You know that feeling in which your nose starts getting stuffy, your throat feels scratchy and you just want to take a nap? You try to avoid it and push through it, but at the end of the day it creeps up on you: you have a cold.

Don’t go to class with the flu, bundled up in a knee-length winter coat. NIU has a better option for students feeling under the weather, offered through NIU Health Services.

Health Services provides the “Same level of care and expertise that students can get at home,” Andrew Digate, the Director of Health Services, said. They offer services that are comparable to your primary care doctor, with general care, women’s health, radiology, pharmacy, labs and immunizations.

“The facility is really available for most every student,” Digate said. Enrolled students with or without a student health insurance plan can use Health Services.

The staff enjoy working with students and are truly available to answer and explain any questions.

Digate says that the key to staying healthy this semester is balance. Students should get a proper amount of fitness, nutrition and sleep. It’s also important to manage stress by taking breaks and getting some perspective of the stressors.

Health Services is located on the corner of Wirtz Drive and Lucinda Avenue, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Most professors are okay with students missing class while they’re sick, so long as they have a doctor’s note. Give yourself a break when you have a cold, and go to Health Services.

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