Missing College for Disney World?

[DisneyGirl201017]

Freezing Cold B- YAY someone positive! I really believe if you are just honest with the professor and you are a good student who does their work and doesn't miss class, taking a small vacation shouldn't be a problem, it's not like everyone doesn't need a vacation every once and awhile

 

[slp1650]

I am attending a very small community college, just to get my feet wet before I do go to a bigger college. There may be like 15 people in each class. I'm a very good student and I hardly ever miss any school, I have a wonderful GPA and I'm top of my class. I'm sure I can handle the work since I am doing college level work now in high school, I'm not saying I know exactly what I'm getting myself into, but I feel like I deserve something like this since I am such a good student.

I hate to say it but just because you "deserve" it doesn't mean you get to miss school for it. Again, it's a priorities issue. Considering you'll be in small classes there's a good chance at least one of your teachers won't let you. You might be doing college level work in High School, but it's not the same as what you get in actual college. It might be similar at a CC, but I definitely had a shock when I went from AP/college classes and went to college. Of course the level of difficulty also changes with majors (I am a Zoology major and took Chem, Bio, and Physics classes all together along with GEs).

My family makes annual trips to DWorld every year and I couldn't go on any of them for 2.5 years because I was swimming for the school and we had training camps. I went before my first training camp and it was a mess when I got back (I was out of shape and just not ready for it). Eventually I quit swimming and was able to go on the Christmas Trips and even a graduation trip. However, all of those trips were taken when school was out. My friend and I took our grad trip early (over spring break) because she'll be in summer school and I'll be doing the PIs in June so we knew we didn't have any other time and we weren't putting a grad trip above work/school.

Again, while I personally would try and move the trip or not go. It's ultimately your decision. I would assess the situation when you get to college, meet your teachers, and find out just how hard college is going to be.

 

[Freezing Cold B]

I don't think there's anything wrong with missing school on occasion to do something important to you. When I started graduate school the DOGE told us all we needed to make sure we made time for things we loved to do. This has resulted in me missing school (one of his classes) for an important (to me)weeklong trip. He was fine with it, as were all my other professors.

When you become a student its not the totality of who you are as a person. If you let it become that way, you will get burned out. Some people find a sport in school that can help them escape. For others, its a trip to Disney.

I am a believer that if anyone stands in your way for what you want, go around them. If a prof won't let you do something important to you, find one who will. Thats why you ask on the first day of class, and be ready with a back-up class if needed. Ask other students about profs to find out who is more flexible. I have never had a prof (in 2 yrs community college, 2 years university and 2 years masters) tell me they wouldn't work with me around a trip. I'm always gone a week in Oct and usually a week in Feb or March. So, I've asked a lot.

 

[Diegosmom]

I did this I think it was my 2nd or 3rd year of college (forgive me it was about 10 years ago). I attended an expensive private college. And this was for 2nd half of the year (we went in Jan). My school was also on terms so you had only 3 classes every term but most classes were MTTF so days a week and usually for 1 hour each days (or possibly 2 days a week for 2 hours each day). But the terms are only 7 weeks so missing an entire week is pretty big. I am not sure if I missed an entire week. I think if I remember right classes always started on Wed for the semester (labs were on Wed). So I am thinking I only missed 2 days (although I could be wrong) but either way I know when I was signing up for the classes I went to the teacher and let them know and asked if it was going to be a problem (I wont have taken the class if it was a problem) and seeing that it was the first week of school I didnt miss much but if it was in the middle I might have had a problem.

I really think it is best to talk to the teacher before hand (as opposed to what someone on here said about making a good impression). If you are honest with the teacher they might be ok with it and if they are not you can pick a different class to take. I would hate for you to be in a class with a strict attendance policy and then fail the class. Better to be upfront.

 

[Iris]

I know it isn't the best thing to do, but I will be missing six days of college in the fall to take a trip to Disney. Has anyone ever done this? Was it hard to make up the work? What did you tell you professors?
I'm really looking for answers, the trip has been paid for already and there is really no backing out now. I didn't really consider all of the work I'd be missing when I planned the trip.

Thanks for your time!

I guess it also depends on when you are taking the days. If it is right at the beginning of the semester, you may not miss much at all except maybe those extra attendance points that some professors dole out.

My oldest daughter came with us when we took her sister down for the CP program and missed 4 days of class at the very start of the semester. (she did not have class on Fridays and Monday was Labor Day) Since she had registered in advance, she was able to view the syllabus online to see what she may or may not have missed and there were not any quizes, tests or anything that needed to be turned in so she went with us. If it had been a different situation, we may have shortened her trip to have her return on time or join us for the second part of the trip. She didn't miss anything except for what they had planned to cover, when were the exams, etc. She was a junior at the time so her classes were more geared towards her degree rather than the required freshman courses which usually have a strict attendance policy. She did speak with all of her professors right away and not one of them had a problem with it at all.

That said, at her college, they are NOT allowed to make up a missed test due to a vacation, it is pretty cut and dry.

