You are lying on your bed in a pair of Elizabethtown College sweatpants and a raggedy old T-shirt, chomping on a snack of your preference. Your eyes are glued to the screen of a laptop, which plays an episode of your favorite television show via Netflix. A show that, if I were to guess, has been playing since the moment you turned on your laptop. Rather, since the moment you returned home for break.

Be it fall, winter, spring, summer or any of the numerous holidays in-between, you’re probably thinking about returning home to your friends and family, to your bed, to the life you left behind.

When this day does come, remember to pack your assignments, projects, textbooks and notebooks, for the days of work have not ended. Nor have the days of sleep-deprivation, resume writing, exams, essays, projects and responsibilities, for we shall soon return to them with open arms and half-closed eyes.

So what becomes of those assignments and projects over break? Are they ever completed? Are the textbooks ever cracked open? Are the notebooks ever used? I would certainly hope so! But, my fellow Blue Jays, that is not the case.

I know during the breaks we are offered, time is not usually used to get ahead in class. Rather, the free time is used to catch up. Not only by means of academics, but also in our social lives and mental wellness.

You will spend a majority of your break catching up on homework assignments that your professors have thrown your way. Group projects, final papers and studying for exams seem to be the most prevalent assignments during holiday breaks.

Those assignments which have been looming above your head throughout the semester are those assignments you find yourself doing days before it is due even though you had the entire semester to do so.

During breaks, Etown students are most likely found catching up on their favorite television shows or movies. Whether it is “Breaking Bad,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Doctor Who,” a fourth re-watch of “A Hard Day’s Night” or whatever tickles your fancy, you might watch episodes from dawn to dusk. Lucky for you, at the conclusion of an episode, Netflix automatically plays the next one in line, saving you from the laborious task of pressing a key on the keyboard.

Or maybe you would prefer to sit in front of a book rather than a screen, reading the antics of 221B Baker Street, of teenage angst in young adult fiction novels or somewhere in the middle. No matter the genre, no matter the recommended reading list, Etown students may also be found with a book in hand that is not required for a course.

Just as free time allows us time to rekindle our relationships with fictional characters, it does the same for nonfictional characters; characters such as our parents, siblings, relatives, hometown friends and pets. Characters that actually know of your existence, who care for you, want to spend time with you and might even make you a home-cooked meal.

Being back home and seeing familiar faces gives you the chance to reminisce with loved ones and to exchange stories and laughter. A majority of students are probably most looking forward to relaxation and having an incredible amount of time to sleep. Enjoy this upcoming break. You deserve it.