Snow Day: Blessing or Curse in Disguise?

If you are from the Northeast, you probably have your own repertoire of inside jokes about snow days already, even though it is only January. My favorite, “If it snows anymore, I’ll have to shovel it inside my house, because there is no more room to put it.” (It did snow another 8 inches.) Another one: “I hope it will be a snow day tomorrow, because it is my birthday.” (It was a snow day, with lots of shoveling involved. Careful what you wish for, perhaps?)

In elementary school, snow days were the best. They were an unexpected break from school, a time for sleeping, TV and playing in the snow. If you are in graduate school or have a job, a snow day can be either a blessing or a big inconvenience. I am using the term “snow day” is a relaxed manner, referring to any event that keeps you at home, but that does incapacitate you. Examples would include minor injuries, your children being ill, school closings, and waiting for the plumber to fix your sink. In a fast-paced world where many deadlines are “yesterday” at best, how do keep your progress up in spite of unforeseen “snow days”?


In graduate school you may or may not have strict deadlines. But you will have deadlines once you get close to graduation, and you will certainly have them in your job. One of the most important components of continuous productivity is be able to use “down-time” effectively. If a class or meeting gets cancelled, are you prepared to use that time wisely, or are you more likely to spend that time on Facebook or surfing the net?

Now that I have a job in industry, I always bring my laptop home. Sometimes it is just symbolic, but it gives me reassurance that a snow storm will not prevent me from falling behind on my deadlines (lately that has been quite useful). But, having a laptop at home does not necessarily translate into measurable progress, if one does not know exactly what they need to do. Another habit I picked up in graduate school (when I literally had 3 weeks between my last committee meeting and my defense) was a running to-do list. I had a small spiral notebook with a long list of small tasks that I could do anytime I had a free 5-10 minutes. Examples included proofreading parts of my thesis, submitting paperwork for graduation, and taking care of personal errands. Whenever I had some free time (like waiting for a slow computer to start up, or when I finished something earlier than expected), I had a list to turn to so I could use my time wisely.

Sitting in the comfort of my home in the midst of this furious snowstorm, I glance at my to-do list. Yes, the January newsletter about strategic goal setting is scheduled to go out at the end of the last week this month, and now would be a good time to write it. (Hint: If you have not signed up for my newsletters yet, visit my websitewww.phdnet.org).

Of course, work is not the only option on snow days (although it feels like it when deadlines loom by.) What do you do when you get stuck at home? Do you try to catch up on work, or do you take this opportunity to play? We would love to hear your stories. Simply click on the orange “Reply” button to share (you need to be logged in to see the “Reply” button). We look forward to your ideas.