In this year’s new schedule, STAC 3 is split by winter break, turning the year into something even more unlike the norm. STAC 3 began on December third, and ends January twentieth, with break falling between the twenty-third of December and the fourth of January. Usually, we would finish final assessments the week leading up to break, and then head home for the holidays with nothing school-related to stress over. However, this year’s decision to place a break in the middle of a STAC has effectively turned it into two even shorter ones. While that may sound pleasant it has left some, including me, reeling.
Even though teachers were instructed to give no homework over break, and most did not, there was still a sense of pressure to remember everything learned so far. The long break from not having to do any schoolwork left me anxious as to if I would remember the material once we returned. I was also worried that it would leave everyone scrambling to pick up where we left off.With classes online and many of us having not seen our friends in person for about ten months, it would have been nice to have break at the regular time.
This year, instead of taking time off from school, I found myself planning out projects for classes, brainstorming ideas, and even doing math to keep my grades from plummeting. In the past, we would usually end the semester before break, allowing us to take the time off with a sense of completion and satisfaction. However, as the semester is continuing after break this year, no one is getting that sense of finality. Not to mention, New Years are always during Winter Break, and with that holiday comes a chance for new beginnings. Unfortunately, instead of starting a new semester and classes this new year, we have the backdraft of the same classes carrying through.
In conclusion, although having winter break is always a nice respite, it would have been better to put it at the end of a STAC. Nevertheless, I am excited to return back to campus for classes soon.
Photo courtesy of Sonny Tang ’22 | Photo Editor at The Centipede