Don’t Forget Those Shower Shoes: How To Avoid Dying During Midterm Season

Recently, Rich Besser of Good Morning America came to BU to investigate the germ situation in Warren Towers, the second largest non-military residence in the country, and therefore the second largest breeding ground for college disease.

The video of his visit warns those living in dorms of meningitis, a deadly disease that kills ten to twelve percent of those it infects, in just a few hours. Students in dorms are at risk of meningitis because of their crazy lifestyle – sharing cigarettes, partying too late, drinking too much, not wearing flip flops in the communal showers – the list goes on forever. The risk is even worse during midterm season, where sleep becomes an anomaly.

Don’t let yourself be subjected to the tragedy of a low-functioning immune system during midterm season; follow these few simple suggestions and stay safe!

Eat Healthy:
It’s important to stay healthy during midterm season – the healthier the body, the healthier the mind! Besser suggests filling a plate with half veggies, a quarter protein, and a quarter whole grains at each meal. Eating foods high in anthocyanin such as beets, apples, and blueberries help improve your memory, perfect for students to remember the exact molecules for that organic chemistry test they all stress over, while foods such as oats and lentils help boost energy.

During midterm season, bed is a wonderful, wonderful place. | Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Go easy on the caffeine:
It is terribly tempting to down that fifth cup of coffee when there’s only one more chapter to study and it’s only 2 a.m., but too much of a good thing is terrible. Sure, coffee does wonderful things, such as mediate depression and lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, but too much can cause panic attacks, emotional fatigue, addiction, and dehydration.

This includes energy drinks such as 5 Hour Energy, Monster, and Red Bull. The high amounts of caffeine (and not to mention the high concentration of sugar) have effects much the same as coffee and will leave students sluggish with no energy to study.

 

Stay clean:

This may seem obvious, but sanitation can be forgotten in the frenzy of midterm season. Trash can pile high and start stinking to high heaven, dishes get moldy, only to distract students with pungent odors and the creation of an overall uncomfortable living situation. De-cluttering helps students stay stress-free, and is aesthetically pleasing. Always wear shower shoes in those horrid communal showers; it has been shown to decrease the risk of getting warts, and really, who wants those?

Don't forget those shower shoes! | Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Sleep:
Even without the stress of midterm season, students don’t sleep enough. Sleep deprivation increases the risk of diabetes and fibromyalgia, as well as aching muscles, weakened immune systems, irritability, and memory lapses or loss. That means that it’s exceedingly important to sleep at least 8 hours during midterm season. Believe it or not, the average sleep requirement for college students is well over eight hours. If sleep deprived and suffering from memory lapses or losses, all that studying will go to waste.

Have fun:
At first this might seem a bit crazy, but if students don’t break free and have a little fun, stress is inevitable. Make sure to take a study break from time to time: go to a concert with a friend, watch that new episode of 30 Rock, do whatever it takes to make sure your brain isn’t completely consumed by the concept of causal determinism or the square root of 5,467. This will help to relieve stress and study more effectively.

In addition to these tips, BU’s Student Health Services is offering a series of flu clinics throughout  October, giving students one less thing to worry about through midterm season. SHS’s Wellness Blog lists Wellness events coming up on campus, as well as tips to help keep students healthy and happy.

Remember and take these tips into consideration, and midterm season will leave you fresh as a spring chicken. Sleep lots, eat well, and don’t forget those shower shoes!

About Patricia Bruce

Patricia Bruce is a junior in COM/CAS majoring in philosophy & photojournalism. She enjoys things with ph's, and is the photo as well as fashion editor for the Quad. The end.

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2 Comments on “Don’t Forget Those Shower Shoes: How To Avoid Dying During Midterm Season”

  1. Go easy on the caffeine? Blasphemy.

    But in all seriousness I like that you brought up the negative side of caffeine and that all of your advice is both simple and achievable.

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