Any student who intends to continue their studies in college usually has only positive associations with being admitted and being away from home. It is a new stage when you become more independent from your parents, start living on campus, and are completely responsible for your life. However, for parents, one of the main phobias and reasons for worry is their children’s health. Even at home, children are very often inattentive to the symptoms of various diseases. Parents have every reason to worry that this will only worsen when their child moves to campus. Below is a list of seven of the most common health problems students have that you should be aware of in advance.
1. Cold and flu
One of the most common problems students face when starting to live away from home is the cold and flu. The main reason is that they live on campus, where they are constantly surrounded by a large number of people, and the student’s social circle becomes wider than it was in high school. Visits to public places such as libraries, for example, are also becoming more frequent. And the more you are surrounded by people you don’t know, the more likely you will catch a respiratory viral disease.
2. Depression, anxiety, and stress
Sudden lifestyle changes can cause anxiety and stress in almost everyone. Getting into college is in itself a grueling and challenging process. And in case of successful completion of the first stage of this test, the second and no less difficult comes – to get used to living separately and taking full responsibility for yourself. It is at this moment that many first-year students, instead of enjoying freedom, gaining new knowledge, and meeting new people, experience severe stress, which can sometimes turn into depression. Also, one of the reasons for depression among students since 2019 has been Covid-19 and all the restrictions associated with it, the need to get used to a new type of education, and the rejection of social life. In addition, the inability to cope with a large amount of homework, such as writing a large number of essays, may cause anxiety for some students. This is perhaps the easiest reason to deal with by choosing the right writing service. For example, they can do you paper at writepaperfor.me in accordance with your topic.
3. Eating disorders
According to the results of surveys and studies, it is students who are most susceptible to eating problems since the majority of people who suffer from eating disorders first came across them when they were 18 – 21 years old. Very often, these problems can be natural derivatives of depression and stress. A very common occurrence is “stress eating” and then a feeling of shame for the amount of food eaten. Another extreme is a lack of appetite due to depression or stress, which can lead to anorexia.
4. Sleeping disorders
It is rare to see a student who does not want to sleep and is not tired. The amount of knowledge gained and the volume of information is so great that our brain often does not have enough time to process it, so it continues to do it when it needs to rest. Hence, there are difficulties in falling asleep, the feeling that you have not rested, or insomnia. As well as eating disorders, sleeping disorders can be caused by depression and stress.
5. ADHD
According to studies, 2 to 8% of students have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The most common symptoms are avoidance and distraction from tasks, lack of interest or persistence, trouble focusing or maintaining attention, disorganization, inability to sit still for long periods of time, and acting too hastily without prior thought, which in some cases can harm the person. Given all of these characteristics of students with ADHD, a college education can be pretty challenging. Therefore, if you notice any symptoms, this should not be ignored. A student needs to understand their condition and be able to plan the learning process and learn to focus on the goals and objectives.
6. Common Illnesses
When a large number of people live in a relatively small area, it is not surprising that contagious diseases can easily spread in such conditions. Quite common problems that students may encounter are mononucleosis, conjunctivitis, stomach flu, allergies, etc. All these problems can be caused by the fact that students who are just starting to live separately from their parents do not have the skill to take care of their own health, because their parents used to do this, as well as a poor diet and lack of sleep, in connection with which the immune system weakens, and the body becomes more susceptible to various viruses.
7. Alcohol and forbidden substances
Unfortunately, the abuse of alcohol and illegal substances is a very common problem among students. Someone is trying to cope with stress or relax in this way after passing exams or when there is a lot of homework, or when writing some kind of project. Someone, for the first time in their life, feels freedom and thus tries to prove that they are an adult. The most dangerous is that alcohol and various substances are addictive, and it can take years to get rid of them. Plus, it worsens the general physical condition of the body, can exacerbate chronic diseases, or cause irreparable harm to some body systems.