Break Me Off a Piece of Spring Break

The stress of midterm exams, more cold weather and the monotony of our schedules have nearly every person on campus counting down the days left until classes recess for Spring Break (It is eight, by the way). Whether you’re plans include traveling to sunny Florida, getting some on-the-job work experience or just hanging out here in Hamilton, the time out of classes will be welcomed.

As I sit cooped up in the Coop completing a homework assignment, I’m getting weary despite the fact that it isn’t that late. The problem is that we’re already into the sixth week of the semester, and all the long paper writing, textbook annotating and free response testing has caught up with me. I’m not overwhelmed, but I’m ready for a vacation. Thankfully, someone had the foresight to create spring break. Not only does the break split our second semester in half, but it also gives us something to look forward to. As the snow continues to accumulate in central New York, many students’ minds wander to the southern shores complete with sun, fun, and partying with college undergraduates from all over America.

The term, Spring Break, conjures up many images from lazy days lounging around the house to Cancun beach parties that resemble a Girls Gone Wild video. College students often get a bad rep for their loud, rowdy Spring Breaks, but they claim to be blowing off some much needed steam. While I definitely agree that some parties get out of control, I’m beginning to see Spring Break as a necessity. Without the occasional time off from studying, problem sets and attending lectures, the possibility of burning out is more than realistic. Hopefully, we can return from Spring Break rested enough to focus our attention on our classes. I really do think students retain more information and are more productive when they are able to split up a long stretch of classes with an extended break.

The holiday is more that just an academic one. A full week away from classes is enough time to clear our heads and catch up on our lost sleep. It also provides a chance to revitalize our minds and spirits. As much fun as college can be, it is also riddled with challenges and disappointments. Along with the workload, come the complicated relationships, roommate issues and the uncertainty of what your future will hold outside of the bubble that is Colgate. This is especially true for seniors who are getting ready to leave behind the security of Hamilton and all the people they’ve met here. For them, Spring Break also offers a final opportunity to be together without the pressure of classes, which isn’t as trivial as it sounds. Not everything is about schoolwork. Life is about having a little fun too.

Even for underclassmen, Spring Break is a unique, almost once in a lifetime opportunity. Though we’re all adults by definition, we still haven’t entered the real world or its responsibilities. Someday we’ll have to get real jobs and the idea of taking a week off in March to pursue interests other than work will be nonexistent. While we’re still young and carefree, we should utilize spring break. So many opportunities are available to us now. We can either lend a hand to service projects like Habitat for Humanity on an Alternative Spring Break trip, or just travel somewhere with friends and have a good time building stronger relationships with people and getting exposed to new experiences and ideas.