It happens every year.

The “flu season” is just around the corner and has already claimed victims, as many students have been hit by the weather change.

The flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory system caused by the influenza virus. The flu season is generally from October to April, the cold weather season for most of the United States.

There are certain responsibilities that a college student must be accountable for. One major responsibility is to attend class regularly. This becomes especially difficult during the season where people are most likely to come down with a certain kind of sickness.

When one becomes sick, it is their choice to either skip class or attend and possibly infect others. It’s a decision that nearly

every college student struggles with.

It’s also one that some students take advantage of.

Out of 33 professors on the Bakersfield College campus who were

surveyed, 27 said that they were “very understanding with good reasons” when a student is sick and cannot attend class. Many of them shared that it’s not a problem when it happens once, but once the student misses more and more classes, it becomes a problem.

Joe Saldivar, biology professor, stresses the fact that it’s all up to the students.

“Students need to take responsibility for missing class,” said Saldivar. “If they contact the professor, they are very willing to work with students.”

Most instructors also feel that missing class, for whatever reason, also negatively affects the students’ grades in the course.

Absences are common occurrences that instructors deal with every semester. But according to Helen Acosta, communications professor, the outcome is determined by the student’s willingness to make up for the class time that was missed.

“It depends on the student,” said Acosta. “If the student has proof of the necessity for the absence and completes the make-up assignments and/or extra credit then, no, it doesn’t affect their grade. ?However, without proof of necessity, the absences severely affect their grade.” Almost all of the professors surveyed agreed that this semester is no different from previous ones, with no higher rate of absences.

With that being said, there have been a couple instructors who have received notice that a student of theirs has contracted the H1N1 virus, commonly known as Swine Flu.

For the most part, the phone

calls that instructors receive

are simply notifications that the student will not be able to attend class.

“Many [students] have provided me with proof from their doctors this semester for being ‘quarantined’ as a result of one of the other flu viruses this season,” said Acosta.

Some students have a hard time understanding why some classmates choose to ditch a class, which they are paying money to take.

Tiffany Chin, an accounting major, hasn’t missed class this semester. She feels that it’s only acceptable to miss a class when it comes to family needs and health reasons. “I feel it’s acceptable when there’s really something that needs to be taken care of like family or being sick,” said Chin. “When I do miss, it’s because I don’t feel well, have to baby-sit or take care of family but mainly for being sick.”