Being sick sucks in general, but being sick at college is even worse. Not only are you dealing with the fact that you have tons of responsibilities and things to do, but there is no one to take care of you.

When some students get sick they continue to push through classes and assignments, and most of the time spread their disease. But, missing classes is like a death wish. There is attendance and the fact that no one truly cares if you are sick. Yet, laying in bed and being taken care of is all you want to do.

Most students at school don’t have someone that will make them soup, get them medicine, check up on them constantly and be at their side through it all. Basically, no one’s mom came to college with them.

What students need to do is realize that they are in charge of their health and they need to consider what is best for them. Moms are not here to tell us what we need to do to get healthy, it is up to us. With the flu and strep and many other diseases that have been floating around the campus, it is hard to not catch something. Here’s what you need to do when you want your mommy, but you’re at college.

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Step one: get medication. Go to a pharmacy and stock up on all the cold medicines. Take Vitamin C, antioxidants, mucus relief and other medications like NyQuil or Theraflu.

Step two: look at your class schedules and see what is due, what is being done in classes for the week and decide if you can talk to your professors or if you have to be there. Take into account that spreading illness is easy and you could be infecting others. Email your professors to keep in touch and not get behind. Take initiative.

Step three: get in those footy pajamas and head to bed. Sleep, sleep and more sleep is what is going to help get you through this. The more you rest, the faster you will get healthy. When you wake up, try eating healthier food like soup with vegetables.

Don’t turn to the junk food, because you need antioxidants and food to fuel your immune system working overtime. This may mean asking your roommate to grab a cup of soup for you at the cafe or asking them to head to the store to get a can of soup. Or maybe you have ingredients and can make soup, either way eat something that will help your body.

Step four: go to the doctor. There is a certain amount of time that can go by and you know it is just a cold, but if symptoms worsen or you are not getting better, it is time to head over to the student health clinic and pay that 15 dollar co-pay. Maybe they can give you medication, or they will tell you that you have the flu and it will run its course. But at least you took the step to finding out, something your mother would have made you do at the beginning of your sickness, but baby steps.

Step five: continue to take vitamins and medication as you rest. Stressing about classes and other responsibilities is not going to help your immune system kick this, so imagine your mom is there taking care of you and just relax, keep in touch with professors and work and don’t fret. You will get better, but it may take time and it is your own responsibility to know what is best for your health. Think about what your mother would say, what she would be doing to help you and then do those things on your own.

Step six: try not to get sick again. Wash hands, take vitamins, eat things that are green and maybe stay away from those who are sick. As you start getting better understand that you still need to take it easy or else you could go back to square one. Keep resting, but get what you need done. And when you are on the mend, call your mom and thank her for teaching you how to take care of yourself when you are sick.