This week, many schools are on Spring Break. Traditionally, Spring Break used to be called Easter Vacation, and it occurred closer to the Easter holiday – either the week before or the week after Easter. But the date of the Easter holiday varies from year to year, so in recent years Spring Break was moved to a more permanent place in the school calendar: generally, the third or fourth week of March, making it more or less coincide with the middle of the spring semester.
So, one of the chief functions of Spring Break is to give both students and teachers a short rest before they head into the last half of the semester. Some take the opportunity to go on a vacation and get out of town for a few days. Others like just being able to stay around the house and sleep in, especially since they might have had several exams the week before. Some high school students might use Spring Break to check out a few colleges that they’re considering attending. Still others might combine education with relaxation and make it Spring Break a family field trip: one year we went to Springfield, Illinois to learn about Abraham Lincoln and visit his home, as well as learn some things about the American Civil War. Older students, like college students, frequently use Spring Break as an excuse to go someplace sunny and warm, like Florida, and have fun with other college friends. Graduate students might have to spend their entire Spring Break in the library, studying for comprehensive examinations, or qualifier exams – I’ve done that, too!
Regardless of what one chooses to do, Spring Break gives everyone a chance to “recharge their batteries,” so to speak, and prepare themselves for the remainder of the semester. But whether you are a student on Spring Break, or a working person, I hope that you enjoy the nice spring weather that is starting to arrive after a long winter!