Students Deserve Longer Thanksgiving Break – Grand Valley Lanthorn

The Thanksgiving break is a welcome rest for most students. It’s time spent with friends and family, eating homemade meals and sleeping is finally an option. From a work perspective, this allows students to take time to breathe between classes, homework deadlines and other responsibilities. However, is this break long enough for the students to enjoy their free time?

During the fall semester, students are only given six full days off, which only means that classes are not in progress on that day. However, this does not mean that the work cannot be assigned in advance. The workloads are amplified for the students during the days following the days off in order to stay on track with the semester. This means that students, even during the so-called breaks, cannot relax and take time for themselves.

Personally, I didn’t have time to breathe during this Thanksgiving break. The school follows the students at home. Having classes on Monday and Tuesday allows teachers to assign work during the break. This has been made easier with the use of online spaces now, as everyone is transitioning to online for COVID-19, faculty now have access to student time even during a so-called break. This free time that allows students to spend quality time with their families becomes a catch-up game with all the schoolwork that is assigned before and after.

Not to mention that the finals are so close to Thanksgiving break that students feel the need to spend time with their textbooks and laptops and away from loved ones they have been waiting to see for months. A time that is supposed to be taken to express gratitude and love to friends and family is canceled out by the stress and anxiety of school. The Thanksgiving break just isn’t long enough to relieve school-induced stress.

This three-day break also does not take into account travel time and the cost that students have to incur to return home to their families. While some students are fortunate enough to commute and spend less time on the road, others need to factor in air travel or long drives in order to get home on vacation. Some students even have multiple destinations to go to due to large families, which can and very likely will add additional stress to their travels.

According to the American Psychological Association, 61% of students who seek counseling report anxiety and 45% report stress issues. The infrequent breaks students get in college probably don’t help these numbers. The Wellness Thesis has proven that frequent breaks increase productivity and well-being while reducing general stress. These frequent breaks can be beneficial in the short term, for example by taking time out during long study sessions, but also in the long term, which could be provided by a prolonged Thanksgiving break.

With stress at an all time high among college students, it is evident that a longer Thanksgiving break would not only benefit mental health, but also lead to better results. This would allow students to be well rested and achieve greater mental clarity before heading into finals week.

Students simply need time to rest and sleep, enjoy the company of loved ones, and distract themselves from school responsibilities. A three day break does not allow us to do this. Having the entire week off for Thanksgiving would allow students to make time for themselves, see their families, and even enjoy an extra plate of leftovers long after everyone is home.


Source link

Comments are closed.