This time last year I was a genuine fresher, I’d hardly drank a drop of alcohol in my life (it was reserved for special occasions *rolls eyes*). I moved into halls and I stocked up on everything I possibly could to prevent myself from catching the dreaded Freshers Flu. I was terrified of being ill for my first proper week of “independent life”. I had been receiving emails daily with valuable tips for surviving in the big bad world of University but nothing scared me more than the one about Freshers Flu.
The only time I had been badly ill away from home, before I moved to Halls, was when I got the flu in South Africa. That wasn’t even that bad because my in country support worker was a saint who force fed me Lemsip and covered me in blankets to sweat it out of me ( I know, disgusting right, apologies if you are eating just now). This was completely different, if I got ill in Halls I was on my own! So i was overly protective of my immune system, I took a vitamin C tablet every morning with a glass of orange juice, I stocked up on carrots and I made sure I drank plenty of water after nights out to try and avoid hangovers. If I am totally honest I don’t think I have ever taken better care of myself as I did in freshers week, and it worked! I successfully avoided Freshers Flu.
So what in the world happened this time around!?
Its not that I thought I was immune, god only knows that I catch every cold that is going around, its more that the thought never even crossed my mind! The one thing I was most worried about last year had completely slipped my mind. I had actually let myself run out of orange juice (I know shocker right), it had been a long time since I even looked at the vitamin section when I went food shopping and I can not remember the last time I bought a carrot… *
I let my guard down, I drank just as much as usual but I forgot that freshers spread germs just by breathing! No offence if you are a fresher…its true though. Next year I vow to be fully stocked up on all cold preventing tools, I will not be ill for my first week back to uni!!
*Don’t worry mum I do eat vegetables, its just I never know what to do with carrots 😛
Well Travelled Lass 