It’s that time again in the semester where something is going around, and you’re one of the unlucky ones who catch it. Whether it’s a simple cold, or you’re dealing with the flu, you’re sick and now you have to take some time to rest to feel better. Feeling sick often affects your attendance in class, and it’s not always great if you have to miss more than one class period because you’re unable to get out of bed.
We’ve all been there and know it’s no fun, but there are several ways to feel better quickly and get back on top of your assignments. Besides chugging water and taking some vitamins, there are a few other options out there that can help you get back to normal a bit quicker, and maybe even prevent you from feeling sick later.
Usually what goes around campus happens to be a cold or flu, so you’ll get either one. I remember last semester I missed a whole week of classes because I had what felt like the worst flu imaginable. Catching up on homework sucked, but I was able to make up missed tests and assignments eventually.
The first thing you’ll want to do if you’re feeling sick is to go to your campus’s clinic or a local one to get checked out. That’s probably the quickest way to feel better, considering they can take a look at you and prescribe you what you need, which for a cold or flu, is generally over-the-counter medicine, or sometimes an actual prescription.
Once you have that out of the way, the next step is to take your cold and flu medicine. Take those as directed by a doctor or follow the instructions on them if you felt like you didn’t need to see a health care professional. Those meds, either in liquid or capsule form, will work wonders on you if they’re taken consistently when you’re sick.
This following step shouldn’t be said, but it’s important to rest. I know that can be difficult, especially when you know you’re missing classes, but one way to ease that bit of frustration is to just email your professors. They tend to be pretty understanding; just be honest and show a doctor’s note if you need to for the class you’re missing. Resting your body when you’re feeling sick is a good thing because you’re giving your body the time it needs to recuperate.
I know that missing classes can be a stressful thing when you’re feeling sick, but just keep in mind that all that stress is not going to make you feel any better, so it’s worth trying not to think about it.
As mentioned already, drink up. Water is generally recommended, but other fluids can help as well. Drinking liquids when you’re feeling unwell helps with fatigue and dehydration. Avoid soda, alcohol and anything with caffeine, since those can dehydrate you and that definitely won’t make you feel any better sooner.
For a sore throat, which you’ll most likely have if you’re dealing with a cold or the flu, make sure to drink hot liquids. Research finds that drinking a nice cup of tea can help with a sore throat and fatigue. For me, sore throats are the absolute worst, and I make sure to drink a cup of tea to help soothe it.
Keeping cough drops handy will also help ease the discomfort that comes with a sore throat. I don’t know who else does this, but taking a spoonful of honey before bed works wonders for my sore throat, and it might help you out too, so check it out next time you’re feeling sick.
The following step would be to eat some chicken soup, or another kind of soup if you’re vegetarian. Soup tastes great and research shows it can help calm inflammation in your body. So warm up some if you’re not doing too hot, and get back on track to feeling better.
There are plenty of other remedies out there that can help you feel better quicker, so just make sure to look some more up if you’re curious. As long as you’re resting and taking your meds like you should, you’ll be back in class in no time. Once you’re all better, the fun part truly begins.
Don’t try to stress too much about what you have missed; just calmly talk it over with your professors and you should be okay. Find their office hours and go see them; seeing as how they are also busy with other students, you want to find the right time to talk to them about what you need to.
Make sure you’ve kept your professors updated while you were sick. If they asked for a doctor’s note, bring one because sometimes that will be the only thing that will allow you to make up an exam if you missed one.
Aside from emailing and meeting up with your professors, check in with fellow classmates too. They can probably help you with an assignment you weren’t able to do and can help you navigate it better.
Feeling sick during the semester is no fun for anybody, but the most important thing to remember is that life gets in the way, and sometimes things happen that are out of your control.
Sometimes it can be hard when you have a busy semester and you just know you’re going to fall behind on a million things, but what you need to keep in mind is that you can’t do your best when you’re feeling terrible.
Your professors will understand, and they will keep you updated on all the things you need in order to succeed and pass your classes if you talk to them. So if you’re feeling sick right now, rest up, take it easy, drink plenty of fluids and you should be feeling better in no time.
