Sickness doesn’t have a slot on most students’ calendars, but catching illnesses is common when living or going to class on a college campus.
More than half of nearly 6,000 U.S. college students reported getting an illness like the cold or other respiratory illness during Fall 2025, according to Statistica’s college student survey.
UF students have nicknamed the infamous Fall illness season the “frat flu.”
The most common illnesses among college students are the rhinovirus, which causes most cold and respiratory symptoms; influenza; and COVID-19, said Sean Avedissian, an associate professor at UF’s College of Pharmacy.
Not getting proper rest is one of the biggest mistakes ailing students make, Avedissian said. When they feel sick, students should stay home and relax, he said, instead of pushing through symptoms to go to work or class.
“The sooner you get better, the sooner you can go back to being normal,” Avedissian said.
Dining halls, dorms and gyms are areas on campus most likely to spread germs, he said.
Students should take washing hands more seriously, he said, because rinsing for less than 30 seconds won’t kill germs.
Close proximity is one of the most common reasons college students get sick, said Erin B. Bruce, a UF clinical assistant professor in cellular and systems pharmacology. Students can pick up a virus from sitting in classes, going to bars and nightclubs and staying up late, she said.
If a student needs to stay up late, Bruce said, they should give themselves time to recover because sleep helps improve immune function. Students can practice healthier habits like exercising. Moving your body can remove bacteria from your airways and lungs, lowering your likeness of getting illnesses.
Stress can also negatively affect the body by increasing cortisol levels, she added, which increases the body’s energy release. Over time, stress can cause brain changes that factor into addiction, anxiety and depression. If someone doesn’t exercise to release the built-up energy, Bruce said it can damage immune cells.
If students do catch a virus, she said they should eat a nutritious diet of fruits and vegetables along with protein to support the immune system, especially through vegetable broth and soup. Students can find rotating soups at Gator Corner and The Eatery.
Vitamin A, found in vegetables like carrots and potatoes, aids the immune system by healing the tissues and skin in the body. Citrus fruits carry vitamin C, which supports antibodies in fighting viruses.
Students also don’t have to battle illnesses alone.
Coleen Peggs, a second-year graduate student in UF’s Master’s of Public Health program and the president of the UF Public Health Student Association, said the UF Shands Hospital emergency room is always available for emergencies. The Student Healthcare Clinic on campus is a “fantastic resource” to address less intense symptoms, she said.
Peggs advised sick students to stay home from class and avoid dehydration by swapping parching drinks like coffee for electrolyte-filled ones.
“I would always seek out a medical professional’s advice as opposed to advice from Google AI,” she said.
When gauging whether to stay home or go to class, students should play it safe, Peggs said. Symptoms like headaches, sore throats or nasal congestion often point to contagious illnesses, she said, so students experiencing them should stay home to avoid spreading them.
The UF Student Health Care Center will write letters excusing absences due to illnesses or injuries that occur for three or more days of school, and students are responsible for contacting their professors to keep up with classwork. To get there, students can take RTS bus routes 28 and 34 or the campus connector.
“It’s really important to rest so that your body can get the strength back that it needs,” she said.
Contact Alana Nguyen at anguyen@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @Alana_Nguyen12.
Alana Nguyen is a first-year journalism major at the University of Florida. She is a General Assignment writer for The Alligator. When she's not writing, she enjoys running and reading travel magazines.
