Many Iowa State students awoke Monday morning to find to their surprise that classes had been canceled for the day.

While some cursed the 12 to 15 inches of snow, others saw the snow holiday as a blessing in disguise.

Andrea Hamilton, freshman in elementary education, said she took advantage of the snow day by getting ahead in her classes. She said she finished her homework, so she wouldn’t have to do any over spring break.

Almost all Ames businesses were shut down Sunday, but some students braved the half-cleared streets Monday to do some necessary shopping.

“Me and my roommate went shopping for spring break stuff, and we did some grocery shopping,” said Vanessa Guerrero, freshman in interior design. The rest of the day they occupied by watching movies, she said.

The worry of getting up for an 8 a.m. class was dismissed from many students’ minds Monday.

“I slept in till noon, and then dug three cars out of snow from the Larch parking lot,” said Katie Cody, sophomore in exercise and sport science. “It wasn’t a very productive day, but oh well.”

Matthew Garst, junior in agricultural business, said he also took advantage of classes being canceled by catching up on much needed sleep.

“I slept late, did some homework and made some phone calls,” he said.

While many filled their day by sleeping late, others had to work.

“I got up late and went to work at the Depot in Friley,” Melissa Sorbo, junior in finance and music, said.

Sorbo, who didn’t expect classes to be cancelled, said she rehearsed for an upcoming recital and did some homework for her marketing class.

The Minority Student Affairs office was one university office that kept its appointments Monday.

Rafael Rodriquez, director of MSA, said it was beneficial for the office to be open because students still came in for their appointments. “We still have a lot of residential students on campus,” Rodriquez said.

Although people got into the office late, he said it was fully staffed by Monday afternoon. “People got into the office as soon as they could,” Rodriquez said.

The Student Health Center also had it doors open Monday to help those students suffering from illness.

A nurse with the Student Health Center said it is usually not affected when classes are canceled. She said most students see it as a good time to come in for medical treatment.

Students were waiting to get treated as early as 8 a.m. on Monday, she said. She said she couldn’t remember a time when bad weather had kept students away from the health center.

The nurse said though some students may have thought the Student Health Center was closed, it never closes on days classes are cancelled.

Staying healthy was also the thought had by others who ventured to the Lied Recreation Athletic Center Monday.

Billie Dodd, service center supervisor for the rec, said the cancellation of classes brought an increase of people who usually would not be there.

“A lot of people wanted to come and play basketball, but that’s when the athletics are here,” she said.