As college students, it can sometimes be hard to balance grades and good eating habits. When a student has exams to study for or is on campus until late, they may not have time to cook a healthy meal.

There are many options for food on campus and vary in health-conscious choices, but most are relatively affordable. When a student is spending a lot of money on food at school, they are most likely going to look for something cheap.

Senior psychology major Kindra Pring said she eats fast food at least twice a week.

“My favorite place is the Gyro place in the Riverfront Cafe,” Pring said. “I just really like the chicken.”

Pring has to wake up at 5 a.m. and leave her house by 6:30 a.m. to be able to get to school and get a parking spot for her 9 a.m. class.

“That doesn’t give me a whole lot of time, especially since I’m here ’til 7 p.m. and by the time I get home I’m exhausted so I don’t have a lot of time to make food for myself,” Pring said.

Pring believes college students may spend a lot of money on fast food and thinks she definitely does.

Although she eats fast food at least twice a week, Pring said she does not feel fatigued and there is not a huge difference in the way she feels when she eats Burger King or a bowl of rice from Panda Express.

“I know it’s not good for me to eat this much [fast food], but I have to eat something,” Pring said.

It seems time is the main problem students have when deciding whether or not to pack a lunch or eat at school.

Casey Westover, junior human resources major, said she would pack a lunch and bring it to school if she had time. She eats food on campus 3-4 times a week.

“Panda is pretty good, it’s not like really heavy,” Westover said. “Round table is pretty good, they’re fast.”

Panda Express and Burger King seem to be two of the most popular places to eat in the Hornet’s Nest. During lunch time these two places have long lines stretching into the dining area.

It is a known fact that fast food is not always the healthiest option when deciding on lunch,but it is cheap and easy.

“I just feel like if I eat like a big heavy meal or [something] really filling, I’ll get really tired, and then I’ll either fall asleep or can’t pay attention in my classes,” Westover said.

A lot of college students stay active, so fast food may not have a huge effect on them. Some have a naturally-fast metabolism and are lucky enough to eat whatever they want with no major or noticeable side effects.

Senior journalism major Garrett Riendeau eats out 3-4 times a week because he lives so close to multiple fast food restaurants.

“I don’t eat on campus very often, but when I do, I go to either Panda Express or Subway,” Riendeau said. “These are two of my favorite fast food places.”

Riendeau spends about $20 on fast food a week.

“I don’t worry too much about my health because I stay active, and when I’m not eating fast food, I usually eat fairly healthy,” Riendeau said.

Fast food may not be the best choice when deciding what to eat for lunch, but for college students it is very convenient.

When students are at school all day they need to feed their brain and their body, and the Hornet’s Nest offers a variety of different eateries.