How to Beat a Cold or Flu as a Student

No one enjoys being sick at the best of times. When you’re a student living away from your family and you need to fend for yourself, it’s that much worse. Plus, it’s important to try and recover as fast as possible to ensure your cold or flu doesn’t impact your academic performance. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to avoid suffering too much.

1. Prepare in Advance

Unless you’re only taking online classes, there’s a high chance that you will catch a cold or the flu due to the large number of people you interact with on a daily basis. Prepare for this eventuality by stocking up on things you would need, like food, over-the-counter medication, and throat lozenges. These essentials are always good to have on hand, since you won’t feel like venturing out when you’re feeling under the weather.

2. Receive the Flu Shot

Reduce your risk of getting the flu by receiving your annual flu shot. You should find that the vaccine is available at local clinics, pharmacies, and community health centres.

3. Wash Your Hands Frequently

Get into the habit of washing your hands every time you come home, before you eat, and whenever you’ve been in contact with other people. Between washing your hands, remember to avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.

4. Keep a Distance from Sick Friends

If a friend or roommate is sick, avoid physical contact. Disinfect surfaces and any objects your friend touched and don’t share food.

5. Sleep Enough

You’ll recover faster if you’ve been sleeping enough. Aim for at least seven hours a night and stick to a bedtime. If you do fall sick, sleep even more — as much as possible until you feel better.

6. Be Careful with Medication

The likelihood is your parents chose medication for you when you were sick in the past, meaning you may be unsure of what to buy. It’s best to describe your symptoms to a pharmacist, as it can be difficult to choose products yourself. It’s also worth calling your parents and asking them what worked well for you in the past. Besides, talking to family when you’re sick should help lift your mood.

7. Stay Hydrated

You can easily become dehydrated when you have a fever. Make sure you drink plenty of water, juice, or herbal tea. Avoid coffee and alcohol, as these are diuretics.

8. Know When to Seek Medical Attention

Most of the time, you just need to rest and wait to recover. However, if your symptoms are severe or long lasting, you should see a doctor. Symptoms that fall into this category include a persistent fever or a fever of more than 39 degrees Celsius, difficulty breathing, pain in your abdomen, ears, or sinuses, a rash, sensitivity to light, and any other painful or persistent symptoms that concern you. Make sure you know where you’ll go if you do fall sick — the last thing you want is to be researching your options when you need immediate care.

You’re more likely to catch a cold or the flu when you live in close quarters with other people in student housing. Oshawa students have their own bedroom and share common areas of their apartment with only a few people when they live at Foundry 1805. You’ll also have a full-size kitchen to prepare comfort food if you do get sick. Sign a lease now for an immediate move-in.