Keeping healthy when you go to university or college is pretty easy as long as you follow some simple rules. If you don't, you risk at best getting so run down that you can't enjoy what should be one of the best times of your life and, at worst, getting yourself into big trouble.
It can be easy to slip into bad habits of not eating properly and not getting enough sleep, which can then leave you vulnerable to every passing bug. It might sound boring but you are what you eat and if you eat nothing but junk food you won't be doing yourself any favours. And if you burn the candle at both ends for too long, your grades and your social life will suffer.
Make use of the subsidised food that will be available in your university or college and use the cheap leisure facilities. If you are sporty, join one of the sports clubs and keep fit that way. Exercise is a great antidote to stress.
But first things first. Whatever university or college you are going to, make sure you have been vaccinated against meningitis. Mass vaccinations of children and young people have been going on for some time now, so as a member of a vulnerable group, you should have had the injection. If not, you are strongly advised to get it. There have been deaths among students in meningitis outbreaks in recent years and it spreads easily through activities such as kissing or sharing the same glass - which there can be a lot of in the early weeks of higher education.
Another illness you can be prone to when you are a new student is glandular fever, which makes you feel exhausted. It can be done and dusted in two or three weeks if you have a mild attack, but can take weeks to fight off if you get a particularly bad episode.
It is vitally important if you are moving away from home to register with a GP at the earliest opportunity. Many universities have their own health centres, but if yours hasn't - or you don't fancy the look of the on-site doctors - there will be other GPs nearby. You could ask at the students' union welfare office when you get there.
Don't leave registering with a doctor until the moment you are laid up with freshers' flu, because it is miserable having to go through all the registration procedures when you would rather be curled up with a hot water bottle in your nice, cosy student bed.
And talking about being curled up in bed ... If you are having sex, use condoms. It's as simple as that. If you don't, you run the risk of getting pregnant or making someone pregnant, or of picking up a sexually transmitted disease, including Aids. The UK has the highest level of teenage pregnancies in Europe and STDs are on the increase among the young.
Don't just think antibiotics will sort it all out. You might not even know you've caught something. Chlamydia, for example, usually shows no symptoms but can lead to infertility. And we all know what Aids can do.
If you need family planning advice, it is free and available from your student health centre or your GP; you can also get advice from both if you think you may have a sexually transmitted disease. If you want completely anonymous advice, contact the genito-urinary department of your local hospital.
If you think you need it, the morning-after pill ends most pregnancies if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. A coil can also end a pregnancy if fitted within five days of unprotected sex. And one last word about sex: don't feel pressured into it just because you think everyone else is at it. Not everyone is, despite what they and the media try to tell you.
Alcohol is another potential bear trap for the unwary student. Drinking is a way of life for many students but excessive alcohol can ruin your grades, your friendships and your health. The recommended limits are 28 units a week for men and 21 for women. That does not mean downing your entire weekly limit in one night; it means two or three units a day for women or three to four for men.
Alcohol is the most dangerous legal drug, is habit forming and a lifetime's dependence can plant its seed in youth. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. It can lose you your career, your family and your friends. Any recovering alcoholic would tell you, don't go there.
And then there is smoking. Again, it's expensive, habit-forming and can kill you. Smoking hasn't dropped among young people as it has among the rest of the population, and lots of young people start smoking when they are students. Why not be different? Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
The same goes for illegal drugs, which will almost certainly be accessible to you. None of them are "safe". To take just two commonly used by many young people: cannabis affects your short-term memory, makes you apathetic, and can make depressive types more depressed. Using ecstasy may make you prone to long-term depression and, of course, occasionally people die when using it.
Most people have a whale of a time at university, but if you are not one of them and you are in a constant low mood, or anxious or irritable, or having permanent problems with sleeping, get help. Depression can get better if it is treated. It can get a lot worse if it isn't.
Your university years can be some of the best years of your lives. By keeping healthy you will be helping to make sure they are. WB
First Person
Lydia Barclay is a third-year student at Manchester University on a combined studies degree, specialising in English and social sciences. She hopes to be a social worker, and is interested in student welfare issues at the university.
"Healthcare while you're at university is something most students forget to think about, but in my experience that's a really bad idea. When I was in the first year, I had to have an emergency operation to have my appendix removed.
"There was a tutor avail able in halls to consult in an emergency, but as she thought I was hung over, it was a friend who phoned the ambulance in the end. It wasn't a really serious problem, and I'm fine now, but it was difficult to deal with away from home.
"The university makes provisions in theory for students with ill health, but I really wish I'd sorted out more for myself. Registration with a doctor is recommended when you move into your halls of residence, but no one enforces it, and it's an easy thing to forget to do when there's so much going on.
"I missed three weeks of lectures, which was frustrating because I had to make up all the notes myself. Whilst a doctor's note excuses absences or missed deadlines it doesn't go to the lectures for you. I had good friends and my parents helped out a lot, but I'd hate to go through it all again.
"Now I make absolutely certain I'm registered with a doctor at the start of every year, keep basic things like paracetamol at home, and try not to let myself get run down. After everyone gets freshers' flu and feels terrible for a week, the binge drinking slows down, and now that I'm in my third year my priorities have changed.
"It's so easy to stop looking after yourself when you leave home, but making an effort is more than worthwhile." Nina Baglin
Top tips: eating and drinking
It's always good to know how to cook before going to university, otherwise you'll soon get bored with eating at McDonald's, the local Chinese and the curry house down the road. If you really can't cook, get a cheap and easy-to-follow cook book and use that. Emma, 19.
Wash up after you eat. Two minutes then - or 10 minutes next time you get the munchies at 1am. James, 19.
It sounds obvious, but don't think you have to compete with everyone else's drinking. You're bound to meet people who've never drunk before, and people who can drink LOADS, and so if you try to keep up with others, you can get yourself in big trouble. Katie, 19.
Buy lots of noodles and tinned spaghetti for cheap, easy and tasty meals. Look out for student deals at takeaways. Nadia, 18.
Follow the normal advice on safe drinking - but be extra careful when you're at uni, as people see students as easy targets. Kate, 19.
If you're catered, savour the home cooking you get before you go to uni, because you'll soon become grateful for food that's remotely edible, and not necessarily tasty! Theresa, 18.
If you can, go self-catered. The halls food is always grim, and they serve at awkward times. John, 24.
It's quite a good idea to take some alcohol with you, as bars can be pretty expensive on campus. It also helps you to be more sociable! Ben, 20.
When you first get to where you'll be living, find out quickly where the local supermarket is. It's also handy to take your parents there when you arrive so they can help you stock up. Kim, 19.
Be willing to experience new things - that's what happens when you get to uni, and hall food really is a new experience in itself! Tom, 18.
Compiled by Katie Phipps
