I was going to start this year's column with a rousing "Welcome Back," but then it hit me that in terms of freshmen, transfer and some graduate students, it is much more appropriate to say, "Welcome to your life here at MSU."

The fact is, no matter what you might read on someone's facebook.com profile about MSU being about "booze, babes and sports," the overwhelming majority of students based their decision to attend this university on its academic reputation.

Although your experience here will be as much about life as it is academics, it is important to know how your academic success might be impacted by how you live here.

It has been my experience that most students who don't succeed at MSU don't do it because they lack intellectual capacity.

Many don't find success because they either don't make the transition, don't feel safe and/or supported by their community or they experience a health issue that impacts their academics.

For more than six years, we have been asking students if they have experienced certain health issues and whether this health issue impacted their academic performance by either bringing them to dropping a class or doing poorly in the class or on an exam.

In 2006, they told us their "Top 10 Health Impediments to Academic Success" (2006 National College Health Assessment).

Keep in mind this is only a list of those who said they experienced academic harm from this health issue, and not the much bigger percentage of those who experienced the issue overall.

The issues are:

• Stress — 33 percent of MSU students reported that stress they experienced had a negative impact on their academics.

• Cold and flu — 28 percent

• Sleep difficulties — 26 percent

• Internet and computer use — 18.5 percent

• Concern for a troubled friend or relative — 18 percent

• Depression — 17 percent

• Relationship difficulty — 16 percent

• Sinus or ear infection, bronchitis, strep throat — 10 percent

• Alcohol use — 8.5 percent

• Death of a friend or relative — 8 percent

As you can see, some of these are not your ordinary health concerns, and nearly half are closely tied with mental health.

The impact varies widely based on gender, race, age, year in school, greek or non-greek, and on- or off-campus living situations.

If you would like more information you can see the 2004 NCHA data (2006 data will be up shortly) at www.ippsr.msu.edu/NCHA/default.asp.

There are many things one can do to prevent and/or adjust to many of these health problems and their academic impact.

The purpose of this column is to answer your questions concerning these issues and others related to health and thus, offer you some support and advice.

Peace, Dr. D.

Dennis Martell is coordinator of Olin Health Education at Olin Health Center on campus. Every week he answers your health-related questions in Faces & Places. Send your questions to feedback@statenews.com.