Health

10 Ways To Cope With Freshers’ Flu

It’s that time of year again!You’ve settled into your new place, gotten a good look around the campus, and Welcome Week has just breezed by. You’re so busy preparing for that first lecture, you may not have heard of Freshers’ Flu. It’ll have been a buzzword by the end of this term. Freshers’ Flu hits many students particularly hard because this is their first time getting truly ill away from home. But, there’s no need to be bedridden for the next month. Read on for 10 ways to cope with Freshers’ Flu!

1. Make an appointment with your doctor.

Go and see a doctor at your campus health centre as soon as you realize you’ve become ill. Don’t wait until you’re too ill to actually get to the health centre. And speaking with friends who are studying medicine, nursing, or pharmacy is not a substitute for this.

2. Drink Fluids.

This may seem obvious, but with the flu comes plenty of symptoms that will make you feel like never getting out of bed again. You are in charge of your own health care, so make the decision to care for yourself properly.

3. Keep Your Spirits High.

While you have the flu, it’s incredibly important to get lots of rest. While you’re resting you may miss a couple of lectures and fun opportunities on campus, but this isn’t the end of the world. Do something to cheer yourself up, even if it’s watching that one movie for the 1035th time.

4. Be Wary of Medication.

I mentioned earlier that students studying health sciences are not an adequate substitute for actual health care employees. Heads up: neither are you. Don’t buy something over the counter because you have the vague memory of it helping out last time you were ill. Go in to your health centre or local pharmacy and ask some questions, it won’t hurt.

5. Lozenges/Candy Canes.

You can count on the Freshers’ Flu to bring around a sore throat. Last time I had a sore throat, sans flu, I just used all of my leftover candy canes as lozenges. I loved it, but they are pretty seasonal. Lozenges are very easy to find, but again, some of them do have medication to help with other symptoms. Ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure about what you’re buying.

6. Turn Your Bathroom Into A Steam Room.

Use as much hot water as you can while being considerate of your other flatmates. This should give you some relief from the congestion, chills, and body aches.

7. Lemon and Honey.

This could have gone under fluids, but I felt that it deserved a special mention. Lemon, honey, and hot water are an absolutely wonderful combination that will have you feeling a bit more like yourself.

See Also

8. Take A Break.

What’s the point of attending a lecture when you’re dead on your feet and half asleep? Don’t push yourself the same way you would if you were healthy. Your body does everything for you, so give it some respect and let it rest when it needs to.

9. Keep Warm.

Drink warm things. Eat warm things. Wear warm things. Finally, an excuse to use those extra throw blankets that everyone said were impractical!

10. Make An Attack Plan For When You’re Better.

When you’re ready, meet with someone who can fill you in on what your professor spoke about that isn’t in your booklet. Ask a classmate to record the lectures you’re missing if they aren’t available to you online. Give yourself some space to catch up.


I hope you’re not down for too long. I also hope these tips have helped! Did I miss anything? What do you usually do when you’re caught with the fresher flu? Let me know!
Featured Image Source: weheartit.com
Sholape Tinubu

I love airport style, The Office (US), and my large family. Pharmacy student at University of Nottingham.

Recent Posts

What To Know Before You Get Your First Spray Tan

Summer is slowly coming to an end, but that doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to your sun-kissed skin!…

57 minutes ago

How Empowered Women Empower Other Women

In the current climate, supporting and uplifting one another is such an important part of humans staying connected and in…

5 hours ago

20 Tips For International First Year Students

From a very young age I've always been very interested and amazed by the magic of film. When I found…

7 hours ago

The Best Way To Build Your CV As A Creative Writing Student

As a creative writing student in university, you might be worried about your job prospects once you graduate and enter…

9 hours ago

5 Nail Looks You’ll Love This Summer

A cute and creative nail look is just as much an accessory as shoes or a bracelet. Pretty looking nails…

11 hours ago

The 10 Best Graduation Gifts For Him You Need To Get

Finding a good graduation gift is a very hard task. You want to offer him the best gift: you want…

13 hours ago