Remembering the forgotten art of actually resting on spring break

By: Alex Jones

Posted: 3/3/10

I'm looking forward to Friday because of two words: spring break. But one of those words is infinitely more important than the other.

Break.

This is something both professors and students could bear to keep in mind as their last class on Friday approaches. It's supposed to be a break.

The way I see it, our breaks have been shifting away from a time to rest and take a break from the drudgery of the normal school routine. Instead, they're becoming a time for us to work on all our school projects without class getting in the way.

Sure, that's a break from the normal school routine, but it's not very restful.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone should take huge trips for the week. However, I can't help but feel that a week of relaxation and de-stressing is in order for us at this point.

Having to work on term papers and projects is in no way conducive to relaxation and stress reduction.

I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like being stressed. In fact, haven't medical experts repeatedly stated the negative effects of stress? Stress is in no way a good thing.

We need our break to actually be a break.

Like many college students, I've stayed up late and pulled all-nighters to try and get work done. As it gets later and I'm more mentally taxed from tiredness, I find it harder to get things done. It eventually gets to a point where I just need to go to bed and rest so that I can come back at the assignment with fresh and renewed energy.

Break should serve that purpose for us. Break should allow us to renew ourselves and be better prepared for the rest of the semester.

Break doesn't do that anymore.

Both professors and students are to blame for this. Some professors give us assignments that require the break to work on them. However, some students procrastinate to the point that if they don't work over break, they've got no chance to get a good grade.

As with most problems, this can be solved by us working together to fix it.

Professors can help students out by planning the break into their syllabus in a manner that will allow students to use it as a period of rest. By the same token, students can help themselves by managing their time better and not procrastinating.

I'm no expert, but I think that everyone would be better off if we could just enjoy our off week without having to worry about what's going to happen when we come back.

Let's put the break back into spring break.