Being sick at home is one thing. Being sick at college is a whole different ball game, and trust me, it’s not a good one.
Being at home, you have your own bed, your own bathroom, and someone who at least acknowledges that you look like crap. At college, you’re just another face trying to make it through the week — except now you have the flu.
One of the worst things about it? I don’t have my dog.
Being sick at home means that my dog will sit next to me all day long without moving. He doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t need anything. He just sits there like a little emotional support animal. Being sick without him is actually kind of lonelier than I thought it would be. There’s something about not having that support that makes everything else just a little bit worse.
Another thing that no one warned me about is that you still have to function.
Hungry? Okay. Now you have to go up and down four flights of stairs just to get some food, when you already feel like you’re going to be sick and a little lightheaded. By the time you get back to your room, you’re wondering if it was even worth coming on this trip. And for some reason, the food doesn’t even taste that great when you’re already sick to begin with.
And then there’s the shared bathroom situation.
It’s weird to be sick in a bathroom that isn’t your own. You’re very aware that other people live here. You don’t want to run into anyone when you look like you’re half-dead. You don’t want anyone to hear you coughing every five seconds. At home, you can be as dramatic as you want. At college, you have an audience, even if they’re trying not to notice.
And maybe the most underappreciated thing I miss is my own bed.
There’s no substitute for your own bed when you’re feeling crummy. Your own pillows. Your own blankets. The same spot that feels good. College dorm beds just aren’t the same when you’re tired and sick. Everything is just a little bit weird, and when you’re sick, that’s more important than it would be otherwise.
Going to college is a lesson in independence in many ways. You learn how to handle your time, your responsibilities, and your schedule. But being sick may be the most humbling part of that independence. Nobody is automatically going to bring you medicine. Nobody is going to remind you to drink water. You have to take care of yourself, even when you don’t feel like you can do anything else.
It’s not like being sick at home is the most fun thing in the world. It’s just easier.
At college, you have homework, stairs, public areas, and responsibilities, all while trying to convince your body to go back to normal.
And, honestly, sometimes you just want your dog and your bed.