If you don’t want to be the person who’s stuck in bed missing the last few nights of fresher’s week because you’ve got fresher’s flu, listen up! We’ve got the solution to try and avoid it. Going hard lowers your immune systems and makes you feel absolutely pants. The cause is a mixture between eating rubbish, drinking more than you’re used to, not having much sleep and stressing out about moving out and living somewhere new. There’s nothing to protect yourself from getting it completely unless you wrap yourself in bubble wrap and don’t leave your bedroom but these 5 tips will help you to avoid it for as long as possible!
1. Get hygiene obsessed
It’s so easy to pick up germs especially living in halls when it’s not the cleanest! I recommend carrying some hand sanitiser in your bag and making sure you wash your hands properly and keep things as clean as possible.2. Eat fruit
Fresher’s week is often packed with late night takeaways and excessive drinking. Eating that 10 inch pepperoni pizza at 3am might be the best decision you’ve ever made at the time but it has an effect on your energy levels and will make you feel even more run-down if fresher’s flu occurs. Try and remember to eat plenty of fruit and veg which can help to boost your immune system and improve your overall health. It also helps if you drink plenty of water to flush the rubbish out of your system. It’s recommended to drink 2 litres of water a day, and I suggest getting a big 2 litre bottle and trying to drink the whole thing each day. 3. Don’t say yes to every night out
We get it. You want to make the most of every night of fresher’s week and you must! By third year you’ll be feeling tragically old so make the most of it while you can. Getting ‘on it’ for the 6th night in a row and thinking you’ll never get sick isn’t the way to go, it’ll probably just make it worse and you’ll feel even more broken when it hits you. Have a night off, or if you’re prone to a bad case of FOMO, suggest having a flat party instead. That way you avoid being in a room full of sweaty, germ ridden strangers and avoid the cold walk home whilst still packing your week full of fun.4. Schedule in some early nights
Sleeps a good way to chill out and de-stress. Take a night off and hang out with your new friends instead. Having a break from jaegerbombs will help you to avoid the flu and get your strength back. If by the end of the first month you feel like your eyes are sinking to the back of your head and you need to catch up on sleep, head home for the weekend and get mum to look after you!
5. Register with a GP
It’s a good idea to register with a local GP when you get to uni in case you’ve been suffering for a while and you can’t see it budging. Most universities have their own health centres and it's a great idea to sign up when you first arrive. [Hero Image](https://unsplash.com/photos/RmByg5kFfQg)Even more from UNiDAYS
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