When a College Kid Gets the Flu

[goldberry]

This sounds like a stupid question, but DD is dual enrolled in community college for 13 credit hours this semester. She is working hard to keep up with everything.  She got really sick tonight and we thought she might have the flu.  She is totally in a panic, because how can you take a week off school when you're in college??!!  The workload and trying to catch up, and then she has some teachers who don't want to accept anything late at all, for whatever reason.  Also she has a lab class.

 

I mean, surely this happens to kids.  Are they doomed to bad grades if they miss a week of school?

Edited February 5, 2017 by goldberry

[Starr]

I'm sorry she's not well. It is really difficult in college. I sent mine to the doctor to document the illness. They then went to as many classes as they could manage to sit through without passing out or if they thought they could skip they used the time to study. It takes some planned juggling,calendaring and talking to professors to get things sorted out. I think it's helpful if she can tell them she needs so many days for this project because that project is due...Plug into the calendar what can't change and ask to change the rest. Even classes that say no exceptions sometimes give one if you are really sick. But yeah, the work has to be completed.  :grouphug:

[regentrude]

She needs to contact her professors as soon as possible.

 

In a large class, there are often mechanisms built into the syllabus to deal with absences/missed assignments (dropping lowest score, having more assignments than needed for grade, etc. With 500 students, a prof cannot accommodate each individual absence).

In a small class, professors can be more flexible and may accommodate students by letting them submit late work or letting them email a photo of the homework etc, and may even allow makeup exams. For the latter, they may need a doctor's note.

 

Missing a week is tough, but easier at some schools than others. Hope she gets well soon.

Edited February 5, 2017 by regentrude

[Dmmetler]

When I was in college, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, appendicitis, and adrenal exhaustion. In the middle of midterms. With a professor who famously said that there were no makeups. I refused to be admitted until the nurse on duty called the professor and told him to get his tail over there and reassure me that I could make up said exam. Not only did he do so, he contacted my other professors. I finished my classes on schedule :).

 

All that is to say-contact the professor, get documentation, and probably it will be OK.

[quark]

The first thing I ask kiddo to do is inform all profs. We usually ask for a letter from the doctor but so far none of DS's profs have required one. He works on homework when he can and submits assignments by deadlines but if necessary, he would have written to the prof to ask what he could do if he was not able to keep deadlines (touch wood, have not needed to delay yet!).

 

He was sick this last week and decided to miss one day of class to rest. So far, every beginning of the semester, he falls sick! He has had to take one day off despite taking the flu shot every year. One semester, he went for exams with a fever but thankfully the sittings were spaced out so he could rest in between.

 

The only suggestion I can give is to stay as current as possible with all deadlines throughout the semester/ quarter. DS tries to work ahead whenever he can. This helps a lot during those unexpected weeks.

 

I hope your DD gets well soon.

 

 

[goldberry]

She's okay, thankfully it does not look like she has the flu.  We were worried because it came on suddenly and hard.  But this was something I wanted to understand and for her to understand for future reference.  Sounds like... it just sucks to be sick in college!  Fortunately, DD tends to be a "teacher's pet" and always has good relationships with her instructors.  I imagine that would help a bit if things were to go south and she needed to ask for extensions or anything.

 

I need to remind her about keeping up and working ahead, in case of unforeseen disasters.  She's a very big last minute girl.  :glare:

 

ETA, she did get the flu shot.  Last year (or before?) we all got the flu shot and came down with something that doc confirmed was NOT flu but still caused all of us to be sick for TWO WEEKS, totally down in bed with 102+ fever for one full week (never had that happen), and then a second week of barely functioning.  After that, she's a bit worried about what would happen in college!

Edited February 6, 2017 by goldberry

[Bootsie]

She needs to contact her professors as soon as possible.

 

In a large class, there are often mechanisms built into the syllabus to deal with absences/missed assignments (dropping lowest score, having more assignments than needed for grade, etc. With 500 students, a prof cannot accommodate each individual absence).

In a small class, professors can be more flexible and may accommodate students by letting them submit late work or letting them email a photo of the homework etc, and may even allow makeup exams. For the latter, they may need a doctor's note.

This is important for college students to understand.  In a class where a homework or a quiz grade is dropped--the professor is doing so to accommodate issues like this.  The student should not see that as a "free drop" and then expect a makeup to be given when ill.  

 

At some schools, the dean of students, or a similar office, will contact all of the professors when there is a confirmed illness.  Even if they provide this service, it is a good idea for the student to reach out to each professor as soon as possible.     

[FaithManor]

At both of my boys' schools, it is pretty much a no mercy situation. So they push through. They've even missed two family funerals which would have required only a single day absence but both times there were tests, quizzes, or presentations on those days and the professors would not allow make ups. Yes, the professors knew their absence would be for funerals of an aunt and a cousin with whom they had been very close.

 

So as awful as it is the only choice is to power through, take zeros and hope the gap does not take too much of a hit, or withdraw from school...the last two of course having negative consequences for scholarship recipients.

[goldberry]

I guess it's preparing for the real world where jerk employers expect you to come in when you're puking your toenails up.  :glare:

 

I wish it wasn't like that.

[G5052]

Yes, my undergraduate school was very strict. Unless you were in the hospital (which I was once for five days with food poisoning), you were expected to deal with it. Same with graduate school and for later graduate work I took after my degree. I went to class/lab/exams with horrible fevers, barely keeping food down, and after just getting news that a close relative had died. Rotten, but then they don't have to tease out what is a valid or invalid excuse. Some dropped a homework assignment or lab, but you couldn't miss much at all.

 

DS had two outpatient surgeries and flu in his first year of college. We had to provide signed doctor's excuses to the Dean of Students, and they handled it. The surgeons both said he could go back to class the next day, so he got a 1-day extension on an assignment and an exam.  But the poor kid was still on narcotics, and it was tough for him. I drove him for a week each time until he was off that medication. Thankfully he's living at home and commuting. Then he had months of PT afterwards. For his flu, he got a 5-day excuse, so the professors gave him five days. That was tough too because he really didn't feel great, but he got his work done. 

 

As a professor myself, I tend to be more like DS's college, but if the doctor's excuse says no work or school for five days, they get only that. Frankly MANY of the students who provide me medical excuses for anything more than a day or two typically don't finish the online classes I teach. Illness and accidents are a major reason that students don't finish.

Edited February 9, 2017 by G5052

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, at dd's college (U Alabama), the individual professors have pretty much 100% leeway on whether or not and how to accommodate for illness. I think the Dean/etc will get involved if you are in the hospital for a period of time or are a victim of crime or family emergency or similar, but those circumstances are few and far between. 

 

So, from what I've heard (thankfully dd has not yet been severely sick while in college), yes, if a kid is really, really sick (but not hospitalized) for many days, they might well end up failing courses. You should find the college's Dean of Students (or similar) and contact them for assistance/guidance. At Alabama, there is a designated dean that can/will handle notifying professors, etc, if the student is unable to do so. 

 

It is important to contact (email) each and every professor with details of what is going on and what help you need. Get doctor's notes and send them to every professor as well. Stay in touch. 

 

U Alabama offers free flu shots, on the quad, for many days during the fall. Dd got hers, thank goodness, as this seems like a bad flu year.