# Freshers' flu

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Illnesses contracted by first-year students

**Freshers' flu** is a name commonly given to a battery of [illnesses](/source/Illnesses) contracted by new [students](/source/Students) (freshers) during the first few weeks at a [university](/source/University),[1] and [colleges of further education](/source/Colleges_of_further_education) in some form; common symptoms include [fever](/source/Fever), [sore throat](/source/Sore_throat), severe [headache](/source/Headache), [coughing](/source/Coughing) and general [discomfort](/source/Discomfort).[2] The illnesses may or may not include actual [flu](/source/Influenza) and are often simply a bad [cold](/source/Common_cold).

## Causes

The most likely cause is the convergence of large numbers of people arriving from all over the world.[3] The poor diet and heavy consumption of alcohol during [freshers' week](/source/Orientation_week) is also reported as a cause for many of the illnesses contracted during this time. "Stress, which may be induced by tiredness, combined with a poor diet, late nights and too much alcohol, can weaken the immune system and be a recipe for ill health. All this can make students and staff working with the students more susceptible to infections within their first weeks of term."[4] In addition to this, nearly all university academic years in the UK commence around the end of September or beginning of October, which "marks the start of the annual flu season". The increased susceptibility to illness from late nights, heavy alcohol consumption and stress peaks 2–4 weeks after arrival at university and happens to coincide with the seasonal surge in the outbreaks of colds and flu in the [Northern Hemisphere](/source/Northern_Hemisphere).[5]

## Other effects

As well as the usual viral effects, freshers' flu can also have some psychological effects. These effects arise where the stress of leaving home and other consequences of being independent, not to mention various levels of [homesickness](/source/Homesickness) and the attempts at making new friends, can further weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to illness.[6]

## See also

- [Freshman 15](/source/Freshman_15)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Dillner, Luisa (11 September 2012). ["Surviving freshers' flu: student health questions answered"](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/sep/11/surviving-freshers-flu-health-queries). *Our health expert answers your questions on everything from freshers' flu and hangovers to diet and STDs*. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["BBC - North Yorkshire Student Diaries - Suzanne's diary: Freshers' Flu"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/students/diaries/suzanne_w/1_flu.shtml). *www.bbc.co.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["How to avoid the dreaded freshers flu"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090621002729/http://www.independent.co.uk/student/student-life/health/how-to-avoid-the-dreaded-freshers-flu-461532.html). *Independent Online*. 26 June 2008. Archived from [the original](http://student.independent.co.uk/into_university/clearing/article2862108.ece) on 2009-06-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["How to blow the nose on freshers' flu"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071021064621/http://www.bupa.co.uk/about/html/pr/100907_freshers_flu.html). *www.bupa.co.uk*. BUPA Wellness. 10 September 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.bupa.co.uk/about/html/pr/100907_freshers_flu.html) on 2007-10-21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["October - flu season and HPA flu surveillance begins"](http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140714084352/http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2010PressReleases/101006flu/). Public Health England. 6 October 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2010PressReleases/101006flu/) on 2014-07-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Corporation, British Broadcasting. ["BBC - h2g2 - Freshers' Flu"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/hub/A645211). *www.bbc.co.uk*.

## External links

- [TheSite](https://web.archive.org/web/20071013041345/http://www.thesite.org/workandstudy/studying/studentlife/commonstudentillnesses)

- [Studento.com - Freshers' Flu](http://www.studento.com/university-guide/freshers-guide/freshers-flu.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Freshers' flu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshers'_flu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshers'_flu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.