There is nothing better than a little break from the late nights of studying at the High Library and the cold walks back to your dorm after the librarian asks you to leave because it’s 1 a.m. My opinion is I would rather have more short breaks throughout my college semesters rather than long, extensive breaks. I like the change in scenery from time to time. I must admit, part of me tends to miss wherever I’m not. If I’m at school, I miss home. If I’m home, I miss some aspects of school. I feel like the shorter breaks allow you to get the best of both worlds.
Thanksgiving break is right around the corner, and I am looking forward to spending break with family and friends. There is an added bonus of the overall comfy home feeling that is hard to put into words. I like the current schedule of our break at Elizabethtown College. Our Thanksgiving break is short compared to some schools my friends attend. However, in my opinion, I would rather a shorter break especially since we will begin winter break only 12 short days after we return.
Many of the schools that tend to have a longer Thanksgiving break have a shorter winter break. I would never want to shave time off of winter break. I would imagine that this is especially true for the international students on campus. A longer break gives the students the opportunity to travel home to be with their family for the holidays. A shorter winter break caused by a longer Thanksgiving break would certainly devalue their long trip home. For some, a shorter winter break may mean not going home at all because of the added expense of travel not making the trip home worth the shorter stay. It is hard to imagine not spending holidays at home with my family. In addition, a month-long break after fall semester finals is always necessary before going at it again for the spring semester.
The one change I would ask for is to have off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. That one extra day right before the holiday would be a nice transition day. This would allow for one day of relaxing before everyone comes to our house for the Thanksgiving meal. One issue I have noticed about having class the day before the holiday is that the attendance in classes is down because of travel plans. Also, some professors end up cancelling classes because of their own plans or because they realize that many students won’t be attending their class. I believe if Etown would start the Thanksgiving break on Wednesday, it may relieve some of the pressure regarding class attendance versus holiday plans.
Another annoying situation is the timing of the fall break and how it differs from school to school. When my break schedule doesn’t line up with my friends break schedules, I loathe receiving Snapchats of my friends with their puppies or the great dinner their mom made while I’m studying for a huge exam. It’s always tough being away from home when my friends are home from school. The only positive is that it gives them the opportunity to visit me at school, and I can do the same when I am home on my break.
No matter what length of our breaks, I look forward to taking advantage of the time off to relax from the everyday rush of a daily routine.
