DROP THE BURRITO. No, really, put it down. Now look in the mirror, and consider the dreaded "Freshman 15." Imagine yourself stuffed like a sausage into those retro hip-huggers that looked so good when you bought them. Look out--the zipper is feeling the strain, and if that waistband button pops off, some poor bystander could lose an eye. The "Freshman 15," an almost universal college phenomenon, happens when people who have been eating fairly sensible, balanced diets suddenly have too much freedom to snarl late-night pizza, fries with every meal, and the daily ice cream from the "build-your-own-sundae bar" in the dining hall. The result: Until they figure out how to eat right, they blimp up into chunky little Pillsbury dough people.

Actually, if your worst problem as a freshman is a hefty tummy, your problems are pretty small, but if you can maintain a healthy student body, you'll be better prepared for the other challenges that college dishes up.

THE "FRESHMAN 15"

LET'S FACE IT: Ordering a Diet Coke with the Meat-Lover's Pizza special from the place that delivers until 2 a.m. isn't going to "cancel out" the extra sausage. When your mom told you to eat your vegetables, she probably didn't mean french fries and onion rings. And fried mozzarella sticks aren't the ideal source of daily calcium or vitamin D.

But how do you stay trim when temptation is everywhere--especially in the dining hall with its "Wednesday Burrito Night"? Is it hard for freshmen to eat a balanced diet?

"Oh, my God, yes," says Charisse Lyons, a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. "I don't know if l gained the Freshman 15, but I definitely gained. I always ate on campus. I think I ate a hamburger every day my freshman year." Although healthy food was available, "it's not as good as the junk," she adds, and having a comprehensive meal plan--with Pizza Hut and Taco Bell outposts in campus eateries--actually made things worse.

"Eating junk food does catch up with you," says Lyons, who shed the extra pounds when she moved into a campus apartment where she could cook her own meals. "You'll go home for the holidays, and everybody's like, 'What happened to you? You've been eating!' I think the best thing to do is get a small meal plan, buy your own fruits and vegetables, drink water, and take advantage of the gym."

Eating "healthy" just requires some common sense. If you're buying food in a grocery store, shop for a balanced meal, including proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Take a few seconds to check out the labels. You can do a lot just by consistently selecting low-fat, or better yet, fat-free versions of fatty favorites, such as mayonnaise, cookies, salad dressing, tortilla chips, and cheese. (Note: Beware of sneaky wording. The phrase, "light yogurt," for example, may just mean it's made with Nutrasweet instead of sugar; even though it has fewer calories, it may have just as much fat as regular yogurt.)

CONTROLLING YOUR INTAKE

HERE ARE SOME more tips on conquering the "battle of the bulge."

* DON'T REWARD YOURSELF WITH JUNK FOOD. You've studied four solid hours for your economics test. It's nearly midnight, and somebody's sending out for pizza. "You deserve it," says your well-meaning roommate, who has the metabolism of a racehorse and couldn't gain weight if she chugged Crisco. Cover your ears. If you must order something, go light. Get a grilled chicken sandwich or a Greek salad. Listen instead to the bathroom scales: They're screaming, "No, no! Get off me, Tubby!"

* STOCK YOUR OWN FOOD. If you can, rent a small refrigerator; if you can't afford it, stockpile some snacks that don't have to be kept cold: A few little containers of low-calorie pudding or applesauce, low-fat granola bars or pretzels (most pretzels have no fat), or boxes of fruit juice or V-8. Get a hot plate and fix yourself some soup.

* CHECK OUT THE WHOLE MENU. In the breakfast line, look beyond that custard-filled doughnut and see what else is out there. Check for grapefruit, a hardboiled egg, and toast (plus jelly has no fat). Look for whole-grain cereal (fiber is always nice) and skim milk. At lunch and dinner, choose the salad and fruit plates.

* EXERCISE. Every little bit helps even if it's just taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or jogging up and down the halls of your dorm, or around your room for 10 minutes a night.

