My biggest advice to an incoming college freshman is to not forget about the
kitchen.
Before I first left for college my freshman year, I was warned by friends
and family to watch out for the Freshman 15. For those who don’t know about this cursed number, the Freshman 15 are the inevitable pounds you put on during your first year at college, pounds that are fueled by beer and burgers. Most people I know, myself included, were at least slightly victimized by the Freshman 15.
After my first semester, the dining hall food seemed lackluster. Cheese
curds just made me feel ill, and I couldn’t bear the thought of eating another
greasy sandwich. I had forgotten that I had a kitchen in the dorm I could use to actually create meals that I wanted to eat.
So, slowly but surely, I started to wean myself off of the dining food. I
found joy in going grocery shopping and buying fresh ingredients to make meals with. Eating healthier was not only less caloric, but also made me feel so much better in my everyday life.
Now that I’ve had a couple years of full-time practice, I can’t imagine not
cooking most of my own meals. Even though it may be difficult to cook in a
kitchen you share with a floor of people, I can promise you it’s worth the
effort. Learning to cook and care about the food you eat is a huge step in becoming independent and a full-fledged adult- so start as soon as you can!
