Before I reached high school, I was always excited for a break from school. That meant no homework, no tests and no stress. I would be able to just relax and enjoy my time off with friends and family, and earn some well deserved sleep.
Unfortunately, that time off seems to be a distant memory of the past.
Over this past Thanksgiving break, I was more than ready to not feel completely swamped with work and anxiousness. However, I felt the complete opposite; I knew that when I returned from break I would have to complete a pre-calc test, a unit test for gov, an A.P.E.S. test, as well as present a Spanish project to my class. Despite the fact that none of these tasks took place on the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving break, it still felt like a daunting task to save studying for all of these evaluations until the last minute.
To combat this, instead of tests being in the same week as when students return from their “relaxing” break, they should be postponed to the following week.
I miss the days when holiday breaks actually felt like a time to decompress and enjoy myself, but now, it just feels like I’m constantly trying to defeat the growing mountain of homework and studying that comes with being a Staples student.
— Katherine Phelps ’25
Maybe this onslaught of work is what I deserve for signing up for rigorous classes, but if a break is supposed to be time off from school work, then that’s exactly what it should be. A break isn’t just a weekend; it’s a time when students shouldn’t have to fixate on school.
With numerous assignments and assessments waiting for me when I returned from break, I made it my mission to study and complete some work during my time off so as to be better prepared. But isn’t that the exact opposite of having a break? Why should students who want to get ahead be punished by sacrificing their break?
According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization, taking time off and a break from school is actually one of the best ways to ensure productivity and maintain energy. Ultimately, this is what prevents students from “burning out,” a characteristic used to describe someone who is feeling completely exhausted with little to no energy.
I miss the days when holiday breaks actually felt like a time to decompress and enjoy myself, but now, it just feels like I’m constantly trying to defeat the growing mountain of homework and studying that comes with being a Staples student.
But if the school mandated that tests be postponed to the week after break, it would give students like me the time they need to study and prepare, as well as the breathing room to take a precious three days off.
