You asked:

I haven’t been feeling well lately. How do I know if I’m sick enough to miss class?

How sick you are is really a judgment call that comes with a lot of ifs:

• If … you won’t be able to pay attention in class because you can't keep your head up, go back to bed -- you're sick.
  
  
• If … your teacher is big on attendance, you will probably have to get a note from the student health center. Some schools will process that note through the dean of students’ office.
  
  
• If … you are so sick that you need to go to the health center for an evaluation, you can probably safely skip a class or two.
  
  
• If … you are really ill, the health center staff will tell you how long you will be contagious and probably ban you from class for that length of time -- especially now, during the flu pandemic.
  
  
• If … you have a fever or waves of nausea, these are pretty clear signs that you need to stay under the blankets with some chicken soup and a book (a textbook if you're that hard-core).
  
  
• If … your school has first-aid kits with thermometers, your R.A. should know where they are.
  
  
• If … you just have the sniffles, take some cold medicine, grab a bottle of hand sanitizer and go to class.
  
• If … you skip when you’re not all that sick and get way behind? Well, that’s enough to cause a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Name: Liz Cruger
School: College of William and Mary
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology and English lit
Her deal: This is Liz’s second year as an R.A. for freshmen. She is also involved in several campus activities, including pep band and the belly dance club.

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