Mind, Body, and Books: Staying Healthy as an Arts & Humanities Student at UNC Chapel Hill
When you think about college life, you might imagine late-night study sessions, coffee-fueled mornings, and a blur of deadlines and social events. At UNC Chapel Hill, the rhythm of student life is real — classes spread across campus, clubs buzzing, art exhibits and readings every other week. But in the middle of all that energy, it’s easy to forget one crucial thing: your health.
As a student studying Arts & Humanities, your days are often filled with reading, writing, discussing, thinking, and creating. You’re exploring philosophy, literature, history, or perhaps art and cultural studies — all of which demand mental sharpness and emotional energy. That’s why taking care of your body with a balanced diet and consistent exercise isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
A Day in the Life at UNC
Let’s imagine a typical weekday.
You wake up around 7:30 AM in your dorm at Hinton James or Cobb Hall. The sun’s rising over the trees that wrap around campus, and you’ve got a 9:00 AM creative writing seminar at Greenlaw Hall. Before you rush off, you grab breakfast — maybe a bowl of oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or scrambled eggs with whole-grain toast from the Top of Lenoir Dining Hall. You resist the waffles (most days) and drink water instead of soda. Small wins.
Classes take up your morning, and maybe you have a break around noon. That’s the perfect time to walk over to the Student Union for a light lunch — a salad with protein, or a grain bowl, or even a grilled sandwich with a side of fruit. You sit outside in Polk Place, soaking in the chatter of other students and the occasional guitar music drifting from the quad. It’s peaceful — the kind of environment that makes studying literature or ethics feel even more meaningful.
In the afternoon, you attend a history lecture or work in the library. Maybe you grab a snack — nuts, a banana, or even a protein bar — to stay focused. You avoid energy drinks because they mess with your sleep, and you’ve learned that nothing wrecks a 10-page paper like a sleepless night.
Movement to Stay Sane
Exercise doesn’t have to mean intense gym sessions. At UNC, the Campus Rec facilities are everywhere. You could hit Ram’s Head Rec Center for a quick treadmill run, take a yoga class with friends, or even try the rock climbing wall. Some students prefer morning jogs through the Forest Theatre trails or group dance classes in the evenings.
You don’t have to work out every day — just 3–4 times a week of light to moderate exercise can do wonders. It helps with focus, stress, and posture (because let’s be honest, you probably spend hours hunched over books or your laptop). Even walking from South Campus to your class near Franklin Street adds up to a lot of steps.
For Arts & Humanities students especially, where creativity and calm are key, activities like swimming, Pilates, or even simple stretching before bed can keep you grounded.
Food as Fuel, Not Just Comfort
Dining halls at UNC offer variety, but it’s up to you to make smart choices. That means:
- Choosing grilled over fried.
- Including fruits and vegetables in at least two meals a day.
- Drinking lots of water (there are water bottle filling stations all over campus).
- Avoiding skipping meals — especially before long studio or writing sessions.
One secret? Keep healthy snacks in your backpack — trail mix, apples, granola. They’ll save you from the vending machine temptation at 3 PM when your brain is fried.
If you have access to a dorm kitchenette, even better. Learn how to cook a few easy meals: pasta with veggies, rice and beans, or stir fry. It’s cheaper, healthier, and oddly therapeutic after a long study day.
Finding Balance Between Study and Self
Arts & Humanities students often work on long-term projects — essays, portfolios, or research — rather than daily problem sets. That means time management is everything. It’s easy to fall into long periods of inactivity. That’s why scheduling your day — including meals, movement, and breaks — makes a big difference.
Most students create a study rhythm: classes in the morning, creative or reading time in the afternoon, and group work or library sessions in the evening. After dinner, there’s still time for a short walk, meditation, or some downtime watching a show with roommates.
Mental health is part of staying healthy, too. UNC offers counseling services, therapy dogs on campus, and even art therapy workshops. Sometimes just talking to a friend or journaling in the quad can help.
A Life in Motion
Being a college student at UNC, especially in the arts, means your mind is always in motion — you’re questioning the world, digging deep into human stories, creating new ideas. But don’t forget: your body and mind are a team. Feed both well. Move them gently. Rest them fully.
Because when you’re healthy — truly healthy — your creativity, your focus, your empathy, and your brilliance can shine in every classroom, every gallery, every page you write.
And that, truly, is what the Tar Heel life is all about.
