You’re anxiously waiting and convincing yourself that the next day will not start with the annoying, dreaded sound of your alarm. You refresh the Montgomery County schools website and finally see that red statement at the top of the screen saying, “schools closed”. That’s when you know, your week just got a whole lot better.

Some people think that snow days are just an excuse for students to stay in bed all day, and are not productive. Although, the fact is that spending snow days in bed sleeping may be the solution you need in order to help get your sleep schedule back on track.

When students think of snow days, the thought of staying in bed all day most likely comes to mind. You are able to relax and not think about school, unless necessary of course. Some students may be thankful for that snow day, because they are falling behind in classes and need this time to catch up. Or, if you were supposed to have a quiz or a test that day but you did not study. This snow day could potentially save your grade.

Snow days can be productive if you want them to be. If someone knows they should be doing work for school, that does not mean they actually will. “I honestly just lay in bed all day. Having a snow day is such relief and what better way to spend it than being in bed and watching TV,” junior Katie Barnett said.

On the other hand, some people see these days off as an opportunity to get ahead of their classes so they don’t have as much stress on themselves. These students may spend their entire day studying or trying to find notes or homework that their teachers may or may not have posted on myMCPS classroom. “I always check my email and myMCPS whenever we have the day off because I have some teachers who won’t let the snow day get in the way of making us do homework,” junior Andy Ram said.

But despite that, many students are grateful for these days off. Some students may be going through a lot of stress from a class, or school as a whole, and that one day to stay home and relax could be exactly what they need. “There was one time when I had gotten home from practice really late and I realized I hadn’t studied for a test I had the next day, but then they called school so I was so relieved and was able to prepare for when we went back,” sophomore Thomas Jezek said.

Most students tend to have sleep schedules that do not give them enough sleep to be ready and alert for the entire week of school. Having a snow day gives these students an opportunity to catch up on sleep, which helps their physical and mental health. “Even though this is my first year at this school it is really hard for me to get enough sleep. Having snow days and even two hour delays help me get a better and longer sleep,” freshman Jenna Siman said. Snow days can be productive in a lot of different ways, but can also give students time to relax and get ready for the rest of their busy week. Giving students the opportunity to get extra sleep during the week with snow days can help the students, teachers, and school environment all around.