Being Sick with the Flu as a University Student

I woke up in the middle of the night with a painful feeling in my throat and I knew I had caught the flu. It was inevitable; people coughing in lecture halls, subways, GO trains, I knew I couldn’t escape this fate. So here I am, a week into school, sick as ever. I’m typing this blog post with a cup of hot lemon water beside me to ease the pain. It’s been 3 days since I’ve gotten sick, and during this time, I’ve compiled some tips on how I make my life as easy as possible (because being sick as a university student is not exactly enjoyable). Go easy on myself: Being sick is already bad enough. Being sick and trying to complete all my readings before class, doing all the practice problems, and doing extra-curriculars is absolutely horrible. When I’m sick, I always feel drained of energy, so I try to go easier on myself… as hard as it is, I tell myself that it’s okay and that I can make up for the lost time after I recover. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I carelessly make excuses for myself and waste all my time lying in bed, having soup, and watching Netflix. But I make sure to take study breaks when necessary. I also like to have quick power naps scattered throughout the day to give myself the extra boost of energy. Adjusting: When I’m sick, I like to make slight adjustments to my daily routine to accommodate for it. For example, I avoid sitting near the front of the lecture room. Since I know I’ll be sneezing or coughing, sitting at the back is less distracting to others (including the professor). Plus, this way, there won’t be 1000+ students staring at you when you sneeze (hi convocation hall).

Sitting at the back also allows me to *subtlety* leave the lecture hall if I need to (like to cough my lungs out). It also helps to take a breath of fresh air instead of sitting in a stuffy room for a long time. Care package: This is key! I always create a care package for myself to bring to class so that I’m fully prepared. My care package consists of a lot and a lot of tissues, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and some cough drops.

I also like to bring a thermos with a hot beverage inside so I can take quick sips of it during the lecture. Sometimes, I don’t like drinking anything when I’m sick since my throat hurts (when you pour liquid in it, it hurts even more?), but hydration is key to recovering from the flu. I like switching out my usual coffee for something like hot water or tea since tea helps with a speedy recovery! Ultimately, if I’m still not feeling the best, I’ll decide to stay home. Remember, you can always catch up on what you missed… your health should always come first!