“The Freshman flu” is a very catchy saying for a very uncomfortable feeling. You may have noticed that after the first few weeks of university, it seems like everyone is sick, coughing, sneezing, and blowing their nose in lecture. This is not a coincidence but actually a very interesting pattern.
The term “flu” refers to the influenza virus, which is not what most university kids contract in their first few weeks on campus, making the name “freshman flu” quite misleading. So if it is not the flu, then what is it? To understand what people are contracting, we must first know the difference between the flu and a cold. Both the common cold and the flu are contagious viral respiratory illnesses. The influenza virus is the only cause of the flu, whereas the common cold can be induced by many different viruses (CDC 2024). There are over 200 viruses that can cause the common cold, and over 100 of those viruses fall within the rhinovirus family (Adams 2025). At least for most university students, the “freshman flu” should be more accurately called the “residence rhinovirus” or “campus common cold” because it is some variant of this common cold that people are contracting in the first few weeks of school.
One reason for this spread is that people from different areas across the province, country, or even the globe are coming together in a completely new environment. Different areas have their own sets of viruses circulating. Often, individuals have built immunity to the common viruses in their own area; however, this does not stop them from carrying these viruses with them to school. As an individual, you carry your own set of antibodies in your immune system that have adapted to fight many viruses you have encountered in the past. Now, foreign viruses have been carried to school and are left behind in classes, dining halls, and dorm rooms. This is causing students to be faced with pathogens that their immune systems have never encountered before (Science Insights Team 2026, Baylor Lariat 2026). But now those different viruses have all been carried to school and merge together in classes, dining halls, dorm rooms and more, and you are faced with pathogens your immune system has never encountered before (Science Insights Team 2026, Baylor Lariat 2026).
Many other factors may also explain why this is happening, including a weakened immune system from lack of sleep, close quarters, hygiene (Mayo Clinic 2023), and even increased stress (Cleveland Clinic 2023). Overall, there is not much to do but ride out these sicknesses and carry cough drops with us for the next few weeks.
Bibliography
Adams, Sarah. 2025. “Why Freshmen Flu Hits Hardest Every September.” The Queen’s Journal, September 19. https://www.queensjournal.ca/why-freshmen-flu-hits-hardest-every-september/.
Baylor Lariat. 2026. “Have You Caught the Freshman Flu?” The Baylor Lariat – The Official Student News Source, The Baylor Lariat, September 24. https://baylorlariat.com/2026/09/24/have-you-caught-the-freshman-flu/.
CDC. 2024. “Cold Versus Flu.” Influenza (Flu), August 8. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/coldflu.html.
Cleveland Clinic. 2023. “What Happens When Your Immune System Gets Stressed Out?” Cleveland Clinic, December 1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-your-immune-system-gets-stressed-out.
Mayo Clinic. 2023. “Common Cold – Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, May 24. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/symptoms-causes/syc-20351605.
Science Insights Team. 2026. “What Is Freshers’ Flu and Why Do so Many Get It? – ScienceInsights.” ScienceInsights, March 8. https://scienceinsights.org/what-is-freshers-flu-and-why-do-so-many-get-it/.
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