Emily Krause, University College freshman, scoops a sugary snack from the candy wall at Xcetera. Students frequent Xcetera between classes and for late night snacks. Lindsey Allgood/The Daily

It was only a year ago that my tiny freshman body made its way into Adams-McCasland room 905.

I can still remember move-in day. My parents drilled me for hours about credit card debt, alcohol, sex and other typical college temptations. Dad repeatedly told me to drive in the right-hand lane on the Interstate and my mom read off some last-minute abduction statistics to give me a fright.

Yes, my parents forewarned me about everything imaginable. Everything, that is, except the one thing that got me.

My deadly sin in seven words: Xcetera and the great wall of candy.

That’s right, I didn’t choose Cinnabon or the Couch cafeteria bakery. I didn’t even make it to Sbarro in the Union.

I gained the Freshman 15 eating yummy stuff like Sour Patch Kids, gummy bears and yogurt-covered raisins.

I’ll admit, I made a couple of trips to Freshen’s smoothies and ordered a few lazy meals via room service. But I primarily blame the weight gain on that unholy wall of wax-like, sugar-coated creatures.

Now, a year later, with my discomforting secret out in the open, I feel it’s my duty to save some of the future freshman weight gainers who have just received that lethal Sooner swipe card loaded with hundreds of meal points.

It’s important to remember that gaining a few first-year pounds is very normal. According to an Aug. 2008 article in The Washington Post, “Many freshmen don’t know how to select or make healthy meals, and stress from heavy classloads and the struggle to achieve good grades can make them eat food at the wrong time.”

Yes, stress will be high, and at times it is easier to run to some comforting calories for relief than spend an hour at the Huston Huffman Center, but I beg you to remember my reality in those tempting moments.

All of those gooey, sticky, fried and fattening foods have to go somewhere after making their way into your body, and if I could take back my late-night trips to Xcetera and replace them with some relaxing yoga classes at the Huff, I would.

Therefore, to all of those fabulous freshman bodies who took the time to read this column, for the love of beauty, make a few healthy choices along with the inevitable unhealthy ones and end freshman year ready for the 2009 swimsuit season.

Cassie Rhea Little is a journalism sophomore.