02/08/08
Are you sick of that kid who sits beside you in class, head in hand, nose running and eyes watering? Or are you that person?
Most of us can’t deny we are that person from time to time.
The one nobody wants to sit by because they don’t want to get sick or be anywhere near because you’re in the pajamas you’ve slept in, have probably been wearing for days because you haven’t felt like showering and because you look miserable.
Have you ever sat in class next to a guy who looks like he’s been using sandpaper, instead of a Kleenex, to wipe his nose?
Why do we drag ourselves to class when we feel sick and look like hell?
Well, you know you can’t afford to miss more than three class periods for most classes or your grade goes down the toilet, just like that toast you tried to eat for breakfast when you decided you couldn’t afford to miss this session’s lecture notes.
It’s that time of year when the vicious cycle of colds and flu hit hard because the weather is teasing us with 60-degree temperatures one day and rain and wind chills the next. Spring fever is actually causing people to get sick.
Our immune systems simply get overloaded and with the onset of classes, homework and our jobs, plus the fact that some of us still like to socialize, we’re left with little or no time for sleep.
Plus, it’s the beginning of a new semester and we can’t afford to use our absences carelessly. However, can we afford to run our bodies down anymore than they already are?
By going to class when you’re sick, you not only hurt yourself because you’re not really learning anything anyway, but you hurt those around you. Some professors say, “Go home if you’re sick because I don’t want what you have.”
That is a great attitude to have and one that makes perfect sense.
It’s a vicious cycle if people continuously expose themselves to others, then the disease just spreads and keeps having the boomerang effect.
However, there are those professors who simply don’t like absences, period. Well, if you’re sick, you’re sick. Sometimes you just have to stay home and get better.
Otherwise, you’ll never fully recover and you could end up being sick for a longer period of time or catching something worse than what you had. E-mail your professor, and let them know you’re sick. Most people should understand, and it’s still early enough in the semester you’re not going to miss anything too important.
Besides, you’d rather miss something now and play catch-up than miss something later on and be recovering from mono when you could have just taken something for a cold.