By Catherine McMullan
One of the toughest challenges I faced during my first term at Oxford was getting sick. Whether it was one of the many variants of the dreaded freshers flu, or the fatigue- induced cold of sixth week, being ill was an irritating reality for many people. Irritating as it meant I fell behind on work; a reality because getting sick is normal, even at Oxford! Illness combined with the Oxford workload made me feel as though I couldn’t admit defeat in the face of ‘just a few germs’. I kept sidelining rest in order to read just a few more pages, prolonging my recovery to my own detriment.
But dear reader, as I’m sure you can imagine, that was hardly a recipe for success, resulting in a grovelling email to my tutor explaining why this week’s essay was really rather short. I write, currently sick over the New Year and worrying about revising for collections, to give you hope and reassure you that it is absolutely ok to take time to get better! Without it, you will only damage yourself later in the term. Undoubtedly, there are a million and one things to worry about during your first Michaelmas without adding illness to the list, but please take care of yourself and follow these two tips…
Recognise that you're not well and rest!
I started to get better when I first admitted that I wasn’t well and went to have a lie down. Be kind to yourself and prioritise sleeping, eating and resting. The worst thing you can do is to plough on as though everything were fine and dandy. If you don’t give yourself time to recover fully, you could spend the whole term feeling miserable and not be able to work at your best.
Email your tutor sooner rather than later
Tutors are human too. They understand that we do get ill and won’t always be able to meet every deadline. Communication is key! They will appreciate notice if you don’t think you will be able to meet a deadline or attend a tutorial, and it really isn’t as scary as you think! A weight lifted off my shoulders when I emailed my tutor, who was very kind and understanding, to say it was unlikely an essay would be produced.
Please prioritise your health! It really isn’t the end of the world if you miss an essay, so don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by sickness, but give yourself a break.
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