There are many things I look forward to when a new school year starts, including reconnecting with old friends, attending fun school events and spring break.
Spring break has gained a bad reputation thanks to shows like MTV’s spring break specials. College students are usually depicted getting drunk, going crazy and throwing all morals out the window. But that’s certainly not the case in real life. My ideal spring break would consist of sleeping in, relaxing at the beach and rejoicing over the idea that I won’t have a single assignment due for one full week.
Although I understand why a lot of people may argue that spring break is a huge waste of time, and that college students should spend their time studying, many people don’t realize the large amount of stress students are under. Today’s college students have more to focus on than just school. Some students are working multiple jobs to help pay for tuition, while others are athletes who spend the majority of their day practicing and are required to meet a certain GPA. Some are single parents who take care of their children during the day and go to school at night. Demanding schedules leave almost no time for any type of relaxation, let alone well-rested nights of sleep. Spring break gives students a chance to unwind, without having to worry about their studious lifestyles.
Not only is the break beneficial for students; professors benefit just as much. When you think of the terms “school” and “studying,” it’s easily to correlate them with students, but college professors work just as much, if not more than students. Professors utilize their time over spring break by catching up on work they’ve been too busy to tackle. Grading papers, writing lectures and finding new material to cover in class are just a few ways to ensure smooth sailing throughout the rest of the semester.
While spring break can occur anytime between the months of March and April, many people take this time off not only for relaxing reasons, but for religious reasons. Easter, Passover, Lent and many other culturally sacred holidays are usually around the same time as spring break. So as much as people would like to think college students are partying in Cancun, some are with their families celebrating a holiday, or utilizing their sacred time by volunteering around the community. Each spring break, NSU’s Student Leadership and Civic Engagement office, located on the second floor of the Rosenthal Student Center, hosts a service trip during spring break. This year, it’s hosting a trip to New Orleans to help the area recover from hurricane Katrina.
If spending time with family or lending a helping hand isn’t a good enough reason to take a reprieve from school, the fact that it’s completely natural to feel lazy during the spring semester should be taken into consideration. Because the spring semester is so close to the end of the school year, some students tend to lose the hard work ethic they had in the fall semester. This is especially true of seniors. Senioritis is tough to beat during the final months of college, and sometimes the only motivating force, if graduation isn’t enough, is spring break. Having a break helps cure a lackadaisical attitude by providing a well-needed week of relaxation. So when you come back, feelings of rejuvenation surface and you’re be ready to knock this semester out of the ballpark.
Spring break is the holy grail of vacations for college students. Whether it’s relaxing at the beach, hanging with friends, or spending quality time with family, it’s a well-deserved break which everyone can benefit from.
Spring semester just wouldn’t be spring semester without spring break.
