Though the record breaking snow storm is over, students and professors alike are still facing the consequences of the snow days that resulted.
“I still have two big tests even though we missed a lecture,” freshman sports communication major Kaley St. Clair said.
Those taking more time-consuming courses said they are especially feeling the strain of an unaltered syllabus.
Sophomore public relations major Carolyn Ferrill said she still has an exam even with the missed snow days.
“I am taking BIO 101 this semester,” she said. “Despite the class time I’ve missed this past week, we are still taking our exam this Wednesday. I feel cheated. We missed two classes but we still are expected to take this exam? It’s really unfair.”
The snow days caused some stress with exams, but the storm also allowed some students extra time to catch up on school work.
“The snow days were a great opportunity to de-stress and catch up on class work,” freshman graphic design major Laurence Pfeiffer said.
Students said they have mixed feelings about the effects of the snow days.
Freshman international studies major Carrie Brinkmeier said the snow days were a needed break, but also put her behind.
“The snow days have definitely had an impact because now we are much farther behind in our schedules and assignments,” she said. “I know all of my teachers are scrambling to find ways to cram everything in. For the classes only on Tuesday and Thursday, we missed an entire week, and now it’s going to mean more work and fewer explanations in lecture in order to catch back up with the syllabus. Personally, I am still 100 percent grateful for the break, even though it means more work ahead. Students deserve a break every now and then.”
Students aren’t the only ones having to adjust due to the snowstorm.
“Even online classes can be affected by snow days,” English professor Debra Burgauer said. “With Sakai and submission of assignments online, our due dates stayed the same, but I suspended my penalties for late assignments because some students who live off-campus were having connectivity problems.”
For some professors, the cancellations of classes added beneficial time for students to complete their projects.
“As far as my own courses go, the snowstorm really didn’t affect things too much. Our program is very much deadline-based,” Associate Professor of Art and Graphic Design Gary Will said. “The graphic design students already knew what they needed to accomplish and when it needed to be completed.”
Will said he also encouraged students to e-mail him the progress of their assignments.
“The only thing that we missed was actual face time – one on one art direction between myself and individuals, although again, the electronic communication went some way to alleviating this problem,” he said.
