Whether one’s plans are to travel home to their family, take a leisurely trip, catch up on school work or simply sleep, the week-long recess is a dire necessity for students at the midway point of the first semester at Villanova.
As the previous week was filled with hours of studying, mountains of homework and dreaded exams, Fall Break was a breath of fresh air for students around campus. This year’s break began on Friday, Oct. 6 after students’ classes ended. The following Monday, Oct. 16 classes finally resumed and students were immediately thrown back into their daily school routines.
Fortunately, Villanova is one of a very select number of universities in the Northeast that offer a full week off. Most universities limit their students to only a few days, however Villanova values the need for students to take a break after the majority of midterms come to a wrap.
Depending on their plans, students spend their time off doing a variety of things. For freshman Zara Black, she took the opportunity to visit home friends who attend different universities around the country.
“I visited my friend at UC Boulder and spent the weekend with her, watched the football game and got a tour around Boulder,” Black said. “It was super nice seeing her after being apart for almost two months.”
Adjusting to college life is a challenge in general and the separation is not easy, especially leaving friends behind at home or separating to different schools. This break allows students, like Black, to reconnect with friends from home.
Maybe you took a different route for your week off, like Senior Erin Fitzsimmons. One of the most known activities on campus for the majority of the senior class was the trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.
“My favorite Fall Break would be this year’s trip, hands down,” Fitzsimmons said. “The last four years at ‘Novam I have heard stories from older friends about how much fun their Vegas trips have been, and I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”
The trip is planned through a company every year that sends it to different organizations on campus, including fraternities and sororities. Fitzsimmons said this was a memorable time and a perfect way to spend their last fall break, especially since they will be graduating in seven short months.
While some students filled their break with traveling or vacationing with friends or family, others stayed on campus for the entirety of break. Villanovans were given the option to stay on campus, and for athletes, this was a requirement.
“Campus without any students was very different and a little depressing not seeing too many people around,” freshman soccer player Marcello Mazzola said.
For the soccer team, specifically, since they are currently in season, they only had a few nights off. Mazzola added that the vacancy on campus left it quiet and actually relaxing, especially without the workload.
“The practices and games only took up a short amount of the day so it gave us something to do,” Mazzola said. “Without the school work too, it was a lot easier to manage and it was more enjoyable.”
For the freshman at Villanova, Fall Break is a brand new addition to their college experience.
Black mentioned it was a readjustment simply coming back onto campus last Sunday.
“It’s definitely weird being back on campus after spending the week at home seeing all my friends and family,” she said.
Like many others, it was hard to get thrown back into the swing of things after being off for a long stretch. However, most midterm exams are over, the fall weather is settling in and Halloween is right around the corner.
“It’s always super fun to see friends and come back together again,” Black said.
No matter the route Villanovans took during their days off, we are all back together on campus and are looking forward to our next break for Thanksgiving.
