In Favor of Fall Break

Thanksgiving—which falls unusually late this year—is finally around the corner, bringing with it a welcome respite from the semester’s stresses. Although not all students will go home for the holiday, everyone can enjoy a break from classes—as well as the knowledge that the end of the semester is not far off. But Thanksgiving is the first such break in 12 weeks (aside from Columbus Day Weekend), and this year it is followed by only two days of classes before reading period begins. A real fall break earlier in the semester would give students the opportunity to catch their breath and help to alleviate student stress, even if just temporarily.

Harvard’s current academic calendar features a five-week winter break. While this provides plenty of time for rest and relaxation before students return for the spring semester, one of those weeks could instead be used to create a fall break similar to those of Yale and Princeton. This would give students a chance to unwind about halfway through the semester and hopefully provide a clearer framework around which to schedule midterms and other assignments. At the moment, the fall semester’s “midterm season” seems to last from the end of add-drop all the way to reading period. Adding a fall break would give students a welcome respite from this intense period of work.

Having a fall break would also allow students to pursue various activities outside of the classroom, including ones similar to those offered on campus during Wintersession or the many programs (such as the Philips Brooks House Association’s service trips) sponsored during spring break. This could be a fun and productive alternative for all students, and in particular for those for whom it is not feasible to travel home. Between classes and extracurricular commitments, most students are prohibitively busy during the academic year. Adding a fall break would allow students to better avail themselves of opportunities both on and off-campus.

The establishment of a fall break could go a long way in reducing student stress, but here the word “break” is key. Although it is unrealistic to expect that no work be assigned at all, the university and professors alike should strive to let breaks be just that—a relief from academic pressure, rather than reading periods by another name. If at all feasible, ending midterms before the break and keeping assignments due immediately afterward to a minimum could have a positive impact on students’ well-being and allow them to get far more out of their time off.

The university has already done much to change its academic calendar for the better—most notably by moving final exams before winter break in 2008—but there remains room for improvement. A fall break would reduce student stress and enrich the Harvard experience. This is one improvement that Harvard should enact, especially in light of recent administration efforts to alleviate student stress.