Lack of Spring Break Wreaks Havoc on Many students: Should Spring Break Have Been Redistributed?

If this were a normal year, we would have had spring break. Instead of cutting the semester short like fall semester, Union College administration made the decision to insert break days throughout the week (with minimal long weekends) so that the school year would end on time. This meant that there would not be a long break for students to leave campus and potentially contract COVID-19 and bring it back to campus. 

On paper this looks like a great idea, but how has it actually turned out? From a small survey, it appears to have had a negative impact on students' mental health. They have expressed feeling “overworked and like I never have time to just recharge or refresh.” And one student, Shelby, put it, “I’m super burnt out, and my depression and anxiety have definitely gotten worse. My physical health has also been affected by the extra stress.” 

A junior commented, “I have never cared less about my classes than any other semester.” A biomedical science major who has not formerly struggled with depression reported feeling “waves here and there [of depression] this semester and it really disturbs me.” I have heard more than one student and even one professor saying that it feels like there is never a day off, as the single days are used to catch up on studying or other work, and that does not leave a day to relax. Over half of students who responded reported skipping classes they would not have normally skipped, just to get a break. 

While many students have been able to still perform at a consistent level in classes, the lack of a consecutive break has negatively affected the grades of some students and the way they are feeling about  the work they are putting in. The goal was to reduce travel and thus prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Did cutting spring break accomplish that? It is hard to say for sure, but watching my Instagram feed, students are still traveling, so it has not eliminated that. If anything, it has prevented students from colleges and universities across the country massing in huge numbers as seen in Florida last year. This may have been beneficial, but could have also been accomplished by staggering our break at a different time from other major schools. While I believe Union tried to make the best decision at the time, there have been unintended consequences in changing spring break that should be addressed. 

Union has recently made a new mental health professional available for students. If you are feeling negative mental health effects from this school year you can make an appointment with one of them at https://ucpersonalcounseling.as.me/schedule.php.

Jade Covel is a senior

religion major from

Topeka, Kan.