Being in college allows you to create some of the best memories of your entire life, however, it also allows you to be around thousands of other strangers who may or may not be planning a sneak attack on you with the viral plague they are carrying around.

If you are anything like me, whenever a classmate coughs, sneezes or produces some kind of warning signal to the rest of the collegiate world that they have been infected with sickness, you hold you breath for as long as possible and pray to God that you held your breath long enough for their germs to pass through your air and on to the next unknowing victim.

Unfortunately, most of the time you aren't quick enough to evade whatever viral sickness bomb that came forth from your peer's body and voilà, you're the next carrier of the "college crud."

While it may seem like a hopeless cycle of some kind of college spin off of The Walking Dead, there are steps and efforts that you can take all on your own to try and help your body fight it off without having to stay locked away in your apartment or dorm room.

Here are a few things that I have found to be pretty helpful.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor/medical student. This is just a friendly suggestion. Don't live and breath by these tips. Kay? Kay! I've just found them to be helpful.

1. Sleep

Guys and girls. If you as a human being can barely function on little to no sleep, how can you expect your body and immune system to be 100% up and running, ready to fight off whatever comes its way? NEWSFLASH! It can't! So do yourself a favor, and get some sleep. You aren't going to retain all of that "all-nighter" information anyway if you don't allow your brain to rest and absorb it all. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

2. Emergen C

This stuff is packed with a ton of vitamins and antioxidant goodies that your body not only needs, but loves! While it isn't the most delicious thing to consume, it really isn't that bad and bonus it is giving your body an extra boost that it normally wouldn't get on its own, especially if you aren't great at getting your fruits and vegetables in your diet. They have a ton of different formulas and flavors that are easy to take with a glass of water every morning or in a water bottle throughout the day.

3. Green tea

Green tea is another beverage option that is stacked with wonderful antioxidants for your body and bonus, can help boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Yes, please! It apparently is also a great way to improve brain function and heart health. So drink up that green tea people. UNSWEETENED. It's ten times more refreshing and healthier that way.

Also, if you are already sick and your throat is hurting super bad, head to Starbucks, yeah I know basic whatever, and get a Calm and Refresh tea bag with steamed lemonade and three or however many packets of honey you want. It will make your throat feel so much better and I always wake up the next morning feeling so much better.

4. Blow your nose

I know, gross. But, according to WebMD.com this is a great way to get the mucus out of your system and keep it from draining onto the back of your throat. Just make sure you do it the right way and don't cause further pressure to your sinuses and ears.

5. Don't eat/drink after someone else

This is one of the more obvious suggestions that our parents have drilled in our head since we were very little, however, it is also one that we tend to break the most, especially with friends and family that we are extremely close with. This is the easiest way to pass on germs and sickness to another person. Even if the person you are eating or drinking after may not show signs of being sick, that doesn't mean that those signs won't show up later on. And who wants to catch the flu, a cold, or even worse, mono while they are trying to already make it through a hectic week. Not me!

So, friends and fellow college students, try your best to take care of yourself while you are away at school and make sure you are doing everything you can to help your body combat against the "college crud" that seems to be running around every single college campus!