Students, Grace Taylor and Ally Arendt are two college students who attend the the University of Nevada, Reno, amongst others students, who became sick during the 2015–2016 school year due to living conditions, stress and lack of sleep.

“It starts with a sore throat, then becomes a stuffy nose, and then before you know it you’re laying in bed for a week with an empty tissue box and drinking the last bit of Nyquil that you have left.” Taylor said.

She described her beginning symptoms of an illness she felt coming on. Within the past year, and while living in the dorm halls and attending the university, Taylor was later diagnosed with mononucleosis.

Taylor, a dorm hall resident who lives in Argenta Hall at the University of Nevada, Reno and a freshman at the university, moved here in beginning of the Fall 2015 semester.

Some students at the University of Nevada, Reno, have been diagnosed with illnesses such as, bronchitis, strep throat, mononucleosis, influenza and the common cold since the 2015–2016 school year started.

I interviewed Allyson Arendt, another student here at the University of Nevada, Reno. Arendt lives in Serria Hall, one of the newer dorms on campus. She is a freshman at the university and started here in the beginning of the Fall 2015 semester.

“I feel like I have had the same cold for months now.” Arendt said. “I feel like I’m always sick and no matter what I do.”

To find out ways that a student can prevent getting sick on college campuses I talked to Judy Cruz, a Nurse at Quest Diagnostics.

“There are many preventative methods that students can take to ensure that they do not get sick, they just have to be willing to adopt these methods.” Cruz said. “Keeping healthy begins with eating right and getting a good amount of sleep each night, especially for a college student.”

It is required for students attending the University of Nevada, Reno, have all of their vaccinations when they enroll to the university, according to the university admissions requirements.

In order to be admitted into the university students must have their TB vaccination and their MMR and Td/Tdap vaccination. Students who do not have their MMR and Td/Tdap vaccination will have a enrollment hold on their account until they get the required vaccine according the University of Nevada, Reno’s website under immunization requirements.

Any freshman college student younger than 23 who intends to live on-campus, must have their meningitis vaccination, according the University of Nevada, Reno’s website under immunization requirements.

“Preventing illnesses such as the common cold and the influenza virus are a little more difficult to prevent, but there are ways.” Cruz said, when asked if the required vaccinations for enrollment and admissions from the school’s requirements can prevent illnesses such as, the common cold or the influenza virus.

“Washing your hands is what I urge the students to do most. Washing your hands after everything you do, sneezing, opening a door, closing a door, pushing an elevator button. It may seem ridiculous but it is one of the best ways to kill germs and prevent getting sick.” Cruz said.

“There is an influenza vaccination, that I highly encourage.” Cruz said. “I would also recommend that when a student feels a cold coming, that they eat foods high in vitamin C to try and build up their immune system to fight off the cold.”

“When you live with two other people, and you’re sick, it’s hard.” Arendt said. “You have to worry about not touching things because you don’t want them to get sick too.”

I asked Taylor what it is like living in the dorm halls and if she thinks that it can contribute to illness.

“It can be difficult to get a good night’s rest living in the dorm halls, because it is always so noisy and there is always something going on.” Taylor said. “I think that can relate to me being sick so much, because I don’t get a lot of sleep causing me to be stressed.”

Cruz believes that if students take more of an initiative in their health that they will experience being sick less and will also be more active and motivated. Cruz believes that if the students simply change their diet and sleeping schedule, it will also show positive results in the student’s health.