When students wake up to 8 inches of snow, a smile spreads on their lips and the red text on Montgomery County Public Schools’ website makes them thank the heavens. However, after experiencing this blissful moment 7 times this winter, the realization that these days off will cut into their summer break may kill the happiness.

The knowledge that their happy days in the snow will have to be added to the end of the year is enough to make students groan in annoyance. “Why can’t we just enjoy the day off without thinking about having to make it up?” is a common refrain and “it’s not our fault we can’t go to school; we shouldn’t have to make it up.” Students complain about having to make up school days when they didn’t do anything wrong other than wear their snowflake pajamas inside out and hope for a foot of snow overnight.

The true question is whether or not snow days will be added to the end of the year. Students missed instruction time that is essential to excelling in the academic world. Another factor is final exams. Students might complain about making up the days but would they rather have weeks to prepare for the finals everyone is dreading or have that time cropped and have to cram everything that needs to be known in less time?

Students need school all of it to properly understand the material. Certain things need to be learned and teachers, without additional days, they would have less time to explain the topics in detail to help every level of student understand. Receiving a strong and comprehensive explanation of materials that will be on the exam could save some students’ grades.

Some find the adding of snow days absurd. Students feel that they can’t control the weather so they should not be punished. In this case, they see punishment as cutting into summer break because Mother Nature threw a fit and the roads are covered in snow and ice.

No matter what the circumstances are , 180 school days are required per school year. Whether it’s a meteor shower or a sheet of ice, school days have to be made up by taking away certain holidays or adding a few days on to the school year. The required time for educational instruction has to be fulfilled. Exams reflect the maximum amount of time students are expected to be in school and, without proper preparation and understanding, students will look at the page with a blank expression.

When it comes down to the wire, students will then praise the extra days of instruction because it helped. Days should be added to the end of the year to insure complete and utter understanding of the topics presented to the students.