Well, it’s that time again. Teens are going off to college. I see physicians, employees, and patients telling stories of taking their prized possessions to college campuses all over the country. They tell of getting them settled in student housing, working with finance offices to arrange for payments of the un-godly tuition fees, helping the freshmen (children- adult wanna be’s) find their way around the never clearly labeled campus buildings, and finally leaving them alone to really fend for themselves for possibly the first time in their lives. You love them, you want to protect them; but in the end, you face the fact that you can only do so much.

You come home and you worry about all kinds of things. Certainly you worry about their health and safety. You may have discussed many things but I am certain that the majority of parents have not discussed all of the following items related to health. Did you discuss: 1) Alcohol use and automobile driving; 2) Sexually transmitted diseases; 3) Weight gain; and 4) Health Insurance?

College life without a party (and the alcohol that goes with it) is like home without a comfortable bed. Students, don’t get caught in the pickle of going to a football game (of course no alcohol is allowed in Sanford Stadium) or a party, having a few beers and then driving home or having a Blasted Bull Dog or Polluted Pirate roommate do the driving. It is not cool to be intoxicated. It is certainly not cool to be injured or killed in an automobile accident. The data are not good. Male, college-age party animals have twice the average risk of dying in an automobile accident. College towns have the highest rates of alcohol-related automobile deaths and accidents. Use the IQ that got you into college and make plans for getting home after the party or the game. This is where the designated driver is the real stud!

Regarding sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, be aware that most college freshmen live and have sexual encounters under the mistaken impression that the chances of contracting an STD are low. In fact, one in four students has had such an infection by the end of freshman year and is totally unaware of infection. Students have and may contract an STD such as Chlamydia, Herpes, or one of the eighteen other sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. One of the fastest rising STDs on college campuses is HIV. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU HAVE UNPROTECTED SEX. In this regard, abstinence is still the best way to avoid STDs. It is still cool, by the way, to be virgin. Fifty percent of your fellow students are virgins; and staying that way is perfectly acceptable on a modern campus. If you are sexually active, condoms are a MUST. Remember, most college students in your class are at best C-minus students when it comes to sex education so don’t let one of them “tutor’” you in this area of study! Anyone participating in unprotected sex must be given a failing grade in Relationships 101. If you are ever fearful of having contracted an STD, you can call the CDC National STD Hotline (l-800-227-8922) or go to the college infirmary.

Regarding body weight, the average college freshman will gain 12-20 pounds during the school year. Irregular meals, alcohol, less planned exercise, and late night snacks provide the formula for becoming a really ‘big man” on campus. Plan to exercise as much as you did during high school, consider the items in the above formula, and cut back on alcohol and snacks. You will feel better and you won’t have to listen at Christmas break to, “Jack, is that you? You look so different.” (That is a kind way of saying, “You really porked out in Athens.”

Don’t go to college without health insurance if at all possible. Be sure your parent’s insurance covers you at college. Not all policies do. Some university health plans are covered in part by tuition payments and may be less expensive than your coverage at home under family coverage plans. Review your coverage, have a policy card in your wallet or purse at all times. As part of becoming an adult “on your own” give this matter some thought.

Remember what you were told by your parents: Study hard, be safe, write home, and if you run out of money, get a job.

Good luck.

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