Nicole Brown, Marketing Intern
Alex Newby, Marketing Intern
University of Kentucky’s campus near midterms can be
described by one word: stress.
With papers, projects, and sometimes multiple exams a day,
many students find themselves sleep-deprived and exhausted by the middle of the
week. Unlike finals week, classes aren’t cancelled and students are still
responsible for their day to day activities.
This year’s midterm week at UK was October 15th and while it’s already past, the memories are still fresh in the minds of stressed students who worked hard to finish all the exams, papers, and projects that were crammed into that week. Looking back on the unnecessary stress and sleepless nights made us wonder... Wouldn’t it be great to have a break?
This year’s midterm week at UK was October 15th and while it’s already past, the memories are still fresh in the minds of stressed students who worked hard to finish all the exams, papers, and projects that were crammed into that week. Looking back on the unnecessary stress and sleepless nights made us wonder... Wouldn’t it be great to have a break?
Granted, we are coming up on Thanksgiving Break. From
Wednesday, Nov. 21st thru Sunday the 25th, students will
have the chance to go home and spend the holidays with family. But, how great
would it be to have another break? A Fall Break! After talking with people
around campus, we found that students and instructors not only want a fall
break; they need it!
A week off of school near the middle of the semester would
allow students to go home and visit their families. For freshmen, this is
especially important. Being at a new school and adjusting to a new life can be
hard. For students that live out of state or a few hours away, it’s hard to
find the time to sneak home for a few days without missing classes or other
obligations. By the time you spend a few hours driving home on Friday and back
on Sunday, the trip may not have been worth it.
Having a Fall Break would also give everyone a chance to
regroup and relax. Many students on campus aren’t just students. With part-time
jobs, required internships, sports teams, and extra-curriculars, the average
student does much more than just study. During the semester, the pressure of
juggling all of these activities can be stressful. Having a few days off from
school would give students the mini-vacation they need to breathe, re-group, and
re-organize their schedule. As Jonah Lehrer cites in his article, “The
Importance of Vacation,” psychologists studying the effects of vacation on the
minds of undergrads concluded that students are more creative in problem
solving when they’ve been removed from their usual surroundings. Instead of
feeling tired and worn-out from the semester, students would be able to take a
break, refresh, and go into the second half of the semester feeling ready to
tackle finals.
Having a Fall Break would give students the chance to enjoy
the season. Although this may seem or sound trivial, students that are happier
and less stressed in their non-academic life will most likely perform better in
their school and work life. In the fall, there are football games, tailgates,
hayrides, Keeneland and numerous other things to enjoy if you have the time.
Taking a break from school to enjoy social activities will help students feel
like they still have a life outside of classes.
Having a chance to relax would also help students emotionally re-charge. If you’re constantly working and there’s not much free time, it’s easy to get down. According to a 2009 nationwide survey done by the American College Health Association, nearly 30% of college students reported feeling "so depressed that it was difficult to function" at some time in the past year. A Fall Break would be a great and necessary way to help students avoid feeling burnt-out on classes and responsibilities.
Heading into Thanksgiving Break, we’re thankful for the
time-off, yet wish the much needed break had happened sooner. Fall Break would
provide a removal from the usual grind, giving students the opportunity to refresh
their brain and increase their creativity, helping to create a happier,
healthier, more productive student body!
“The Importance of Vacation”:
Depression In College:
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