How to be Sick at Gettysburg College

Sick days at college are literally the worst. Your responsibilities don’t go away, but you’re trapped in bed, cleaning out tissue boxes and filling trash cans with snot and a little bit of desperation. So if you’re feeling sick this week, whether it be from the rapidly changing temperatures or from whatever your bio partner gave you, here are some ways to feel a little better this week.

1. Watch some Netflix!

This one’s a gimme. But just in case you’re not feeling super inspired, here are some of my Netflix picks: 

A. Master of None. Aziz Ansari is poignant and hilarious at the same time. There’s a damn good reason why Episode 3 ALONE won an Emmy. I know that award shows are rigged and kind of pointless, but for once I agreed with their choice. He and Alan Yang deserve every accolade they’ve been given. 

B. Clueless. A classic Jane Austen modern adaptation. She’s shallow but caring, flippant but driven, observant but (as the title suggests) clueless. This movie takes the popular girl trope and makes her a rich, dynamic character. Get past her (hilarious) pouty tone and get ready to laugh a LOT.

C. Chef’s Table. If you’ve ever wanted to see food become art, this is the show for you. At times this show can be a bit heavy, because the chef’s open up about their lives in and out of the kitchen. But I promise that they are all creating something amazing, and beat the odds in terms of creativity, flavor, and accomplishment. 

2. Take a shower

I know, this also sounds obvious. But it can be really hard to get out of bed sometimes. The steam will loosen your nostrils, and for a few glorious seconds (after you blow your nose into your hand in the shower, of course) you will be able to breathe. 

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Look at how happy she is. That’s a kid who is clean and can breathe!

3. Email your professors ASAP

They have been here before. They know when a plague is making rounds. Letting them know sooner rather than later is the best way to get extensions and forgiveness for missed classes. 

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4. Get a friend to get you some food

Have someone pick you up some soup from Bullet or the Dive, or if you live close enough, the Tom Yum soup at Thai Classic IV is to die for. You deserve soup! Get yourself some soup!

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The best medicine I can suggest is getting some sleep. Get at LEAST 8 hours, and if you can, shoot for 10+. Oftentimes there are no medicines for what we catch, so we need to let our bodies do the work. Support your body in this trying time by relaxing, eating clean, and sleeping!

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