Winter Break for Keene State College students began on Dec. 12, 2014 and continued through Jan. 20, 2015 — meaning KSC students were on break for nearly six weeks.
Besides the initial excitement some students experienced over their prolonged absence in the classroom, students like Alexandra Lague, a KSC junior, have found that although there are many advantages to having a six week break, it can come at a slight cost.
“It’s definitely beneficial to have some time to relax after working hard all semester,” Lague said.
“I just know from personal experience I sometimes have a hard time adjusting back to being in school — almost like how I feel when I return from summer vacation. It can take me a little bit to get back into the swing of things because I’m still in the mindset that I don’t have classes or much responsibility and I get comfortable with that feeling. Coming back from winter break, my work ethic is at a lazy low,” Lague continued.
Samantha Kalanta, a KSC junior, agreed with Lague that returning to the classroom can be an adjustment, however, Kalanta said she believes that it is a small price to pay for having a winter break that is six weeks long.
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“It does take a day or two for me to become re-adjusted, but I think that having six weeks is beneficial for students because it gives them the opportunity to get away from school, the work they have, and the stresses that come along with it. It also gives students a chance to work more hours and make more money in order to pay for their education and the other various expenses they may have,” Kalanta said.
Austin Perodeau, KSC junior, said although returning to classes and continuing with strong study habits from the previous semester can be difficult after having so much time off, winter break allows students to re-focus and clear their heads for the start of the spring semester.
“It may seem to be a drawn out span of time but it is more beneficial than not,” Perodeau said.
Benjamin Neary, KSC junior, concurred with Perodeau and stated that the KSC professors help with the adjustment.
“Being back in the classroom does feel strange in the beginning, but not enough to be detrimental in my abilities of taking care of the work I have or anything like that. Professors usually do a pretty good job of easing students into the subject matter because they know students need time to adjust so it all kind of balances out,” Neary said.
Neary said an improvement in work ethic can be seen in some students after the initial adjustment period because they are more inclined to be excited about the start of a new semester.
“Having a long break actually makes my work ethic increase because I feel like I haven’t done anything academic in awhile so I’m not sick of it yet. If students don’t have enough time to relax and are forced into getting right back into academics, I think we’d burn out really quickly. As much as college is a great time, it’s also definitely a stressful time, and if I don’t have a sufficient break I know my head wouldn’t be in the right place when I start my new classes. Starting this semester I feel more refreshed and I have a positive mindset heading into school,” Neary said.
Perodeau said, “My parents and some of my family members find my break to be unnecessarily long, but I think if they were in my shoes- or any students’ shoes for that matter- critics of our six week break would really understand why it’s beneficial to our education.”
Amanda Lashua can be contacted at alashua@keene-equinox.com
