If you’ve been in college for more than a couple weeks, you’ve probably learned what just about every students learns really quickly: you’re going to be tired a lot. You probably aren’t sleeping enough (who wants to sleep when there are friends to hang out with, homework to do, papers to write, and girls/guys to chase?), you’re spending a lot of mental and physical energy going to class and studying, and you’re expending energy walking around all day (in addition to any sports you play or frisbee-tossing sessions you engage in). What does all of this mean? It means that, at some point, you’re going to need an energy boost.

The college student’s fallback energy boost is, always has been, and always will be caffeine. Whether it’s in soda, coffee, tea, an energy drink, or some other form, caffeinating is a reliable way to get a boost. Unless, of course, you’ve been having a lot of it and you’re developing a tolerance. In this case, you’ll need to start having more and more for it to have any effect. I highly recommend limiting your caffeine intake when you don’t need it just so that it’s more effective when you do actually require a boost.

One of my favorite strategies is to avoid needing an energy boost in the first place. You may not be able to get much more sleep, but you can still do some things that will help keep you from running so low that you need some artificial help. Eating breakfast, for example. Make sure you don’t let yourself get overly hungry throughout the day, and you’ll avoid the blood sugar swings that will make you really tired and leave you in search of a cup of coffee.

Stress is near the top of the list of college student energy sappers. I’ve written about stress management quite a few times on this blog, so you should have at least some idea of how to keep your stress at a reasonable level by now. If not, start reading up on it. It’ll make a big difference. Not only will it help out your energy levels, but it will really have a positive effect on the rest of your life.

Even though it may seem obvious, taking a nap is a very under-utilized energy booster. Get back to your dorm for 15 or 20 minutes, turn off the lights, and lay down. Even if you don’t sleep, the relaxation should help you re-center yourself and get some energy back. It’s easy for a 15-minute nap to turn into a 2-hour one, so be careful doing this.

Everyone has their own preferred energy boosts. Whether yours is coffee, sleeping, or something entirely different, use it when you have to! Being overly tired all day may seem like a good way to get a lot of things done, but it can also get you sick, and it certainly won’t have a good effect on your grades. Keep your fatigue under control, and you’ll be in good shape.

If there’s one thing I’ve found that almost every college student has in common, it’s a high stress level. There are a few people who really have their lives together and aren’t stressing about much, but that’s pretty rare. (And don’t those people make you a little nervous?) There are a lot of different stressors that students have to deal with, and everyone has their own combination of things going on, but one of the most common things that I see stressing people out is a full schedule. (It’s often an overly full schedule.) You spend most of your day in class and doing homework; but you also have work . . . and friends . . . and sports . . . and the social scene . . . and your family . . . and who knows what else. It’s easy to get overloaded. What do I suggest you do about this? Take a break!

You may be thinking that I’m making it sound a lot simpler than it is. And in a way, I am. But when it comes down to it, you just have to stop what you’re doing for a little bit and let yourself recover. How you recover is up to you—go for a walk, take a nap, read a book, watch a movie—do whatever you want. Whatever lets your mind (and your body, if you need it) relax. Trust me. It’ll be worth it. If you’re studying for a test, and all you can think about is something else, you could be overscheduled and in need of a break. Take twenty or thirty minutes off of studying and come back to it refreshed. At first, it will feel like you’re “losing” that time, and that your relaxation time is detrimental to your studying. You’ll find, however, that it’s easier to concentrate when you’re relaxed, and your studying will be much more effective, even though there’s a little less of it.

“Okay, so I need to take a break every once in a while,” you might be thinking. “But how do I decide what to take a break from?” Prioritizing things during college can be tough. Everything seems really important (especially academically). And there certainly are things that you shouldn’t skip out on to let your mind relax. A test, for example. Don’t skip that. But a lecture? If you know you’ll be able to get the notes, that might not be a bad idea. (I rarely advocate skipping class, and I don’t suggest doing it often, but sometimes it’s just the best idea.) Take an hour off of writing a paper (unless it’s due in four hours, of course). Cut your lunch hour short and take a quick nap. Or—if you’re one of the lucky ones that’s caught up on sleep—stay up a little later to read a novel.

It’s a foreign concept to many students, but taking a break from the rush that is college life is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Give it a shot—you’ll appreciate it!

The spread of the H1N1 flu (“swine flu”) has been one of the largest news stories of 2009. It’s been spread on the internet, TV, radio, and print, and is one of the more pervasive news topics. There’s been much discussion about whether or not this could be one of the “big ones,” or if it’s any worse than the usual seasonal flu. And while I’m not an expert on this topic, I can provide my opinions and a few references to things that I’ve read about it.

One of the first things that I’d like to point out is that H1N1 is not as fatal as the media may have made it seem. If you’ve seen any news stories on the virus, it’s easy to imagine that it’s a pretty serious killer. And the number of deaths in the United States—almost 1700—does sound like a lot. And it is; but it’s also important to realize that there have been over 66,000 confirmed cases in the country. This means that it’s only fatal to two or three people per hundred that contract it. And many of these people have underlying conditions, such as suppressed immune systems. In fact, according to the CDC, “About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at “high risk” of serious seasonal flu-related complications.” (CDC) I don’t mean to say that it’s not a serious thing. It is. But I think many people have overstated the severity of the situation.

