Advice College Freshman

College requires fitness assessment for freshmen

Yes, it will involve advice on how to live independently, serve the community and engage with peers of differing opinions. But a major component of Coker College 101 compels students to do something they're probably not used to being told to do: get fit.

All freshmen this year will take a mandatory "fitness assessment," in which they will - among other things - receive their body mass index ( BMI ) score, which measures body fat; do a one-mile run/walk; and see how many push-ups and sit-ups they can do in a few minutes. If time permits, the students may also do curl-ups, trunk lifts, and beep tests, in which they run back and forth between two cones at increasingly quick speeds.

The timing is not coincidental. South Carolina this year climbed from number nine to number eight on the list of "Top Ten Fattest States." Last year, 32 percent were obese and an additional 35 percent of its residents were overweight, and these facts are not lost on Coker administrators.

When Coker President Robert L. Wyatt gave his inauguration speech in March 2010, he suggested it was time for the college to make some changes. "For more than a century now, Coker has prepared students for the next step in their lives," Wyatt said. "Looking forward, Coker will greet students of a new century, and we must redefine what it means to prepare this generation."

One way he wants to do that is by educating students on "fiscal and physical fitness" so they can live "long, happily and well."

Noting the state's obesity and diabetes rates, Wyatt said Coker must face the issue by teaching its students, faculty and staff how to lead healthy lives. In an e-mail exchange with Inside Higher Ed, Wyatt explained how his own experience shaped this mission: the president has lost 100 pounds since his own days as a college student. That seems to be one reason why people responded more to that part of his speech than any other.

"I was amazed by folks who knew my personal story of weight loss (and the struggles required to maintain it) and was reminded once again of how important it is to help all of our Coker community understand not only the importance of wellness but the tools and techniques that will help them to achieve this state of wellness," Wyatt said. "My past serves to remind me of the challenges students face when growing up in a culture that presents them with daily temptations and distractions that may lead to unhealthy choices.

Advice for incoming college freshman - Eyewitness News Interaction

Remember that you will have the rest of your life to party, drink and eat pizza. However, you will probably only get one chance to have a successful college career. So, make the most of the education you can receive, as well as what you can learn and do while you are making new friends and exploring life for the first time without your parents in "the house.

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