Dancers may lag in classes

By KATE DAILEY
Collegian Staff Writer

With all the confusion and excitement surrounding the 1999 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, from canning weekends to the actual 48-hour event, keeping up with schoolwork can be a difficult task.

Not only do students who participate in Thon lose an entire weekend to do work, many fall behind in classes as a result of sleep depravation.

"A lot (of students) that would normally attend can't," said Peter Maserick, professor of mathematics. "And those who force themselves to attend can't really pay attention." Maserick, who teaches Math 110 (Technical Calculus I), has an exam scheduled for Feb. 23, the Tuesday after Thon.

Cassandra Thompson, coordinator for Health Matters, said the best way to recover from Thon is to return to a regular schedule as soon as possible.

"You need that extra sleep the first night," she said. "But when your body wakes up, it's best to get up, walk around and start back on a normal routine."

Students can make the road to recovery after Thon easier by preparing ahead of time, both in terms of health and academic organization.

"Make sure beforehand you attend to eating and sleeping," said Mary Anne Knapp, clinical social worker and outreach coordinator for the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. She also recommended getting a jumpstart on schoolwork in order to prevent being overwhelmed after Thon.

"Do as much as you possibly can ahead of time," she said. "Sleep deprivation makes it harder for you to learn . . . It will take a little while to recover."

When it comes to juggling responsibilities for Thon and school, managing time is key, said Jamee Leffler, overall communications chair.

"Write down your schedule," said Leffler, who has been involved with Thon for four years. "Plan for when you want to study and when you want to do Thon."

Jeffrey Mayer, author of "Success Is A Journey" and "Time Management for Dummies," said advanced preparation is important. Mayer suggests completing assignments due after Thon weekend beforehand.

"If you know you're going to lose three or four days out of your life, plan for it like you were going on vacation -- plan for it in advance," he said.

During the days before Thon, Mayer recommends making a list every night of three things to be done the next morning. He also suggested making a long-term list of goals and deadlines.

"When you see things written down, you have control . . . You probably have a lot of different things to do for all your classes," he said. "Writing things down helps (you) keep track and keep organized."