Faculty, students would benefit from fall break
(Last updated: 11/17/09 7:20pm)It’s an old rivalry. We have a facility for rare isotope beams, they have a library nicknamed “the Ugly.” We have a majestic 9-foot tall statue of Sparty, and they have some pavement tile you can’t step on or you’ll fail your first blue book. Green and White beat Maize and Blue — for the last two years. Don’t even start quoting overall statistics; Paul is here and he likes us better.
But simply because MSU and the University of Michigan have a history of spirited competition doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can gain from each other. We won’t even begin to go into what U-M can learn because this paper only is 10 pages long, but something MSU can take from them is the concept of a fall break.
Spring semester gives students a week-long spring break. Shouldn’t fall semester have an equal amount of time off?
The simplicity of a fall break’s benefits shouldn’t overshadow its importance. A mini-vacation gives students a chance to recharge and relax away from the stress and rush of campus life. The results can be anything from improved mood to improved grades.
The negative effects of stress shouldn’t be underestimated, either. Olin Health Center studies show that 34 percent of MSU students find stress has a significant effect on their academic performance, and 80 percent of MSU students say they experience stress. Heart disease, obesity, digestive problems, sleep problems and depression all have been linked to stress. Giving students and faculty a few days off to play catch-up allows a metaphorical reset button to be pressed.
Giving an extended break also allows students who live farther away a chance to return home. If someone lives 10 hours away in St. Paul, Minn., and their last class Friday is done at 4 p.m., they will arrive home at 2 a.m. Saturday morning. They get one day at home, and then need to leave at noon Sunday for another 10-hour stretch to make it back to East Lansing by Sunday night. They will spend almost as many hours in the car as they spend at home. Add family to see, high school friends to catch up with and homework to do, and a weekend home goes from a relaxing getaway to a packed and overwhelming experience.
The beginning of the school year in late August and Thanksgiving in November are three months away. It’s a long time to go without seeing your family, and being apart from home, especially for the 7,200 freshmen — 700 of whom are from out of state. A few extra days tacked on to a weekend would give out-of-state students — as well as students in the Upper Peninsula — ample time to spend at home without having to worry about long travel time interfering.
MSU’s administration has considered a fall break several times before. But considering isn’t enough. Rearranging the schedule to accommodate extra days off is not an issue that should be surrounded by controversy and stuck to red tape. It is fairly straightforward and would put the board in a favorable light.
Yes, not having a fall break is doable. But why should we settle for the student section in Spartan Stadium if someone gives us tickets at the 50-yard line?
To put it simply: A fall break would be nice. The benefits are not semester-changing, but they are there. MSU should try to make it happen for next year. Administrators can consider it our reimbursement for a shortened Welcome Week.
Originally Published: 11/17/09 7:20pm
heisman26
11/17/09 10:56pmI agree completely… I actually sent an e-mail to the State News in hopes they could run an article similar to this and infuence the University’s opinion. As someone living only an hour away, it isn’t difficult to make it home for a weekend, but my friends who do come from out of state find it overwhelming to be almost ‘locked in’ for an entire semester. A fall break could be an incentive for more out of state students to come here which could benefit the University greatly (more tuition $, diverse population, etc. ). I think shortening even by a small amount our December break, which is too long as it is, and having a Fall Break would be a great idea i hope the university listens to.
student
11/17/09 11:35pmI believe this is the only reasonable petition the student body has regarding academic/administrative changes. A fall break really helps students catch up and relax. Also, during this break the University would close so no additional money would be spent in wages and overhead.
They should analyze this.
student2
11/18/09 12:09amTHANK YOU
Finally, something that isn’t idiotic like the 12 articles over a weeks period on how we should not have class on Friday.
I would also like a week or EVEN 2-3 days off before finals. Class finishes Friday and finals are Monday…
No, lets have a 30 day vacation in between semesters rolls eyes
Umich Squanders Fall Break
11/18/09 12:52amRead the name, talk to the students. Many if not most professors in AA schedule exams before the break, squandering it and pushing back graduation to very close to Christmas.
