It’s that time of the year again!

Everyone is sick and continuously spreads their virus around like it’s the plague. In fact, it must be everyone’s favorite time of the year since many avoid taking a sick-day off to make an attempt at getting better.

We get it, missing school and work is difficult, but the fact that students avoid missing a day to try and rest their body because they fear that they will be a week behind is ridiculous. It is also ridicioulous that many feel obligated to not call into work because they can't miss a day for financial reasons, or they just don't want to let anyone down; myself included. But, it should not be this way.

We as teens should not have to be so overwhelmed in school work that we do everything possible to not miss a day because we will get behind. Having seven classes per day, five times a week, and possible homework every night in each of the seven classes is what makes it so difficult to take a day off.

Sure, maybe a teacher will put an extension on the due-date, but how does that help in the long run? Once the student returns from their day-off, they will receive the notes and homework they missed and most likely will end up taking new notes and receiving new homework also due the next day, resulting in double the amount of work they need to do while also still fighting off their sickness.

We as teens should not have to feel obligated to call in sick to work because we don't want to let anyone down, or because we need the money. We just need some rest.

When people do not stay home when they are ill, they are contributing to the cycle of sickness. You start off with it, spread it on to someone else, that person then spreads it, you eventually feel better, but then you come in contact with someone that was sick, and in a few days you’re sick again and the cycle starts over; all because you or someone else chose to not stay home.

Though fighting every urge to not miss a day may keep you caught up on work, in the long-run, it will slow you and everyone else down. Stop contributing to the cycle and take at least one day off and rest your sick body.