1. Stay in
There is nothing harder than seeing all of your friends getting ready to go out on a Friday night and knowing that you can’t join them. It is a classic case of FOMO, and it truly sucks. You may be tempted to go out anyway and suffer through the pain, but do you really want to have to blow your nose every 5 minutes in the club? Sacrificing a weekend of fun may seem like the end of the world at the time, but taking a day or two to let your body fight off illness could work wonders in the long run. Since everyone seems to get sick at once, maybe invite a few of your friends over for a chill movie or game night instead. There’s nothing wrong with going to bed early!
2. Eat vitamin-rich foods
It is way too easy to walk into dhall and head straight for the fries or the waffle maker. Though both fries and waffles are delicious, taking a healthier approach to meals could be beneficial in helping you feel better faster. Vitamin C is great for boosting immunity, so pick up an orange or a glass of orange juice on your way out, and try to fill a plate with as many veggies as you can to keep your body in tip-top shape.
3. Hydrate!
Hydration is so important. Even when you’re not sick, drinking water has great health benefits. It is such a simple task yet it can do wonders for your health by flushing out all the toxins that are floating around campus these days. Carry a water bottle with you to class and refill it as often as you can. Having a water bottle on your desk with you while you work makes it easy to hydrate and will eventually become a habit. Chug that water and you’ll be healthy in no time!
4. Don’t share cups, mugs, etc.
Living in very close quarters, many of us find ourselves sharing possessions to save space. College can feel like one big happy family, especially if you have a roommate or live in an apartment. So many times I find myself saying “try this!” and handing my mug or spoon to my friends to taste, but this is never really a good idea. Something as innocuous as eating ice cream out of the same tub when illness is going around could get you coughing in days. Most of the time sharing is totally fine, but during Skidmore plague season it is best to be wary and use your own cups and silverware.
5. Go to Health Services
If you’re really miserable, go to Health Services just to make sure that’s it’s not anything worse than a common cold. The nurses there are lovely and will supply you with enough ibuprofen, throat lozenges, and salt packets to last a lifetime. If nothing else, these things will make you feel better while you are taking these other steps to recover.