I believe that students in college should not have big assignments due right after breaks. Being a college student myself, whenever I am on a week-long break, my mind is not on school. Instead, it is on my family and resting. Whenever there is a paper or exam that needs to be done the day after the break, it creates two problems.
One, it takes a while for me to get into the mood to do homework during a break. Second, it makes what should be one of the most relaxing times of the year an overly stressful week. When I am hit with these deadlines right after breaks, I am stuck between my lack of motivation for work and my stress levels increasing during breaks
According to Healthline.com, research shows that 70 percent of students say that they are constantly stressed with schoolwork. Fall break or Thanksgiving break could be the perfect time to relax, but many students may have a big project due when they get back. These assignments make the break barely feel like a break.
I understand why professors put these deadlines after a break. I understand that they just want us to stay focused on our material. Too much time off could make us forget a few things we learned in school. However, when students have to complete an eight-page essay, they will feel pressure during a time that they should instead be able to relax. According to Julia Angley of the John Hopkins Newsletter, there were no administrative restrictions with assignments over breaks at Hopkins University. Angley found that many students at Hopkins said that their breaks did not feel restful. As a senior at Spring Hill College with big assignments due after this Thanksgiving break, I share their sentiments as there is no ban on assignments over breaks here at SHC.
In Spring of 2021, SHC students will have “rest days” instead of long breaks. There is one rest day per month where there are no classes on a weekday. The problem is that students still have homework to do or tests to study for and these rest days will only feel more like catch-up days, not breaks.
College students need proper breaks so they can relax instead of stressing about a test or paper. They need more than a single day of no classes. Every student should have a solid vacation from their classes that will allow them to enjoy themselves instead of feeling overwhelmed.