By Jenn Suh, highschoogle blogger

I flew to Chicago by myself, ready to spend five weeks living in a dorm at Northwestern University for a summer journalism program. With a vague idea of what to expect, I realized after the first day at camp that I had signed up for a dual experience of journalism and college life.

The hardest challenge living away from home was staying healthy. The “freshman 15” exaggerates the amount of weight gain, but everyone—boys and girls—left camp with a few extra inches on their waistlines.
The problem with eating at a dining hall is that it is an all-you-can-eat-unlimited buffet every day. Our moms are not next to us, reminding us to eat our vegetables and limit our dessert intake.

My battle with the dessert counter failed almost every day. Chocolate chip cookies, double, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, blondies, Oreo cupcakes, frosted cake, and Rice Krispies filled rows of plates, calling out to the campers from the back of the dining hall.

The secret to avoiding these treats does not exist. The first week, I never ate dessert, but once I saw my friends devouring their cookies, I fell into the peer pressure.

Everyone eats for pleasure, so college students need to find a solution. I found mine—running every morning through the park and by Lake Michigan. This worked until week three, when I lost all motivation to exercise and began to snack on pizza and wings past midnight.

College is going to take a lot of responsibility on my part not only in academics, but in leading a healthy life that I will hopefully continue years later.