My freshman year, I got hammered with colds and strep throat left and right. I have for you a list of ways to keep healthy, especially in your first semester, when getting sick is at its height.
If you're already sick, I also have some tips for you as well. Stay healthy my friends!
To Avoid Getting Sick...
1. Take Vitamin C tablets or drops
Make Airborne your BFF. Take it when you notice people starting to get sick, and it'll be a great help to you when you're nice and healthy while your classmate is coughing away in Bio.
2. Eat right
Skip out on candy and cookies and opt for fresh fruits and veggies as well as yogurt. You'll thank your immune system when you're somehow not plagued with campus-wide sicknesses every other month.
3. Skip out on coffee
The University of Rhode Island, among I'm sure many other colleges, runs on Dunkin' religiously. When you notice people around you getting sick, opt for water instead of your usual coffee. Your body needs water to fight infections (six to eight ounces are recommended you drink daily), and drinking coffee weakens it.
4. Sleep (as hard as that may be to come by)
College students have some of the worst sleep habits I've ever seen, myself included. This semester, I've been going through recruitment, so I wasn't going to bed until super late at night, which certainly ensured me to get the cold I have now. People, please make time to get at least seven hours of sleep, it'll do your body so well, and you won't catch that terrible cold your friends have.
5. Stay away from sick friends
Easier said than done, especially if the sick friend is your roommate. You stick to your side of the room, and have them stick to theirs. Apply hand sanitizer and pray you somehow miraculously don't get the bug going around your dorm.
If You're Already Sick...
6. Lysol
Invest in Lysol spray and cover everything and anything you've touched in it. The best way to prevent your room from being a sitting duck of germs is to cut them in their tracks.
7. Head to your Campus Health Center
They'll get you the meds you need for free or super cheap, so head there before running to CVS. If you have a nagging sickness that won't go away or just don't feel right, be sure to take a walk over.
8. Miss a class or two...but don't allow anything more than that
It's ok to skip a few classes if you're under the weather. Catch up on much needed sleep and just relax, but don't make a habit of doing so with every little sniffle or cough you get. That will simply foster bad habits and set you very far behind.
When You're Starting To Feel Better...
9. Wash your sheets and clothes
Wash all of your bed sheets and pillowcases, as well as everything you wore when sick. You don't want to get sick all over again from the same germs, so, make sure you clean as much as you can.
