Schedules can be a pain, especially when they don’t get along with your metabolic rates or eating schedule.

Sometimes there are classes scheduled during the time when students would usually eat lunch, in which case the day’s lunch menu would be a lecture instead of the usual sandwich and chips.

I, for one, have classes starting at 8 a.m. and afternoon classes starting at 2 p.m. almost everyday. During the morning, I am half-asleep, so breakfast is usually skipped, and during afternoons, the end of morning classes injects some drowsiness into me so a nap feels much better than food, which leaves me only one meal per day: dinner.

Ultimately, I went about a whole semester eating only a meal or two every day, with most meals taking place late at night, and I knew I was sacrificing my health in the process. I am sure this phenomenon is not unique to me. Between classes and jobs, many other students have busy, time-consuming schedules that do not leave enough time for full, well-balanced meals. As such, I feel that regardless of how busy students may be, they should remember to eat meals periodically throughout the day to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

This semester, I’ve been trying to eat at least two meals a day. Even if not a full meal, a light lunch of one turkey sandwich is enough for me. Schedules trail right behind me, and time always chases me like a bloodhound, but regular eating patterns are very important, especially with a heavy course load.

The Berkshire Healthcare of the NHS Foundation Trust emphasizes the value of regular eating patterns in that it helps prevent binge eating, keeps “blood sugar levels steady and minimizes feelings of tiredness, dizziness and irritability,” and helps keep the body’s metabolism steady. This study also states that leaving more than four to five hours between meals causes the body to start preparing for a further lack of food and tries to slow down its metabolic rates to preserve energy.

Another study carried out by the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology of Northwestern University claims that irregular eating habits are also likely to cause weight gain due to factors such as skipping breakfast, eating late at night or eating a large percentage of the recommended daily calorie intake after dinner.

Because of these potential health risks, I feel it is imperative to work regular eating patterns into college life. With our busy schedules, the risks emphasized by these studies may become higher, so having a regular eating pattern proves necessary.

Last semester, when I ate one meal a day, or two, if I was lucky, the one meal I ate was big. I ate as if I were eating my last meal on earth.

On the outside I did not change much in terms of weight or appearance, but on the inside, I could feel that my body was having a hard time digesting that one heap of food every day.

This semester, I’ve made an effort to eat more regularly, and I sleep for just as long as I used to last semester, but I can focus more during lectures, and I don’t feel the overwhelming urge to lay on my bed and sleep for hours after dinner. In short, I don’t feel as tired for a change.

Schedules are busy, and I am quite sure a lot of other students on campus have busy schedules, as well.

Skipping meals is not a good idea, even if for the sake of a few minutes of sleep like I used to do. With most of us having so many daily obligations, it’s vital that we are keeping ourselves healthy to perform our daily routines, and that involves regular meals and better eating patterns.

Yunjo is a freshman in Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].