Now that flu season is officially upon us, the freshman plague has grown to an all-out pandemic. For college students, the disease is practically inescapable, and it's going to be much worse than it ever was at home.
1. No one is around to take care of you
Remember how back when you lived with your parents, there was always someone around to bring you soup or make you tea when you were sick? Well that's not the case in college. Welcome to adulthood, where you have to do everything else. No one's gonna hand you the right medicine to take to help with your fever, and no one's gonna remind you when your four hours of DayQuil have run out. It's all up to you now. Have fun with that.
2. It's hell for your roommate
If you're like me, then nothing makes you feel worse than being an inconvenience to your roommate. Well congratulations, when you're sick in college, no one suffers more than they do (other than you, of course). Not only do you get to stay up all night coughing, but you get the added thrill of worrying about whether or not you're keeping your roommate awake as a result. You get to feel physically and emotionally terrible at the same time!
3. Skipping class is a whole process
Back in high school, skipping school for illness was an easily solvable process. A simple note signed by your mom was enough to convince your teachers that you deserved to make up all the work you missed, and that was that. In college, you've got to make a long trek to the Health Center just to acquire a doctor's note that gives you an excusal from that lab or discussion you desperately needed to go to. And honestly, if you're going to make the walk to the Health Center, why not just go to class anyway? You're already leaving the building, is it really worth it to get a note? No, it really isn't.
4. Food isn't as accessible as you'd like
Let's forget the fact that eating already hurts because of your sore throat, and the dining hall doesn't necessarily accommodate to a diseased person's diet. That's already an issue, but you've also got the walk to the dining hall to worry about. Sure, it's just a couple minutes away, but damn does it feel like a marathon when you're sick and dying. Remember how I said earlier that back at home, someone was around to bring you a cup of tea or a hot bowl of soup? Well not only is that someone not around anymore, but now, you can't even really get food in bed. You're gonna have to get up (in your sick, disgusting condition), get dressed (probably into something warm as hell since it's cold out and you're dying), and walk all the way to the dining hall just for some form of sustenance. If you're feeling lightheaded or nauseous, you might find that more difficult than it sounds.
5. You're bound to get everyone else sick
So you're sick, and it sucks for you, but it also sucks for everyone else. You probably got sick from someone, and now that you're carrying the same virus or bacteria, all your friends are going to get it too. Maybe you coughed on something or touched a door handle with your germ-y hands. Whatever it is, someone else is almost certain to catch whatever it is you have. And going home is honestly not much better because then you'll get your whole family sick and have to hear about it from them for the next month worth of phone calls. No one wins in this scenario. No one.
6. But hey, it'll be over soon, right?
Yep, being sick in college is the worst. It justifies your FOMO and really screws with your academic and social life. Honestly, though, it's pretty inevitable, and when it happens, all you can do is look at the bright side. Maybe once it's over you'll have a newfound appreciation for having full use of your sense of smell, and you can really bond with your friends over your shared suffering. The important thing to remember is that, eventually, you will get over it.
