health

If you're gearing up to study abroad in the UK, you likely have many things on your mind - where you're going to live, what classes you'll take, what part of France you'll visit on spring break. Emergency preparedness is probably not as high on your list as, say, driving on the other side of the road and learning British slang. But questions that would come naturally to you at home, like where to call for an ambulance or what happens if you get sick, may not be readily apparent in a new country. You don't want the first time you think about how to refill a prescription to be when you've run out. This handy checklist will help prepare you for potential emergencies abroad and let you get back to researching weekend castle trips.

Student life - a revolving door of parties, cheap booze, student debt and new friends. A simplistic portrait, perhaps, but not entirely untrue. Outside of your studies, socialising on campus can be never-ending if you join a few societies.

But the stress of studies and the casual hangovers of a party lifestyle can take their toll. According to the Nightline Association, 65% of students feel dangerous levels of stress - and it's impacting their health dramatically. The problem is so dramatic that universities are even setting up petting zoos to calm any students on a knife edge before their studies.

If you're feeling the impact of being a hard-living student, here are a few tips to help relieve the strain.

Have a Day to yourself

No matter how much work you've got to do, taking a full day where you can kick back and relax is vital for effective studying. Why not set aside a day of pampering for yourself? Head off for laser hair removal, nail painting, a full-body massage, an eyebrow tweak or any makeover that takes your fancy. It might seem like a lavish way of beating your stress, but in some cases looking good can mean feeling great.

There's nothing worse than being bedbound with a bug. Not literally, of course, that'd be rather odd, but rather curled up in the foetal position as a truculent infection gnaws away at your immune system and leaves you feeling decidedly feeble.

Instead of reaching for your laptop or coursework, you're struggling to clench a Kleenex as your nose streams and your voice makes you sound like Marge Simpson after a One Direction concert.

For any busy student, the scenario above can be a living, breathing nightmare, as deadlines loom and impatient tutors shake their heads at what they believe is simply a horrible hangover.

As a student from a foreign land, your mother won't be around to mop your brow and bring you chicken soup with a sympathetic grin - which is why protection against illness is better than a cure.

But how?

1) Keep Your Hands Clean

When you're ambling around campus, mingling with hundreds of other students, you'll come into contact with more bacteria-laden surfaces than you can shake a bottle of hand sanitiser at. This can lead to you picking up nasty illnesses such as flu and food poisoning.

It looks like our shops' shelves are full of poison, and I am not referring to those at the Sunset Strip in 1980's. Over the weekend, it was proven that products from the world's largest dairy exporter in New Zealand were contaminated with botox. In my home country of Slovakia, it is almost weekly practice that the supermarkets apologize to the customers and ask them to return suspicious goods for a refund.

At the moment, many people are pushed by the economic situation and have no other option but to choose the cheaper option at the supermarket. They help their wallets in the short term, but can end up paying for it twofold in the long term.

First of all, cheaper suppliers often do not give as much attention to quality and safety standards in order to push the price down. Food might contain more preservatives and harmful substances than allowed. It can result in food poisoning scandals, but more likely, will simply accumulate in the body and require a doctor's attention later. Many preservatives are toxic and such waste does no good to the organism that is your body.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Each week he gives his view on the events of the last seven days. Today he looks at Alex Ferguson retiring, the importance of sleep and jelly wrestling at Cambridge. 

Fergie Retiring

Alex Ferguson retired after 26 years as manager of Manchester United yesterday.

"In the world of professional football, Sir Alex Ferguson is a synonym for longevity and permanence.

Yesterday I was walking in Westfield and came across an exhibition of photographs, capturing the most important moments in the history of the UEFA Champions League. Right in the entrance I was almost run over Liverpool players celebrating their triumph in 2005. Alongside that, I could not overlook the unforgettable Manchester United triumph from 1999, with David Beckham's blonde hair hidden behind the much bigger stars of that era.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly visible. His connection with Man Utd is even bigger than Paolo Maldini and AC Milan, who is also seen hoisting the trophy in the photo from 2003.