It’s that time of year again. You can see it everywhere. The tissue shelves of the huddle are going bare. People are stocking up on Emergen-C like their lives depend on it-because they do. Nyquil is becoming everybody’s new best friend. That’s right kids. Fall is creeping in, summer’s officially over, and it’s Cold and Flu season. #TurnUp
Getting sick sucks. Getting sick far from home. Or at least far from the caring embrace of your family, sucks worse. Unless you’re dying, you still have to go to class, your roommate is probably treating you like you have the plague, and breathing feels like it should be an olympic sport. But here are a couple pro-tips to make bein sick on campus a little less terrible.
1. Fluids
If you’re anything like me you’re probably rolling your eyes at this as you see the word. But no one is lying to you, clear fluids are essential. When your body is fighting off whatever icky virus that kids from youre bio lab breathed onto you, it needs water to keep even the most basic functions going. A common side effect of illness is massive dehydration which not only adds to your symptoms but seriously slows down recovery.
Pro Tip: Milk is the enemy. Dairy is thick and will only add to your congestion. Do yourself a favor and avoid the pizza line for a few days.
2. Go to St. Liam’s
St. Liam’s is a bit of a health wonderland that is pretty under utilised. Besides the 24-hour walk-in clinic (if it’s locked, just call. They’ll buzz you in.), they have actual real life doctors on-call throughout the week and a pharmacy on-campus. If you make an appointment ahead of time the wait times are normally minimal. Lots of people tell horror stories about University Health Services at other schools but ND is actually pretty great. We have X-Rays on-site, an in-patient ward for people who need observation, and a team of nurses that are always on call.
3. Sleep.
When you come to college your relationship with sleep gets pretty complicated. You go long periods without seeing each other, then you binge. This is probably part of the reason you got sick, my friend. Sleep deprivation is an immune system killer and leads to so much misery. When you’re sick, prioritize yourself. You might miss a party or two or maybe not be included in a coupl more late-night, hours long conversations with your friends but don’t worry. The year is long. Get healthy and turn up when you’re not a walking pile of misery.
4. Keep your family updated.
My mom cries – straight up sobs – when I get sick away from home. She calls me every day and bothers me constantly. You may feel like you want to keep your family out of the loop in order to save yourself the drama but try to keep them updated. 9 times out of 10 they’re only being annoying because they care. Not to mention, at least in my situation, the sick kid card gets you a lot of sympathy from the parentals. My mom expresses her sympathy through care packages which is probably the only awesome part about being sick. So keep in touch, even if it’s just to assure them that you are, in fact, still alive. They’ll appreciate it. Plus the insurance bill will pop up and they’ll probs find out anyway.
Best of luck this winter!
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