If you’re like most students on campus, being a freshman at Brown is the first time you’ve lived away from home for more than a few weeks. Along with the excitement of this independence comes anxiety about all aspects of life, especially your health. Any change or symptom may cause alarm now that you’re responsible for taking care of yourself, and intrusive thoughts about your wellness can hold you back from fully soaking up the fun of your first year. Here’s a list of frequent experiences of new students that are no cause for concern, so you can stop worrying and start partying!
You’re more tired than usual:
This is completely normal! Most college students experience more consistent tiredness after long nights of studying for their rigorous classes or staying out late with new friends. There’s a super low chance that this is a sign of a real health issue. Except in the extremely rare case that you might possibly have sepsis, “a serious condition resulting from the presence of harmful microorganisms in the blood or other tissues and the body’s response to their presence, potentially leading to the malfunctioning of various organs, shock, and death.” But seriously don’t worry about that because there’s almost no chance.
You’re not peeing as much as usual:
It can be hard to remember to drink water throughout the day, especially when you’re busy with classes and extracurriculars. Also, caffeine and alcohol can be dehydrating so your body may need more water than usual during exam prep or after a night of drinking. It’s almost definitely not the case that your kidneys are failing to filter toxins due to the sepsis overwhelming your most crucial internal organs.
You have more frequent headaches:
This could be a result of dehydration, tightening your shoulders and neck while you’re at your desk, or looking at small text on your computer screen for too long. Just take more frequent breaks to drink water, stretch, and walk away from your work for a few minutes. Do not panic that this could be the first sign of a categorical septic compromise of your bloodstream because it’s 99.9999% likely it’s not that.
Your skin is dry:
This is super common, especially if you’ve moved from a location with a different climate. The temperature, humidity, and even mineral levels in the water can affect your skin’s dryness and you may need a few months to adjust. Just remember to use a gentle moisturizer and lip balm, especially in the winter. If you get a chance, you might want to check for any discoloration disguising itself as dryness, which could instead indicate that your immune system is in overdrive fighting a lethal bacterial invasion against which its defenses are no match. But you can also not even bother because it’s like, super unlikely.
You’re more anxious than usual:
This is extremely common for freshmen as you’re in a new environment, taking on new responsibilities, making new friends, and learning at a faster pace. Most likely, the anxiety and its physical manifestations will decrease as you settle into a rhythm with your classes and extracurriculars. If the racing heart rate, dizziness, or shortness of breath doesn’t subside, however, it could perhaps be a sign that the very body that houses the consciousness of your entire worldly experience- every thought, every emotion, the memory of everyone you’ve ever loved- is making its last stand against a fierce army of pathogens trying to kill you from the inside out. But literally don’t even consider that scenario because that’s like, totally not the case.
Conclusion:
You are not alone in your concerns about your health. If you notice that anything seems off, don’t panic. You are completely fine and just need to focus on nourishing your body with balanced meals, lots of water, and sleep. If you’re still not convinced that you’re fine, there are several other options. For example, (not that I’ve ever done this), you can cry your eyes out because you’re sure you have sepsis before your health services appointment where the doctor can tell you if you have sepsis and if she says you don’t have sepsis you can say “Nice, I don’t have sepsis! Hey guys, don’t worry, I’m sepsis-free. Everyone just relax, no sepsis.”
Image via.