When you get sick in college, nobody cares. You have two options, you can either pretend you are not sick, or die in bed missing so many assignments.
Most of the time, students will just push their health aside so they can get their work done. We show up to class, group projects, work, and much more when we should be home resting. We love to infect people with our bad-ass "I don't get sick" attitude.
When people ask us if we're okay, because clearly we do not look so well, the response is usually:
But we just have to put that smile on our faces and continue to pretend everything is fine because we are adults and we must suck everything up.
Another problem with getting sick, is that people often do not believe you. NOBODY CARES. You can't complain, you can't cry, you can't ask for help because when you get sick in college nobody is there for you. Everyone has better things to do than worry about the sick girl. And even so, they either think you are faking, or do not want to get sick themselves.
You see that's the issue. Everyone just expects college students to be hung over liars. No, we're not actually sick, we just drink too much and we don't feel like doing our homework. Don't even bother with the health center. All they will do is give you "the sick pack" which consists of cough drops and paper thermometers that don't work and tell you to go back to class. It's like the middle school nurse all over again. That's why its terrifying to go to someone for help.
When you finally decide that, in fact, you are very sick and you should not be going to class, you're not really sure what to do with yourself. You feel bad about watching Netflix because you have 8,000 assignments you should be doing but you don't have the energy to do them so you just kind of stare at the wall and wonder who infected you and what you did to deserve this.
Nobody is there to nurse you back to health, your roommates are a little freaked out, and you're a broke college student so you don't even have soup to make yourself. You cry and reevaluate how your life is in shambles while all your friends are off doing fun college-y things.
Then, when you ask your mom to come get you, she usually either can't come for a while, or says tough it out. Once the thought of going home pops into your mind, it's all you want. You don't want to be here anymore. You don't care about the assignments anymore. You just want to go home. Because there is nothing worse than being sick in an unfamiliar place surrounded by people who could care less.
If anyone asks how you're feeling, or when your mom finally comes to get you, you usually look like this.
To anyone who gets sick in college: I wish you the best and a speedy recovery!!!!!
I care <3
