With winter comes a spike in student sickness, meaning more students miss school.
“The worst thing about being sick is missing school, missing your classes,” sophomore Mckenzi Rutland said.
While a break seems nice, it also causes a pile-up of work.
“Missing your classes and not understanding the material, but then trying to catch up,” Rutland said. “You end up being confused.”
Instructional time in class is valuable, and missing it can cause a lag in learning. However, there are resources to help students catch up on the material they miss.
“Ask your friends what happened in the class,” Rutland said. “Or when you come back, ask people what happened in the class. Your teachers would probably recommend checking Canvas for assignments.”
Missing school also means not being around friends.
“You miss your friends, especially after being out for a while,” Rutland said.
More often than not, students let the stress of their make-up work overshadow their recovery.
“It’s important to prioritize getting better and being healthy over school work and stressing about it,” sophomore Caroline Rickleff said.
Like other students, Rickleff has been experiencing sickness in the air. In the meantime, she has been taking care of herself.
“I’ve been feeling pretty sick recently because of whatever is going on,” Rickleff said. “I have been getting a lot of sleep, resting, and eating well to get better.”
The nurse’s office in lower L-Hall is the best place to visit if symptoms arise.
Another great resource is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC provides helpful guidelines for illness and suggestions for dealing with symptoms.
When experiencing flu symptoms, the CDC recommends staying home and avoiding contact with those who aren’t health care officials.
There is a window of when to stay home, but there are signs of when it is acceptable to return to normalcy.
Usually, the absence of a fever indicates the ability to return to normal activities.
When everybody starts getting sick, it is important to prioritize health so that students can stay in school and remain flu—and cold-free.
