It’s that time of the year again. We’re back to crowded classrooms, wall-to-wall hallway traffic and the busiest of lunchrooms. And with it comes the coughing and sneezing.

“I think [the beginning of the year] has always led to people getting sick because people are exposed to foreign germs at school that they’re not used to in their homes,” senior Chase Chrenka said.

Some students think the transition from hanging out with small groups of friends to sharing a single building among thousands of peers is the cause of the disease spike.

“I think that the amount of people in the building and the extremely close proximities like passing periods and cramped classrooms makes the spread 10 times worse. … Without the masks and [with] the hallways always being so full you have to touch everyone it spreads so much easier,” junior Mary Morby said.

Especially now that the freshmen are no longer being sent to N.O. Nelson and the hallways are more crowded than before.

“More students means there’s more viruses spread, and with how little people wash their hands at this school or use hand sanitizer, it’s even worse,” junior Rhianna Watters said.

The beginning of the year is already a stressful time for most students. Missing days and making up work can add to that stress.

“… I was only out for three or four days but I was surprised that I came back to a lot of work in my classes,” Morby said.  “I assumed since it was the first couple of days there wouldn’t be too much work, but I’m also taking 3 honors classes and 1 AP class so I knew there would be more to work with, I just didn’t think there would be so much so early.”

Morby isn’t alone.

“It was not a fun time today when I learned how much I actually have to make up. There’s 3 quizzes, 2 tests, and a lab… that doesn’t even include the assignments I’ve got either, which have just piled up.” Watters said.

So, what can students do to avoid getting sick at the beginning of the school year?

According to the Children’s Health website, a pediatric healthcare system in Texas, the best defense against the spread of germs is good handwashing. Healthy eating habits, physical activity, and getting a good night’s sleep are also ways that students can keep their immune systems strong.