Christmas break is often a much-needed escape from the craziness of finals. Many students go home for the holidays, and have lots of time to reacquaint themselves with their hometown, spend time with family, and wind down before the start of the spring semester rolls around. But Christmas break also poses a unique set of challenges and surprises to those same students returning home for the holidays.

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Pro: 4-5 weeks without schoolwork

No tests. No projects. Your classes are OVER for good, and now you’ve got some time to chill, recuperate, and…

Con: 4-5 weeks with your family

Oh yeah. Well, you’re not totally by yourself. For most people, Christmas break means coming home to family. And of course, it’s not always a bad thing. But you’ve been away from family for a while, and anything more than a few days with them starts to feel like a REALLY long time.

Pro: No crazy class schedules

Finally, you’ve got a free schedule. You can plan to go to the movies with friends, binge-watch Netflix, play board games, whatever you wa-

Con: Crazy chore schedules

So now that you’re living in your own house again, your family expects you to pick up your fair share of the housework. But it can get confusing. Do you do your own laundry now that that’s what you’re used to? Do you clean the bathroom now that your sister has taken over that job? And not to mention all of the miscellaneous things you’ve got to take care of in between semesters: financial aid, taxes, scholarships…

Pro: Being in your own house for once

Ah, a comfortable bed. You’re back in a familiar environment once again. No loud roommates at 3 am, you know where all the food is, you can shower in your own shower again, and-

Con: Not knowing how to live in your own house anymore

Okay, so maybe living away from home for a semester makes it a little more complicated. Do you live out of a suitcase, or try and fit your clothes in a closet somehow? Do you put your toothbrush back? What if your old room became a storage room? Do you sleep on the couch?

Pro: Getting to see all your old friends again

Ah, the nostalgia of seeing how your high school friends have changed. You’ve missed them so much! It’s great to have an opportunity to spend time with them.

Con: Missing all of your new college friends

…but before long, you start to get anxious to be back at college with your college friends. You start texting them every. Single. Day. You start packing a few days early just so you’re ready to head back to school.

Pro: Having lots of time to relax

Christmas break is the perfect time to just unwind, now that you don’t have any responsibilities with school. You can watch movies every night, or read a book, or start on that project you never had time for in school.

Con: Being bored out of your mind

…but before long, you start to wish you had homework to keep you busy.

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In conclusion, I think that Christmas break was strategically planned out by some higher-ups who wanted us to be enthusiastic about returning to school again under the guise of extra time with our family. Did their sinister plot work? …yes. I believe it did.