Snow days: student opinions

Snow days are a very common occurrence in the northern hemisphere. Dating back as far as the 1940’s, snow days have been something that children and teens look forward to every winter. Nowadays though, they have become more rare in occurrence. Two reasons for this are because of the lack of heavy snow but also the option for virtual classes. On Monday, January 6 the whole school district of Hamburg had a virtual learning day. This means that students went to all their classes via zoom and all of the classes were shortened by nearly 15-20 minutes.
Jordan, a sophomore, says that she prefers virtual learning days. She said “I like virtual snow days a lot more than regular snow days. I find them easier and more relaxing as I don’t really enjoy being in the building,” and stated how getting up in the morning can be taxing and a bit annoying everyday. Virtual days allow students to get up later and do not force them to get ready or leave the house to get a ride, catch the bus, or walk to school. Jordan also said, “I do appreciate regular snow days, but I hate having to make up the work. I think my workload is enough as is, and adding an extra day’s worth stresses me out even more that I already am,” and commenting that it is easier for her to complete work at home.
A pro of having virtual learning days is that summer vacation is longer because days are not taken out to make-up the missed snow days. If too many snow days occur, days from Easter vacation as well as other holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. day may be used instead, including summer vacation. Many teens in high school have said they enjoy this because that gives them more time to hangout with friends and family. Others though have disagreed, saying that virtual days were an important part of their childhood. Nowadays, they feel like they are missing out on the experience, especially those with younger siblings who have only known virtual learning days. In both circumstances, students have the nice opportunity to relax at home instead of going into the building.