An hour on the elliptical? You have got to be kidding me! The monotony, the germs (you don't even want to know), the boredom, the agony...it's enough to make you steer clear of the line of tight-clothed (spandex, anyone?), seemingly excited women waiting to hop on one of those torture machines. If you're anything like me, you'd much rather spend your time enjoying life outside of the gym. However, something has to give because exercise and proper nutrition are essential to a healthy, long life. So how can we sneak some exercise into our daily routine without fighting for breathing space with the meat-heads and oiled-up, tan bodybuilders??

If you're afraid of falling victim to the infamous "Freshman Fifteen," take advantage of these 5 sneaky ways to get more exercise (while having fun and getting things done!):

1. Get jiggy with it. Swap out your normal, night out routine of dinner and a movie and go dancing! You'll burn tons of calories and have a blast while doing it. Even if you don't have the best moves (or any moves), you can still get out there and work it! No need to be self-conscious...go get your groove on! Find a group of friends (don't go alone, girls!) and hit up a popular club to move to the latest chart-toppers. Even better, find a club that plays music from the '80s and arrive fully decked out in the decade's gear! So fun! Don't forget to drink water to stay hydrated. Contrary to popular belief among college students, vodka doesn't count! You definitely don't want to add back the calories you burn dancing by drinking calorie-laden beverages.

2. Organize a group game. A group game of anything! Soccer, volleyball, basketball, golf, hide-n-go-seek...ANYTHING! Just get moving, people! This is a great way to meet new friends, bond with classmates and burn calories without stepping foot inside a gym.

3. Walk everywhere. Well, if you left your set of wheels at home, you don't really have a choice in the matter. Nonetheless, this is a good rule of thumb for maximizing your calorie-burning potential throughout the day. Always choose the stairs, go the long way to get to class or your friend's dorm, walk to the store (during the day and always with a friend), etc. You'll release endorphins, improve cardiovascular health and you'll have a great understanding of the layout of your campus and will know the location of everything. Ahem, guys, this will come in very handy for the lost, damsel in distress who can't find her class!

4. Choose an active elective. If your schedule permits, enroll in an active elective class. Try something new like Yoga, or stick with a sport that you enjoy. Contrary to popular assumption, you should schedule your exercise class in the morning if you're not a happy camper in the morning. Why? It will wake you up, give you more energy and will prepare you for the rest of your day. As a bonus, this is a great way to force yourself to exercise because you're being graded!

5. Clean your dorm. Do what?! Yes, you heard me. Vacuum the Cheetos smashed behind your bed, scrub the toilet and clean your bathroom. Make your momma proud and pick up your clothes and organize your room. Ordinary housework can burn some serious calories (probably enough to make up for last night's carton of Cherry Garcia you inhaled while watching Grey's Anatomy), and you get the added bonus of living like a human being and not a caged animal! Hooray! Try to do this at least once a week. Crank some tunes and you won't even notice you're working!

Jessica Ker is a writer and healthcare enthusiast. She works tirelessly at educating young adults on fitness and nutrition. When she's not writing for www.healthcarecolleges.net or with students, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up tasty, healthy treats!

What is worse than standardized testing? If you are drawing a blank, you are probably one of the millions of people in this world who have common test anxiety. You feel nothing is worse than being in front of a scantron and #2 pencil, watching the clock and hoping time won't run out. No one said testing was easy, but there are many tips and tricks you can learn to keep yourself from cracking under the pressure.

1. I know this is probably a tip that everyone is sick of hearing, but it is true: Get a good night sleep the night before your exam! There is no point in staying up all night to study. This will just end up leaving your body exhausted and unable to concentrate. It is important to rest your mind and your body before the big day.

2. Don't wait until the last minute to cram! Studying for 24 hours straight before the test will not help you. You will end up overloading your brain and this will make it harder for you to remember what you learned. Instead, don't procrastinate and start studying days or even weeks before the exam. This will leave you stress free and not worried at the last minute that you are not prepared.

3. Listen to all directions before beginning your test! A lot of people get anxious and are in a rush to pick up their pencils right away, but do not do it. You will be told when to start and you your test will be forfeited if you start a minute too soon. Also, be sure to read directions on your test as well. It won't matter if you know all the answers if you don't follow directions properly.

4. If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back to it! You should not spend too much time on a question because if you do, you will lose time and possibly not be able to finish your test. Start going through the questions in order but if you get to one you do not know, skip it and come back to it. You should not spend more than a minute on a question. Chances are that if you don't know the answer within that amount of time, you should move on.

Keep these tricks of the trade in mind. Although they may seem like a no brainer, sometimes you need to remind yourself of these things during the stressful times of standardized testing.