Ever wonder what your professors would do if you actually had a valid excuse for missing tons of class?
Before I had shoulder surgery, I didn’t just wonder, I worried. The whole “excused” absence thing can be vague, and, in my case, surgery and hospitalization soon morphed into extreme pain and strict bed rest. The 4 days of recovery time I had planned weren’t enough, and the rising number of absences were a weight on my mind.
Maybe this is common knowledge, but keeping continuous contact with your profs and providing updates on your status is the best way to ensure a smooth transition back to school, without any scary surprises. Email is a wonderful thing.
In my case, the professors and TA’s were understanding, and their notes of encouragement actually made me more inclined to get out of bed and back to class.
If the situation is severe, and you doubt you’ll be able to pass a class after an injury or other emergency, be sure to tell your academic adviser ASAP, so all the technical stuff can get figured out without a penalty on that coveted record.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Couldn’t agree more- I am quite the fan of the “just wanted to give the heads up,” or “this is just where I stand,” to keep them in the loop.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
yeah, you get more support by keeping your profs in the loop. I got mono, bronchitis, and a high fever at the same time last semester, and the only thing that relieved my school work related stress was letting my profs and Tas. They (except for one) were all quite understanding.