(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES – Entering into a college environment, students are exposed to the combination of new academic and social atmospheres, which could present new risks to mental and physical health.

These risks may include stress, poor time management, sleep deprivation and excessive alcohol consumption. Students can decrease their vulnerability to these risks by managing all aspects of health, including diet, exercise, sleep and hygiene, said Elizabeth Gong-Guy, the interim director of the University of California-Los Angeles Student Psychological Services.

Gong-Guy added that since college is a time for students to develop their identities, if one has poor health, it could slow down one’s personal growth.

“It is really important for students to understand that taking basic care of their bodies matters in building their mental and emotional resiliency,” Gong-Guy said.

One aspect of the health concerns that come with a new college environment includes stress, said Jennifer Stripe, health education manager at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.

“It is important for incoming students to learn how to manage the stress and pressure that comes from being in this environment. Many incoming students are not necessarily prepared for the level of competition,” Stripe said.

On average, incoming students experience a drop in their GPA, which is a real source of disappointment and stress, Stripe said.

“Students should be mindful of taking care of their health and well-being under all this pressure. They may have been the big fish in a small pond, but now they have to work hard to maintain the academic standing that they’re used to,” she said.

According to a 2002 Ashe Center survey on student attitudes and behaviors, stress and poor mental health affect a large proportion of the UCLA population.

The lead author of the report, Pam Viele, said overall stress is not only highly correlated with poor mental health, but with other health concerns as well.

“Poor mental health is also often interrelated with other risk behaviors, such as alcohol or drug use, so it is important to consider and address students’ health concerns holistically,” Viele said.

Tiffany Li, a strength and conditioning coordinator at the UCLA Recreation Center, said exercise, whether it is in the gym or renting bikes to ride on the beach on the weekends, helps both mental and physical health.

“For Americans, in general, it is recommended to accumulate about 15 minutes of cardiovascular activity each day,” Li said.

But some students believe that walking to class is a sufficient amount of exercise.

“When I lived in Hedrick, I used to think that walking up the hill was a workout, but it’s not enough,” said Bridie Leurs-Beeson, a third-year sociology student.

Li said that though walking could be a cardiovascular workout, depending on the person, the body will soon get accustomed to the activity if the person does it everyday.

Dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases later in life as well.

“It is important for students to educate themselves so they can make informed decisions on their health. These decisions will lead to lifelong habits that will shape their health in their later adult years,” Li said.

While sufficient exercise and a balanced diet can increase energy levels, sleep is also interrelated and a significant part of improving mental and physical health.

Gong-Guy added that emotional resilience is important for managing stress, which could actually be beneficial to one’s development. Just as exercise develops physical fitness, stress, such as that found in a competitive college atmosphere, can work to promote mental growth.

“We have gotten ourselves into thinking that stress is bad, but in fact, stress brought about by challenges is what keeps people engaged and encourages growth,” Gong-Guy said.

Though academics are important, Gong-Guy said friendships and relationships can also affect a student’s health as well.

“An important part of college life is developing greater self-knowledge, and included in that is developing friendships and relationships; it’s not all about academics. Yes, academics is a key task, but studying all the time is not a realistic expectation and it’s not healthy.”

The combination of these different and interrelated aspects could help in the development of a student’s identity during college as well, Gong-Guy said.

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