As Christmas approaches, I know many students including myself are counting down the days before break. I love Christmas break because I get to spend time with my friends and family during the holiday season. Ice skating with friends and having Christmas Eve dinner with my family is something I always look forward to during the holidays.
Though it can be stressful since finals are right after, the break still allows students to unwind from all the stress of school during this great time of year. The break is long and I like to get away from the school environment, which can be stressful sometimes. But as the break approaches, I’ve begun to wonder, is the break too long or too short?
This year, Christmas break is exactly two weeks, or 14 days long. This is a bit longer than last year. I believe that there are many benefits to having a longer Christmas break. The longer break gives students time to enjoy the Christmas season, spend time with friends and family, or go on vacation without needing to miss school. It also allows students to get some studying in before finals week without needing to worry about being assigned more work. I think this is also a positive for teachers because they get time to either catch up on grading or relieve stress before finals week.
While there are benefits to having a longer Christmas break, there are also downsides. The longer break allows students to forget about what they’ve been learning in school right before finals week. With finals being right after Christmas break, this gives students the choice to either study during Christmas break and lose time with friends and family, or cram study right after break to prepare for a stressful finals week. Unless you don’t study for finals at all, either way, there is additional stress added when it comes to whether or not you should be studying over break.
If anything, I think most people will say that Christmas break is either too long or that it is just the right amount of time. I think two weeks is the best because I think one week would be too short, and I also wouldn’t like it if it was a week and a half. If you can find a happy medium when it comes to enjoying Christmas and studying, then a two-week break will allow the BSM community to still enjoy Christmas while preparing for finals.