Getting sick sucks, but getting sick at school is the worst. Maybe you’ve lived in a dorm before college, but chances are you haven’t, and coming to college is one of your first times living on your own. A dorm and, more generally, the college campus itself is a fierce breeding ground for germs. Germs spread like wildfire. I haven’t had a serious sickness for a long time, but my past week of strep gave me some insight into the stages of getting sick at school.

The Localized Outbreak

You can get sick from just about anything on campus, but you’re in danger when someone you spend time with gets sick. Just being around them enough makes you vulnerable, especially if they have something contagious, and you probably share drinks with them sometimes too. If they’re sick, your chances for catching a bug have just gone way up.

The Hand-washing Frenzy

In order to avoid getting sick, you constantly wash your hands. You keep a bottle of Purell handy and are always trying to keep yourself clean. You do not share your water bottle anymore. Your hands have probably never been so clean.

The Suspicion

You start to feel somewhat poorly. Maybe your head is congested or there’s a constant tickling in your throat, but whatever it is, it’s not normal. Someone suggests you aren’t looking like yourself, or asks if you’re feeling all right. You launch into full-blown denial of sickness. You have a ton of work in your classes and do not want to get sick. You. Are. Not. Sick.

The Dread

You go to class even though you feel like you might be dying. You probably have a fever and definitely can’t breathe in through your nose. You check the clock every few minutes, trying to convince yourself you’ll be fine once you can get out of class – maybe you’re just too hot, or didn’t get enough sleep last night!

The Desperation

You’re finally done with class and you go raid your medicine stash and the stash of your roommate to find something that will help with whatever is ailing you. Maybe your lunch just isn’t sitting right. Maybe you developed allergies. You start to panic. You're probably sick.

The Inevitable Breakdown

You realize that all you want right now is some TLC. You don’t know what’s going on with your body, and you kind of just wish your mom could take care of you. You shoot her a text and she calls you immediately. She gives you advice, tells you to go to the health center, and laments that she can’t be there to take care of you. Your mom is the best.

The Check Up

After making an appointment with the health center, you go in to get checked out. The nurses are super nice and help you as best they can. You have a fever you weren’t even aware of! Maybe they prescribe you some antibiotics, or if it’s not that serious they give you a ton of stuff to help you out, but either way, there’s no denying it: you’re sick.

The Acceptance

You drag yourself back to your room and crawl into bed. You can’t survive another class. You shoot off an email to the professors of the classes you will be missing explaining your absence and they are perfectly nice about it. You make some tea, crawl into bed, and try to distract yourself from your misery with some Netflix.

The Recovery

Water and rest are your best friends. You stay so well hydrated that you’re peeing constantly and your throat is starting to feel a little better. You sleep on and off all day, and deeply throughout the night. The honey and medicine you’ve been downing are finally starting to work. Things start to look up! You’re on the road to recovery.