Next week you’ll be moving into the dorm or perhaps off-campus housing. Let’s see if you prepared?
- Schedule of classes – check!
- Books purchased – check!
- Map of campus – check!
- Coordinated dorm furniture with roommate – check!
- Purchased bedding, etc. – check!
- Internet connection – check!
- Plan for what to do when you get sick ??? Huh??
My guess is you ( or your parents) have been making lists of all that needs to be done, purchased, packed, etc. before you move onto campus. That is a good thing – but have you considered what you will do if – mostly likely – when you get sick. I know, I know. You never get sick. But up till now you’ve been living in a fairly controlled environment. But, you are about to move into a living situation where the front door itself is shared with several thousand other people. People who may or may not be quite as diligent as you at washing their hands. And then there’s the classrooms, cafeterias, and RPAC. That is a serious amount of door handle touching and a serious amount of germ sharing. The odds that you will remain the person “who never gets sick” is, well pretty slim.
So, what can you to do to prepare just in case you do get sick?
- Make sure you have the necessary information. Any medical facility you visit will require the following items so make sure you have them with you when you come to campus AND make sure you know where you put them so you can easily access them should you get sick.
- Medical history of both yourself and your family, here’s a link to the form we use here at Student Life Student Health Services https://shs.osu.edu/forms1/appointments/
- Insurance card, if it’s a copy make sure it includes both the front and back
- Know the locations of medical facilities within easy reach of your dorm/housing
- Student Life Student Health Services is located in the middle of campus, between the Thompson Library and the RPAC. We are here just for students so this is a great location to know, but we are only open 8am – 6pm weekdays (Fridays 8am – 5pm). What if you get sick outside of our business hours? You can find a list of after hour care facilities on our website https://shs.osu.edu/.