How to Boil an Egg: A Beginners Guide to Leaving Home for College

Introduction

The first hops off to college are both exciting and overwhelming. However, the best support system for success in college is having a healthy body to support a healthy mind. For this one must rely on oneself. Healthy eating, sleeping enough consistently, strong time management, and a consistent seeking after holistic path of fulfillment emotionally is key for maintaining a positive path through the first year of college. To do this one must have the strength to go their own way, reject the lazy status quo, and demand their personal best with a playful attitude of adventure. 

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating at college is not as difficult as some make it out to be, and for those leaving home for the first time, picking up simple cooking habits can be done with ease. What’s important and required is the desire to be healthy, and to not allow oneself to be swayed by the unhealthy habits of the status quo. For those college students who are serious about learning and maximizing the college years a healthy diet is key to maintaining the energy and focus that this requires. For college students on the go, a good way to do this is through a raw food diet. Eating raw cuts out prep and cooking time, and enables high energy to be gained most effectively. After all, when food gets cooked it can lose much of its nutritional value (Group). Raw food consist of and include;

• Fruit (berries, banana, tomato, apple, etc.)

• Nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc.)

• Greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.)

• Vegetables (broccoli, carrot, beet, etc.)

It is relatively simple to pack a raw food meal in the backpack to have whenever the urge to munch occurs (even during class), and this type of eating is not messy. Without having to expend energy digesting the food which can often lead to sleepiness after eating, raw food allows for immediate energy, and is ideal for college students. However, even the best raw foods do not always have the nutrients the body and mind needs due to pollution, GMO effects, and soil degradation. Therefore it is key to consistently take a complete vitamin and minerals supplement to ensure the body’s basic needs are being met. This is something many college age people do not realize they need to do, but the beneficial effects of doing so will be immediately apparent. College is a demanding time, and the body needs the fundamental building blocks in order to meet those demands. 

How to Boil an Egg

Eggs are a great source of protein, and boiling a bunch all at once cuts down on the prep time. Placing boiled eggs in the fridge assures a quick snack of energy when it is needed, and are easy to eat on the go. Here is the simple way to boil an egg;

 1. Bring water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

2. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with cold water, add some ice cubes, and set aside.

3. Gently place your egg(s) into the simmering water (again, make sure they are covered by about 1 inch of water), and let them simmer for 8 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and let the egg(s) sit in hot water for another 4 minutes.

4. Remove the egg(s) from the hot water and place them in the ice bath for at least one minute. (Wiedemann)

Boiled eggs are wonderful spiced with salt and pepper, or hot sauce for those who desire a kick! A gathering of greens over sliced boiled egg completes the nutritional cycle, and may be embellished with a smart dressing. This offers both a light and satisfying meal for those who desire to utilize the best of themselves. 

Healthy Sleep

College is the first time many people are let out from under the protective wing of their parents, and sometimes this leads to a slackening of healthy habits in the newfound freedom. While those who are bound and determined to gorge on all types of excesses may stop reading here, there are a few simple steps college students can take to maximize their experience. The first and most important is the need to get a full night’s sleep every night. College students are the most sleep deprived group on record, and without sleep very little real learning will take place and the body will slide into disease quickly. A few things to help sleep consistency in college:

• Stop using all technology 30 min before bed- no cell phone- no lap top- no kindle.  The light block melatonin which can help you fall asleep.  A 30 min wind down with relaxation and reading (a paper book) can make it easier to fall asleep.

• No caffeine after 3 PM.

• Sleep only an hour longer during the weekend than your latest weekday wake-up time.

• Incorporate a small amount of time each day to be outside in daylight. Time spent outside during the day helps to preserve your body’s sleep and wake cycles.

• A regular meal schedule can also help you get a good night’s sleep. Eat smaller meals and be especially careful to avoid heavy meals near bedtime.

• Avoid alcohol close to bedtime.  Alcohol is disruptive to sleep, particularly if you have a mental health disorder. (University of Michigan)

Avoiding all nighters, and not taking naps during the day also helps consistent sleep patterns. A sleep mask and ear plugs are also helpful for those in college around noise and light. Also important is developing a good relationship with roommates, who share understanding of the value of sleep and of respecting each other’s’ space. Little known is the fact that everyone has different sleep needs and different optimal sleep patterns. Thus, it is important that those going to college take a good look at their unique sleep needs, and prepare to continue them in the new context (University of Michigan).

