Many of you may be familiar with the infamous Freshman 15. You know, the 15 pounds students gain during their first semester of college. For anyone who thought this number was a bit high, you may have been right. I lost a considerable amount of weight my freshman year and continued to lose more my sophomore year. Students, however, may want to be concerned after their freshman year.

According to researchers who studied weight gain as part of an MSNBC.com report, “the Freshman 15 is more like 5 to 7, but it is followed by the ‘Sophomore 2 or 3.'” The report says weight gain continues beyond students’ freshman year, even though the number of pounds may not be as high. The studies, done by Brown University Medical School in Providence, R.I., were comprehensive compared to others that only studied students for one semester. The first study was made up of 40 percent males, which, according to the report, was more than previous studies that barely used male students.

That study, conducted from September until May, weighed freshmen students four times to see the gradual increase.

“Over the year, we found that males gained 5.6 pounds and females gained 3.6 pounds, with the large majority of that weight gained in the first semester,” said Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson, the lead researcher for both studies. Only one of six students gained 10 pounds and only 6 percent gained 15 or more pounds, according to the study. This finding disproves the Freshman 15 theory many people have been led to believe.

Researchers discovered a difference in how males and females gained weight. Men tended to gain more weight their first semester, then gradually continue, while women gained weight at first, then began to plateau.

The second study, comprised of 55 percent males, concluded with students continuing their weight gain after their freshman year. “Males were, on average, 9.5 pounds heavier and females, 9.2 pounds heavier than when they started college,” MSNBC.com reports.

So what’s a college student to do? Exercise is always a good way to maintain or lose weight. A date with the sexy and slick elliptical machine sometime during the day could be a good idea.

Students living on campus may have noticed the dining halls are full of unhealthy choices. Check out the salad bars and try not to order anything fried. This could cut down on your calories.

If Homecoming weekend included the most drinking you’ve ever done in your life, now could be the time to slow down — especially if you’re looking to lose weight. Alcohol contains a lot of calories, so limiting the amount you drink throughout the semester could have significant results.

A major concern for students should be their weight and how healthy they are throughout their college career — not just one semester.

Joey Baskerville is an opinion columnist for the Northern Star.