A warning to freshmen: there is an increased possibility of weight gain during your first year.

It has been passed down through the generations that during the first year of college there is a chance of weight gain, otherwise known as the “Freshmen 15.”

Fast food is available both off and on campus, with students as their primary targets.

Unlike high school, college has classes available morning, noon and night with no designated lunch period.

It is up to the student to find a meal on his or her own that is quick and easy.

“Sometimes, but not very often, I will bring food to school or a lunch that my mom packed for me. I prefer fast food though, because it tastes better and fills you up faster than food from home,” Emily Reese, computer science major, 18, said.

Fast food meals are notorious for the high amount of calories they contain.

It is effortless to eat 700 calories worth of food in one sitting in McDonald’s or Del Taco, building the foundation for a year of weight gain.

“I plan on eating Taco Bell the day it opens,” Chelsey Yonemoto,18, fashion major, said

With a remodeled Taco Bell re-opening on Crenshaw boulevard, some students look forward to a new place to purchase food, as it provides additional options.

However, the additional alternative is another source of calorie-packed meals that can bump one into the overweight category.

“I have already gained two pounds, and it hasn’t been more than two weeks,” Reese said.

Hectic college, social and work schedules will always cause hunger. When in a rush, the only thing available is fast food, because the meals are served almost immediately, are relatively cheap and quick to eat.

Fear of weight gain may not be a priority to all students.

Although there are several quick meals to purchase around campus, some plan ahead, knowing they will be hungry and do not want to rely on purchasing food.

“If I need to, I will bring an apple, and I always have a water bottle. Something simple,” Ron Caughlin, undecided major, said.

Some freshmen find themselves skeptical of increased weight gain; others believe, but just will not allow it, refusing to be categorized as a victim of the Freshmen 15.

“How about instead of gaining weight, I actually lose the fifteen pounds?” Alexandra Gutierrez,18, psychology major, said.

Whether you happen to gain weight easily, or with difficulty, the possibility to gain weight is always out there.

It may even be across the street.