John
11/18/09 8:17amI can’t agree with you more. To further your argument, and to amend your data, it should be noted that stress is the NUMBER 1 reported negative influence on MSU students’ academic performance. It is also a high contributor to negative faculty and staff health issues. However, it is important to acknowledge that it is not just a matter of bureaucratic red tape. There are serious logistical issues to be worked out, particularly around teaching and research. Bottom line however is that is makes sense, and it can be worked out, IF those in charge WANT it to be worked out.
Real World
11/18/09 9:49amDidn’t students who come from out-of-state, or in-state locations that make driving home for a weekend difficult, realize that they may not get to go home for long periods of time when they decided to come to MSU? Give me a break and grow up. Welcome to the real world.
anonymous
11/18/09 12:44pmWhen you get out of college, you will find that you may only have a few days vacation in an entire year. I know that’s all I have – not even a full week. If you cannot even handle the stress of the school year the way it is, how do you expect to handle it in a full-time job?
mvt
11/18/09 2:40pmAgree with Real World.
Rather than add a Fall Break, how about eliminating one in the Spring and make summer break longer ?
Besides, are you all still so attached to your mommies and High School buddies that you need to get home again ? Separation anxiety ?
Jason
11/18/09 3:37pmI wonder how decades of MSU grads have possibly graduated with all the stress that apparently requires a week off.
A week off in spring is disruptive enough. You lose your focus and momentum going into the home stretch of the year. Meanwhile, our foreign counterparts are adding days to their scheudle and kicking our asses in the global economy…and you want MORE days off?
Suck it up. Grow up. As the posters mention above, you’re not going to be coddled through stress when you graduate.
GPM
11/18/09 4:28pmNot even a full week vacation? You must have a pretty shitty job or be a workaholic. People who work full time at Meijer or other retailers get two weeks.
Fact Check
11/18/09 5:26pmI love how the State News enjoys blasting ASMSU all the time and then never gives them credit when stealing their ideas. ASMSU has been pushing this idea for a few years now through the amazingly crappy red tape filled process that is the MSU Administration.
Perhaps you’d like to cite that next time as you take a breath between villifing them.
Real World?
11/19/09 7:13amOnly a few days off a year?! Most “real jobs” (as in the ones that are actually worth going to school for) give at least two weeks paid vacation, with an option for an extra few days unpaid leave.
Or, make your own vacation!
11/19/09 7:19amI know it’s terrible, and definitely wouldn’t work in the real world (no matter how cushy my job), but I made my own fall vacations out of Thanksgiving week my first two years here. I read ahead, turned in my homework early, and just skipped the three days of class. I don’t normally skip class, so it never hurt my attendance grade. (I’m a chemical engineer, and I have a 3.72 GPA.)
Depending on how this weekend goes, I’ll be doing it again next week!
Lexi
11/19/09 9:04amI disagree completely. When fall semester starts, you’ve just had all summer off. Also, don’t Thanksgiving and X-mas qualify as a ‘fall break’.
e
11/22/09 4:52pmA week off during fall semester means a week not off at some other point, most likely a shorter break between semesters. I would much prefer a longer break between semesters. For students who are out of state, et cetera, it’s certainly easier to get home for a significant period of time at once during that break than for a week here and a week there.
...As well, I find a break in the middle of classes really doesn’t help that much and is just kind of awkward.
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e
11/22/09 4:52pmA week off during fall semester means a week not off at some other point, most likely a shorter break between semesters. I would much prefer a longer break between semesters. For students who are out of state, et cetera, it’s certainly easier to get home for a significant period of time at once during that break than for a week here and a week there.
...As well, I find a break in the middle of classes really doesn’t help that much and is just kind of awkward.
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MaximumBob
11/23/09 10:44amIf college is so stressful that you need to take a week off in the middle of the fall semester, maybe college isn’t the right choice for you?
Seriously. Been there, done that. The “stress” you will experience at MSU is, with a few exceptions, NOTHING like the stress you will experience upon departure from this institution. The author better toughen up now, before they’re eaten alive when they re-enter society.
As stated by other posters, that week’s gotta come from somewhere. At the end of the year, while you’re making up that week, the students from other institutions will be fighting for the few summer jobs available.