The Perils of Procrastination

Undermining every effort at productivity and health is the pitfall of procrastination, and for those who desire to maximize their time in college this hindrance must be avoided or uprooted. There is hardly enough hours in the day for someone without the rigors of college to attend to, but for those in college time management is absolutely essential. Time management is what will allow for the transiting college student to 1) know their needs; 2) meet their needs; 3) excel at expanding their experience. Procrastination leads to a fatal back up in the pipeline of productivity which cannot help but clog up the entire system of self. 

The paradox of disciplines such as time management is that discipline enables freedom. Keeping a schedule, meeting demands on time, and knowing personal limits enables free time to be truly free and not time stolen from ignored responsibilities. A good way to avoid the pitfall of procrastination is not to take on more responsibility than can be realistically challenged. When making decisions concerning this a good way to measure is to envision a future in which it is already occurring and image how it would feel. For instance, for someone who values peace of mind they may choose to take a moderate class load to allow for the experience of college to be more enjoyable, while another person may value getting a degree faster more than peace of mind and subsequently take on too much responsibility. 

Avoiding procrastination allows for the full opportunities of college life to be explored while still maintaining health and academic standards. Also, making time management a priority will help establish this as a habit which can be indispensable after graduating when required to balance all the essentials of independent living. In this way, college is a training ground for ill or for good. The first year of college is largely exploratory for those who do not have a clear grasp on what they want to focus on professionally, and time management is an essential element to this (Schantz). 

Holistic Fulfillment

A common problem that first year college students (and many other people) have is not living in the present moment, but consistently subverting the present moment towards a future goal. However, once goals for the future are set in motion they require little upkeep if staying on the path to their manifestation. Fixating on those goals (usually as a means to another end) pulls people out of the only real place for experience and growth, the present moment. The first year of college is an opportunity to get to know or redefine oneself and set a clear direction for life, but the only place this can be done is through bringing awareness and focus to what is right here and now. 

In the present moment is the hints, the intuitions, and the keys to authentic success are there, but only for those with the eyes to see them. One generation Y’er put it, the idea of being mindful and living in the present seems to be something our generation struggles with because of our constant cell phone in addition to the stresses and struggles of college life. With the busyness of exams, quizzes, papers, and readings, not to mention the more social aspect of lifestyle, we find ourselves overly stressed. Because of this, it’s even more important for us to remember to be mindful of the present and make our best effort to live in the moment. (Pate)

This is the moment of opportunity and challenge, and it is always right now. However, snuggled in the present moment is the kernel of infinite possibility, and this may be intimidating. Research shows, “one in every four college students leaves before completing their sophomore year — and nearly half of all freshmen will either drop out before obtaining a degree or complete their college education elsewhere” (Hansen). This statistic may reflect the fear of asking the questions 1) Who am I?, and 2) What do I want to do with my life? These are the questions which inevitably come up when being present, and college offers the opportunity to seek out answers and directions for these important questions. Education is only a tool to advance the answers to these questions, and those who seek education (or even worse just a degree) to supplement these answers will be short changing their entire life (Blanchette). 

Conclusion

Leaving home for college presents the challenging and wondrous opportunities of cultivating independence. Key to walking this path sustainably are healthy habits of eating, sleeping, time management, and having authentic motivations which stem from purpose.

Works Cited

Blanchette, Aimee. “The advice I'd give my college freshman self.” Star Tribune, 2 Sep. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.startribune.com/the-advice-i-d-give-my-college-freshman-self/273228471/

Group, Edward. “The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet.” Global Healing Center, 3 Feb. 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-raw-food-diet/

Hanson, Randall S. “Your First Year of College: 25 Strategies and Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year and Beyond.” Livecareer.com, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/first-year-success

Pate, Katie. “5 Things You’ll Miss If You Aren’t Being Present In The Moment In College.” Theodysseyonline.com, 4 Apr. 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-present-moment-college

Schantz, Doug. “Beginner’s Guide to Surviving Your 1st Year of College.” Cheapscholar.org, 6 Oct. 2012. Retrieved from: http://cheapscholar.org/2012/10/06/beginners-guide-to-surviving-your-1st-year-of-college/

University of Michigan. “Sleep.” Campusmindworks.org, 2016. Retrieved from: http://campusmindworks.org/students/self_care/sleep.asp

Wiedemann, Elettra. “Master These 6 Recipes And Call Yourself An Egg Pro.”Refinery29.com, 5 Apr. 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.refinery29.com/how-to-make-hard-boiled-egg