I got my flu shot this past week. The university provides them free of charge (okay, they are covered by our health insurance) and I am always first in line to get one. Flu shots are also available at the grocery store and drug store pharmacies, at a drive-through clinic provided by the county health department, and any doctor's office or health clinic. I always recommend that my students get the vaccination when they are available on campus. I would recommend they get vaccinations for everything they can. It may be expensive (well, for a student who is living really close to the bone, anyway), but the cost of being sick is really not any less, and can be much higher.
In a university setting, with students eating and sleeping poorly and under great stress, lots of illnesses go around. And while it is important to go to class, it is also very important to not let yourself get horribly horribly ill, and sometimes students don't know where the balance is to be found. I sometimes don't, and I have decades of experience, both as a student and a faculty member. What hope is there for a student to find that balance? Follow me below the orange cheeze curl for a few thoughts.
A few years ago when the H1N1 influenza was threatening to turn into a pandemic, my university had a committee that designed protocols for a flu event that meant students were quarantined. It was a scary exercise, but one that I thought was a really useful thing, both in case such an event ever occurred and as a thought experiment to determine what guidelines should be followed in situations short of a full scale epidemic.
The discussion of what to do in case a flu outbreak happened changed the way I dealt with students who were ill. I now use sign-in sheets for each class for every period. That was something recommended by the university so that we could trace spread of disease for that one year, but I now do it every semester, as a matter of course. It benefits me to know when someone has missed a series of classes. For most of my classes I don't give "class participation" credit, but I like keeping track of who comes and who doesn't. I am more likely to round a final grade up if students regularly come to class, and I am more willing to give an extension on a paper (not very likely, but still...) if the person asking for leeway has been prepared and attending class on a regular basis rather than being a "slacker" all semester. Attendance monitoring helps me evaluate such a request. In other words, coming to class regularly benefits students in all sorts of ways, and I can document it more clearly with the attendance sheets.
I tell students that they should be coming to class, and if they drag themselves out of bed and come to class when they can they will have a cushion when they are sick. A cushion both in knowledge and good will. If they come to class when they can it will be easier for me and for them if they can't.
Their own illness is not the only reason people miss class for health. Being a roommate means you have responsibility not just for your own health but also for your friend's. One just emailed me that her friend had kidney stones and she took her to the hospital so missed class today. I have a great deal of respect for someone who does that. But they do need to make up the work, no matter why they have missed class. And then there are the students who are really ill, much more so than anyone could manage to handle in a week or two. And there is mental health, which is another thing our students deal with that a little leeway on deadlines won't help at all. I struggle with how to deal with this as a teacher. I always appreciate suggestions.
The most important thing I tell my students is to get enough sleep, generally, and particularly before a test. Then it is also very important to eat well, focusing on good foods and a balanced diet. Then to manage stress, as much as possible. All of those things are important for them to keep under control before they will be able to be really successful in school. These are of course the same issues that I have. I need to get more sleep, and I need to eat a better-balanced diet.
How is your health during the semester? How do you cope with students and help them when they are really sick?