There is so much to be excited for when it comes to college. So many new people to meet, experiences to have, things to learn. However, there is one thing that every one dreads: the first cold.
There is nothing worse than waking up one morning and finding that your nose is plugged and your throat burns like the fury of Hades. But in fact, waking up in a lofted twin XL bed, without your mom to baby you, is the worse. Ultimately, you regret meeting those new people because any of them could've been the weakened immune system that infected your temple of a body. Eventually, you pinpoint the kid on your floor who started the outbreak, and from that day on, you and that person have beef.
There are plenty of ways to avoid the common cold, such as washing your hands regularly, avoiding sharing drinks with potentially germy friends and not risking eating that last chip that fell on the floor. The problem is, when you live in close quarters with a bunch of other people, illness is inevitable. There will always be those who don't cover their mouth when they sneeze and sneeze all over your "safe zone."
What I have noticed is that what one of your friends get sick, no one is safe. Sadly, the quarantine bubble that many of us could live in back home is gone. Spending hours on each other's futons watching Netflix, sharing the scary dining hall food and then the snacks you buy afterwards to help fill you up, or even just sitting in the library in silence means you are sharing one another's air.
Being the first ones of my little group to have gotten the "college cold" has been difficult. Losing your voice and trying to keep up with conversations can sometimes be a challenge. However, with all of them slowly but surely developing a runny nose and sore throat, and your improvement, their opinions go from caring about you, to hating you. You guys know who you are.
The scariest part about this whole experience is being away from my mom. Not only because I have no one to make my chicken noodle soup, but rather, I have to call and let her know I am sick. I know not everyone has the loving "smother" that I have, however, there is something to be said for a mother's worry. When I broke the news to her about my cold it was as if I had told her I was dying. The questions that followed were all very concerned, lengthy, and worried. As much as I was trying to make sure she wasn't worried about me, I wished she was here to make sure I was okay. It's really no fun having to take care of yourself when you're so busy. Especially once the cycle starts again with everyone around you being sick.
