More than just hamburgers and hangovers: Today’s students make healthier lifestyle choices
- 79% of students make an effort to eat healthily (2014 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey)
- Time spent socialising is beneficial to students (NUS)
- Additional lifestyle facilities offered by Collegiate AC properties help students keep a balanced lifestyle
Today’s students are viewed through a kaleidoscope of stereotypes with the entire university population often being generalised to fit the typical student cliché. One of the most common images portrayed is that students are reckless young adults who live on a diet of fast food and cheap alcohol. With the latest freshers ready to take their place at university next month, it seems that in reality students now see the importance of a healthier lifestyle and are ready to rebuke the stereotype as just a myth.
The university lifestyle is one that is continually in the spotlight, with terms such as ‘Fresher’s Flu’ becoming increasingly common when highlighting the unhealthy side of student life. However, Sodexo’s 2014 University Lifestyle Survey suggests that a majority of students are conscious of this, with 79% making an effort to eat healthily.
The study goes on to highlight that 74% cook a meal from scratch using only raw ingredients at least once a week, with this figure rising to 83% for students living in private accommodation. A reason for this could be the amenities available to students who rent in private residences, including state of the art kitchen facilities with the space to host a dinner party for fellow students.
Collegiate AC, leading provider of luxury student accommodation in the UK, provides high-tech kitchen appliances to give students the opportunity to cook meals from scratch, with their 333 Bath Street property in Glasgow also benefitting from an exclusive dinner party room to host friends and provide the chance to enjoy good food together.
Heriberto Cuanalo, CEO of Collegiate AC, explains the advantages of having additional facilities available within a student property that enhance a balanced lifestyle,
“Many of our residents have said that the range of additional facilities available in each of our properties enhances their student experience and provides them with the tools they need to lead a healthy lifestyle. Whether it is using the space to experiment in the kitchen, working up a sweat in the gym or letting off steam by exchanging stories in the club lounge, we believe that these aspects are of key importance when managing what is often a stressful time for students.
“This is especially important for today’s freshers, new students who are leaving home for the very first time. Collegiate AC residents can benefit from a Lifestyle Pack which is comprised of products designed to help adjust to student living, including useful kitchen and bathroom utensils. Additional facilities within a property can allow students to create balance in their new university lives, making the transition as easy as possible and setting up for a healthy lifestyle that they will be able to maintain.”
With their strikingly contemporary design, Southampton’s Brunswick Apartments are ideal for today’s modern student lifestyle. The on-site private gym is easily accessible and stocked with the most recent exercise apparatus, available exclusively to residents, offering them the opportunity to use it as often as they would like.
As well as healthy eating and regular exercise, it is important for students to find a balance and allow time for socialising. The National Union of Students advices that socialising is beneficial and can have a positive impact on mental health and overall happiness, however they suggest that it doesn’t always have to involve alcohol, another misconception of student life. The 2014 Sodexo survey highlights that students are listening, with 50% staying in or visiting friend’s accommodation to socialise.
Exeter’s premium student residences, Picture House Apartments, also houses an array of excellent inclusive facilities, including common rooms, an on-site cinema, a private gym and a games room, as well as on-site study and reading rooms. . Whether it’s chatting in the common room or playing pool in the games room, these specifically designated areas are communal spaces in which to see friends and socialise in a relaxed environment.
For more information, visit www.collegiate-ac.com or contact Collegiate AC on 01235 250 140.