Staying healthy through freshman year and beyond
June 19, 2012
For the first time, in college, you will have complete control of when to call in sick, but you may not want to. College academics are rigorous, and they don't play well with someone who needs to spend mornings in bed recovering from his or her fifth head cold of the semester. One of the most important lessons of freshman year is to keep yourself healthy and avoid a backlog of work that will have you rushing toward the end of term. So how do you keep from coming down with the campus flu or worse? Consider these helpful tips for college and staying healthy during the worst of germ farm season.
1. Wash your hands. You'd think it wouldn't need to be said, but this is the easiest way to catch a bad cold. Don't just wash your hands after using the bathrooms, but immediately before you eat as well. If hand washing just isn't viable at all times, carry around a bit of hand sanitizer. Also avoid putting pens or pencils in your mouth - it's gross, and nothing's worse than chewing on a pen only to end up with a mouthful of ink.
2. Don't share drinks. Nothing will knock you out faster than mononucleosis, and there's no easier way to catch the dreaded mono than by taking a sip of someone's infected drink. While sticking too harshly to this rule may be extreme, be smart about it. If someone's sniffling and sneezing and offers you a sip of latte - don't do it.
3. Treat your immune system well. College means parties, but parties don't have to mean that you wake up feeling miserable the next morning. Treat your body well and it will return the favor.
4. Exercise. Part of taking care of yourself is working out. Enough could never been said about how great the benefits of exercise are on your brain and mood, but the most obvious advantage is still a healthier and more resilient body.
5. Don't hesitate to head to medical services. If you're feeling sick, don't hesitate to head over to the campus doctor or health services. Catching the flu or a debilitating cold early on can make the difference between a lost week and a lost day of classes.
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