As the fall semester continues, the leaves begin to change colors, the weather gets colder and more students across campus get sick. As a result, many students are faced with the decision of whether to attend classes or remain at home.
Some students believe that remaining in their dorm rooms while sick is the better option. One such student is Nikki Kehl, a sophomore computer science major. Kehl states that she “chooses to remain in [her] room while sick. [She] believes that it is better to remain in [her] room to rest and recover rather than going to class. It also helps prevent other students from getting sick.”
While this may be the case for some students, not everyone agrees with this. Other students believe that attending class even while sick is a better choice. One such student is Jon Schoenick, a freshman computer science major. Schoenick believes that attending class while sick is OK. Schoenick said, “Even when sick I attend classes, as I feel I should go to my classes because I paid for the class and I do not want to miss any key information given during that class.”
However, attending classes while sick is not the best decision for any student. When students are sick, they are likely not able to pay attention in class. Several students that were interviewed admitted that when they attend class sick, they end up paying more attention to their symptoms of illness rather than on the work or concepts presented to them in class.
A majority of students interviewed believed that when sick, students should remain in their rooms to get rest. Getting rest while sick helps the body recover and slowly feel better, allowing students to get back to their normal routine faster.
The main reason for encouraging students to stay home while they are sick is to prevent other students from getting sick. By helping prevent the spread of sickness, students are helping better their community by protecting their fellow students from catching their virus. Though this means the students have to miss class when sick, students can still study at home as to not miss out on any key information.
For those that get sick while on campus, students always have the option to go to University Health Services. UHS is located near the lower part of Erickson hall. UHS is the on-campus option for students to get help when they are sick. For more information regarding UHS, and how it can help, stop by the service center, open Monday through Friday until 5 p.m.
It seems clear that students should stay home if they are infected with a virus, but realistically, students will not always stay home if they are sick. All that can be done now is to try and prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place. Stay safe this sniffling season, Retrievers.
