PART 1: COLLEGE MOVE IN DAY! 

Before Move-In Day: Create a Sick-Day Plan

One of the best things you can do before your student leaves for college is spend just 15 minutes creating a plan for the inevitable sick day. 

Search for grocery stores and natural health stores near your child’s dorm and save them in your phone.

Look for:

• Whole Foods Market
• Trader Joe’s
• Sprouts Farmers Market (if available)
• Natural food stores
• Health food stores
• Local co-ops
• Pharmacies
  
  

Find out:

• Which stores deliver
• Which delivery services are available
• Typical delivery times
• Store hours
  
  

When your student calls because they’re sick, you can quickly send exactly what they need without them having to leave their room.

Sometimes the most comforting thing you can do from hundreds of miles away is have warm soup, herbal tea, and the supplies they need waiting at their dorm door.

Pro Tip: Before move-in day, save your child’s dorm or apartment address in your favorite delivery apps. You’ll be glad you did the first time they call home feeling miserable.

PART 2: COLLEGE WELLNESS KIT

What should you send with your child when they leave for college?

A simple wellness kit can help them navigate:

Colds
Sore throats
Stomach bugs
Injuries
Stress
Homesickness
Late-night panic before exams

Here’s what I’d pack….

THE BASICS

Start here:

Thermometer
Electrolyte packets
Heating pad
Ice pack
Bandages
Tissues

A surprising number of urgent texts from college students can be answered by:

“Do you have a fever?”

FIRST SIGNS OF ILLNESS

My go-to immune support kit:

Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)
Elderberry
Echinacea
Ginger

I encourage students to start supporting themselves at the FIRST sign of:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Fatigue

Don’t wait until you’re miserable.

GINGER

One of the most versatile herbs to keep in a dorm room.

Helpful for:

Nausea
Stomach bugs
Motion sickness
Sore throats
Congestion
Menstrual cramps
Poor circulation
Fatigue

Ginger tea bags and ginger chews are easy dorm staples.

ESSENTIAL OILS FOR DORM LIFE

My favorites*:

Lavender
Sleep • Stress • Exam anxiety

Peppermint
Headaches • Mental fatigue • Nausea

Lemon
Freshens dorm rooms • Mental clarity

Eucalyptus
Congestion • Respiratory support

Tea Tree
Skin support • Athletic gear • Foot odor

Bonus:
A Thieves-type blend during cold and flu season.

* include a carrier oil as well 

HOMEOPATHIC FIRST AID KIT

My college essentials:

Arnica
Bruises • Falls • Sports injuries

Aconite
Sudden illness • Shock • Panic

Belladonna
High fever • Heat illness

Apis
Bites • Stings • Swelling

Hypericum
Finger injuries • Nerve pain

Rhus Tox
Muscle aches • Stiffness • Strains

FOR THE EMOTIONAL STUFF

Because college isn’t only about getting sick.

It’s also:

• Homesickness
• Breakups
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Feeling overwhelmed

Bach Flower Remedies I would pack:

• Rescue Remedy
• Walnut
• Larch
• White Chestnut
• Olive

Sometimes emotional support is needed just as much as physical support.

TEAS EVERY COLLEGE STUDENT SHOULD HAVE

Chamomile
For relaxation and sleep

Lemon Balm
For stress and nervousness

Ginger Tea
For digestion and illness support

A warm cup of tea solves more college problems than most students realize.

PART 3: COLLEGE WELLNESS ESSENTIALS

If you have a college student away at school, at some point this semester, you’re going to get one of these texts or phone calls…..

“Mom…I think I’m getting sick.”

Start with:

Rest

Fluids

Bone broth

Ginger tea

Elderberry

Echinacea

Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

Zinc

Diffuse:

• Eucalyptus
• Lemon

Homeopathy:

• Aconite 30C if symptoms come on suddenly after exposure to cold or with sudden fever and chills.
• Belladonna 30C if illness begins with a high fever, flushed face, and throbbing headache.  

“I can’t stop coughing.”

Try:

• Mullein tea

• Licorice root tea

• Honey

• Ginger tea

Diffuse:

• Eucalyptus

If symptoms worsen with every movement and coughing hurts your chest:

• Bryonia 30C may be appropriate.  

“My stomach is a mess.”

Helpful remedies:

• Ginger tea

• Peppermint tea

• Chamomile tea

• Electrolytes

• Probiotic

• Bone broth 

“I can’t sleep.”

Start with:

• Magnesium glycinate

• Chamomile tea

• Lemon balm tea

Diffuse:

• Lavender

Try:

• Rescue Remedy

• White Chestnut (racing thoughts)

• Avoid scrolling your phone in bed!

“I’m so stressed.”

College is stressful.

Instead of running on caffeine all day, support your nervous system.

Helpful Herbs:

• Lemon balm

• Chamomile

• Skullcap

• Passionflower

Bach Flower Remedies:

• Rescue Remedy

• Aspen

• Mimulus

• Walnut

Diffuse:

• Lavender

• Frankincense

“I have a headache.”

Hydrate first.

Try:

• Magnesium

• Ginger tea

• Peppermint essential oil (diluted and applied to temples)

• Eat something.

• Rest.

“I’m freaking out before my exam.”

• Take a walk.

• Drink water.

• Eat protein.

• Avoid another energy drink.

Try:

• Rescue Remedy

• Chamomile

• Lemon balm

• Lavender essential oil

• Remember: one bad exam doesn’t define your semester.

College Wellness Kit Checklist

Herbs:

✔ Elderberry

✔ Echinacea

✔ Ginger tea

✔ Chamomile tea

✔ Lemon balm tea

✔ Mullein tea

✔ Licorice root tea

✔ Peppermint tea

✔ Nettle tea

Vitamins & Supplements:

✔ Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

✔ Vitamin D3

✔ Zinc

✔ Magnesium glycinate

✔ Probiotic

✔ Electrolyte packets

Homeopathy:

✔ Arnica 30C

✔ Aconite 30C

✔ Belladonna 30C

✔ Apis 30C

✔ Bryonia 30C

✔ Hypericum 30C

✔ Rhus tox 30C

Bach Flower Remedies:

✔ Rescue Remedy

✔ Aspen

✔ Mimulus

✔ White Chestnut

✔ Walnut

Essential Oils:

✔ Lavender

✔ Peppermint

✔ Tea Tree

✔ Eucalyptus

✔ Lemon

✔ Frankincense

Creams & Topicals:

✔ Calendula salve

✔ Calendula cream

✔ Arnica gel

✔ Magnesium lotion

✔ Hydrocortisone 1%

✔ Triple antibiotic ointment

✔ Lip balm