Freshman 15 (Adjusting to New Habits)
September 24th, 2025
Writer: Nicolette Peremen
Editor: Sophia Wohl
Many college students gain weight during their time in college, and to most it seems inevitable. This experience is so common among first year students, that it coined the phrase “Freshman 15”. Amidst the jokes and commentary, there exists a more profound reality; this reality extends to acclimating a completely new environment of habits, identity, and autonomy. This experience is more than just food and excessive alcohol intake. The truth is, college is a behavioral buffet, and many people take advantage of it. Out of nowhere, you have complete control over your schedule–you choose your class, sleeping, and eating schedule. More specifically, all students now have full reign over how they spend their time. This sudden independence is both exhilarating and daunting. In all honesty, the “Freshman 15” is more about coping strategies than it is about calories. Food turns become solace, authority, and occasionally a sense of camaraderie.
The transition from high school to college is behavioral in nature rather than merely locational. High school routines are frequently centered on set bedtimes, gym lessons, and family meals. Contrarily, college provides buffet-style eating halls, optional exercise programs, and the opportunity to binge-watch television until three in the morning. Stress management also undergoes significant change. The necessity to develop your own coping mechanisms takes the place of innate support networks like family and well-known teachers. Although these changes necessitate deliberate adaptation, they are not intrinsically negative. Habits might stray in the absence of structure. Additionally, it’s simple to turn to comfort food or sleep deprivation in favor of cramming when stress strikes.
Students might strive for long-lasting, self-aware changes rather than striving for perfection. Considering food as both fun and fuel is one of the most beneficial reframes. Yes, certain foods–ramen, for example–are inexpensive and comforting, but so are peanut butter and frozen vegetables. Students can have a healthier connection with eating if they avoid moralizing food choices and strike a balance between enjoyment and sustenance. Another area where minor adjustments are significant is movement. It is also good to mention that staying active and moving does not require a gym membership, plenty of universities, as a matter of fact often have multiple gyms that all students are granted free access. Even then, there are ways to stay active without the hassle or discomfort of actually going to the gym. Stretching during study breaks, dancing in your dorm, and [inevitably] walking to class are all very viable ways to keep your body happy and moving.
Truly, the first victim of college change is sleep. Getting the appropriate and necessary amount of rest is not optional; it is necessary. Developing a wind-down routine that does not include doomscrolling can have a lot of positive impacts on mood, energy, and academic achievement. Stress is very capable of prohibiting sleep, so diversifying your coping mechanisms is indispensable. Instead of continuing to stare at a blue light ridden screen, try writing, or even coloring. Adult coloring books do exist…and they work surprisingly well.
At the end of the day, the Freshman 15 is your body’s feedback to how it is being treated; but it is certainly not a sign of failure. Your body knows you are adjusting to a new environment, and it is doing what it can to manage. Start getting inquisitive. Which habits are working for you? Which ones are not? What do you truly need, versus what you merely want? An occasional burnout in self-control is what college is all about. In real time, you are learning how to take care of yourself. It may be incredibly messy and drawn out but remember you are human, and you can handle it.
