10 Tips to Survive Being Sick in a College Dorm

It is inevitable, we will all get sick at least once while living in a college dorm. I, being someone who rarely gets sick, was hit with one of the worst cases of strep throat my colleges campus health has every seen this past week. College is simply a germ fest, living in close quarters with 1,000 other freshman who have never lived on their own isn’t the best way to stay healthy. (Don’t get me started on the bathrooms in the boys room. Ew!) But when you get sick it is best to handle it as well as you can because no one likes being sick thats the truth! Here are 10 ways I learned how to survive being sick in a college dorm.

1. Evacuate Before You Get Sick

Yes, leave the room if you know there is a high chance of you getting sick in there. While this is not always possible, if your roommate is sick you most likely will get sick too. If you have a friends room to cash in for a or two night do it! It is much better to avoid being sick than to be sick. Now don’t leave your roommate for dead! Make sure he or she has everything before you pack up and head out. Make a run to the grocery store for them or get them any medicine they need. They will not be having the time of their lives being alone and sick. 

My roommate so far this year has had strep twice. The first time I packed up and moved out to my boyfriends room as soon as she said the words “I feel sick”. I can be a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to sicknesses but it saved me that first time. Sadly, the second time I wasn't as cautious and ended up with a case of strep. 

2. If it is at All Possible Get Home

If you live close enough to home and can get a note from your campus health to sign you out for a few days do it! Being in a small little room is one of the hardest places to be sick especially for a freshman college student. We are all used to having our mom or someone there to take care of us and being sick with out that person is really hard so if you can, just go home. However, do not take public transportation if you are contagious or likely to get sick on it! While it is nice to go home, you don't want to get others sick. If you are lucky enough to have a car available to you take that and get our of there! 

3. Get on Medication and Take Those Damn Things Like Your Life Depends on it

I am someone who never goes to the doctor, but if you are in college and you feel sick 99% of the time you are. Now antibiotics are not always the answer but, there is most likely something the doctors on campus can do for you to make you feel better. Wether it is just cough drops or it ends up being penicillin take when you can get. You want to feel better as soon as possible and most of the time they can provide you with what you need. 

4. Use a Humidifier 

When you are sick most of the time it deals with having a cough, soar throat, a runny nose, or something of that nature. I have found humidifiers can work wonders on making you fell more comfortable. Being able to breathe in humidified air vs dry main system air conditioning air works wonders especially while you sleep. If you sleep with your mouth open (like me) and have a soar throat this can work wonders in helping you cure waking up with a worse throat than when you fell asleep.

5. Take Ibuprofen, it Will Be Your Best Friend

Usually one of the first signs besides getting a soar throat or a stuffy nose is a fever. When you get a fever is it typical you will get body pain and load of other symptoms based off of that. As soon as you see that temperature reach 99, start taking ibuprofen. If you can get your fever under control you can avoid getting dehydrated and lots of other pains that some along with it. Also, headaches are pretty common when it comes to being sick. If your sickness does not include a fever or body pain I recommend taking Excedrin with caffeine in it. It works wonders.

6. If Someone Offers Help Take it

Like I said earlier being without your mom or whoever helps you when your sick makes being sick 10 times harder. If someone offers to grab you a coffee / meal or offers to get you some water or some ibuprofen except it. Those little things will make you fell so much better and make you feel like you aren't all alone. 

7. Stay Hydrated

While it is important that we stay hydrated always, it is especially important when we are sick. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It helps you from getting dehydrated when you have a fever and helps loosen up that mucus you get when you get sick. 

8. Lysol Everything Down

Door handles, desks, microwaves, everything you can! The only thing worse than being sick in the dorm is getting yourself sick again!. If you just happen to be the healthy roommate that has no where else to go, it is smart to lysol everything down as soon as you know your roommate is sick and once again once they are no longer contagious! It is better to be safe than sorry!

9. Change Your Toothbrush and Toothpaste as Soon as You are No Longer Contagious

Maybe I'm out of the loop but, I didn't learn this one until recently! It is very easy for you to get sick again if you continue to use the same toothbrush you did when you were sick. I mean it makes sense putting the thing you wash your sick germs with back into your mouth once you are healthy YUCK! Usually, this means being without a fever for 24 hours. You should feel free to ask your doctor when would be a good time to do this. 

10. Wash Those God Awful Germ Infested Sheets and Pillow Cases

I know us college kids get the rep all the time for not washing our sheets and pillow cases enough. Here I will stand behind you and say “Hey wash those things!.” After typically a week or so of being sick your sheets are gonna be pretty gross. If you’re a gross person like me you probably hate showering when you are sick because you just dread getting out of bed. So, instead of getting the typical sleeping your sheets and pillow cases do, they will be getting your coughs, sneezes, and most likely sweat from your fever all over them. You need to wash them ASAP after you are done being sick.

Stay healthy, keep those hands washed, and remember if your roommate is staring to get sick GTFO and don’t end up like me!

Love Always,

H.💕