We all can agree, being sick in college is one of the worst things that can happen. Especially as a freshman, you must come to terms with the fact that your mom is not right down the hall ready to supply you with a cabinet full of medicine and her never ending hugs. Besides your friends and roommates, you are essentially on your own through the duration of your sickness. You must take your medicine, drink as many fluids as possible, remember to eat, and hope for the best! Obviously no one actually tries to get sick, but here are some tips to help get through that rough time when you do.
While with some illnesses you need as much rest and time in bed a possible, with others, it may actually help to get outside and take a walk around. Sometimes being trapped in a stuffy dorm room can cause you to continuously breathe stale air and not help improve your conditions.
You must also remember that no matter how much you think you can control your illness on your own, you should definitely make an appointment at the Health Center. It could be a lot worse than you predicted, and the health center would be very helpful and able to prescribe you with medicine or antibiotics that may be more beneficial in the long run.
There is also a myth that you should “feed a cold, starve a fever”, which is completely false. In both scenarios, your body requires a lot of energy to fight off your sickness, which is why neglecting to eat could result in you being sick for a longer period of time.
No one wants to suffer through class when they’re feeling under the weather, so don’t forget to email your professors letting them know that you can’t make it to class. Sometimes they’ll understand and sometimes they won’t, but it’s worth a try. Other than that, a lot of sleep, healthy food, plenty of water, and the right meds can help speed up your recovery process!