The excitement of starting university can often take over the sensible side of our brains. Which means there’s always one experience every fresher seems to forget about: the dreaded freshers’ flu.
With thousands of new students joining your university from all over the country as well as internationally, the spread of colds among hungover freshers is inevitable. To help you avoid this dreaded flu, we’ve compiled some top tips to keep your health in perfect condition!
Eat Healthy and Stay Hydrated
During the first couple weeks of the semester, most freshers’ diets will typically consist of... alcohol. Now, fun while this may be, drinking constantly is a surefire way to run your immune system down and get ill.
Your first port of call is your local supermarket or grocery store. Grab a bunch of fruit, veg and juice. Eating your greens is essential to stay feeling good and you’ll probably find that your new pals (who are exclusively eating pizza and chicken takeaways) will start falling ill way before you. Grabbing some supplements is also a good shout – making sure your body maintains a healthy balance of vitamins will give your immune system an extra boost.
Get Rest
Making sure that you get a good night’s sleep might sound obvious, but once you arrive at university you’ll understand how essential this step is. And just how many people neglect it.
Instead of going out every single night, try breaking up your freshers’ week with a couple of nights in. You’d be surprised at how well this can reduce your chances of getting ill. It’s also a good opportunity to get on top of everything else you’ll inevitably let slip, such as getting some fruit and vegetables down you, any housework that needs doing, or maybe even uni work if you already have some.
Get Supplies in Advance
Now, this step is crucial if you want to avoid some awkward conversations.
Unless you’re wanting to beg your new flatmates to bring some much needed painkillers and soup to your bedroom, it’s worth stocking up on some supplies in advance. Grab some paracetamol, cough syrup, Soothers and anything else you usually take when you feel ill at home. In all honestly it’s worth having these on hand all year round, as you’re likely to encounter a few nasty colds over the course of your first year.
Avoid Too Much ‘Contact’
To put it delicately, if you’re really concerned about getting ill, avoid having too much ‘close contact’ with strangers. It’s a solid way of ensuring you don’t come down with freshers' flu.
Let’s face it, even outside of the obvious hooking-up during freshers most people will be sharing drinks (which you should definitely avoid if you don’t know the person), sharing food and generally getting in each others personal space. By taking care to avoid too much unnecessary contact, and taking simple steps such as washing your hands, your chances of catching something nasty are going to be significantly less than others.
So there you have it. By being sensible, stocking up on some basic medical supplies and eating healthy, you can reduce your chances of developing freshers’ flu. Or at the very least, you’ll transform the experience from near-death to feeling a little run-down. Have fun!
