Fight the “Freshman Plague”

Yup, it’s that time of the year again – everyone’s sick! Follow these simple tips and avoid runny noses, burning coughs and scratchy throats during your first months at college.

“We need one more for flip cup, c’mon?!”, Your friend shouts over the noise as he drags you toward the table. What do you do? Pull out your hand wipes and dish detergent and proceed to sterilize the dingy red cup you’ve been assigned? Of course you don’t; this is college, and the thrill of weekday drinking is calling your name. So you lift the cup to your lips that’s no doubt been recycled for the past six or so rounds and gulp down the cheap Citgo beer that was poured from an unidentified can.

You wake up the next morning with a scratchy throat and clogged sinuses on top of the expected hangover from the night before. Welcome to the first month of college. Germs are everywhere; the library, the dorms, your bed, and on your dingy red cup. Dare I say us college kids are a dirty breed, and the sooner you accept this fact, the quicker you’re going to cure that lingering cold. So here are some tips to defend yourself from the inevitable first month plague and get back to the “important” stuff.

1. Wash your hands.

Yeah duh? I know right. But really… The first month is full of forced introductions, awkward encounters, and a year’s worth of unnecessary contact. Well those excessively formal handshakes and uncomfortable hugs are the perfect way to pass on germs. Keep some hand sanitizer in your backpack (not your lanyard…freshman) or use the dispensers around campus.

2. Change your freaking cups.

You want a shot of E.coli with your natty light? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Beer pong is a staple at most college parties; I get it. But after a few rounds that ping pong ball has been sloshed from cup to cup, dropped on the floor, and has picked up a few nasty germs along the way. So when that ball sinks into your cup, the beer you’re gulping down could have a mix of E.coli, salmonella, or even strep. That will kill your buzz, huh?

3. Munch Responsibly

Your mom isn’t here to remind you that you can’t eat pizza and drink beer every night and expect to function. Your diet isn’t some trendy weight loss plan you give up on after a week. It is what fuels your body and can make or break your health.

“After I graduate I will never eat Domino’s again,” said Cat Block (’15).

College students tend to put diet on the back-burner but it’s important to make sure your getting the nutrients that you need or your immune system will end up as weak as campus wifi.

4. Better With The Lights Off

“I’ll go to bed by 9pm tonight,” said every college student out past 4 am last night. As much as we’d like to believe our twelve hour post-hangover slumber replenishes the three hours we got the night before, it doesn’t really work like that.

5. Holy Sheets

Who’d you share a bed with last night?  Pornstache from Tinder, Basic Rollins Crop Top Girl, Domino’s Delivery Guy? Well, don’t let bacteria, yeast, and fungi add to your list of unwanted bunkmates. These colonies can grow into hundreds of thousands, even millions, if you’re not careful. Prevent a one night stand with fungi and regularly wash your sheets and pillow cases.

While health isn’t the most exciting topic, a nagging cold or nasty flu can ruin your first month of college. So follow these tips and take care of yourself so you don’t miss out on anything this semester!