How to Deal with Getting Sick in Res

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Living in close quarters with so many people is bound to foster illness. We share food and lounge spaces, as well as bathrooms and most other facilities. It’s important to be extra diligent when it comes to keeping healthy and preserving hygiene.

Getting sick is a huge inconvenience. If it’s a mild headache and a runny nose, it’s manageable, but if it’s a full on sore throat, body chills, fever, congestion situation, it can feel like the end of the world.

First of all, going to class when you’re ill is a nightmare. Even if you don’t feel like the grim reaper is patiently waiting for you, no one likes to be that person who can’t stop coughing or sniffling in a room of 300 people. Profs are usually pretty understanding, especially if it’s a rare occurrence and you already have a good attendance record, but if you’re unlucky enough to succumb to sickness during exams… here’s how to survive.

Prevention:

This is the most important part of staying healthy, though the advice often comes too late. Exercising semi-regularly, maintaining a consistent and healthy sleep schedule, limiting alcohol, managing stress, eating lots of fruits and veggies, and proper hand-washing hygiene will go a long way. But sometimes, its not enough.

Also, keep your distance from your neighbours when they’re ill. Carry hand sanitizer at all times, and avoid the shared spaces as much as you can. Do what you have to do to survive.

Treatment:

Hit up your local grocery store and stock up on day and night medication tailored to your symptoms, Vitamin C packets or supplements, Vicks, oil of oregano, tea, honey, and lemons. The medication is obvious treatment, but a combination of oil of oregano and vitamin C, washed down with some hot tea with honey and lemon will encourage your immune system to pull itself together. Lozenges are lies; stick with the tea and honey.

Also, sleep. Please get some sleep. Close the blinds, lock the door, activate the ‘do not disturb’ function on your phone, and SLEEP. This does wonders, especially for we students who stay up until 3 am without realizing it because of the continuous play on Netflix.

Damage Control:

The last thing you want to worry about when you’re sick is school, so email your professors ASAP, explain the situation, and if something’s due in class, make a different arrangement. Consult your course syllabi and adjust your week(s) so you don’t fall behind.

Best of luck; colds happen to the best of us.