The student sighs contentedly. Schools are closed. Fresh snow blankets the ground painting a landscape of white. The student gets back in bed and rolls over for a few more hours of sleep. Today will be a day to rest, a peaceful snow day. 

That was then. This is now. Ever since the introduction of digital learning, what today’s students may have enjoyed before is something future students may never get to experience. Many students long for the traditional snow days where they basically got a free day off from school. 

“I think the reason so many students feel differently is because they don’t want to give up the free days [that] snow days give them,” Camdyn Thigpen, freshman, said. 

In the past, students did not have to stress about getting work done while snowed in at home, but with the introduction of Canvas, schoolwork is only a click away. Although many mourn the loss of traditional snow days, some Creekview students are fans of digital assignments.  

“To be honest, I prefer to have a digital day, as the work is generally easier, and it doesn’t extend the ending date of school taking away some of our summer break,” Ryan Brady, junior said. 

Others believe that digital learning days add more stress to their already busy schedules. Students want snow days to be a day where they can catch up on work, not a day where they get more. 

“We already have so much work at school, and I think it’s refreshing to have a day off on a snow day,” Jake Hughes, sophomore, said.  

Additionally, many students also feel that on snow days they are more likely to get distracted since they are working from home. School competes with sleeping, watching TV, time with friends, and other activities that cause them not to do poorly. 

“When it’s snowing outside, I want to be out there with my friends. The last thing I want to do is schoolwork,” Karilyne Rhodes, junior, said. 

Another potential problem to consider is that digital days can be unfair for those without power or Wi-Fi. Although public libraries provide both, students would have to find a way to get there which poses a whole new problem, and those students would be at risk of falling even behind. 

“Some students might lose power, or not even have a computer, and when they go back to school, they might be behind in their classes,” Georgia Lutes, sophomore, said. 

Digital learning days are affecting Cherokee County, and with technology constantly changing, schools are too. When temperatures drop, and stress levels rise, many students wonder if digital days are worth it.