the Informer

Sitting at home and finding out about the changes to the end of the semester schedule, I freaked like so many other students. After all the stress of living with no power and canceled classes, the news came as a shock that was both expected and an unwanted surprise.

However, what was quickly realized was that maybe it wouldn’t make as much of a difference as I originally thought it would. After all, what’s two days?

As a communication major, I never really end up with many finals during the actual final time set aside by the University. So far, for my three short semesters here at the University, I have gotten out of the finals rush and gotten home with plenty of time to spare.

After becoming increasingly bored during the storm this past week, a return to classes was refreshing, but was it really worth it? Sure the six days of no classes was fun, but with all the work piling on, it seems more negative than originally thought.

While hearing many students complain about the added two days in December, professors have their own take on the situation. Although the University is adding the two days, it hasn’t seemed to affect professors.

Many professors have their own travel plans for winter break. They are in the same situation as the students. I already know of a few professors that refuse to hold an official class on the extra days. Instead, professors are utilizing Blackboard and other online or unconventional classroom methods to make up for lost class time.

Professors are people too. Students need to remember that it is everyone that has been affected. Everyone needs to respect everyone else in this tough time.

Personally, I’m finding the disconnect between the University administration and professors interesting. It seems that even though the University may dictate the extra days, it really does not mean anything.

I begin to question whether the University takes the professors’ opinions seriously enough. After all, it is the professors that teach the classes, grade the papers and know what they need to cover.

I know everyone is being put off balance with the changes. Professors are stressed over changing their syllabi to match for decreased class time because let’s face it, even with the added two days, a lot of class time was missed those two days simply cannot replace. Students are worrying about their own workloads and how much work is now rapidly piling up that would have been evenly spaced out before.

Thanks New England. Thanks for starting us on the long journey that will be this winter. All we can do now is hope that the weather will stay dry until the end of the semester and we will make it through. We need to come together as a college community and help one another out. We can beat Mother Nature at her own game.