Think You’ve Mastered Healthy Living? Try Cornell.

Authored by: Ellie Altmann

Art by: Camille Parisot

Before writing this article, I turned to my infallible friend Google and searched: “What is a healthy lifestyle?” Thanks to the AI Overview feature, I was instantly presented with a neatly bulleted blueprint: 1) eat a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fat; 2) exercise regularly for at least 150 minutes a week; 3) get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night; 4) manage stress through yoga, meditation, or spending time with loved ones; 5) stay on top of medical checkups, avoid smoking, and limit alcohol consumption; and 6) build strong social connections and maintain a consistent routine. I stared at the screen and laughed. This felt oddly personal. Apparently, my lack of yoga, ignorance of what qualifies as a “healthy fat,” and chaotic Google Calendar weren’t quite cutting it. While I did find myself at Cornell Health seven times during freshman year, not one of those visits was for a routine checkup. Still, even if Cornell makes the conventional standards of health hard to hit, it does not necessarily fail to support healthy living. In fact, it often facilitates wellness in less obvious, but still meaningful ways.

First, we must consider Cornell’s geography. Cornell is very hilly; one of the university’s most iconic features is the Slope–a long and steep incline connecting West Campus to Central. It is beautiful and doubles as a built-in treadmill. A majority of sophomores and many upperclassmen live at the bottom of the hill, so trekking up the slope becomes a daily ritual. Just getting to class guarantees a few bursts of vigorous exercise. No gym membership required! Beyond the Slope, Ithaca has many natural beauties from the Finger Lakes to the gorges, forests, and an abundance of greenspace. According to the American Psychological Association, spending time in nature is linked to greater physical health, stress reduction, attention restoration, increased happiness, and a sense of life purpose [1]. Furthermore, meta-analysis has found statistically significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, salivary cortisol levels,  incidence of diabetes, and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality as a result of regular exposure to greenspaces [2]. Therefore, weekend walks around Beebe Lake or up to the Botanical Gardens are not just relaxing but also offer long-lasting physical health benefits.

Second is nutrition. In 2024, Cornell was ranked #2 on The Princeton Review’s Best Campus Food List, and while Cornell Dining may not replicate your favorite home-cooked meals or pre-gym protein shake, it does offer community. Most students arrive expecting to fend for themselves nutritionally, but soon realize how social eating becomes. With dining halls and cafes scattered across campus, even inside many academic buildings, meals become natural social anchors in the middle of busy days. You rarely eat alone unless you want to. In fact, Cornell’s abundance of eating spaces fosters the kind of regular communal meals that are increasingly rare outside college. A UK study found that while 76% of people believe sharing meals strengthens social bonds, most adults eat 10 out of 21 meals alone each week [3]. Furthermore, solo dining has become so common that some view it as a symptom of a wider cultural disconnect (see New York Times: “Americans Are Unhappier Than Ever: Solo Dining May Be a Sign) [4]. Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University found that people who eat socially report feeling happier, more satisfied with life, more trusting of others, and more engaged in their communities. Dunbar’s study suggests that eating together doesn’t just reflect closeness–it also creates it. Cornell has embraced this idea, especially on West Campus, where Wednesday House dinners bring students, faculty, and staff together for themed meals in a family-style setting. In an age of solo dining, that kind of built-in connection is its own kind of nourishment, which many health influencers forget to include in their wellness plans.

Lastly, the academics. At Cornell, the academic culture and pressure to excel is intense. This is a common feeling among high-achieving students in general. Research shows that excessive achievement pressure is one of the top mental health risk factors among adolescents, along with exposure to poverty, trauma, and discrimination [5]. Moreover, high-achieving students are more likely to see peers as competitors, constantly comparing themselves to others [6]. In an environment where everyone is accomplished, that stress can escalate quickly. However, at Cornell, the pressure comes with a payoff. After weeks of grinding through problem sets or locking in for prelims, the celebration that follows is almost a rite of passage. Friends rally together, plans are made, and that collective relief becomes its own reward. The “work hard, play hard” mentality at Cornell is like no other. While the competition does exist, so does a deep respect for the diversity of interests, majors, and goals. Students quickly realize that no one is on the same path, and the initial imposter syndrome fades as curiosity replaces comparison. Although sleep is often sacrificed for prolonged study sessions, it makes you really appreciate the time spent outside of schoolwork. In the end, Cornell teaches students how to navigate challenges, savor the wins, and rely on their community to recharge. The reward is more than the grades. Rather, it’s the shared experience of pushing yourself, growing alongside others, and realizing you’re capable of more than you thought.

Turns out, Google doesn’t have all the answers–healthy living isn’t one-size-fits-all. Health is all about context.

References

1. Weir, K. (2020, April 1). Nurtured by nature. Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

2. Twohig‑Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta‑analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research, 166, 628‑637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030

3. Dunbar, R. I. M. (2017). Breaking Bread: The Functions of Social Eating. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 3, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-017-0061-4

4. Rabin, R. (2025, March 20). Americans are unhappier than ever: Solo dining may be a sign. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/americans-solo-dining-happiness.html

5. Luthar, S. S., Kumar, N. L., & Zillmer, N. (2020). High-achieving schools connote risks for adolescents: Problems documented, processes implicated, and directions for interventions. American Psychologist, 75(7), 983–995. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000556

6. Hall, K. (2022, September 9). Emotional well‑being and the high achiever. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-of-mind/202209/emotional-well-being-and-the-high-achiever