Starting college can stressful; many students leave their home, family, friends and basically everything they once knew. Some must head off to a new city to live in a tiny dorm with a stranger. Suddenly it is their responsibility to get themselves up for class, finish homework, study, take care of laundry and all sorts of other things that family may have helped with at home. That alone is stressful enough—the last thing they want to worry about is gaining a few extra pounds. Yet, the scare of the “Freshman 15” is pounded into many incoming freshmen’s heads as they begin their journey through college; however, is there any truth to it?

Freshman Geanina Liston thinks not. “It is not something someone should be worried about their freshman year of college. You have many other things to be concerned about,” she said.

Stressing about gaining a few pounds really seems small when you think about all the other responsibilities college students need to worry about such as homework, exams and other extracurricular activities. Are a few extra pounds going to prevent a student from acing that final exam?

The eating habits of freshmen may contribute largely to problems with weight gain. Andrew Klauer, junior graphic arts major, thinks that some students may just have no idea how to keep a balanced diet. Before college, most students had many of their meals prepared for them, but now they have to learn to feed themselves. In the midst of a busy schedule, sometimes it’s just easier to splurge on whatever is convenient and easy rather than taking the time for healthier choices.

One fat-fighting activity at Lakeland is the athletics. A lot of high school students are involved in sports, and when they head off to college, they end up not continuing with them into their college days. However, Lakeland College has a great athletics program and there are many students who come to Lakeland specifically to participate in it. Along with a workout room on campus, it gives Lakeland students the opportunity to keep active.

“It’s a matter of keeping up with yourself,” says freshman Karen Lerindo, international business major. She adds that the whole idea of the Freshman 15 is likely only good for one thing; it “scares [freshmen] into keeping healthy and active.”

Overall, the response from the students was the same: the idea of the “Freshman 15” is a myth. Not every freshman is going to gain 15 pounds his or her first year. Yes, some freshmen may gain weight; however, some maintain their weight or even lose weight their freshman year. It really depends on each individual.