If you’ve never gotten sick during the school year, consider yourself lucky. Even a case of the sniffles can be a major setback when you’re trying to keep on top of practicing, rehearsals, studying, and a social life. Like most music students, I tried every trick in the book to keep from getting sick. Unfortunately it wasn’t always enough, and I often ended up with with a runny nose, sore throat, headache, and cough sometime during the semester.

This frustrated me since I was an otherwise very healthy person. It took a while before I found the culprit to be the practice rooms–those tiny shared spaces with little ventilation and (at least at my school) no natural light. I mentioned my theory to a few friends, who thought I was crazy–until I made my case.

Yes, if you’re not careful, the practice rooms WILL make you sick. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to defend yourself.

So what exactly makes practice rooms different from classrooms, dorm rooms, locker rooms, or any other public places on a college campus? I think It’s a combination of the environment and the activities that take place there. Let’s take a look at each.

The Typical Practice Room Enviroment

With the exception of closets, practice rooms are probably the smallest rooms on campus. Yet, at many schools, they’re occupied with the door closed from early in the morning until late into the night. I’m no doctor, but I’ll bet that means there are lots of airborne germs crammed into that little space. If they’re not well-ventilated, then  you’re breathing old, nasty air and not fresh oxygen. If the room is carpeted, you’re also breathing in all the dust and mold that collects in the carpet.
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Tags: health, Illness, self-improvement, wellness