You wake up on what would have been a usually depressing Tuesday morning, only to realize that something is different in the air. Your desperate student's sixth sense is tingling. You immediately pick up your phone and see the message:
"ALL EDGEMONT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER."
You sit up, wondering if you are dreaming or not. Just to make sure, you throw the curtains open, and, low and behold, snow is pouring out of the sky, and your driveway is already invisible. You pump your fist in celebration and gaze at the winter wonderland. "Sleigh Ride," featuring the EHS concert band, dramatically swells in the background.
Perhaps less cinematically, this joyous experience occurred for many of us on our favorite day in January after MLK weekend. It was unexpected due to the strange April-like weather that has been happening lately. It's too cold not to wear a jacket but too warm if you wear one.
Snow days are precious days. Logically, they are only one extra day off from the year and nothing more. But they are so much more than that. Snow days are sacred. So what kind of person are you when one finally comes around?
The Sleeper
I'm about to expose us: Whatever number of hours a student tells you they sleep, subtract 3 hours from that, and you get the honest answer. In fact, for you, the Sleeper, we should subtract 5. This could be due to several factors, like projects you had three weeks to do that you pushed off so long that you just remembered about them on the due date. You are that one person who is always putting your head down during a lecture. When a snow day comes around, this is the time to catch up on that beauty sleep. Nothing is stopping you! You wake up any time between 10 am and 3 pm. And somehow, you are still tired. But you tell yourself it's okay because those extra hours should help you stock up for the week! And the truth is, there's nothing quite like eating breakfast during the same time you would be at lunch in school. It's a surreal feeling.
The Studier
The best part of a snow day is how all your tests, projects, and assignments get pushed back by one day. For you, the Studier, this day is not like a Saturday during the middle of the week. Oh no. In fact, it's an opportunity. You are the person who is ready to get up at 7 am to start studying for upcoming tests and preparing for all of your various extracurricular activities. To you, seven extra hours of free studying would otherwise be spent at school! You make a schedule for yourself and get as much done as possible during the day. But take note: you are about 5% of the student body. While you are studying for tomorrow's math test, the Sleeper is snoozing his or her alarm for another two hours of sleep...
The Scroller
Everyone must admit it: you scroll through social media more than you would like. Whether it's TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or anything else, we're all slightly addicted. That's why, for the Scroller, snow days are absolute heaven. Wake up, scroll. Eat, scroll. Oh wait, is there something due tomorrow? That's a problem for tomorrow. Lets scroll. After all, it was an unexpected day off. No one actually directly instructed you to do any work. You know you are probably wasting your time when you could be studying, but every time you try to be like the Studier, your phone beckons you to pick it up and open TikTok. And you think, "Why not?" Or maybe you waste time in other ways, like playing a game, staring into space, or thinking, "Gosh darn, what do I do with all this time?" It might only hit you in two days when you must cram in a paper that would have benefitted from some extra attention. We should have enough humility to admit that we all have a little part of the Scroller in our souls.
No matter what category you fall into, or even if you were a mix of multiple, I hope the day off was enjoyable. Hopefully, that day in January was not our only snow day this year. If we keep our fingers crossed, hopefully, the snow gods will listen to us and send us more inclement weather. Meanwhile, keep powering through and have fun trying not to get wet from snow melting off the breezeways and dripping onto your head as you pass through.