By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer

It’s 12:20 p.m., and I’m standing amid students on Fountain Mall. It’s supposed to be lunchtime, but I see more students commuting between buildings for their classes than eating a meal. Maybe they just ate their lunch, but I know a lot of students’ class schedules crowd at lunchtime, and their stomachs have remained empty since morning.

I totally understand their situation, because I’m one of them. Most of my classes fall at lunchtime from Monday to Friday, and my lunch is often spent commuting or listening to lectures. The courses at that time are those that can’t be adjusted due to graduation requirements, how hard they are to get into or simply time conflicts.

Some professors do allow eating during class when they see students dashing into the classroom with their lunchboxes or to-go boxes from dining halls. But that doesn’t make it a good solution. Eating quickly still hurts your health, and it’s disturbing to the class environment and both the professors’ and students’ attentiveness, especially when others are hungry too.

The most common strategy college students use to deal with this lunch dilemma is to skip meals or “save it for later.” My personal experiences lean toward the belief that these habits lead to more unhealthy snacking and eating later at night — a time when your stomach and digestive system are supposed to rest.

Irregularity with meals hinders academic performance as well. According to an article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s recommended that students have at least 20 minutes to eat their meals.

Other good solutions may be to carve out a lunchtime in your busy academic schedule or to take something to eat with you; an apple can provide enough nutrients for a small meal so that your stomach won’t growl during class. A brunch enjoyed before your noon class could also be a good alternative.

For your health and grades’ sake, do yourself a favor.