Face-Off: Using the Internet, day off is ‘snow’ big deal

February 3, 2015

511 2 minutes read

Snow days are the savior of the semester. Wading through assignments? Here’s a nice, cold day to catch up. Swimming in stress? Here is some fluffy snow and a day to veg out. Even in college, students hope for just enough snow to cancel classes.
A snow day in college is spent snuggled up in your dorm as professors send assignments through Canvas. The only thing missing is physically going to class. With Canvas, professors can easily communicate with students about assignments or send notifications about how the next class will accommodate the snow day. So the progress continues, but hey, no attendance required.
With college prices, a snow day could be considered an unfortunate expense. However, money spent on tuition does not add extra debt. Daly’s is still open, so you can still use your meal plan. The Student Recreation Center and library also remain open. Plus, let’s not forget how much time will be spent online or watching television – more costs not lost.
Some students would prefer that their loans were being used for classes to run as scheduled, but a snow day only closes the classroom, not the whole academic process. Especially with online resources, a snow day will not set classes back. So, does doing some schoolwork in a dorm room sound so bad?
For commuters, a snow day means they do not have to worry about driving in dangerous conditions. Their lives are more important than having classes. Plus, they do not have to pay room and board, and many do not have a meal plan, so money is not squandered. Not to mention, professors have to travel to campus as well, and, with icy conditions, it’s just not safe or fair to ask them to come in and teach.
The health of the students is also more important than whatever money is lost. College is a stressful environment. A snow day could be a mental health day that some students were too afraid to take for fear of attendance policies or concern about not utilizing all that they are paying for. In addition, that much-coveted extra hour or two of sleep can be had. Consider a snow day a personal day.
Besides catching up on assignments and sleep, a snow day may be the perfect opportunity for you to go to the gym, meet up with some friends you have not seen because of classes, or maybe even enjoy a good TV series or book. Snow days are perfect for me time. In college, downtime is important because it allows you to pursue interests outside of academia, which can either relieve stress or help creativity flow. Maybe you could even go and build a snowman.
A few snow days will not harm our education or bank accounts. With online resources and campus facilities still functioning, it really is “snow” big deal.