Thanksgiving break, which is intended to provide a two-day respite for college students and professors alike, ends up being more of a burden than it is a time to relax.
First, two days is not nearly enough time to enter full relaxation mode, and second, this particular break happens to fall during the absolute worst time in the semester.
On week 12 of a 15-week semester, most students are now settled into a daily routine and are familiar with the course requirements set forth by their professors.
With only about four weeks left in the semester, fall 2022 is nearing completion and there is finally a tiny little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Then comes Thanksgiving break to throw a wrench in the works, taunting students and professors like a little devil on our shoulder that is clearly up to no good. If we give into the temptation of taking a break now, we all run the risk of sending all of our hard work throughout the semester off track completely.
According to the website tutorateam.com, most teachers agree that the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving, marks a time when students’ grades tend to experience a decline.
It is true that Thanksgiving traditions carry very special meaning for a lot of Americans, and of course we’d all like to be with our families and friends feasting on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all the other fixings. Honestly though, is it really worth it?
Sit down, take a deep breath and think about this rationally. We still have a lot more work to do, and the worst of it is yet to come. Why would we want a break now when this is just about the time to start on research papers and studying for final exams? What is meant to be two days of rest from the everyday grind of attending classes, completing assignments and taking tests really sounds more like torture at this point.
In addition to poor timing and distractions, traveling during the holiday is also expected to be a massive nightmare.
According to Kathleen Wong of USA Today, nearly 70% of Americans plan to travel for the holidays this year and about half of them have reported that this is their first time traveling during the holiday season since the start of the pandemic.
Students who plan to travel might want to consider dragging their books and other school necessities along with them in case of delays or cancellations.
Lastly, Dani Blum of the New York Times reported that another Covid wave may be on the way this holiday season, so if you do plan to gather with friends and family, you should also plan to be diligent and stay safe.
Winter break is awesome, summer break too! Both mark a time when we can all be proud, knowing that we’ve just completed a long 15-week semester, all exams and papers are behind us and we are one step closer to graduating.
Thanksgiving break, however, brings on feelings that are the complete opposite of that. It’s nothing more than a stressful and awkward pause during a time in the semester when the last thing we need or want is a break.
We are almost through the tunnel, we can see the light, but we know the heaviest load is yet to come before we can close the book on this chapter of our lives. Finals week is coming, who honestly thinks a break right now, even just for two days, is a good idea? It just isn’t.
