The freshman 15 is obviously a reality for a lot of kids their first year at college. For guys it's often not that big a deal because they go in skinny enough that they have somewhere to put 15 pounds. For girls, it usually is. There's a reason guys are so excited about freshman girls.

Really though it's not that hard to keep from ballooning to the size of Charlie Weis. Here's a few tips for keeping your weight reasonable.

1.It's either beer or ice cream/pizza. You can't increase your intake of both dramatically. This sounds stupid but if you remember that there's soft serve in most of the dorm cafeterias and Ben and Jerry's tubs in the dorm stores, you'll realize ice cream can seriously be responsible for a lot of weight gain. Pizza gets to be a late night snack around six days a week if you're not careful.

2.If you go for a lot of beer, try to keep from eating $20 worth of food while you're drunk. You're not actually that hungry, just suggestible. I'd say the same thing for smoking but that's probably too much to ask.

3.For the love of God get to the gym on a somewhat regular basis. You don't need to be a freak about it but even just cycling for twenty minutes a few times a week will help. Guys, you want to know where those elusive attractive girls at U of M are? Check the CCRB/IMSB/NCRB.

4.You only get to eat twice a day at the cafeteria. Grab some fruit or a bagel to bring with you for a snack between lunch/dinner or dinner bed. Also if you can have a small breakfast like a piece of fruit or a Nutri-grain bar in the morning, it'll help. Having more meals that are smaller helps immensely when managing weight.

Honestly these things are pretty reasonable and common sense but they'll make a big difference. This isn't a diet really, it's more of a common sense way to live life. You'll thank me when you want to go on spring break.