VSU Spectator Staff 

A few years ago, VSU did not have a dedicated Fall Break; instead, Thanksgiving Break offered students a full week to go home, which, if you included the weekend, was a total of 9 days. Making that 10 for students who did not have Friday classes.  

Now that students get Fall Break, for two days, they believe it is not enough. What is the solution? To add an extra day to Fall Break, giving students Monday-Wednesday off. 

For students who have Friday classes, they will be spending a lot of their time finishing their studies for midterms or getting homework done before the break. 

 The extended Fall Break will allow them to enjoy their weekend and reduce getting burnout from the first half of the semester, as well as prepare for the second half of the semester. 

For students who do not have Friday classes, they could either leave Thursday after class or use their previously work-free day to finish up all their homework and enjoy an extra day to their break. With Wednesday off, students will have a full five days to recharge whether they have Friday class or not. 

And for students who commute, having an extra day makes going home feel more comfortable. 

To make this change possible, VSU would likely need to start the semester a day earlier or extend it by one day. While this will require some logistical changes, the benefits of the student’s well-being will be worthwhile. A longer break would provide all students, regardless of their schedule, a fair opportunity to enjoy their time off. 

You may be wondering. “A ten-day thanksgiving break and no Fall Break sounds better”

The reason students disagree with this is because by the time Thanksgiving break begins and ends, there will be about two weeks until the semester is over. By the time Thanksgiving Break arrives, students will potentially be burned out. By having Fall Break mid-way through the semester, the entire student body will have time to prioritize their mental health and prepare for the remainder of the semester.