Views On Vassar |More frequent, shorter breaks in year would be beneficial

Tendai Musakwa Opinions Editor

Ovid, the ancient Roman classical poet, once advised in one of his poems, “Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” It is for this exact reason— rejuvenating ourselves so that we can gain more from our academic and extracurricular activities—that the College has breaks in the school year. While most people would agree that breaks are needed, the question remains: is it more useful to have longer spring and winter breaks as we currently do, or would it be more practical to have shorter breaks interspersed throughout the semester? I contend that having shorter breaks is more practical for college students. Shorter breaks allow students to re-invigorate themselves on a regular basis and makes it possible for them to focus on academics during their breaks. This would give them more time to concentrate on their program of study.

Most students would agree that breaks within the school year are necessary. Having these breaks affords students the opportunity to get off campus, visit family and friends, and have some time to dedicate to themselves. However, the length of these breaks is a contentious issue. Is it really useful for the College to have a four-week winter break from Dec. 22-Jan. 25? I would think not. It would be more useful to have a three-week winter break and a one-week spring break, and then incorporate the three weeks removed from that period into the fall and semester as ten long weekends (Thursday to Monday). Students would then be able to use this time to catch up on their school work and de-stress—something that all members of the Vassar community need to do more often.

The break system which is currently in place does not benefit students as much as shorter breaks would. By having only the October and spring breaks in the middle of the semester and having a long winter break, the College affords students no other times to revitalize themselves within the semester. Students thus have a six-week period of intense work with no breaks until October. Then they have a week-long break when they are supposed to rest, but are bombarded with midterm exams as soon as they come from the break, so the break has to be used for study. Another two-month period of intense work then ensues, followed by an extremely long four-week holiday in which students cast away all thoughts of school work—something which is not necessarily beneficial. By having the proposed four-day breaks throughout the semester, the College would be giving students time to relax and catch up on their school work at the same time, as opposed to a long break during which students do not do any school work at all.

There is, naturally, the argument that a shorter winter break would reduce the time that students would be able to spend with their families. However, having shorter breaks would enable students to visit their families more often throughout the school year as opposed to just one long visit which might quickly become unexciting, especially if it goes on for the extended period of four weeks. Having a number of long weekends would also enable students to travel home for family gatherings and activities, which usually fall on weekends, without worrying about being too tired to attend class the next day or having to take academic leave.

The issue of how to balance the time dedicated to academics and college activities has riddled students and educators since time immemorial. At Vassar, we should consider changing the lengths of our breaks in order to make the process of education more enjoyable and exciting for all. Besides giving students time to relax and focus on themselves, such a set up would ensure that as students become better intellectuals, they also get time to improve their social lives and nurture strong ties with their families.