College students learn to juggle classes, work and everyday life, but with all those things going on, many students may forget to maintain their own well-being.

Many students spend much of their time in a hurry. Rushing to school in the morning, rushing to work, then rushing home to study to squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep before they get up and do it all over again leads to fast food, little if any exercise and only a few hours of sleep a night.

The most common problem among college students is stress. Stress, defined by the Counseling Center for Human Development, is an emotional, intellectual or physical reaction to change or demands.

“Stress is a process that builds,” according to the Indiana University Health Center. “It’s more effective to intervene early in the process than later. Try to become aware of the signs that suggest the process has begun.”

Becoming aware of the signs is the first step to treatment. The university also lists several signs that you might want to watch for: general irritability, elevated heart rate, trembling, insomnia, headaches, pain in the neck and/or lower back or changes in appetite or sleep patterns.

Eating right is also very important for obtaining good health.

“Eat a minimum of three servings of vegetables a day,” reported the Washington Post Online, Sept. 12, 2000. “Eat at least two fruits daily, three servings of dairy foods and always eat breakfast no matter how late you wake up.”

The same article reported that some 90 percent of college students fail to meet the recommended fiber intake of 25 grams a day.

“My most common food for the week is hamburgers,” said Sonia Rivera, a first semester Psychology major.

Along with eating right, it is also important to get regular physical activity.

“I don’t have time to go to a gym, because I have to work,” said Roberta Meduna, a first semester Palo Alto student.

Don’t forget to leave at least seven hours of each day free for sleeping.

“Once I get off work, sometimes I stay up until 2 a.m. studying,” said Kaycie Kendrick, a first semester Music major at Palo Alto.

Time management may also be something that could help with your new healthy lifestyle. In order to squeeze all that good stuff into one day, you might want to think about planning your days ahead of time. This way, you are sure to get everything done without stressing yourself out.