For some insight: from day two, the flu decided to capture me as its next victim, leaving me coughing myself to sleep, waking myself up with an aching head (though not solely blaming the flu) and permanently clutching my inhaler stick like my life depends on it. Even if I were to put the physical trauma behind me, I have come to realise it affects me socially. Upon reflection I have had absolutely no social encounters whilst healthy. As much as this sounds like an exaggeration, I cannot remember the last conversation I had without sniffing or coughing in the middle of a sentence.
For myself and many other students, socialising is one of the most important parts of university...
This lack of normalcy can genuinely knock the confidence out of people, especially ‘freshers’. Though it is a rite of passage and an inevitable, or some might even say a crucial point in university life; attempting to get to know people while battling every urge to crawl into bed and never get up again makes socialising that much harder. For myself and many other students, socialising is one of the most important parts of university and to have original worries of leaving home coupled with meeting new people or even just being in a city; there is now the additional factor of illness, and the toll it takes on metal health.
Many studies have been conducted on the correlation between illness and the effect it has on mental health. Your body’s immune system is the foundation for every response you have outwardly and is severely vulnerable. Organisations like the American Psychological Association (APA), and Psychology Today, all explain how even a common cold can reduce the speed at which we understand social cues and how a low mood or even depression can occur when ill. This is the body’s natural response to shut down less necessary functions to focus on fighting the illness.
Leaving us with the bare necessities and pure determination to function.
However, for freshers, the functions being shut down are the most important. To be alert, energetic and remember events (or even just names) are the priority for freshers but unfortunately these are the first to go. Psychomotor activities, memory processing, reaction time and rational decision making are also on the ditch list. Leaving us with the bare necessities and pure determination to function.
This being said, the question has to be posed… Have you even done freshers right if you aren’t coming out of it with at least one permanently damaged lung, a Thai Inhaler addiction or the worry of contracting sepsis from one too many news articles being sent to you by your mum?