It was just my luck that out of all the days I could get sick over winter break, I happened to fall ill the weekend before classes began.
And despite my feverish state, I still set out to attend my classes on Monday morning. While I clearly made an unwise decision, it is a common mistake among many hardworking Bruins to prioritize one’s studies over one’s health.
I could very easily attribute my actions on Monday to the state of bed-ridden delirium I was in over the weekend. I had foolishly cast aside my health concerns in order to brave my first day of class for the winter quarter.
I ignored the objections of my mother, who insisted I stay inside and fully recuperate before trudging across UCLA’s campus with a laptop tucked under my arm.
And, as I sat through my last class around 3 p.m. that day, dehydrated and battling a throbbing head, I realized that mother does always know best.
But the sad truth is that I felt the pressure to attend my classes and follow through with my normal UCLA educational routine. I unsuccessfully tried to ignore the fact that I had half the amount of energy I normally do and was in no state to be hiking up and down Bruin Walk.
As I saw it, I was still walking and talking and therefore not within the textbook definition of a “medical emergency.”
But I would soon pay the price for completely discounting my illness and refusing to take a sick day, as I spent the rest of Monday night huddled up in my dorm, doubling up on whatever painkillers and antinausea medicine I could get my hands on.
Like me, so many Bruins typically tend to make the unhealthy choice when faced with issues of time management. If it comes down to schoolwork versus our physical well-being, studying usually gains the upper hand.
The constant academic pressure that surrounds us is a big culprit for this blatant disregard of our health and our bodies.
Missing a lecture upon the dawn of midterm or finals week can seem like scholastic suicide. And the constant threat of deadlines for papers or projects can further pile on the stress.
This leads us to live unhealthy lifestyles made up of all-nighters, coffee-and-chocolate-cookie diets and little to no exercise.
These elements, combined with the cramped sardine-can setup of dorm life, only further increase the chances of UCLA students catching the common cold or the winter’s flu.
But the sympathy of taking a “sick day” that existed during elementary or high school is now lost. Unless broken bones or blood are involved in the situation, it seems as though no Bruin can truly rest easy during a time of illness.
As second-year aerospace engineering student Kevin Manss learned during finals week last year, illness during academic prime time is only a further nuisance to the studying routine, not a legitimate excuse to stay in.
“I realized I was sick with the stomach flu the night before a big final,” Manss said. “I ended up leaving twice to vomit during my final, but I still somehow managed to ace it.”
Not all of us can be as fortunate as Manss when it comes to taking such a gamble with our health.
Though our role as students may seem like our first priority, it is important to take a step back from the grade-drenched and stress-filled scholastic culture of UCLA life.
After all, we’re only human.
And even Bruins, though maintaining a high level of mental toughness, still manage to get sick every now and then ““ even when the timing is extremely inconvenient.
As for me, I learned a painful lesson this Monday, but I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my week trying to get well, rest up and tackle the obstacles for the rest of my winter quarter.
Send your sick-day stories to Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.