Meet Amanda Fellmeth, a fine cheese-loving 2011 graduate from Penn State University and a Semester at Sea alumna. She’s considering law school next year, but has a nifty start-up business plan for late night smoothies for hungover college-goers near her alma mater. The Mid-Atlantic is her favorite food city (ok, region), but Spain and India caught her taste buds while at sea last Fall. Read more to hear Amanda’s advice to Freshman about navigating the cafeteria, pilfering for breakfast, and generally having a good time.

Kelsey B: Let’s start with the basics: if you were a food, what would you be?…

Meet Mari Mazzucco, a sophisticated and trend-savvy senior at the University of San Diego studying Art History and English. She enjoys San Diego’s foodie culture, but nothing compares to her native San Francisco, a city she describes as a brilliant mosaic of taste and culture. She spent the Fall ’10 Semester studying in Florence, Italy and returned with a deepened appreciation for long meals, good wine, and great conversation. Read more about her favorite foods, Royal wedding inspiration, and lessons learned since freshman year.

Kelsey Brown: What do you remember about the food you ate as a child, what did your mother …

The walk to and from classes is a relentless topic among students on small and large campuses alike. Too long, too hot, too cold – even on temperate San Diego school days I frequently hear students complain about the trek from the dorms or parking lot to main buildings.

What gives? The gyms are packed after 4:30 p.m. but an extra ¼ mile on our feet after Biochem is such a chore? Try on a new attitude about walking and see how the simple act of walking can improve your overall wellness.

The Mayo Clinic reports that on stressful, busy …

The summer days are dwindling and the realities of new classes and old routines can no longer hide on the outskirts of my peripheral vision. Is anyone else reporting senior-itis before your fourth year even starts? Oy.

Hour long dinner preparations will be long gone mid-September as the books beckon. Of course, stress-baking is never out of the question. Or in my case last year, fixing writer’s block with homemade pizza.

Let’s start the year off right and commit to making nutritious meals ahead with a little planning and minimal effort. Your body will thank you.

Make a big …

Next to bike rides, beach volleyball, and white shorts… nothing says “summer” more than a day at the ballpark. Whether you’re rooting for the National League, American League, or the cute young pitcher, a sun-filled afternoon at the stadium is always a spirited outing.

Ballpark food often plays a central role in the memory-making, but dining at the game doesn’t have to kill your wallet (or your diet). Check out the breakdown from NY Magazine on the “ugly truth about stadium food.” I’m all for breaking the rules now and again, but those calories should scare you. Many stadiums allow …

Don’t forget to enter the Small Kitchen College Brown Bag Challenge for a chance to win some great BuiltNY prizes!

The first item of business on my orientation checklist at Plant With Purpose, the non-profit I’m interning with this summer, was a trip to the office break room. Like many of you, my commitments to this organization span the lunch hour, making familiarity with this office resource key. Bringing your lunch and stowing it in the company fridge not only saves on money and calories, but also can help you network and socialize with key mentors and colleagues.

By …

While formulating the narrative to accompany the following recipes, I couldn’t help but smile when a little anecdote from a weekend in April that I spent with my brother came to mind. I had probed him about the details of his dating life, and we chatted about the complex differences between men and women, and how they make dating in college somewhat of an anthropological experiment. One of the more offbeat and funny things he lamented was: “you know Kels, you girls sing everything. Seriously. When girls are talking about the most random stuff, or when they’re getting dinner at …

The longing for summer is never greater than during the final weeks of the semester. The sun is shining, you’ve packed away your heavy sweaters, and the only thing that stands between you and the beach are a few extremely long nights in the library and one too many cups of coffee.

Before long, my friends, our day planners will be released from the death grip of final deadlines, and our days will be free to celebrate the season with friends and family.

If you’re not jetting off to the Greek Isles for summer vacation, fear not, you can …

Final exams are just around the corner, and as we make the big push to finish papers, projects, and labs, our diets tend to be put on the backburner. Lattes and frosted scones may seem like life rafts in a sea of stress and fatigue, but these sweet goodies hurt our ability to perform and succeed.

Rachel Beller M.S., R.D., nutrition expert for Glamour and founder of Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, understands that stress is an inevitable part of the college experience and that eating healthfully can be hard when you’re pressed for time. However, the nutritional support …