By: Bianca Pando, staff writer
Would you as a student rather have many three day weekends or have a long break for a week? While many would think about these questions as having a simple answer, there are a few points that they should keep in mind. For starters, it is a common fact that many students always find it harder to come back to school after a long week away. But, at the same time, at least the week was spent enjoying time away with family. Then again, could that have just taken place in the span of a three day weekend?
Students within San Mateo County get two long breaks per school year, known as the Winter recess and the Spring. This leads to the only other days off of school being longer weekends, which are more common throughout the school year. But, should the school take out some long weekends for maybe one more long break?
Although spending time away from school sounds like fun, coming back to it is a very different story. Because of the starting habit of staying at home, coming right back to school after maybe a vacation becomes harder. The impact of being hit with homework right after a whole week away hits like a brick. Yet, can the same be said for long weekends?
When hearing that the school week will be cut by a day, students are more likely to be motivated to finish the week as soon as possible. Because of this energy, they tend to be more awake during class. The excitement pushes them to focus a little more, because in a few days, Friday or Monday will be off. That means an early start for the weekend.
Having this free day comes as a stress reliever to many because this can either be used as a well deserved mental break day, self-care day, or for others, a day to catch-up on work, and spend the other 2 days resting away. However they chose to use it, it comes as a pleasant treat.
The same could be said for Winter and Spring break. A whole week off makes everyone excited, planning what they will be doing with all of their new found freetime. And who could blame them? It starts to feel like summer break all over again.
But, the difference comes when students have to go back to school. Compared to longer weekends, week breaks make it a disappointment to come back to school because now you have spent too much time away from your reality. It;s painful to say that this is the time where most students don’t find school enjoyable, because they do every other day of course.
While long breaks make the vacation plans out alive and in action, longer weekends allow for balance between mental breaks, but not getting used to the pattern of doing nothing. That extra day serves enough for the original weekend to be fun, having plans back to back. Then, you realize you have to get ready to get back to school, and the pattern repeats.
One could see the case that long breaks serve a purpose of a long vacation, whether it be overseas, or a long drive. With this, a student doesn’t have to worry about missing school or falling behind on homework. And even though that sounds really good, many studies prove that three day weekends improve one’s motivation more than before, to either do better in school, or to finish everything and have family time on the weekends. Overall, the benefits of having more long weekends outweigh the few long seasonal breaks.
