Student Survivors: Meilinn Tram

April 28, 2016 -

Student Survivors: Meilinn Tram

April’s edition of Student Survivors is brought to you by Meilinn Tram. Meilinn is a Peer Learning Facilitator (PLF) with STEM Gateway and she has tons of great advice for undergraduates. In this piece, Meilinn discusses a very important component of student survival: NUTRITION! Be sure to read this through and make sure you’re giving your body the fuel it needs for finals week.

Eating Right Puts You Ahead

Everyone is guilty of getting a quick bite to eat every once in a while. I know I’m guilty of being too lazy to cook and getting something off the dollar menu on my stressful days. I mean, it is only a dollar… right?? But once everything slows down, I think dang—how many calories did I just eat? After checking the nutrition facts, I think HOW MUCH FAT DID I JUST CONSUME?! Let me share with you some small facts about the nutrition menu from my personal favorite: Wendy’s

Link to Wendy's Menu

These are heart breaking facts, I know. But a good ratio of carbs, protein and fat should be:

carbs

Honestly, there is some give and take dependent on what kind of person you are and what kind of body you want, you could be a professional body builder for all I know! If you are reading on this blog, I’m going to assume you’re an awesome student who is trying to improve their diet and trying to stay ahead of the curve. DON’T LET THE FRESHMAN 15 GET YOU!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a good student, I envision someone who is constantly studying. I actually have friends who are constantly studying, which I think is extremely unhealthy. You just need to TAKE A BREAK. A machine that is constantly running will eventually breakdown. This is why factories close in the evening. They even sometimes close over the holidays. Your brain needs a break once in a while. Take a break and eat your lunch; you should actually take a mental break.

There is a lot of temptation when it comes to fast food. It has two things going for it: it is fast and it is food. But there are ways to cook our meals that make it fast and easy. You can meal prep so you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner prepare for the week, or at least the next couple of days. Here are a couple of recipes that are fast and easy to make for the whole week. Another option is to invest in a slow cooker too! If you’re looking for some recipes to help you get through finals week, try a hearty oatmeal bowl or lentil soup. Now, get out there and cook!

About the Author

mtram

Meilinn Tram graduated in December 2015 with a B.S. in biochemistry and immediately started work on her M.B.A. with a concentration in operational management and marketing. Meilinn was a Ronald E. McNair scholar. This scholarship funded her research regarding conversion of a spray dry vaccine into a more viable powder. She also received a National Institute of Health Fellowship which funded her travel to Johns Hopkins Medical School to research polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Meilinn hopes to start medical school in 2017 and plans to apply to a MD/Ph.D dual degree program earning a Ph.D in genomics and medical degree simultaneously. She would like to become a pediatrician and attempt to overcome genetic diseases. She aspires to open her own clinic or business or run her own lab someday.