first week at university

[aufachse]

well last Saturday I moved in with my grandma in London so that I could attend university! I didn't want to move into halls because I couldn't guarantee getting an en-suite bathroom (no way I was sharing with loads of people!) so I thought moving in here would be a solution. However, I then realised that my grandparents, both 60+ are probably at risk of getting viruses and things - d'oh! So, naturally I've been worrying about that.


My first week of uni has been great, until today. I woke up and felt fine, although shortly after having breakfast, I had d*. This freaked me out and I started feeling unwell, but I still went to uni. I have to catch the Tube to and from uni, a 45 minute ride each way. So I've felt sick on and off all day, with gas and an urge to go to toilet, but no more d*. I've eaten some toast, half a bar of chocolate, a ham roll and a banana and haven't really felt better or worse. If I was to v*, would I have done so by now? Should I just stop worrying?! I'm trying to convince myself that I'm just feeling rough because I've had a tiring week which I'm not used to, plus I'm adjusting to new foods and London water (it tastes like chlorine here, ugh!) ...


well now my grandma has made me fish, potatoes and peas so I hope that goes down alright ... I'm really worried about going to bed tonight!

[Galadriel]

Hey there,

First off hats off to you for being brave and going to uni and staying with your gramma in a foreign place. It doesn't sound like a virus at all, if it was you wouldn't have had just a bout or so of d* and then been done with it, it would have started and just gone down hill from there. My guess is its just your body trying to get used to the new place and the new food/water. Different water can sometimes mess up your digestive tract (some d*) till the organisms and such balance themselves out in your guts.

Do you have any anti d* pills you can take? Over here in the USA we have Immodium AD (anti diarrehal) and it works great. What I do is carry some with me wherever I go and it does make me feel more secure knowing I have it on me. I very rarely have to use it though, but knowing its there helps.

[aufachse]

Thanks I certainly don't feel brave! The lecture theatre consists of aboutfifteennarrow rows of about ten to fifteen seats - all I can think about is if I or someone else is sitting in the middle in between lots of peopleand suddenly feels unwell ... it'll be very hard to escape. I always look out for ill-looking people in the lecture, ho hum [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]I think I'll try and sit at the end of a row if I can, it might make me feel a bit better.


I feel much better today, thankfully. I guess it wasjust a combination of nerves, tiredness and everything else that's new. I do have some Imodium tablets here, so perhaps I'll keep them on me as a reassurance. I've only taken it once before but I know it works well.

[rubysoho120]

good luck at uni! that so exciting! sorry for the d* i know how that goes. im sure it was just nerves and even a little stress from moving.

[sage]

It sounds very very typical of anxiety. If you can find a way to soothe yourself and become calmer, the sickness feeling will go away.


I've got a whack of uni degrees and now teach at university. I've never seen anyone sick in a lecture, ever. (and we're talking...since 1975!) Don't worry. If you can calm down and settle in you'll have lots of fun, meet new people, and learn lots. It's a wonderful experience.

[kfitz]

AAAW i totally know how u feel, i am in my fourth n final yr of uni in Preston and i live on campus too, lecture theatre's can be very scary i jus sit next to one person n always at the end row so no one i dont know is sat on the other side of me. Well done up to now, i have lasted this long and living on campus n sharing bathrooms, n u certainly will do. x

[chicajojobe]

oh believe me, you're perfectly normal!

I was a basket case for pretty much my entire first semester of college.

[fifitrixibell]

Which uni are you at? I'm going into my third year and you pretty much
described me perfectly. I know i seems bad now but compare uni to school.
At school you can't just walk out and be anonomous. At uni you can...if you
want to walk out of a seminar/lecture no one will stop you and no one will
bat an eye lid! I see people walk in and out all the time and it's not a
problem. Good luck x

[aufachse]

This is rather a late reply, I apologise! I've been so busy, uni is already piling on the work. I'm relieved that I'm not the only one getting these feelings at uni!


fifitrixibell: I'm at University College London, studying Chemistry and German. You're right in saying that I can justleave the lecture theatrewhenever I want! I'll have to bear that in mind. I do feel quite anonymous in university and especially around London - for some reason, I like that feeling!


Sage: thank you, that's very reassuring to know!


So far I've been brave and I've been sitting in the middle of the rows, not on the edge. I still jump out of my skin whenever I hear anyone cough, though [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]

[bandnerd]

This is just me, but I would rather live in the halls than ride the tube 45 minutes each way every day. I did live in the halls, but avoided the public transportation completely and actually finished school. I used to carry a can of spray sanitizer in my "shower" basket and would spray down the toilet or shower before I used it. People probably thought I was crazy, but let's face it, I kind of am!


You are very brave to live with your grandparents and ride the "tube"


BandNerd