The staff can prescribe antibiotics or take a throat culture to check for strep throat. The Health Center has free samples of cough syrup, Tylenol, Advil and cough drops for students. Borry-Black said resident assistants should also have these samples for students who may show symptoms and want to combat them early. But the weather and viruses floating around campus are not the only things that can affect a student's health. Going to parties, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, stressing out over papers and tests, eating fast food and unhealthy cafeteria food and staying up late into the night all contribute to a student's mental and physical well-being.
Many parties involve alcohol of some sort.
Borry-Black said she used to work at a detoxification center and observed many people struggling with an alcohol addiction. She saw addicts go through major withdrawals, some even more severe than other drug withdrawals. Often students who drink are underage and drink to excess. Incoming freshmen and new students often don't know their limits and may be unaware of their surroundings. Excessive drinking is nuts.