With the midpoint of the semester quickly approaching, midterm exams are in full swing, and schoolwork is continuing to pile up. Throughout the busy couple of weeks leading up to fall break, many students feel overwhelmed while trying to balance homework, studying for exams, extracurricular activities and spending enough time with friends. I am sure most students can agree upon the fact that some form of break is necessary following the hectic weeks of the mid-semester, but the question remains: Do we really need an entire week of fall break to recharge after a bustling few weeks? 

For freshmen who are experiencing homesickness, fall break can serve as a time for students to reconnect with their families, as the familiarity of home can be comforting during the transition to college. 

“A week of fall break is especially important for freshmen since they are adjusting to college for the first time,” freshman Carly Newbold said. “After being in an unfamiliar environment for over a month, it’s good to go home and spend time with family.” 

As a freshman myself, I believe that having a week-long visit with family is much-needed after being away from home for about seven weeks. Many freshmen miss their families and are thankful to be able to have a long visit with them without going home for a random weekend of the semester. After having some time to rest in the comfortable environment of home, I feel that I will be ready to tackle the remainder of the semester while being away from family and friends. 

Fall break is absolutely necessary since students need time to recharge their batteries with a week of no schoolwork. My schedule is jam-packed the week leading up to our time off, and I am thrilled that we get an entire week to rest and not have to focus on schoolwork. 

Freshman Marina Saad offered her opinion on the length of fall break and whether it is necessary to have at all. 

“I do think we need a week of fall break to reset after the first half of the semester, and I think taking some time off will motivate us to refocus on schoolwork for the end of the semester,” Saad said. 

By having fall break placed at the midpoint of the semester, students will feel accomplished that they have made it to the halfway point and will utilize the time off to motivate themselves to finish strong for the second half. 

However, it is important to note that many schools across the country do not have any sort of fall break in place for students, and the first opportunity that students get to return home occurs at Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for Villanova students, this means that many of their friends from home will still be at school, and they may begin to feel bored while stuck at home by themselves. 

Senior Austin Koehler brought up a good point regarding the annoyance of making traveling plans for students who live far away.

“I don’t think we should have a fall break,” he said. “I would rather get everything done all in one, continuous flow of a semester and then have a longer winter break after. That way, students only have to fly home once for the semester, and then they can have a long break where they do not have to worry about studying or homework.” 

Although flights are expensive, and it can be an inconvenience to book multiple times throughout the semester, most students will be thankful for this time off to have the option to go home if they choose. Thankfully, students have the option to apply for fall break housing if necessary, but the time to rest and recharge is appreciated, whether it be at home or on campus. 

A full week of fall break is absolutely needed for students to reset following the stress of midterms and schoolwork of the first half of the semester. Many students utilize this time to focus on things besides academics and spend time with family, which is especially important for freshmen. To be ready to focus on the second half of the semester, a week-long break is absolutely essential. I am definitely looking forward to this much-needed time off, and I know that many of my peers are as well.