For most of us here at Grand Valley State University, it’s our first time living alone. No mommy or daddy. And for the majority of the time that is great. Freedom. We get to make our own rules, live how we want to live.

That’s all beautiful until we get sick. Then, all the sudden, we’re calling the parents a lot more. We actually start listening to their advice. Thank you, I miss you, I love you, can’t wait to see you.

All these phrases start popping into our vocabulary, that are normally quite a rarity, because being sick without your parents is weird; it’s hard. We rely on them much more than we think. When they’re not there to buy medicine or ask if you’re okay, you’re just on your own feeling horrible with little idea about what to do. What kind of medicine should I buy? Should I go to class? Who is going to help me?

In this article, however, I’m just going to talk about the before. The ways not to get sick, or at least how to reduce your chances of getting sick.

Before going to college, I relied much more on non-medicine methods, like eating certain foods to avoid being sick. Mom’s not making the meals anymore, but there are still healthy options hidden behind the nearly unlimited junk food here.

My mom used to swear by cranberry juice. I used to hardly ever get sick when I was younger. Go get some sushi. Wasabi clears your nose like no other. I’m not a tea person, but if you are, that’s a great way to soothe your throat. I used to drink warm water and honey for days whenever my throat was sore. Soup is an old favorite. And don’t forget water. Every day, we’re supposed to drink half our body weight in ounces.

Take care of yourself. Don’t forget proper hygiene. Part of college is slumming it – getting by with buying the least amount of “necessary” stuff as possible – but it just so happens that a lot of stuff your mom did or bought was for a reason. It might be a little pricy when it all adds up and you’re buying things on your own, but forgetting to take care of yourself is a very easy way to get sick.

Here’s a couple basic things that we all already know but seem to forget when mommy isn’t reminding us all the time. You need to wash your hands. Soap is one of those necessary things. Some of you are probably reading this thinking “Who skips out on buying soap?” But I promise there are people, who just forget, never really make it to the store and just shrug it off. Eight hours of sleep are necessary for functioning – make time for it. Start exercising at least in some minimal way. Keep your body active.

The next one is something that college students just skip all together for the most part – changing our bed sheets. We use our beds so much, anything else we use that much we would certainly clean, but not always this. Think of what the bed sheet has been through. When’s the last time you washed it?