During my Senior year of high school, I missed over fifty days of school between the months of January and
April alone due to ski racing. Throughout high school, I missed a almost unreasonable amount of school due to ski racing. Now, I find myself super stressed out because I missed two days of school. I barely finished my DML research paper and had to take a Spanish midterm via fax early yesterday morning and I have yet to start any of my readings for other classes (which are substantial). Yet, it also made me realize the importance of digital media in one’s ability to miss school.

Imagine missing school without the Internet. Imagine having to send Professor Mittell your essay via Fax. I had no idea how to use a fax machine. Someone at the front desk of the condo complex we are staying at had to show me how to use it. I have no real way of knowing if it actually worked or not. Being able to use tools like email are vital to communication between professor and student while they are absent. Bein able to conduct research online opposed to having to use hard copies of everything makes writing papers much easier and viable for the absent student. Being able to talk to fellow classmates via social media and text messaging is crucial for knowing what was discussed in class. None of this mattered as much during high school. Missing class was not as vital to your standing in the class as it is now. I rarely if ever did homework while missing school in high school. Now, I miss one class and I feel stressed out. It will certainly be interesting to see how this continues this winter as I miss more school for ski raicng.

– Murph