Your university years are the start of your adult life in many cases. The student wellness tips and techniques you acquire during this time often stay with you.

Total wellness includes both fitness and nutrition, plus caring for your mental outlook. Here are the top health tips for university students and why you need them during this transformative life stage.

 

1. Make a Plan

University students face enormous stress. Without a plan to tackle all your duties, you can quickly become overwhelmed. The first tip on how to take care of yourself in university is to get a planner — and use it.

Old-fashioned print versions offer the flexibility to write as much as necessary to define each task. However, if you have your phone glued to your hip like many, the right planner app might make better sense. Whichever organizational system you choose, set it up at the semester’s start and stick with it.

 

2. Get Your Meals on Point

Please don’t rely on fast food. A wise student wellness tip is getting on point with food prep to have oodles of fresh veggies and other healthy treats for snacking. Make use of your dorm’s mini-fridge — and remember to keep fresh produce at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or 5 degrees Celsius to prevent food poisoning.

Making the most of your cafeteria is among the other top nutrition tips for university students. Look at your plate as a “clock” and fill at least a “half-hour” with fresh fruits and vegetables. Have “15 minutes” of lean protein like chicken and the same amount of a hearty starch like quinoa pilaf.

 

3. Create a Nurturing Environment

When it comes to discovering how to take care of yourself in university, remember that you’re more than a body. You need to nurture your mind as well.

Create a comfortable environment with room to sleep and study. Noise-cancelling headphones help if your roommate’s taste in music drives you batty. An eye covering or even a bed tent can let you catch Zzz’s even when they pull an all-nighter.

 

4. Keep Your Body in Motion

One of the best fitness tips for university students is locating your campus facility. You’ll probably never get to join a gym for free again, so take advantage of this perk.

What if you don’t relish the thought of using the uni gym or fear COVID-19? You can find tons of fitness apps, and many are far more affordable than traditional gym memberships. Alternatively, you can put on your favourite tunes and dance it up in your dorm room, followed by a cool-down yoga session.

 

5. Locate Your Student Wellness Resources

Who doesn’t need some extra mental health love in 2020? One of the answers to how to stay healthy in university is to locate your student wellness resources — including your on-campus counselling centre.

If you forgot where this resource is located since your admission, please ask your advisor. You can also seek out online support groups if you struggle with issues such as alcohol or drug abuse or compulsive overeating.

 

6. Work With Your Advisor

You want your course load to fit like Baby Bear’s chair — not too heavy, not too light, but just right. Work with your advisor to achieve this goal.

Your advisor can also assist with things like helping you transfer credits or spend a semester abroad. They can also offer advice if you need to take a break, or if life events interfere with your studies.

 

7. Participate in Group Activities

Who wants to spend their time in their dorm alone? University is the ideal time to foster lifelong friendships.

Start by seeking out study groups and investigating extracurricular activities that interest you. If you don’t like in-person contact yet, consider starting an online study group — you can all look forward to meeting IRL (in real life) once scientists find a vaccine.

 

8. Leave Time for Daily Self-Care

Finally, you need time to unwind. When making your weekly schedule, plan 30 minutes daily to do something you adore. For some, that might take the form of a long run or a yoga session. For others, curling up with a non-school-related novel does the trick.

Burnout is real. Prevent it by respecting yourself enough to put yourself and your health first so you can give the best version of yourself to others.

 

Follow These Student Wellness Tips to Learn How to Stay Healthy in University

If you want to stay healthy in university, follow the student wellness tips outlined above. Now that you’re armed with the fitness, nutrition and mental health advice you need, nothing can stop you from making these years a success.

 

About the Author

Ginger Abbot is an education writer and the Managing Editor of Classrooms. She has a passion for sharing tips and advice for college and university students, as well as postgrads.