I guess my advice is to try to find out what you may miss ahead of time and go from there.

As someone mentioned, you may or may not get a penalty for a change in plans, but it might be worth checking into.

We did just recently go back to WDW but not with my older daughter because this time she started her summer session in her physics class and that class meets every day in the summer. She felt that she would have missed way too much and so she stayed behind. This class is required for her degree so it was a smart decision on her part.

In the end...only you can decide what is right for you.

 

[collegejunkie]

I hate to say it but just because you "deserve" it doesn't mean you get to miss school for it.

this. "good" students are a dime a dozen. i go to an elite school - we're all better than good; in fact, we're among the best. you can bet that none of us are missing class for a trip. everyone thinks they deserve a trip or whatever, but it doesn't mean that you don't have limitations in when/what you can do. what this all comes down to is your professors and school policy, but i think you really need to grow up.

point is, you can probably move it. you have off in january and probably a spring break, and maybe even a fall break. i understand you said you planned it before deciding on a school and knowing a schedule, and that happens, but now you need to be willing to move it. no one is saying don't go. we're just saying go at a different time.

 

[collegejunkie]

I am a believer that if anyone stands in your way for what you want, go around them.

that's a really bad attitude. you're going to college to EARN your degree, not try to bend the rules so that you can have fun off somewhere else while others who are obviously more serious than you are still in class.

while i would agree with this statement in other areas, i think that's absolutely wrong in education. no one has to let you do what you want to do and when you enroll, you agree to do things on their terms.

 

[Freezing Cold B]

that's a really bad attitude. you're going to college to EARN your degree, not try to bend the rules so that you can have fun off somewhere else while others who are obviously more serious than you are still in class.

while i would agree with this statement in other areas, i think that's absolutely wrong in education. no one has to let you do what you want to do and when you enroll, you agree to do things on their terms.

I don't think it's bending the rules. But, if you think this about my philosophy, and that I'm not a serious student, you are welcome to think that.

I am a college student. But, I don't let that identity rule my life. If I want to go on a vacation, I go on a vacation. I will say, that I DON'T function that way when dealing with my job. I will not be going this next year anywhere because I will be teaching (yes, a college course). I allow my job to rule my identity because, there is no way around it. A job is a necessity to survive. But, taking BIO 101 with prof A (who won't allow me to go) v.s BIO 101 with prof B (who will allow me to go) is an easy enough way to ensure I don't have to compromise something important to me.

 

[Kilayi]

Wow, it seems a lot has been discussed since I posted.

Everyone in here is making it sound like you'll have things due all the time. I mentioned before that I was an art major, and that has a stigma of being "easy" but in reality, we worked harder all the time than the non-art majors I know, we had things due every week. On top of this, I was a double major with an academic major. I've had more classes than you can shake a stick at. I mention this because each art class was 3 hours 2 times a week or two hours 3 times a week, equalling 6 hours, PER CLASS each week. That's twice the average class's contact hours. So, being in 3 of the studio classes was like having a lab class 6 times a week. That's not including the other classes I was in. I once had an 18 credit hour course load, which was a 24 hour actual class load, with 11 hours a week at 2 required internships, and another 12 at my job. That semester was the worst. Most semesters aren't that bad, but it's to illustrate a point. On another note, that semester I took a 3 day trip because I was going insane. I hadn't missed any days, and I took the attendance penalties just so I could relax and get my brain together.

That being said, in my 2nd major, we had things due maaaaaybe once every two weeks. This was from the 100 person class down to the 5 person class. Yes, the workload depended on the teacher, and their style (and math had stuff due every day, it was the most like high school). You'll learn what your school is like, whether it is super stuffy or really laid back (I think mine was a good medium), and you can make your judgment call based on that.

Taking a week long trip wasn't the end of the world to me, school-wise. Maybe you'll make a B on that paper instead of an A, big deal. If it's something important enough to me to PLAN to spend all that money and time traveling, I think it's a big enough deal for me to go. Granted, I wasn't going somewhere super expensive like Disney World, but we were driving half way across the country, which was a whole different bucket of worms...

In the end, I came out with all A's that semester. I came out with a good GPA at graduation, and I had this attitude the whole time I was in school.

I think what it boils down to is how you feel, and exactly the situation you're in. If you feel like something is that important to you, Do it. College is serious, but not so serious that you can't do something that you feel is important, whether it's taking a trip, or skipping class because you're wholly and completely burnt out or sick. Everyone has different priorities.

Obviously, if this trip isn't as important to you, then yes, cancel it or move it, haha

 

[DisneyGirl201017]

Kilayi- Thank you! I read every word of what you just posted and loved it, if something if important to me,(which this trip is very important to me and the other person coming with me) misssing a few days won't kill me, I'm sure it'll actually help like you said just getting to clear my head a little. Thank you so much for your time to post this.

 

[DisneyGirl201017]

Freezing Cold B- I don't agree with what everyone is saying, I think it's actually a pretty good way to look at things, you're going to go out and get what you want. I've always been shown thats the way to get things done. Thank you for the post