Dear Aquinas, I am leaving in a couple of days to go out of town for a week, and I know that I will be missing a lot of school. I have tried to get ahead in some of my classes, but it is hard when I already have a lot of assignments that are due the next day, so I usually don’t get any future assignments done. I’m not sure what I should do so that I don’t fall behind in any of my classes, because I know if I don’t do anything, I will have a lot of makeup work. Should I get my work done before I leave and risk forgetting what I have learned, or is there a better option that I should be aware of? Thank you so much!

– Avery Scott.

Dear Avery,

Thank you for reaching out. Missing school and falling behind on work can be challenging, but with a little planning, you will be able to keep up with your work and still enjoy your trip. My recommendation to you would be to let all of your teachers know of your upcoming absence about a week in advance. This will give them time to prepare materials to teach you or arrange for you to take tests and quizzes before you leave. You can go to Canvas and look for any assignments, notes, and announcements. Another alternative is to sign up for your teachers’ office hours if you need extra help or want to discuss your workload. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you talk to all of your teachers and have a clear plan on what you are going to do. Just a tip – maybe try focusing your time efficiently to get most of your assignments done before you leave so that you can enjoy your trip. You should not forget what you have learned, especially if you look over your notes multiple times. Doing this should allow you to stay on track while also getting your personal tasks done.

Until the next question,

Aquinas