Final Stretch Fall Semester! Stay Healthy for Finals

We all remember "burning the candle at both ends" during college finals.

This is a time to focus on time management, defying very human tendencies toward procrastination. Numerous studies show that test performance IS affected negatively by reliance on last minute cramming and certainly "all nighters." Experience teaches us that taking a proactive approach is always preferable to a reactive approach.

Remember that college students get sick- A LOT. You are in an environment that increases susceptibility toward all manner of communicable illnesses, most notably the so-common-it's-practically-inevitable common cold, as well as flu, strep, mononucleosis, and many others. Lack of sleep and less than optimal diet contribute to an immune-compromised state, making you even more susceptible to illness, which you simply cannot afford during finals!

As a freshman in college back in the '70's, I came down with flu around this time in the Fall semester, and didn't even have a thermometer. Someone down the hall in my dorm lent me one. My temperature was 101.5, and because I was inexperienced in the simplest ways to lower body temperature (like taking a cold shower!) I ended up in the emergency room. 

THE GIST: Now is a time to focus on health basics: 

• 7-8 hours of sleep every night- this is critical!
• Healthy Diet
• Regular Exercise (Yes, you do have time if you're managing it well)
• Avoid alcohol. Yes, definitely. 

-DormDoc