starting at a competitive university school and need some strategies or advice to avoid stress, infections, and flares!
So like the title says I'm starting uni this fall (USC!!!). I got admitted last year and had to take a gap year because of a horrible flare, I was hospitalized for quite a while. I was pretty heartbroken cause it was my dream school and I worked so hard to get in, however they were really gracious about the whole situation and let me push my admission to this fall :)
But lately I've really been anxious about how to balance the academic rigor, maintaining cleanliness while having 7 suitemates, sharing a bathroom with 3 people, having to be on the mandatory meal plan, etc. Calpro came in today and was 19 (!!!!) but I know that doesnt mean i can just start doing whatever. trying to stretch out this remission as much as i possibly can.
Really looking for some guidance from people who have managed to graduate from similarly rigorous schools and secure jobs. Main concerns are:
- balancing sleep, academics, and social life
- how do y'all do calpro tests and store medications while sharing a bathroom and fridge with others..? (im on tremfya and do calpro tests ab monthly,, dont know if my roommates are chill w me storing poo in the shared dorm fridge, and idk if im cool w storing $15k in it either lol)
- does graduating late/slower impact your chances of employment after graudation?
- how do you keep a clean hygienic space and keep yourself from getting sick? everyone I know tells me they get super sick in college :(
- working around mandatory school meal plans while not having a space to cook your own food (I can eat pretty much anything without trouble but I want to have a healthy diet and I have a lot of anxiety around food that I havent cooked myself.. what if it's contaminated or improperly heated???)
- how to take care of your mental health in the midst of everything else
if anyone has advice on one, all, or even unspecified things from above you think might help please let me know thank you :)