After returning from a nice five-day weekend, otherwise known as Thanksgiving Recess, many SRU students are left wanting more. In the fall, the university’s break schedule is a little wonky, to say the least.
With a two-day fall break, a one-day break for Labor day, and then another three-day break for the Thanksgiving holiday, it is hard to have a solid chunk of time to relax with so many little breaks given here or there.
Unlike the spring semester, where students are given a solid week right in the middle of the semester to relax, the fall can often seem hectic.
We think that the university should consider making Thanksgiving Recess a week long, and avoid all of the other little holidays students are given, as it doesn’t really provide much more time for relaxation and recuperation from a stressful semester and heavy course loads.
In fact, many students would rather not go home for such short breaks. If the university gives students a three day weekend, and students need one travel day to get home, and another travel day to get back, where has the weekend gone?
Unfortunately, students living in the residence halls are required to leave for both fall and thanksgiving breaks unless special arrangements are made (arrangements which often involve paying more money).
While this is an inconvenience to some, most end up traveling to their respective homes, even if there time spent there is short-lived.
But the break schedule during fall isn’t the only that leaves students feeling puzzled.
As of last winter, the break between the fall semester and spring semester was extended to six weeks in length.
After they ring in the New Year, most students find themselves bored out of their ever-loving minds for the entire month they have to wait to go back to school.
While we realize this is because of SRU’s winter sessions, it is an annoyance to the majority of students. Especially when most other universities (outside the PASSHE system) return to school in the beginning of the month of January.
Winter session is obviously a great opportunity to catch up on classes, but it isn’t always the most affordable option for students with the generic financial aid package that is offered in the winter and in the summer.
If the fall and spring is when the majority of students are on campus, why not cater to their needs and put the two semesters a little closer together to make it more convenient to the students?
We as a staff think that the university needs to reevaluate their break schedule to cater more towards the majority of students, not towards winter and summer sessions.
