In college, it is incredibly easy to get sick. The stress, the tight quarters, the food — there are any number of reasons that can result in your missing valuable classes and study time. Here are four ways to minimize the risk of sickness.

1. Roommate Caution

It's a fact of life that people get sick, even if that person isn't you. When your roommates get sick, there should be a limit to common courtesy. Yes, get them water and anything else that they can't get for themselves, but be sure that you don't wind up getting whatever they have. Avoid any used tissues, clean any surface they have touched, and whatever you do, don't let them cough, sneeze, or even breath hard in your general direction. It is survival of the fittest wherever you go, so make sure that you can stay at the top of your game!

2. Sleep

Believe it or not, sleep is CRUCIAL to your health. It's the only time of day that your body has time to run diagnostics and repair itself after a day in this toxic world of ours. If you aren't getting enough sleep, your immune system will fold quicker than a chair under a sumo wrestler, leaving you wide open to even the dumbest of bugs, like a cold. This can be helped by forming a regular sleep schedule, setting times of day between which your eyes are not open. Getting at least seven solid hours is recommended, but even this should be supplemented by naps if possible, as nine is the recommended amount for a healthy life. If this means cutting back on free time, so be it. Your health is more important than your friends, and you can't hang out with them whether your sick or sleeping, so make a choice.

3. Hygiene

Keeping yourself clean at all times is a must in order to dodge the myriad diseases that surround us everyday. Regularly washing your hands will cut down your risk of contamination by a massive margin, and just taking regular showers will leave you smelling better and healthier. Also, while this may seem obvious, I still feel the need to say it. If you have a toothbrush or personal use item that was used while you were sick, GET A NEW ONE. You'll only be keeping the same bugs that got you sick last time laying around by not being careful with things such as toothbrushes and the like.

4. Diet

This is a bit trickier when at college, but it is still possible to have a diet that promotes ones health and immune system. The majority of bacteria and virus's that make us sick thrive off of fats and sugars so, if you feel like you may be coming down with something, avoid sugary or fatty foods. You'll be throwing fuel on the fire. I can't recommend what each and every one of you should be eating to remain healthy, that's a dietitian's job, but I can say that more fruits and vegetables never hurt anybody. I know it's hard to find these things at college, but if you put in the effort to have more of them in your life, your body will thank you, and you'll be able to spend a lot more time in class.

I know that an article about how to stay in class might not be that popular, but think about it. We're spending tens of thousands of dollars to go to these schools. Why should we let our money go to waste just because we're sick? True, once sick there's little we can do about it, these things happen. But, if we're not doing everything in our power to make sure that we are in the best condition to make full use of our investment, then it's a waste of our time.