Just imagine, you’re sitting on the couch, hot cocoa in hand, watching “Elf”. Life is good. Then, you hear a ring erupt from your phone. You expect a joyous holiday text from a friend or family member, but as soon as you glance at the notification, the happiness fades from your eyes…

“Geometry CP posted a midterm review packet”

Winter break is ruined. The time filled with holidays and relaxation has been corrupted.

Winter break is no longer a time for rest and fun, but, a time for more school work and worry.

Midterms are a mere week and a half from when school starts back up after break. 13 days is not a sufficient amount of time to study for tests that cover a whole semester of information.  Students have a higher chance of forgetting the information after a week and a half of not learning or reviewing. Not to mention, many students spend their breaks out of state and are not back as soon as school begins again. This leaves them trying to make up their absent work, while also trying to prepare for the tests that are 20 percent of their grade.

Many schools in Michigan, such as University of Detroit Jesuit, have midterms prior to break. This leaves the students feeling relieved and relaxed because they have already taken these stressful tests and now have optimal time to do nothing but relax. As for South, does the school expect students to prepare over break? Studying and completing school work defeats the purpose of having a break.

School consumes students, we go for eight hours a day and then go home and do homework for the rest of the night. Holiday breaks are our one chance to actually relax and get out minds off school. How are we supposed to enjoy our time away from school, when midterms are on the clock?

While I’m sitting on the beach, getting some sun, drinking a Piña Colada, and watching the waves with my family, the last thing I want to do is pull out my backpack and start working on a review packet, and I won’t. I do not wish to spend my vacation thinking about school.

So, I hold up my (virgin) Piña Colada and say, “Here’s to winter break– the break filled with trying to have fun, but in reality, just worrying about school.”