Sniffles, sore throats and coughs “” the sounds of spring are here. Now that the semester is winding down and students are feeling more stressed out than ever before, it becomes more and more likely they’ll be needing a trip to Health Services.

“We’re staffed by registered nurses and we have doctors four days a week. Students can walk in and see a nurse for any problem that they’re having any time we’re open,” said Jackie Bevilacqua, coordinator of Health Services.

Some students find the hours of availability to be limited, especially on the weekend. However, Bevilacqua says their hours have to do with their most popular visiting times.

“We used to be open on Saturdays and we discovered that nobody came in. Census was really low and it just didn’t make sense to pay for a nurse to be here on Saturdays when nobody came in. Additionally, there are more urgent care locations available on Saturday than there are on Sunday,” Bevilacqua said.

While some students feel like the office’s open hours are limited, others don’t see it as a problem and value the helpfulness of staff.

“I once got pink eye, so I went in because I wasn’t sure if I needed bacterial antibiotics. They were really helpful and told me all I needed to do in regards to cleaning it out with saline solution around four times a day,” said Galen Curtis, a first-year engineering major.

For those with recurring health issues, Health Services may not be the best place to go.

“They can only do so much for you [if you have a recurring health problem]. But they do always call and check how you are doing after an appointment, which is really sweet. It just kind of sucks when you have to pay and then they can’t really help you,” said Danielle Couch, sophomore business analytics and technology major.

Other students have found the adjustment to Health Services from a doctor at home to be somewhat tricky.

“My trips have gotten increasingly better. The first time was really scary. I was just going to get blood drawn for cross country, but the lady couldn’t get the right vein and I actually passed out, so that was pretty bad,” said Amanda Gerlach, an undeclared first year. “Now if I go, it’s a lot easier. And every time I’ve been there’s someone there who can help me pretty quickly.”

Although some students may have their problems with Health Services, it’s important to have a resource like them on our campus.

“I think that there’s a misconception that we aren’t real health care providers in Health Services. We have real doctors who did real medical school, internships and residencies. They are all experienced physicians. So if you need a doctor, this is a great place to come see one. It’s very inexpensive, usually less than your co-pay if you were to use your insurance and go off campus somewhere for help,” Bevilacqua said.