No one wants to be sick – especially at the start of a brand new semester. But with all those germs in the open, shared air, what's a college student to do? Well, here are some answers.

1. Prepare for the worst.

If you do get sick, you're not going to want to walk over to Walgreens for cough syrup. Better is to have a solid stock of Kleenex, NyQuil, cough drops and whatever else on hand before the sickness sets in. And don't be afraid to start using your stash if you feel a cold coming on! It's not "strong" to tough out an illness without medicine. It's just dumb.

2. Actually. Sleep.

Yeah, yeah, this one's always hard. But it's a huge one! Sleep makes all the difference in immune systems and even one extra-long night may give the germs in the air all the opening they need to take hold.

3. Take a lot of Vitamin C.

EmergenC is a good option, as are daily tablets or better yet, multivitamins. Preparation for sickness is all well and good, but preventative measures go a long way, too.

4. Don't forget to clean your water bottle.

I know I forget this one sometimes. If your water bottle comes with you to all your classes and all over campus day in and day out, it's extra important to make sure it doesn't become a resting place for viruses.

5. Hand sanitizer is your friend.

Keeping clean is hard when everywhere is shared space, but with hand sanitizer, you can make a pretty good effort. Rub some on before eating, between classes and any other time you remember to.

What do you do to avoid illness on campus?