Unfortunately, college is a dirty place. If you live in a dorm, you’re sometimes sharing bathrooms with fifty or more students. Not all fifty of them are going to wash their hands or cough into their arm, so viruses spread fast at college.
Since coming here, I’ve had two colds that I handled pretty well. Staying hydrated and taking cold medicine allowed me to feel well enough to go to all my classes.
Something I didn’t expect to happen to me here was getting a fever. I never get fevers. Ever. The last time I had one was probably when I was an infant. So when I took my temperature one day when I wasn’t feeling well and saw that it was 102 degrees, I freaked out.
Calling my parents wouldn’t be any help because they were over five hours away. I got a fever Sunday night. So Monday morning, as soon as I woke up, I called the IU Health Center to schedule an appointment. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get an appointment that day because they were closed over the weekend, but they had plenty of openings. I was able to schedule my appointment right after my class at Wells Library (the IU Health Center is kiddy-corner to the library).
I went to my classes that day, but I couldn’t concentrate because I was overheating and falling asleep, but eventually it was time for my appointment. I checked in on the third floor right away where I had my temperature, blood pressure, and weight taken. I had to fill out some forms, but they were very simple. I waited about fifteen minutes before seeing a nurse practitioner. I explained my symptoms to her, and she decided that antibiotics were the way to go.
After getting my prescription, I went downstairs to the pharmacy to get it filled. This took awhile because there were a lot of people in ahead of me. I brought some homework to do while I waited, but I just ended up sleeping until they called my name. If you plan on regularly picking up a prescription, you can call ahead to fill it, so you don't have to wait when you get to the pharmacy. All I needed to show the pharmacist was my insurance card, which they entered into their system so I wouldn't need to bring it next time. Finally, I checked out, paid $20 for my antibiotics, and took the bus back to my dorm (where I promptly fell asleep for the next twelve hours).
Getting sick at college is worse than getting sick at home, so it’s nice to know that the IU Health Center is a great resource to have for any of your health concerns.
To learn more about the IU Health Centers (hours, phone numbers, services offered etc.) check out their website Also, be sure to read this article on ways to prevent getting sick in the first place: