College is marketed as coffee-fueled all-nighters, partying with your friends, and saying yes because, well, YOLO. But if you’ve got chronic pain, like me, college is an everyday trade-off between what you want to do and what your body will allow. I have dealt with migraines my entire life, so you could consider me a pro by now. Let me introduce you to my life, and the life of plenty more Americans.
Professors, Please Don’t Hate Me
Unfortunately for me, migraines don’t care about deadlines, participation points, or that one lecture hall that’s way too loud and bright. Advocating for yourself, with the school, and with individual professors is exhausting. Explaining why I need sunglasses in class or trying to sneak ibuprofen without making it a whole production gets old fast. My advice: rip off the Band-Aid and be upfront. Tell your professors on day one. Student accessibility services are also your best friend, and they are there to help you. Professors aren’t mind readers, and most of them will meet you halfway. Saying, “I have a medical condition,” lands a lot better than saying, “Sorry, I didn’t feel good.” Trust me.
Social Life vs. Migraine Life
I’m going to be honest here: migraines and social lives don’t mix well. Your roommates are blasting music, getting ready for a night out, and you’re shuffling to the kitchen trying to get your ice pack and some pain reliever. FOMO isn’t fun, but saying “no” doesn’t mean you are missing out; it means you’re protecting yourself. The right friends won’t guilt you; they’ll get you a Taco Bell Baja Blast on the way home and check in later. And honestly? Sometimes a solo night in bed with snacks, Netflix, and a dark room beats sweating in a crowded frat basement, migraine or not.
Migraine-Friendly Self Care
Forget your 12-step skincare routine. When you’re in pain, that isn’t realistic. Migraine-ify your self-care instead: less aesthetic, more effective. Drink some water, take your meds, track your triggers, and stop feeling guilty about taking a nap. Learn what sets you off (for me, it’s bad sleep and unpredictable weather) and actually respect those limits. Self-care looks different for everyone, and if yours involves ice packs and dim lighting, that’s perfectly fine.
And because every migraine girl needs her own survival kit, here’s my not-so-official list:
Migraine Girl Starter Pack
Because if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry, and crying makes migraines worse.
- Blue light glasses (because staring at Canvas for hours is inevitable)
- Ice roller or cold pack (just trust me on this one)
- Water bottle the size of a small toddler (fill it with ice-cold water and keep it close)
- Noise-canceling headphones (bonus if they’re subtle enough to wear in public)
- Snack stash of plain, easy foods (if a kindergartner would eat it, it works)
- Eye mask (a must for mid-day naps)
- A buddy who gets it (someone you can share tips and complaints with. Misery loves company, but in the best way)
Final Thoughts
Living with migraines isn’t easy, especially during the college years, but it isn’t the knife in your coffin. Some days you’ll crush it and think about telling your doctor you don’t need all those meds anymore! Then the next day, you’ll hit a wall and cancel everything. Both are okay. Keep showing up, in whatever way you can, and it’ll all figure itself out.
So yeah, trying to care when you’re in pain is hard. But you’re harder to knock down than any migraine.