As humans, we need breaks in our lives. Whether it be a break from school, work or even from people, we need a break in order to stay mentally stable and “recharge” ourselves. A break consists of pulling yourself away from the things and activities that you normally do to relax and open your mind up to simply just focusing on yourself. 

Without taking breaks, we can’t be successful in our goals and careers, as a break allows us to grow and be more productive while increasing our energy levels and ability to focus. Throughout the eight months in which students study hard, focus on their classes and focus on their futures, we become burnt out at times and are in need of a break. That is why each semester, students look forward to the two big breaks of the academic school year: winter and spring. 

Which break is more effective? Both of these breaks give students an opportunity to recharge and come back to finish the semester off strong or to start the next semester. However, due to the length (about a month) and holidays that are present during the winter break, winter break is more effective at allowing students to have a mental reset from the Fall semester stress. 

To begin, winter break begins at the end of December. Students go home after finishing their final exams from the Fall semester. At the end of the semester, in December, students’ families may celebrate holidays such as Hanukkah and Christmas, in which both holidays consist of families coming together, where all individuals are present and spending time with one another. Holidays are a very special time for all families. Not only may families celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, but they are also able to celebrate the New Year during winter break. Last winter break, I went to the gym, worked on myself and spent time with my family. Personally, I believe winter break is more relaxing for students, as students have much more time to reflect on the semester and recharge for the next semester. 

When students come back in the spring, it is a new year, which symbolizes new beginnings. Overall, I think winter break is more relaxing for students, as they can take much more time to focus on what they need to work on while being able to spend time with their families. On the other hand, spring break occurs in mid-March and lasts just over one week. This year during my spring break, I traveled outside of the country with lots of friends and relaxed in a tropical location. 

Even though I intended to relax on this five-day vacation, I felt as though I did the exact opposite. In all honesty, after this year’s spring break, I felt like I needed another break afterward to recover from all the stress. 

Most of us come home extremely sick and tired from spring break, which does not allow us to be successful in finishing the rest of the spring semester. As this is my opinion, many may still believe being in a tropical atmosphere with your friends is most definitely a break. However, for me, this is not a time when I am able to mentally reset and relax. Without any holidays present during spring break, we are most likely not coming together with our families, which is very unfortunate, as holidays allow us to see the importance of life and spend time with the people who will always be there for us. Because as we know, friends may come and go, but our family is forever, and mentally, it is always good to spend some quality time with your “forever” people. 

Winter break symbolizes everything new. A new year, a new semester and a new you. Whatever went wrong in the first semester, you can change and be the best student you know you can be during the second semester. During this time, students can set new goals, rest up, get a job and find new ways to keep their bodies healthy. When returning to campus after this long break, it feels so good to see your friends and finally get back into a routine that sustains your goals. 

Like I said in the beginning, a break is when we pull away from activities we normally partake in. During spring break, we are most likely partying and spending time with friends, which is what we do every weekend when we are at school. Winter break allows us to partake in new activities, ones that will better our own well-being and mental state. Even though winter break may be more effective, both breaks give everyone an opportunity to forget about what is going on at school and start fresh when they come back to begin or finish off the semester.

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