Catching a cold at home seems like no big deal; your mom makes you soup, you grab some DayQuil from your local CVS and lay in bed watching Netflix. Once you get to college, being sick is a totally new game. As I am currently laying in bed with a box of tissues, three bottles of water and my ZPack, I think I’ve been able to figure out why being sick at school is the absolute worst.

1. There are no days off

It is not like high school where when you get sick, you take a couple of days off, come back to school and everything is fine. Missing one day of class in college can be just as stressful as whatever you are sick with. Even if you do decide to use one of your “skips” and not attend, there are still piles of homework and assignments you need to accomplish. So there is truly no time to sit down and relax while getting better.

2. The health clinic

The health clinic can be a great place to have easy access to a doctor who can see you. But sitting there for an hour before you even see a doctor wastes so much of the day, which only adds on to your frustration at the whole situation.

3. Getting to CVS is a trek

If it is cold outside and I am sick, it seems counteractive to me to walk all the way to CVS just to get some over the counter medicine. Thank goodness I have an older brother with a car at the same school as me.

4. No mom and dad

I do not care how old you are, every boy and girl depends on their parents when they are sick. Yes, I am a legal adult. Yes, I am legally old enough to fight for our country. And yes, if I am sick you know my parents will be getting a play by play with everything update on my sickness.

5. The dorm

There is nothing more than I want right now than to be in my real sized bed, cuddling my dog. Sadly, I am in the dorm.

Although being sick at school is the worst, it makes it so much more fun when you are better. You will no longer be hiding in your room, only leaving to get more tissues; you’ll be back with your friends doing complete nonsense like normal.