As a college student, you should have a decently strong immune system. You’re young, and hopefully you take pretty good care of yourself, so you’re at an advantage already. If you take some extra precautions, you should have no problem avoiding the flu—and if you do contract, you should be able to expect a reasonably speedy recovery.

There are many things that you can do to prevent your exposure to the virus, but staying away from people that are sick is probably the most effective one. If one of your friends hasn’t been feeling well for a couple days, don’t go over to her dorm to study. If you notice that someone in one of your classes is sick, try not to sit next to him (this isn’t always an option, and you don’t want to embarrass the person, but there are subtle ways to add a little distance). Also, if you get sick, follow the CDC guidelines for avoiding getting other people sick.

Other than avoiding contact, you can also make an extra effort to practice healthy habits. Get enough sleep every night so your body has the energy to maintain its immune function. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables so your body has the tools it needs to fight off infections. Basically, do all of the things that your health teachers have been telling you to do for the past twelve years or so.

In conclusion, I say that you don’t need to be afraid of H1N1. Aware? Cautious? Sure. But don’t get caught up in all the hype. It’ll just cause more stress, which I’m sure you don’t need any more of (especially as the semester is coming to a close).

Now that summer is in full swing, you’ll start to see a certain group of people taking over the sidewalks and road shoulders in your town. Runners are drawn out by nice weather, so unless you’ve been caught by the storms lately, you’ve probably seen a great number of people out running. And you may ask yourself “Are these people crazy?” While the answer to this is sometimes “yes,” it’s usually “no.” You may not think that running sounds like much fun, but have you ever tried it? If not, I highly encourage you to pick it up this summer—at least long enough to run a local 5k fun run.

Running, despite what you may think, is actually a lot of fun. You get to spend time outside, get in shape, meet other people, and feel good about the improvements that you’ve made. The thought of “running” might conjure up some terrible images, like people crawling across marathon finish lines or passing out in extreme heat, but this is not the experience that most runners have. Most people who run regularly find it enjoyable, relaxing, and very beneficial. Once you get it through your head that running isn’t just about pain, you’re ready to start running yourself.

If you’re a pretty sedentary person, starting running can be difficult (it is, however, even more necessary that you start to exercise in some manner or another). One of the best ways to motivate yourself to start getting in shape is to sign up for a 5k. There are fun runs almost every weekend in every major city. Look online (Runner’s World has a good race database), find one that fits your schedule, and sign up! You’ll be more likely to get out and run if you know you have an event coming up.

Buy a pair of running shoes (at a running store—you’ll get better shoes and you’ll be sure that you’re wearing the right type, two things you won’t get from a department store) and start walking. Walk for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 40 minutes—whatever you can do. Even if you can only go 10 minutes at a time, keep walking! Once you’ve done this a few times, you can start mixing it up. Walk for four-and-a-half minutes, and run for 30 seconds. Walk for three minutes, and run for two. Keep running more and more until you’re running for 30 minutes. Once you’ve run 30 minutes a few times, you’re ready for your 5k!

Even though it’s called a “race,” don’t worry about needing to go fast. There are always plenty of first-timers at every 5k, and there are usually a good number of walkers as well. Just get out on the course and go! It’ll help if you have friends that are doing the same run. Once you’re finished, revel in the fact that you just ran a 5k, and start planning your next event!

During the school year, it’s easy to keep motivated to stay healthy. You don’t want to be sick during your tests, have to miss a lot of class, or skip out on big parties. In the summer, however, if you can just stay home and relax when you’re sick, you may not have the same motivation. It’s still important to keep tabs on your health, though, especially with a few added risks in the summer.

One of the health risks specific to summer is sun exposure. Yeah, it’s great to spend all day outside in the sun, working on your tan, but you need to keep in mind that you can get too much sun. If you get sunburned more than a couple times throughout the summer, you’re not taking enough precautions to protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation. Make sure to wear sunscreen when you’re outside (especially if you’re going to be out for several hours), re-apply it after you get out of the water at the beach (or when you’re done running, cycling, or playing frisbee), and make sure to spend some time in the shade every once in a while. Getting burned is no fun—so do what you can to avoid it!

Some students do a lot of partying during the semester, and some wait until summer vacation. If you’re planning on hitting the party circuit pretty hard this summer, take a few precautions and save yourself a whole lot of trouble. Drink water before, during, and after you start drinking alcohol, don’t drink more than you can handle, and make sure not to drive or do anything else dangerous. If you’re drinking during the day (like when you’re hanging out at the beach, playing disc golf at a park, or just relaxing in your backyard), be extra careful to stay properly hydrated. Alcohol can dehydrate you, and the increased intensity of the sun can become dangerous. Just be smart, and you’ll be fine.

Another thing that you may have been aware of during the semester, but forget about during the summer, is getting enough sleep. It’s easy to stay out late with your friends one night, see a late movie with your girl/boyfriend the next, go to a party the next, and then start over. You’ll find that you probably have a major crash and get sick after a few cycles. Take a couple nights off each week and make sure that you get at least eight hours of sleep (if not more). If you wake up tired, go through the day tired, and fall asleep as soon as you get into bed, you’re not getting enough sleep! Pay attention to how you’re feeling and you’ll be fine.

Staying healthy in the summer isn’t much different than staying healthy during the school year. But don’t think that you don’t have to worry about it—just keep your health in mind and you’ll be fine.