How to Deal With Stress in College

I know what you're thinking, most students refer to it as the "back to school blues." Anguish over the drudgery of due dates and 10 page essays.  Nervousness about grades and getting into the right classes. Forlorness for the passing of summer break, and all the hot, sex, swimming suit times.

But I really enjoy going back to school. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy swimming suit times as much as the next girl, but all-in-all I think I'd rather be improving my mind.

Most of my classes are already set for this semester, which is a real relief. I did hate freshman year with the crazy scramble to get into the better courses and failing most the time. But now that my major is locked down and I've got most of the basic requisites behind me, I get the better classes with the better professors, and I can't wait.

I've also signed up for a few new clubs this year. I'm going to try out the performing arts for at least a semester, starting with an experimental drama group. Who knows what will happen? Anyway, I'll make the best of it, no matter how cheeky, goth, or sexually ambiguous it gets. Until then, I'll take my my damage control, my best antioxidant, and my birth control. That's right, I said it.

Last weekend was the 4th of July. I've been trying to "eat Primal" recently which is all about high proteins and fats, and low carbs.

4th of July barbecue actually works pretty well with this diet. You can have the Bratwurst, just as long as you don't put it on a bun. Lamb kabobs, grilled shrimp, and barbecued pork loin all work well with the caveman diet. In fact, barbecuing is more-or-less how the cavemen cooked, let alone how they ate. Put some meat over a fire and let it sit there until it's hot enough to be tasty.

Unfortunately, the other main ingredient for any fourth of July barbecue is beer. And beer has carbs. I limited myself to one beer over the weekend, and I ended up having two, though on different days, so I guess I stuck to a "per diem" limit of sorts.

The good of limiting my alcohol consumption was the beer tasted much better since I was picky about which one beer I got to drink. Also, I actually remembered the bulk of the festivities this year, which is a first.

The bad of limiting my alcohol consumption was that I became the designated driver. And as kind and chivalrous and heroic as being a designated driver is, the truth of the matter is it sucks. You're tired, you want to go home and sleep, but you have to wait around for two more hours for the drunks to get done with their lollies. Then, right about the time the lose interest in partying and gain interest in holding in all the sausages they stuffed down, you have to scoop them up and spend another hour and $20 in gas dropping them off around town.

I think next year I'll just pretend to be drunk.

Also, I stumbled through these websites on the caveman diet and damage control. I also found some interesting stuff about the vitamin shop and how to relieve stress. Happy hunting, co-eds!

I have a friend named Raman and everyone calls him Noodles. I wander if he takes offense to that. I don't know that's it's directly derogatory, it's not like "four eyes" or "beefcake" or "limp dick," but it doesn't seem exactly complimentary either. Anyway, he's got washboard abs, and people think he's a pretty cool guy, so I guess the weird nickname is fine.

But enough about nicknames. This post is really about breakfast.

How did we come about designating certain foods for breakfast but not other foods. Cereal, waffles, eggs and bacon. It just doesn't feel right to have any of these for dinner. Consequently steak, chicken curry, and lasagna are never eaten for breakfast.

Except at college.

One great and somewhat awful thing about college is the leniency of breakfast norms. You can eat whatever you want when you want; it feels right, good, and everybody thinks you all the better for it.  Most of my friends hit up the cafeteria around 11pm every night and gorge themselves on cereal before climbing back into their study holes. My roommates wakes up every morning and eats taquitos while watching Spongebob. Yeah, taquitos and Spongebob in the morning. Or at least usually in the morning, he often wakes up after noon.

So, why can't I bring myself to eat Raman for breakfast. It's cheap. It's filling. It's (sort of) tasty. But I still feel like I have to do a breakfast bar instead. Or a Starbucks and a muffin. Admittedly, none of this is healthy. I should be eating eggs, getting my protein, and avoiding the carbs. I should be doing some benefits of vitamins from the vitamin world instead of contemplating the possibility of Raman. But hey, at least I'm not downloading cereal into my stomach.

I watched that old movie Dazed and Confused. It's the one about high school kids with Matthew McConnoughy just as he was starting out as a total douchebag.

I have to be totally honest, I don't remember high school being like this (and it was only 3 years ago for me). In fact, now that I think about it, I don't remember high school as being like any of the high school movies I've seen. Our school didn't have the typical rundown of cliques, the jocks, the nerds, the preppies, etc. One of the smartest kids in our school was also running back on the football team, and one of the richest was also into Dungeons and Dragons. And they were friends. I don't remember too many queen bees spreading gossip and getting abortions. I never went to that "crazy party" that some kid threw while his "parents were out of town." It seemed like parents never were out of town while I was in high school. What I'm saying is, I believe most high school movies have been perpetuated by...well.....previous high school movies.

As I wean my way toward the end of college (I'm almost a senior!), I get the feeling the same will be true of college movies as well. The crazy sluts, and dumb pranks, I don't know if that's the norm either, or just something people are used to believing.

Anyway, about health: I found this hilarious and awesome post by a former triathlete talking about his abs on a high fat diet. I also have a couple links, namely omega 3 vitamins and the vitamin shop, so check 'em out and be jolly.

Is there a difference between college humor and regular humor? When I was five, grown-ups acting silly was about as funny as anything. Stubbing a toe and going googly eyed, or doing a funny dance, this was high ball humor to a five year old. That sort of thing is still amusing as a 21 year old, but not AS amusing.

I wonder of college humor is similar to five year old humor. Gross out jokes, and frat boy sarcarm. Right now I find it very funny. In ten years will I find it mildly funny in the same way I find goofy dancing mildly funny today?

Certainly there are exceptions. Charlie Chaplin makes all ages laugh, and he has for almost a full century. And Woody Allen can be appreciated from high school on up. But I'm not sure that the jokes in a Will Farrel sports comedy will last beyond a generation.

So, the thing that worries me, is how do I tell the difference between true "funny" and "college funny." Will the joke I tell at dinner be as laughable in a few years? I don't know.

In other news, I was browsing the internet, and I ran across some people records that mentioned orthorexia, who would have thunk!