If you thought getting a cold in high school or the flu on the weekend was bad, wait until you're coughing in a lecture hall of two hundred people and missing your formal because you literally cannot move. Getting sick in college is probably the most inconvenient thing, but if you know some tricks to stay healthy, you can cut down the duration of your sickness exponentially.
1. Sleep, it's crucial
How important is watching one more episode of Netflix or beating that final boss at one a.m.? Sleep provides your body the chance to rest completely and fight off infection. That daunting first sign of a nose drip or headache from hell is your sign to pack it all away and hit the hay.
2. Vitamin C, a good kind of C
Out of all of the vitamins, this one should be your best friend. Vitamin C does more than just prevent scurvy, nay, this vitamin can help your body fight off ailments and get you back on your feet much faster. The best thing about vitamin C is that it’s found in almost all fruits and vegetable, noticeably citrus fruits like oranges. Grab a gallon of orange juice on your next grocery trip, along with some tissues, and wait a week.
3. Take a break from the gym
Think of your body as a machine. You can’t overload it with tasks when your main one should be feeling better. Face it, getting those gains is only going to be twice as miserable when you’re sick, and sacrificing a few days won’t get rid of them completely. Let yourself feel better, then get back to the old grind.
4. Be a homebody
How is your body supposed to recover when you decided to go out to *insert Greek letters here* with Chad? Instead of sleeping like you should be, you’re out drinking punch at a frat house until 3 a.m. while your body is fighting to keep you upright. There are sixteen weekends in a semester, there will be plenty of other parties if you decide to skip just one.
5. Pump fluids, pump 'em up
You know that nasty phlegm you cough up? The nasal drip in the back of your throat? The feeling of resistance in your lungs? Yeah, that’s nasty. Instead of coughing and disgustingly hacking it up on the sidewalk, just drink. Drink as much water, Powerade, or whatever other beverage as you can. Fluids break up all that nasty goo and help you hydrate too.
6. When in doubt, call your parents
Who knows you better than you do when you’re sick? Try the people who have been taking care of you your whole life. A phone call home and some more quick tips from the experts can do you a world of good.
7. Doctors have degrees
Not all of us have doctors and nurses as parents or even parents that watch Grey’s Anatomy. You can’t always expect them to have the answers. Actual doctors, however, may have gone to college for just that. Swing by the campus health care if things are only getting worse. It can’t hurt!
