Everyone knows the feeling of waking up in the morning, remembering it is a snow day and excitedly hurrying over to the window to see the winter wonderland outside. While younger children often spend the whole day outdoors sledding, building snowmen and participating in snowball fights, high schoolers usually go into snow days with workloads to alleviate.
With this in mind, some high school students find snow days prime times to put in quality hours of work. However, great fun can still be achieved while being productive; for example, doing chores, tidying up the house or other activities that are normally overshadowed by outdoor tasks can be done. WCHS freshman Austin Ma loves snow days, but not entirely for the snow. He enjoys typical non-school day traditions such as sleeping in, making the very most of these limited days.
“I go to bed at 1 or 2 [a.m.] and wake up at 12 p.m.,” Ma said. “Then, I shovel the driveway, play in the snow with my dog and study. I also sled with friends. I think maximizing time outside and enjoying the day is really important.”
While Ma’s daily schedule involves studying for roughly one to two hours, a study conducted by the National Bureau for Economic Research found that students who do not study on snow days usually do not fall behind or experience declining test scores. However, making a schedule to plan out snow days can also help academically competitive students excel in learning while still having traditional snow day fun.
“I did not think about making a whole schedule for my snow days,” Ma said. “They are just breaks, relaxation days. Playing in the snow does not get old, so I just do whatever I feel like doing.”
Ma, a former professional skier, still greatly enjoys the sport and usually travels to the closest ski resorts, Whitetail and Liberty, every Sunday and some snow days. However, while Ma mainly enjoys his snow days through play, fellow WCHS freshman Raffi Saraydaroglu finds other methods.
“I get up at 9 a.m., shovel my own driveway, then shovel other people’s driveways,” Saraydaroglu said. “I like helping [my neighbors] out and I can earn a few bucks so I may as well. Then I go home, drink hot chocolate and sit by the fire. It’s a cool winter experience.”
According to a study conducted by the American Heart Association, shoveling snow over the age of 45 can cause heart problems. While shoveling snow in cold temperatures, blood vessels contract to preserve body heat. However, as shoveling snow raises blood pressure in already constricted vessels, it can be especially dangerous for those with existing heart problems.
However, Saraydaroglu’s approach to most efficiently shoveling driveways has morphed over the years. At 11, he began powering through the powdered snow then slowly chipping the ice off driveways with the flip side of his shovel. When that became too taxing, Saraydaroglu bought road salt.
“I was walking to another house one day like, a year ago and there were huge piles of [road salt] all over the road,” Saraydaroglu said. “The salt I got was 30 dollars for 25 pounds and I grabbed a trash can and filled it with all the salt everywhere. I had 75 pounds of salt in three minutes and I felt like an idiot.”
Both Saraydaroglu and Ma share similar ideas: firstly, that time spent indoors on a snow day is a waste with the exception of resting between outdoor sessions; secondly, that one should spend time with friends and family and lastly, that sleeping in is a must.
Ultimately, the silver lining contains a few helpful tips. With regards to studying and chores, they should be done after sunset or when one is exhausted from playing to maximize limited snow time. Furthermore, it is nice to lend neighbors a helping hand and shovel their driveways, especially if you can use the aforementioned road salt trick.
“And it is important to have plenty of fun,” Ma said. “Think about it for a second. How many snow days are we gonna have for the rest of our lives? Not a lot. How many days can you study or hop on brawl? Infinite. So we should enjoy [the snow days] while we can.”
