Everyone knows that being sick, particularly in college without your mom’s love and chicken noodle soup, is awful. You miss class, worry about getting your roommate sick, and generally fall behind in every aspect of your life. That being said, being sick can come with some really important learning lessons, especially for freshmen. Here is what I learned from being sick in college with Strep and Bronchitis at the same time during my first semester of freshman year.
1. Make friends with the kids who sit around you in your classes.
They will be your number one resource for attaining missed work.
2. DON’T WAIT TO GO TO THE HEALTH CENTER UNTIL YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO DIE!
This is a huge one. I kept putting off the visit, thinking I was fine, and only caved when I literally couldn’t swallow food anymore because the Strep made my throat so painful. The sooner you go, the sooner you will get better and can be back on your feet. Going at the first sign of symptoms will also save your roommate, friends, and anyone else you interact with from potentially getting sick, as well (particularly this flu season).
3. If you miss class, remember to use your time effectively.
Don’t just sit and watch Netflix all day. Try to actually get some sleep to help your body heal, and if you’re awake, take a crack at doing some of your homework. It will keep you from falling majorly behind in the long run.
4. Make friends with your professor early on.
Teachers who you know well will be more likely to help you out and be lenient about missed work than the teacher who you are not that close with.
5. You don’t have to go out and party every night of the weekend.
Sure, it’s fun to stay up late dancing with your friends maybe one night per weekend, but more than that will weaken your immune system immensely. Sleep is important, remember that!
6. No matter how tempting it may be to share food and drinks with your friends, DON’T.
Not sharing food and drinks is one of the easiest ways to keep from spreading germs like wildfire. So particularly during these months of the year when everyone is sick, be selfish with your food! You know you don’t want to share your fries, regardless. :)
7. Make sure to keep drinking water.
If you’re dehydrated, it takes so much longer to get better. So fill up that water bottle at least a few times a day; it’ll make you feel a lot better!
8. Keep going with your daily routine (as much as you can).
If you are sick and missing class during the day, it can be tempting to skip out on getting dressed for the day or taking a shower, but this just leaves you feeling sick AND gross, so make yourself get up and change clothes, or take a super long, hot shower.
9. Eat well.
Even though you may feel icky, the only thing that could possibly make you feel worse is gorging on ice cream and chocolate. This is the time when your body needs protein and vegetables the most, so give it what it wants!
10. Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to call your mom.
Even though you may not be able to see her while you’re away at school, you can still hear her voice and listen to her advice, both of which I’ve found tend to have magic healing powers.
My first time getting sick at school was not fun in the least, but included many much-needed learning experiences in self-care, self-advocacy, and showed a gap that I had not originally noticed in my college lifestyle. All of these aspects of being sick with not one but two brutal and painful illnesses will lead to changes in my high-paced schedule and my “yes, I can absolutely do all of the activities that I want to without crashing” attitude for the upcoming semester. I have no desire to get that sick again, and part of that will be decreasing how full my plate is and how many nights I stay up past what my body tells me my actual bedtime is. Listen to your body and take care of yourself now to prevent having to worry about any of the aforementioned 10 tips in the future. :)