A baseline negative emotional state can also be a risk factor for using food as a way to cope. Stressors can be day-to-day triggers like being in a new environment or the hustle of classes. They can also be even event-specific triggers such as exams or big assignments and projects.
Not getting enough sleep or being tired can have a significant impact on your ability to cope with emotions. Chronic sleep deprivation can have an even bigger effect, triggering emotional eating quicker.
Other than being physically and biologically hungry, restricting certain food groups or having food rules can also set you up for a quick fall into the emotional eating trap. Restrictions wire our brains to want the restricted items more causing us to think about them more often and actively seek them out.