* DRINK LOTS OF WATER. You're supposed to drink eight glasses a day, anyway. It's good for the skin, and it works wonders on the appetite--you don't get nearly so hungry if you're already sloshing around full of water.

* FIND A FOOD BUDDY. It's easier to go through anything if you're not alone. Seek out friends who are also trying to stay trim.

IF YOU GET SICK

EATING RIGHT AND EXERCISING will hopefully prevent illness. But sickness may still come knocking, and some problems you can treat yourself with a well-stocked medicine chest. (See the checklist on the next page.) But you should see a doctor if:

* YOU HAVE A FEVER of greater than 101 degrees that doesn't get better with aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen.

Be especially cautious of a fever associated with a shaking chill.

* YOU HAVE SEVERE PAIN that's unexplained--not caused by a muscle injury, tension headache, menstrual cramps, or mid-cycle pain, which some women experience about two weeks after their last menstrual period.

* YOU'RE UNABLE TO KEEP DOWN FOOD or water for more than 24 hours.

* YOU'RE UNABLE TO URINATE, or you haven't had a bowel movement in several days.

* YOU NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL DISCHARGE, blood in your urine or bowel movements, or blood when you cough.

* YOU EXPERIENCE BURNING when you urinate, which could be a sign of irritation or infection.

* YOU'RE HAVING UPPER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. If you've been coughing for several days, cough syrups don't help and your chest is getting sore, or if you're short of breath and can't take a deep breath.

* YOU HAVE A SORE THROAT that lasts longer than a couple of days.

* YOU'RE FEELING EXCESSIVELY FATIGUED for several days and can't "perk up."

* YOU BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED or begin to have suicidal thoughts.

MEDICINE CHEST CHECKLIST

STOCK UP NOW, because it's inevitable: Sooner or later, you will get sick, and chances are, it won't be during normal business hours--and worse, you'll have a paper due or a big test the next day. You'll probably need:

* SOMETHING FOR A HEADACHE. You can get brand names, or buy generic medications, which are generally just as good and a lot cheaper. The basic ones are aspirin, acetaminophen (the key ingredient in Tylenol), ibuprofen (found in Advil or Motrin), and naprosyn (found in Aleve). Before you buy, read the labels. Some pain relievers do not mix well with alcohol and can damage your liver. Others can irritate your stomach.

* ANTIHISTAMINES OR DECONGESTANTS FOR COLDS. Again, read the label: Some of these can make you sleepy. Others can make you wired. Also, it's better to buy drugs that need to be taken every four to six hours, instead of the 12-hour kind. This way, no matter how they affect you, they'll wear off a lot sooner.

* COUGH DROPS OR COUGH SYRUP. The basic choices are a cough suppressant to soothe your throat or an expectorant to loosen up congestion in your chest.

* BANDAGES. Get a multipurpose box, with a variety of sizes.

* ANTACIDS. Indigestion happens, particularly after late-night pizza. Some people prefer the kind you drink; others would rather chew pills like Turns, or take acid-blocking tablets that work for hours.

* MEDICINE FOR DIARRHEA OR AN UPSET STOMACH. You definitely don't want to go shopping for this when you need fast relief for a digestive track out of whack.

* COTTON BALLS, TISSUES, SWABS, AND TWEEZERS. These are essential for all types of minor body repairs.

BAM! You Can Cook It Yourself

WANT TO KICK YOUR DIET and health up a notch? Nothing beats cooking for yourself. And more students nowadays are getting wise, putting on an apron, and getting into the kitchen.

"Students are more knowledgeable about nutrition than their parents," says Geri Harrington, author of The College Cookbook (Storey, $12.95). "They care enough about what they eat to take an active interest in preparing their own meals."

Harrington's book shows that starving students can eat well on a budget by cooking themselves. The College Cookbook brings together more than 200 recipes from real students. They range from University of New Hampshire's Whatever-you-have-in-the-fridge Quiche to the University of Louisville's Hamburger Hawaiian.