By Hannah Hardesty–

As finals approach, so does cold and flu season. Now that the breaking point of the semester is here, it’s especially important to take care of your health.

One of the easiest ways to avoid getting sick is washing your hands. You should always wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing and before you eat. Although everyone should wash their hands frequently regardless of the time of the year, it’s sometimes not convenient to do so.

If you are unable to wash your hands, then you should use hand sanitizer as an occasional replacement. “There are many hand sanitizer stations around campus, during cold and flu season the school will be providing extra stations and will be restocking them frequently,” School of Medicine employee Kalifa Alexander said.

Another precaution you can take to avoid getting sick is getting a flu shot. The school of medicine provides free flu shots to all students and staff. If you didn’t get a chance to get your flu shot earlier in the semester, you can still get a flu shot anytime during their walk-in hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

If you somehow get sick, it is easy to make an appointment at Campus Health. All students can make an appointment.

We all know that sometimes getting sick is unavoidable. But it’s important to be considerate of others and avoid spreading germs when you’re sick. Avoid going to class if you are sick and stay home and take care of yourself. If you have to go to class, remember to cough in your elbow, use tissues and keep your distance from others.

Getting enough sleep and reducing stress can make a positive impact on your health. This is difficult to do during this time of year but getting sick will only make the rest of the semester harder.