When interviewing my peers around campus about their physical health, I noticed one common trend: no one was happy with their current physical well-being.  Whether it was being sick or not having enough vegan options in the dining hall, many students at UD are unhappy with how well they are doing this semester.

When talking to an interviewee about the amount of hours per night they sleep on average, I got a stunning “five if I’m lucky”. When investigating further as to why, the interview explained that they take 20 credits, have sorority obligations, and also work out every day at the Lil’ Bob. When asked the question “Are you happy with your physical health?”, the respondent answered with a swift “No” due to their lack of rest after long days. 

Talking to another interviewee about their diet, I got complaints about the health aspect at the dining halls. The interviewee is “vegan as much as [they] can be purely for health, but when there are no good options like often is the case, [they] have to deal with repetitive salads or non-vegan food” which, “is so greasy that it makes [their] napkin soggy when [they] try to dry it.” This lack of healthy food options has made them feel unhappy with their current physical health along with not having enough time in the day to attend the gym as much as they would like.

Another interviewee also expressed their concerns for their physical health due to not having time for the gym. This interviewee is buried in homework and currently has a job on Main Street at a restaurant. They state that if they had time for the gym, they “would be so much happier with [themselves] physically and emotionally”. They also stated that they are used to working out everyday because of football in highschool and a passion for body-building during the summers.

It seems to be a common trend that students here at UD are lacking in some way to be at their physical best, whether that is due to diet, sleep, or exercise. 4 out of the 5 students that I interviewed stated that time was the biggest factor in the struggle to maintain their physical health. Rather than give hours of busy work, many of the STEM interviewees suggest that “less is more” and that it would be beneficial if they had more time to study and focus on themselves rather than constantly completing busy work.