Winter weather is coming and that means more time for homework and school related activities. It also means snow will be falling, increasing the desire to go out and play in it which can distract one’s study time.
Annie Siegel, a freshman said that this time of year actually motivates her to study more. “I feel this weather forces me to work harder as I am inside more often,” Siegel explained.
Christina Fisher, a freshman said that a snow day would be to her advantage in terms of mental relaxation at this point in the semester. “I would take the whole day off and wait to do work until the night of the snow day since I love the snow and procrastinate a lot.”
Some people take the day as it comes, in order to see what work they can get done, or wait until later to finish. Junior Lauren Walsh said, “I don’t know [how much I would get done]. It would depend on how much work I had.”
Walsh, unlike some students, would budget her time wisely based on work load, exams coming up and other situations that may arise over the course of the semester.
Junior Kaitlyn Mazzeo feels the same way about snow days. She likes to enjoy them, but also use them wisely to complete assignments that are due. “I would enjoy my day, but I also keep track of my work. I always make lists of my assignments at the beginning of the week,” said Mazzeo. She believes this is an important step in staying organized and moving towards completing short term goals.
Some students, however, view the snow day as a saving grace to get work finished. Michelle Bacchetta, a freshman does put things off until the snow day. “It would give me more time to do work,” she explained.
She continued, “I do put off work and it would be like having an extra day to accomplish things.” This is not always a good idea because it is never certain that a snow day will come. It is best to prepare as if classes will be held the next day.
Junior Eryn Siddall knows quite well to always be prepared with classwork because the University may still open if it is snowing outside. This would mean classes go on as scheduled and assignments are due, if any were assigned the previous class.
“I usually try to stay on top of my work, I don’t really count on a snow day,” said Siddall. This is a good step to follow. If there is a snow day, one would have time for rest and can take the day off.
In a more severe circumstance such as a snow or wind storm that may cause more damage, safety comes first. Dr. Terri Peters, an associate professor of psychology puts safety first in situations like this. “Deadlines are pushed back to ensure students are safe and not worrying about assignments due,” she said.
Peters did this for her students during Hurricane Sandy since the devastation was very severe. Despite these rare situations, most times assignments only get pushed back a day or two at the most, according to Peters.
Snow days are a reminder for students that time must be managed wisely and one should not always count on them to be an excuse to get work done. Last semester there was only a partial snow day during the week and most classes were in session with the exception of those in the late afternoon.
This makes having work done more paramount because sometimes only certain classes get cancelled by the University and often at the last minute. Students should indeed take time to enjoy the day, but also bear in mind that work may be due for some classes and not others. Therefore, the day should be enjoyed with time for work built in according to students and professors.
PHOTO TAKEN from en.wikepedia.org
