Show Sick IC Season eason for or Students u en s sI I j I vi fj qi fI IL 1 J 1 I J Justin Contributing Writer A strange phenomenon hits college campuses across the world year after year About the time of finals students tend to get sick The flu colds and any number of other illnesses fall to students all at atthe atthe atthe the worst time of the school year But is this something to worry about or is it a hoax by byall byall byall all these students trying to avoid work and finals How much of the alleged m q U Usi j sickness si of of student is fabricated fabri fabri- fabricated fabricated is not known To combat combat combat com com- bat the problem of students pleading illness when a final comes around many schools have adopted policies that require a student to provide a note from a doctor to excuse the absence Such policies exist on a to class-to-class basis at Salt Lake Community College but are not required in every class While faking illness is common problem it does little little little lit lit- tle to evade bad study habits Although one may gain a couple couple couple cou cou- days of extra study time if the professor is willing to allow a student to take the test teston teston teston on another day the student still has to learn the material But if you are one of those honest students who never fakes an illness there are plenty of ways to keep from getting sick For example many students change diets during the winter time trying to intake a lot of vitamins and minerals which are not normal normal normal nor nor- mal to their diet But Matthew Hudspeth a resident gr graduate assistant at a Texas health center says this can actually be harmful iv I A chan in diet can diet can a add d additional stress to your body Hudspeth said Dont change what you normally do If you already have an unhealthy diet keep it during finals and then change it The stress of having so much work due and so many things to remember is a lot to handle The night late-night studying studying studying study study- ing along with the social life and jobs create a stressful atmosphere Students tend to mix this stress with alcohol and caffeine sometimes to extreme levels Also as finals approach students spend sleepless nights cramming ng for tests and polishing up papers but this can result in harmful effects According to Michael n Te Teague gue a a healthy living pro professor fess fessor r at the University of Iowa even missing one day of sleep can reduce the neurological neurological neurological logical function point of a person to the equivalency of having a blood alcohol level of 10 Stress plays a big role in affecting the immune system and then when you add on top of it that students arent aren't sleeping sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing regularly the immune system can really become depleted he said Also health and nutrition experts recommend exercising exercising exercising ing regularly but that if its it's not part of your daily routine exercise can actually cause unwanted fatigue injury and stress Be aware of your contact bj such g-such asdoor han door han handles stair rails door handles and vending machines realize realize realize real real- ize that hundreds of others have touched those same objects One of the most effective preventions of illness illness illness ill ill- ness is thorough and frequent hand washing With the absence of sufficient sufficient sufficient flu vaccines this year it itis itis itis is inevitable that we will hear more about illness and because most student fall into the category that will be last to receive the vaccine they could be the most likely to get the flu Staying healthy is important tant to stud students student's nt's grades Following these simple suggestions suggestions suggestions sug sug- can help prevent illness illness illness ill ill- ness at the worst time |