Battling more than just the freshman 15

It's every college student's biggest fear: the dreaded freshman (or sophomore, junior and senior) 15. Those few added pounds could mean the difference between fitting into your high school jeans and spending all your textbook money on a new wardrobe.

Luckily, when faced with such a problem, college students tend to become more inventive and clever than they usually demonstrate in class. Freshmen will soon learn that part of the experience of attending a higher educational facility is learning to make do with what you have.

One of the best ways to combat the late-night pizza parties is to go out and party some more. Until I began college, I had no idea how much of a workout you could get just from dancing for an hour. If cover charge for clubs is too expensive and there isn't a frat party within earshot, crank up your speakers and practice dropping it like it's hot in your room.

The IMA is an obvious option, but checking out what the Experimental College has to offer can keep you from getting bored. With classes on breakdancing, sea kayaking and martial arts, you can improve your mind as well as your body and have a really cool new hobby to impress people.

Many times I've wished that I could choose classes based on their proximity to each other and my house. Since adding my minor in earth and space sciences, I've grown to love the 20-minute walk across campus every day to Condon Hall. As long as my iPod is working, playing some pump-up music gives me a steady power-walking beat as well as enough time for the coffee to kick in.

In addition to enjoying the walk between classes, new students should definitely take some time to explore campus. Walking steadily for 30 minutes is all you need to get your heart rate up and count for exercise. Taking a trip from Memorial Parkway down to the Montlake Cut and over to the Sylvan Grove Theater (where the white columns from the original UW building are located) easily works as an aerobic workout while taking you past some of the UW's historic sites.

Speaking of the Montlake Cut, the Waterfront Activities Center offers cheap canoe and rowboat rentals for students. Playing battle canoes with your friends doesn't sound like much of a workout, but trust me: Your arms will start to shake from the effort it takes to paddle.

Of course, sometimes the easiest option is the most realistic. We're no longer skinny little high school students who've just finished our growth spurts and have warp-speed metabolisms. Gaining weight is part of getting older and you shouldn't obsess over adding a few pounds. As long as healthy eating habits (like adding a few vegetables to your plate or taking those vitamins your mom packed for you) and occasional exercise find their way into your schedule in between study sessions and late-night movies, you'll survive.

I for one have embraced my less-than-perfect figure and accepted that no matter how many crunches I plan on doing, I'll soon lose interest and move onto more important things, like studying for the LSATs.