You enter spring break, already tired but determined to catch up with schoolwork and upcoming finals. During the break, you’ve had a lot of fun chatting with friends and slugging days away. But in the blink of an eye, it’s the last Sunday at 11 pm before the end of the break. You think about what you’ve done for the past week – and surprise, it’s nothing! You then slip into a cycle of guilt that depresses you and hurts your work ethic for the next few weeks.
This is a far too common occurrence for many Irvington students in the weeks following their spring break. It begs the question – Is spring break even good for us?
Many are hesitant to criticize spring break because it brings much-needed time for rest and sleep especially since Irvington students have been working since the start of January. “Spring break has shown to be highly beneficial to students’ mental health,” says Dr. Michael Messina, a licensed clinical psychologist. “This week of vacation allows for a much-needed mental decompression from demanding school-related responsibilities.”
While the spring break that Irvington students have right now looks good in theory, numerous factors such as over-the-break school work or nearing finals, can make it almost impossible for students to relax and recharge effectively over the break. Not to mention, there are quite a few negative impacts of spring break that need to be addressed as well.
One of the most notable negative impacts of spring break that many students can relate to is the alteration of sleep cycles. Many students find that they tend to sleep much later in the night and wake up later in the day on breaks due to not having to wake up early for school, which can have detrimental impacts. “Changes in sleep and physical activity during school breaks,” as described in a research paper by professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington Dr. Brian Saelens, and others, “could explain accelerated weight gain and fitness loss during extended breaks from school.”
There are many more unhealthy habits and lifestyle changes that spring break can foster. For example, students may also experience financial strain after developing unhealthy splurging habits. While vacations and spending sprees may allow students to destress, if these habits persist to college, they may hurt student finances. “The average college student spends approximately $1,080 on spring break vacations,” states the Gitnux market data report for 2024. “Approximately 2.25 billion dollars are spent annually by college students in the U.S. on spring break vacations.”
Apart from possible future financial stress, spring break can also pose future health risks, especially in college. “42% of college students reported drinking on every day of their spring break,” states the same Gitnux report. “More than 50% of college students engage in binge drinking during spring break.”
With that being said, the fact that spring break can provide invaluable time for students to recharge from stress cannot be overlooked. Additionally, the timing of the break, especially for Irvington students, sets it around a month away from AP tests or finals in some classes. This, paired with the fact that certain teachers set deadlines right after the break, can severely impact the quality of rest students may receive through the break. These nearing deadlines and test dates can cause an impending sense of stress for students.
Moreover, students who want to truly relax during the break may be unable to do so and might have to procrastinate on work and studies if they want to relax. While this may not apply to all students, for those whom this situation is true for, relaxing could result in more stress in the long run. For these students, procrastination can eventually cause a sense of guilt and shame that can impair future learning after the break ends. These students may start blaming themselves for relaxing and not studying for tests or completing assignments. “Results suggest that shame and CSB [Characterological self-blame] converge into a common construct,” states a paper by psychologist Dr. Carlos Tilghman Osborne and others. “[This is] significantly related to depressive symptoms and cognitions.” Such symptoms and thought processes may continue in students after spring break and negatively impact their academic performance as well.
Despite these negative aspects of spring break, spring break is necessary to maintain their sanity in the eyes of many high school students. To stay true to this need, one solution would be to include a week-long February break earlier in the year in addition to the pre-existing spring break. This has already been implemented in schools in the Bay Area such as in Milpitas High School. This addition of the February break will section the semester into 3 – 1.5 month chunks and the regularity of these breaks can motivate students to push forward. Moreover, this addition of a break further away from finals and AP tests will allow for a stress-free resting period.
Overall, spring break is necessary but its timing along with upcoming school work, tests, and finals can make spring break a time of stress for students. Moreover, spring break can also lead to students developing unhealthy behaviors. To solve this conundrum, we need to have an additional break in February when students don’t have to worry about too many deadlines or finals. That way, we won’t be weary-eyed and guilt-ridden the night before we come back to school.
