Have you ever gone to school while sick? Well, you’re not alone, many high school students feel the need to come to school even when they’re sick in fear of missing work or a test. With the rise in sickness due to seasonal allergies, many students come to school with colds, stomach bugs, and other viruses. By coming to school while feeling unwell, you can not only compromise your own health, but the health of others.
Why do students feel the need to come to school when sick? With AP, honors, and even CP classes, if you miss a day of work, you risk being behind and not properly understanding the lesson. Picture this, first period you have English, where your teacher went over 3 chapters of the book you’re reading. Second period you have Algebra, where you review for your test the following day (that you understand nothing for). Next you have Chemistry Honors, where you started a new unit that is the foundation for the next month. Lastly, you have AP US History, where you had a unit test. By missing one day, you missed tests, review, assignments, and new notes. The overall pressure of school and succeeding has made it so students can’t miss a single piece of information or test as they fall behind their peers. The competitive nature of our school system has forced students to come to school with compromised health just to not miss one day of notes. A Senior at CHS commented that “Especially for APs, sometimes I’d come to school only for that period and go home after.” The overall stigma around succeeding in APs has students in school basically on their death-bed out of fear of missing crucial work and lessons.
Many teachers have also made it clear that the students are responsible for their missing work, and if they don’t properly keep track of ~9 classes of work, they can risk losing points or receiving a zero. Keeping track of so many classes and what you missed can be challenging and only increases unnecessary stress on top of not feeling well. When sick, the last thing students should worry about is their algebra test the next day, but rather focus on improving their health.
I asked the school nurse, Ms. Santoro, of what she thinks about students coming to school sick, “You kids have a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed… When you’re sick you don’t learn at your optimal level, and if you stay home a day to catch up you can come back to school full tilt.” She explains that coming to school while sick is counterproductive, that by staying home and completely recovering, you can minimize your sickness and come back alert and ready to learn.
In regards to preventing being sick, Ms. Santoro suggests to “put your phone down and go to sleep. It keeps you awake and you need far more sleep than you’re getting… eat healthy, continue to exercise, and wash your hands… And if you’re in large crowds today, because Covid cases are starting to come up, bring a mask.” She explains that if you’re already sick, “Drink lots and lots of water or tea, fluids, and just sleep.” Ms. Santoro emphasizes that sleep is one of the most important parts of preventing being sick, explaining that you shouldn’t be dragged out of bed in the morning but be energetic and “ready to seize the day”.
Students feel the need to come to school while sick because of pressure to succeed and stress, but by fully recovering from your sickness, you can come back fully rejuvenated and ready to learn.
