There’s that one kid you sit next to in lecture who is endlessly coughing and sneezing. It’s definitely flu season, and it seems like everyone on campus is sniffling. However, with midterms coming up, there is zero time for the flu. So, here are some tips to help get you through this season of sickness.
1. Keeping your hands clean
The whole washing your hands thing seems pretty intuitive, but it truly works. If you wash your hands when you get home from class and before you eat or touch your face, you are well on your way to preventing sickness. The toughest part of this can be when you’re not home. Carrying hand sanitizer is a great way to stay clean on the go.
2. Vitamin C and Zinc
Vitamin C and zinc are both useful remedies for preventing illness because they give your immune system that extra boost to fight off germs. You can get them through taking daily vitamins or eating fruits and vegetables that contain them. However, the easiest route is to take something like Emergen-C or Airborne that have more of those vitamins in a serving than you would get from other sources. Plus, they’re really easy to use; if you feel yourself getting sick or have been around germ-prone environments, take one. For example, if you come back from a weekend of traveling, all that time spent on public transportation puts you at risk for getting sick. By simply taking one of the supplements, you can try to prevent any possible sickness you might have picked up.
4. Sleep
It’s really tough to get enough sleep in college, especially during the week. However, being well rested is key to surviving the flu season. Try to be conscious of how much sleep you’re getting each night and work to get your schedule to a place where you can be getting enough rest. If you’re really tired during the day, skip the coffee shop and take a nap (it’s just one of the happy bonuses of college).
5. Knowing when to stay in
It’s tough to resist going out. However, bars can be the demise of college students’ immune systems. For one, bars are certainly not the cleanest of places. In addition, alcohol can weaken your immune system. So, before you go out, make sure that you don’t feel like you’re getting sick because a few hours out can mean a few days later spent in bed.