Grades are important, but for some overly ambitious students, they are more important than their health.

Adderall is a prescription drug that is prescribed for kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now, the drug is being clandestinely used to improve grades on college campuses. Since the drug is known for its ability to promote concentration and focus, students desperate to get a winning edge in school are popping it in order to enhance their ability to retain knowledge, stay up later and work faster during study sessions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 23 percent of young people admitted to abusing prescription drugs, and Adderall was one of the most common. In fact, the drug is so common among college students that on campus it is commonly referred to as the “study drug.”

This medically-unsupervised method for taking this prescription medication has health and medical experts, as well as teachers and parents, extremely concerned over the pressure today’s students face while trying to succeed in school. Read the rest of this entry »

MTV Jersey Shore's Pauly D Rib Tattoo

Allison Kramer is a high school student, aspiring to attend the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, who is inviting you into the real world of teenage girls. Allison has a video blog on her YouTube channel, Ally Baley, where she shares makeup, shopping and fashion advice while giving you an inside look at the actual life of the American teenager.

Today, more and more teenagers are getting piercings and tattoos as a form of self-expression.

As far as piercings, many teenage girls are getting their noses, belly buttons, lips, tongues and eyebrows pierced. Although, most girls get their ears pierced when they are 1-2 years old by a doctor. Guys are piercing their eyebrows, tongues and lips, as well. Read the rest of this entry »

After an exhausting week of classes, it’s time to unwind. How do most college students relax on a Friday night? For me, it usually includes hanging out with my friends, a few glasses of wine, and a couple of parties. For others, it’s slamming shots, chugging beers and waking up the next morning not entirely sure of how you got home.

Now, I am not saying that all college students are complete drunkards, but the fact is, most college students drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol is a part of the college experience, but that doesn’t mean that you should drink yourself under the table: it’s just not classy.  Here are my tried and true tips for not getting too drunk and maintaining some of your dignity:

Eat something before you drink. You do not need to stuff yourself, but try to eat a little something before you start drinking. Carbohydrates and healthy fats, like mixed nuts or a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter, are your best bet. Eating will slow down the rate your body absorbs the alcohol into your blood stream, and will help you better control the amount you consume. Read the rest of this entry »

If you thought yoga is only about gentle postures and chanting Om in an incense-filled room, you may be in for quite a surprise during your first yoga class.

While there are many forms of yoga, some, like Ashtanga yoga, can produce quite a caloric burn. In fact, given yoga’s ability to increase metabolism and tone and strengthen the body, it can be a great way to fight the freshman 15. But yoga’s physical benefits are just as important as its mental benefits in helping you avoid weight gain.

Here is what you need to know about yoga and your health.

Yoga and weight loss

Yoga can be such an effective workout to avoid the dreaded freshman 15 because it does more than just give you a cardiovascular workout and produce lean and toned muscles. When it comes to weight loss and health, yoga’s real gold star comes from its ability to produce body awareness. In doing so, it has a near magical way of making you much more aware of the reasons for choosing certain foods over others, controlling portion sizes and clueing you into why you are eating. Read the rest of this entry »

In the United States, an estimated 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year, and approximately once every week, someone dies from this preventable condition.

Excessive or binge drinking is the most common cause of alcohol poisoning, and it is one of the most dangerous activities a college student can do. Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks in a row. Drinking too much too quickly can affect your heart rate, your breathing pattern and your mental and physical coordination.

Whether it’s you who has consumed too much or your roommate, here is what you need to know about alcohol poisoning. Read the rest of this entry »

Tune in this Monday, July 19 to the Dr. Oz Show when America’s most beloved doctor hosts the grand finale of his school challenge.

Dr. Oz goes back to school to fight teen obesity – a national problem that has reached epidemic proportions. Along with his Health Corps team, Dr. Oz is committed to getting America’s teens back on the right track.

You can learn what you and your family can do to make better food and lifestyle choices by following Dr. Oz’s four healthy behaviors, specifically created for his school challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know the negative side effects of smoking. It makes your breath stink, you get wrinkles earlier, and I won’t even mention all of the types of lung diseases or cancers you can get from smoking.

In the past, there were many anti-smoking campaigns aimed at younger people. However, the hot topic in health care today is obesity. Some public health experts believe these anti-obesity campaigns have taken the focus off of preventing students from using tobacco products. Unfortunately, a recent survey confirms this by showing that 19.5 percent of high school students are smokers.

Why are students using tobacco? Terry Pechacek of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thinks that “people are getting the image that it’s cool to use nicotine as a drug.” Read the rest of this entry »

In years past, most plastic surgery patients were wealthy older women on a quest to look and feel younger, but now high school and college students are frequenting the offices of plastic surgeons to get procedures to make their bodies perfectly proportional or more “beautiful.”

Most students are inquiring about consultations not to achieve a desired unattainable essence of perfection, but simply to tweak a “physical flaw” that bothers them. A minor rhinoplasty (nose job) is one of the most popular procedures done for students between the ages of 16-24, many asking for the surgery as a graduation gift.

And more commonly than the minor tweaks, are the procedures to feel comfortable physically, as opposed to mentally within their own skin. Young women are under going breast reduction surgeries to rid themselves of the pain their large breasts inflict on their backs, as per a recommendation from their chiropractor. Read the rest of this entry »

Just the idea of bed bugs makes my skin crawl. Typically, I think of getting bed bugs by staying in a hotel that is somewhat shady, but you can get bed bugs anywhere, including your own bed.

Bed bugs in dorms and student apartment complexes are a big problem. It can be difficult to know when you have bed bugs because they are small and typically nocturnal, so you probably won’t see one or two just lounging on your bed. They often hide in dark crevices and place their eggs in fabric seams, and only come out at night to snack on your blood while you are sleeping. Creepy, huh?

If the thought of sharing your bed with a colony of bugs doesn’t really bother you – well, I don’t know how it could not completely disgust you – then think about the annoying bites you are likely to receive. Bed bug bites cause cimicosis, a skin condition that varies from person to person. According to The Mayo Clinic, allergic reactions to bed bug bites result in red bumps or welts, typically formed in a cluster or line, and are very itchy. These bites are similar in appearance to mosquito bites. Unfortunately, bed bug bites can last much longer and be much itchier. However, almost 50 percent of bed bug victims do not react to bed bug bites; at least there’s one positive. Read the rest of this entry »

College and high school students in New York City might have to throw out their clothes as the widely popular brand Hollister was forced to shut down their epic SoHo store because of a three-week long on-going bed bug infestation.

Many veteran New Yorkers, including myself, consider the 40,000-square-foot store’s painted building-side campaign the ugliest billboard-esque design, plaguing the famed shopping city, and now it seems the company actually is plaguing the city.

Hollister is the sister store to the popular Abercrombie and Fitch brand.

The sign on the outside of the door of the store says it is closed for “maintenance,” but a company spokesperson confirmed that the infestation was the reasoning behind the stores refurbishing. Read the rest of this entry »