My "how to be sick in college" advice

The past three days have been rough.  Let me break it down for you…fever, headache, nausea, and pain.  As a kid, being sick wasn’t all that bad.  My mommy would cook me pancakes and I could sleep all day and skip school and the doctor would prescribe meds that knocked me out even more.  I’m not saying I liked to be sick–who wants to feel achy or tired or disgusting?  All I’m saying is that being sick as a kid is simpler than as an adult.  As a ten year old, you don’t have to cook your own food, make your own doctor’s appointments, get your own medication, or juggle responsibilities.  College classes don’t wait for your fever to drop.  Paper deadlines don’t move.  It sucks, but it’s reality.

As a kid I sometimes wished I could come down with a mild virus to give me a break from school, especially when waking up before the sun.  Now, I’d do anything to fend off sickness but with roommates, small classrooms, and constant contact with other sick students, it’s impossible.  So here’s what I do to survive (in other words, this is what I did the past 3 days):

1. Assess your priorities.  Figure out which assignments can wait and which can’t.  I know from experience that writing a paper with a fever is no fun but there’s no excuse to miss a deadline.  Reality check, most teachers don’t give extensions for the sniffles.
2. Take some “me” time.  For instance, I not only painted my nails but I painted flowers on them too.  It helped me relax and reward myself for making it through the yucky virus.
3. Watch a Friday Night Lights marathon.  Gotta love hot, sweaty guys and teen romance.  Plus, if you have Netflix then you can watch a whole season in one day (I have a terrible habit of this).
4. Drink tea.  Just be careful with the caffeine.  If you are dehydrated then consider decaf.  
5. Make treats (or buy them if you’re too wiped out to cook–p.s. I did both).  I made lemon tea cookies today.  YUM!
6. Don’t skip class if you can make it.  Sometimes you’re too sick to leave your room and in that case, keep your germs to yourself.  But, don’t let that be an excuse to miss more class than you have to.  Listen to your body and as soon as you feel up to it, GO TO CLASS!
7. Clean up after yourself.  I’m guilty of letting dishes pile up when I’m sick or throwing my clothes all over because my hamper is too many inches away.  You will thank yourself later if you take the 30 seconds to clean up and I’m sure your roommates will too.
8. Call home.  While I don’t usually get homesick, hearing a familiar voice can make being sick a little more bearable.
9. Go easy on yourself.  I’m one of those people that feels guilty if I don’t go to the gym.  I’ve learned to accept that when I’m sick, I’m helping my body recover by taking a few extra days off.  Rest.  College life is busy but find the time to take a break.
10. Love quick meals.  Frozen veggie burgers, leftovers, and crackers have been my friends this week.  Gourmet cooking can wait.

About these ads