The expression,“freshman 15” does not always apply to everyone. My roommates and I did not gain the “freshman 15” due to the questionable food of the old cafeteria. 

Instead, we found ourselves losing weight due to illness or losing our appetite because of what was on the menu for the night; for instance Catfish. The first week was awesome. Everybody I knew raved about the cheeseburgers and ice cream that was available on a daily basis. It was as if the freshman had hit junk food heaven. 

However, once you start eating that kind of food every day, moms home-cooked meals quickly become missed. I would find myself daydreaming about my mom’s homemade lasagna and Caesar salad during class lectures. 

When the cafeteria was a fail, mac n’ cheese and top ramen did not help in any way. 

The tour guides told me when visiting Sonoma that I, “better watch out not to pack on the pounds from the cafeteria,” which I laugh about now, because nobody could stomach the disgusting food. 

So if you are a freshman and have been experiencing the wonderful new cafeteria, be very thankful you did not have to deal with catfish and eating cereal three times a day. 

Even though the old cafeteria still haunts me, the poor eating habits that I learned freshmen year ended up motivating me to start eating healthy once I was off the meal plan. 

Maintaining healthy eating habits in college can be harder than passing a quantum physic exam. Grocery shopping was intimidating because of the tiny budget that most of us have to work with. 

There have been countless moments when I was done shopping that I realized nothing that I bought could be considered an actual meal. 

When it came to the a cooking aspect, there were many failed attempts of overcooking chicken or setting off the fire alarm. 

This resulted in complete embarrassment since my entire dorm village had to endure the loud alarm until the police came by to make sure it was not a real fire. 

By the time I hit junior year, I had finally mastered the art of cooking chicken, and the Nutribullet became my best friend. 

Putting all of the fruits and vegetables I needed for the day into one blended drink was pretty amazing. 

It might sound gross to toss some healthy greens in there like kale or spinach, but the fruit would even it out and the vegetables became undetectable. Don’t knock it till you try it!

So when it comes to surviving the transition of cooking for yourself, remember to get crafty – not Kraft-y.