Spring break is only two weeks away and we all know what that means…crash dieting. Oh yes, the Recreation Center is buzzing with students antsy for the week of sun, sand and alcohol. I hate to break it to you though: the two-week diet does not work, especially if you’re still drinking at the level most Quinnipiac students do on the weekend.

Simply doing a few extra work-outs on an elliptical or running a mile or two around the track is not going to give you the results you want for the bathing suit you’re supposed to put on in about 10 days. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it will help a little here and there but changing your eating habits and more importantly, drinking habits, before leaving for your trip will make more of an impact. Going along with the drinking habits, the late night eating habits should probably stop as well, for your own good.

Maybe my observations of the gym are wrong and people are actually sticking to their New Year’s resolutions and trying to drop a few extra pounds this year, but I tend to doubt that because by February most of those people have stopped coming. Then, because it is now more than halfway through the month and people have noticed how close March 7 really is, the attendance has shot back up.

The thing is though; if you’re going to use the gym, please use it correctly. Don’t walk around the track with five of your closest friends side-by-side with one another. This kind of slows down the actual work-outs other people are trying to do.

Then, although it is really annoying that we have to sign up for machines, please make sure you do sign up and know what time and which machine it is. No one enjoys the awkward encounters when another student is creeping on your machine trying to decide when to bite the bullet and kick you off. And when it comes to the ab corner with all of the mats on the ground, please be courteous enough to wipe them down, no one wants to lay down on the mat you just sweat all over.

Try not to stress too much over the bikini bod you’re going after in a very short amount of time. Just start to look forward to the week of fun you’re going to have with your friends and the memories that I’m sure will stand out more in your mind than the bathing suit you might not want to put on just yet.