PSA: It’s okay to not come to school when you’re sick. It’s even okay to not come to school when you’re not sick.
Yes, I know. A day off gets you behind for months and it can feel like you’re drowning. But, let’s be honest, how much quality learning did you really do that day you felt like you were dying?
In my opinion, there’s a general feeling in students that missing school for any sort of reason, even if it is sickness, will screw with the whole semester. You miss one day of class, and suddenly you’re behind, so even when you do feel sick, you come to school anyway.
I’ve had the same dilemmas so many times in the past, and days where I came to school when I definitely shouldn’t have. Especially now, though, when we’re still in a pandemic and there is risk of spreading COVID-19, it’s so much better to take the safe route than risk it for a missing assignment.
Especially now that it’s started to get colder, I’ve definitely felt sick myself and had to endure classes full of throaty coughs that make everyone flinch. Even though many are vaccinated, I’ve been afraid of contracting another strain of COVID-19 and I don’t think I’m alone in those anxieties.
There has been such a high reward for perfect attendance throughout all of our academic careers, whether it be a simple shout-out or scholarship for getting perfect attendance. Especially in higher level classes, students believe that if they miss school there will be some sort of punishment or negative impact on their grade because they missed that day.
There is no punishment for missing a day, especially if you’re down with a bad cold. We don’t need to feel bad for not going to school because some people are more sick than us and go to school anyways.
Honestly, I think it’s okay to take a day off when it’s needed. If you’re sick or just simply not in the right headspace to be at school, whether it’s because of your classes or because of social situations going on, then don’t come to school.
I guarantee you will not be more productive on a day when you have knots in your stomach (literally or metaphorically) than on a day where you feel fine. It’s okay, take the day off-that’s what sick days are for.
You can always make stuff up, and especially now, teachers are extremely understanding about missing a day. Since last year, too, mainly everything is online so it’s not like you’ll need to come in and pick up many papers.
I’m not saying that you can take weeks off, but don’t feel like you need to come into school on a particular day if you’re not feeling well for any reason. I would so much rather miss a day of school than possibly give my friends and classmates whatever I have or just have an awful day by continuing to be at school.
So, to conclude, please, if you are sick (especially right now), just take the day off. I promise, especially if you don’t want to miss school, you’ll appreciate it more than you think.