When I walk around Uni, I see and hear students coughing and sneezing at every corner. Uni has legendary abilities of passing illnesses around. One day earlier this year it was rumored that 75 students were absent.

I believe that many sick students can be seen at Uni because they are afraid to miss school because of what they have to go through when they return.

I missed Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, so I have to take two tests on Friday and two tests on Monday. To avoid this, students fight through their illnesses and come to school anyway.

While doing this may help them, it won’t help the rest of the population. Sick students pass their germs onto everyone they see, and then those people get sick. Obviously this spreads quickly throughout the school, giving many students illnesses.

While this situation seems terrible, a typical Uni student, myself included, has difficulty avoiding it. The academic life can only be avoided for so long before it comes back to bite you.

I am hesitant about missing extended periods of school and tests. But I am also conflicted since I know I will feel miserable if I come in when I'm sick.

My hope is that students will stay home more if they are sick and stop more schoolwide flu epidemics. Maybe then I won't catch their illness and be as far behind in algebra as I am.