habit, Turnbull said students must recognize and stick to a plan — two steps that will help them accomplish a healthy lifestyle.

“The best way to develop good health habits is to set up a way you’re actually going to do it,” Turnbull said. “Just because you think something is a good idea doesn’t mean you’re going to do it.”

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Tension or discomfort in neck or shoulders

Chronic anger, hostility or frustration

Fatigue

Nightmares or sleep disturbances

Recurrent headaches

Chest pain or heartburn

Low or no motivation

Irritability

Inability to concentrate

Change in eating habits

Constant thinking of troubled thoughts

Isolation

Increased smoking or alcohol consumption

Tips to Avoid Procrastinating

Set priorities. Pick one major project upon which to focus.

Break the task into small, manageable pieces for a more polished result.

Set up a timeline that identifies specific goals and stick to it.

Learn how to advantageously use time. Be realistic about how long it will take to complete a task. It is always better to overestimate the time needed to complete the task.

Start the task or project as soon as ideas come to mind. It is always possible to go back and improve on it later.

Know individual limits and strengths. These are assets in completing a project on time and avoiding procrastination.

Planning to Study

Plan to study two hours for every one hour in class.

Study difficult or boring information first.

Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions.

Avoid studying similar subjects back to back.

Be aware of the time you are most alert and study then.

Use time waiting for the bus to sneak in a few minutes of studying.

Keep a calendar for the semester to track assignments, tests and papers.

Make a daily to-do list and prioritize important tasks and assignments.

Where to Study

Select a regular, quiet study area. This will help aid concentration.

Use the library — most students get more done in less time in the library.

Consider study groups. They can assist in articulating concepts and

avoiding procrastination.

Nutritional Counseling

Programs such as Health Promotion’s Fit For U — which provides a free counseling session to students who wish to develop healthy habits — and HIP can help students make better choices regarding their lifestyle.

Students can also make an appointment to speak with a registered dietitian through the Health Center.

Source: www.ncsu.edu/health_promotion/