How to Deal with Illness in College

We all wake up in the morning sometimes and just feel absolutely terrible. We get sick, we skip school, we have work to make up. You all know the feeling.


For most of us, it was easier to miss days in high school. Most schools had strict policies, for example, that if you miss a total of 14 days, you needed a note from a doctor if you missed any more than that. The staff was smaller and your teachers were willing to work with you if you were extremely ill.


Now, we come to college and find out that absenses are a big deal. At Purdue University, I can only miss a certain number of classes, like three, before my grade is affected. After three or four classes missed, I can begin to lose many points if I do not show up. So, what happens in college when one of us students becomes very sick and attending class just isn't an option for the day?


I'll give you an example: Last Sunday night, I began to feel bruised and sore on my whole entire body. My body just ached all over the place, and I knew something was wrong. To make the story short, I went to bed, woke up with no sensation in my body, could not walk, and ended up in one of West Lafayette's hospitals around 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. My blood was sent to Indianapolis,and I have yet to get the results back. All I know right now is that my potassium level is very low, my anemia has kicked in (too bad I can't get my medicine until this weekend), my stress level is so elevated that my heart rate is extremely high, and I have some viral infection throughout my body. I hope that's all it is, and when I can all the results back from my blood, the tests are all negative.


To say the least, I've missed all but two classes since Monday and it's already Thursday. I've missed two quizzes and 2 exams, which I'll have to make up, along with all the homework. Talk about my stress level skyrocketing.


What I'm getting at is that even though absenses have a bigger role in college than most of us thought, our health is much more important. Teachers know this. Inform them of what's going on, and they will be willing to work with you. With health issues, they know you aren't just skipping class. They're smarter than that--you have a legitimate reason. My teachers aren't expecting me to make up the work, quizzes, and exams all in one day either. They know that it is physically impossible. Whether you want to believe it or not, teachers want what is best for their students. That's why they are teachers--to help us.


Your goal: Get yourself better--however it takes. Drink many fluids, get lots of rest, eat a good diet, and just wait it out.