I had my inspiration for this column from a slab of pork, a 3-ounce piece of meat that has been sitting in my deep, dark fridge for over a week and a half now. As I contemplate its safety and my dinner, I realize, why would I even risk eating a piece of meat that could potentially make my next 48 hours a living hell?

I have received food poisoning two documented times in my life, and I wanted to curl up and die.

Many college students have an increased exposure to food poisoning because of their low budget. We sometimes eat things the normal human wouldn't to save a few bucks. We are also good candidates because of our sometimes-poor diets and sporadic sleep habits.

Therefore, without further ado, here is a list of the top 10 ways that college students can protect themselves from having an unnecessary visit from the porcelain god.

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1. Wash your hands. I know it sounds elementary, but it is the single most important step to preventing bacteria from spreading.

2. Throw away leftovers after seven days. They tend to start tasting like rubber shoes and dirty socks after a while anyway.

3. Make sure your refrigerator has a temperature of less than 41 degrees. At a warmer temperature, bacteria will grow at an unsafe rate.

4. Clean your counter. When preparing raw food, the juices can drip, and though the counter may look fairly clean, bacteria can still contaminate the food in your meal that will not be cooked. Learn to love bleach sanitizers.

5. Do not eat meats, eggs and dairy products that have been left out of refrigeration for more than four hours. Room temperature only helps to facilitate growth.

6. I know that money may be tight, but if something has mold on it, just throw it away.

Don't try to cut out the mold spot. Although it may not look like it, mold can have roots into the food that the naked eye can't see.

7. Never thaw meat from the freezer and then try to refreeze it. This will expose the meat to bacteria and then slows its multiplication when it is frozen again. But, the moment you take that food back out, the feisty bacteria becomes very happy and continues its growth.

8. Try to keep raw meats on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This way, their juices can't drip down on other foods and contaminate them.

9. Wash your produce. Because of the way many fruits and vegetables are handled, they may be exposed to bacteria that can make you sick, not to mention the pesticides that are already on them.

10. Do not leave meat on the counter to thaw. This is one of the biggest ways an outbreak can occur. When frozen food is exposed to room temperature, microorganisms start to grow and multiply. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or the microwave.

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There is a good chance you've experienced food poisoning a few times in your life, even if you didn't know it. Many "24-hour" sicknesses may be the result of a meal that was contaminated. Sometimes it is better not to risk getting sick than to eat mysterious meat. But then again, I've never been much of a gambler. And just maybe I'll actually get around to throwing out the pork today. Maybe.