HEALTH and the COLLEGE STUDENT

Trying to stay healthy while living on college campuses isn’t always easy.

The H1N1 virus known to many as the swine flu has added to this challenge.

Justin Jackson, a 20-year-old junior at Towson University, like many students, thought that the swine flu wouldn’t affect them. But Jackson got a wake up call, when his roommate became sick.

“To me, the whole swine flu thing wasn’t a big deal until I personally had an interaction with someone who may have had the virus,” said Jackson. “It was a scary sight.”

But while Jackson frets over the swine flu, some students are more worried about getting the vaccination.

Although the swine flu may have been a scare,  poor food choices on campus are beginning to bother many students.

“The food here at Towson is really limited,” said 20-year-old junior, Tiffany Teal. “There aren’t that many great healthy choices. I am tired of the whole pizza, greasy fries and hamburgers thing. It’s just getting really old.”

Even though some students are new to the whole “healthy living thing”, J’Vaughn Gorham, a senior at Towson, says keeping a healthy body is no sweat off his back.

“In my spare time I always do a lot of activities that keep my body healthy,” said Gorham. “I practice this now so that I’ll be in good shape in the future.”

While eating healthy and exercising are excellent ways to stay healthy, staying free from sexually transmitted diseases are key as well.

“I think that STDs are nasty and I believe that they could be prevented if more people took the necessary precautions before being sexually active,” said 22-year-old junior Mia Duvall.

However, we all know that being healthy doesn’t just include physical health, but it incorporates mental health as well, and Ashlee Venson, a freshman, is  definitly battling with the stress monkey that’s been on her back.

“College is much harder than high school. There’s so much more work that needs to be done and turned in so quickly, that I get irritated at times. It seems like there is not enough hours in a day,” said Venson.

You never know, maybe these students can lead you to living a healthier lifestyle while on campus, so why not check out some of their stories.

If you have any questions take a look at the FAQ page!