Looking forward to being on your own when you start college? Independence is one of the biggest draws of life after high school, as a recent survey conducted by media website SheKnows reveals: 95 percent of its Teen Council members said they were most looking forward to “freedom” when envisioning life on campus.

But with independence comes skills and responsibilities you’ll be encountering for the first time, and unlike at home and in school your schedule won’t be set by your parents, teachers, and coaches. This can be a shock, not least because you’ll go from 40 hours a week in the classroom to fewer than 20. Experts say the shock is normal, though, and establishing a routine will make the adjustment easier. It may take some time, but as University of Cincinnati first-year student Emily Gehrke points out, “Consistency is key—when challenges arise, your established routines will provide a stable foundation to fall back on.”

Teens who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost. A new study found that young people who made up for lost weekday sleep had a significantly lower risk of depression. While consistent sleep is still best, weekend catch-up sleep appears to offer meaningful protection. The findings highlight how powerful sleep can be for adolescent well-being.

Scientists have found that combining silybin with carvedilol works far better against liver fibrosis than either drug alone. The duo targets the root drivers of liver scarring, sharply reducing collagen buildup and liver damage in experimental models. Importantly, both drugs are already approved and commonly prescribed. That makes this discovery especially promising for rapid clinical translation.

GLP-1 drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy work wonders for people who want to lose wieght, as well as for helping to reduce national obesity rates overall. But recent research has shown that quitting the drugs might not be a smooth process.

Results from a clinical trial published last month in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that the majority of participants who were assigned to stop taking Zepbound regained most of the weight they’d lost while using the drug. The cardiovascular and metabolic improvements they experienced, such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, diminished as well. As a result, two medical specialists from the University of Pittsburgh recommend that the branding of GLP-1 drugs be changed from “weight loss” to “weight management,” and that the people they are prescribed to should be advised that they may need to take them indefinitely to see continued results.

Researchers compared a traditional Chinese medicine, Yueju Pill, with a standard antidepressant and found both reduced depression symptoms. However, only Yueju Pill increased a brain-supporting protein associated with mood improvement. Brain imaging showed that unique network patterns—especially in visual regions—could predict who benefited most from Yueju Pill. This opens the door to more personalized depression treatments guided by brain scans.

A groundbreaking study shows that breast cancer screening works better when it’s personalized. Instead of annual mammograms for all, women were screened based on genetics, health history, and lifestyle factors. This approach reduced advanced cancers without increasing risk for those screened less often. Most women preferred the personalized model, hinting at a major shift in future screening guidelines.

As spinal cord injuries increasingly affect older adults, new research reveals a surprising pattern in recovery. The study shows that aging does not appear to slow the healing of nerves themselves, with older patients regaining strength and sensation at rates similar to younger people. However, age makes a clear difference in how well people recover everyday abilities like walking, mobility, and self-care.

A one-dose oral drug called zoliflodacin has proven highly effective against gonorrhoea in a major international trial. The pill matched the success of current treatments while avoiding injections and complex dosing. As antibiotic resistance spreads, this new option could make treatment simpler and more accessible worldwide. Approval could mark a major step forward in controlling a stubborn global STI.

If you have a dog you probably already know the beneficial effects their playfulness, companionship, and devotion can have on your mood and emotions. Science backs this up, too. According to recent research, teens who live with dogs have notably lower occurrences of social withdrawal, disordered thinking, and aggressive behavior than those who don’t keep dogs.

Now, scientists have discovered another potential reason the family pooch makes you feel happier and more grounded: The microbes you share with them. Researchers in Japan have discovered that dog-owning teenagers had more types of certain bacteria in their saliva than was found in the saliva of non-dog owners. When transplanted into mice, the bacteria changed some of the rodents’ social behavior, including increasing instances of what’s known as “preconcern” or “empathetic concern,” a type of sympathetic response in animals and humans. How this microbe exchange works and specifically influences mood are still being investigated, and no amount of gut microbiome changes will convince people who don’t care for dogs to feel otherwise. But as one of the scientists observed, “Even without owning a dog, maintaining a diverse microbiome can potentially improve mental health scores.”