Spring break: it’s a myth. It is a long-awaited week in the life of college students. The time between the start of the semester and the start of spring break seems to last FOREVER. For many, spring break is the only time they can see their families all of second semester. We wait for months to get to go home or on vacation, but the break never ends up as intended.

The problem with spring break is that it usually ends up being much less of a break than it is supposed to be, due to the piles of work we bring to our spring break destinations. The difference between winter and spring break is that winter break is between semesters, so there’s no homework due yet and there aren’t any exams looming over your head. With spring break, it’s smack in the middle of the semester. There are assignments due, exams, midterms, projects, all of it! It’s hard to enjoy a break when you know there’s something you can be working on or studying for.

Picture this: you and your friends booked a week-long trip to Mexico. You went on a huge shopping spree for new swimsuits and clothes to wear out at night. After exploring the giant hotel you decide to go sit out on the beach. It’s ninety degrees and the sun is bright and shining. You’re lying in beach chairs, bikinis and sunscreen on, all reading to the sound of the ocean waves crashing.

Sounds nice right? WRONG!

Those books are textbooks and up against those beach chairs are your backpacks. You’re not reading for fun, you’re studying for your exam that's the Tuesday after break. Not only do you need to study for this exam, but you also have a lab report to write and a group project to work on. Well, there goes the break part of spring break.

It seems the best solution to this issue with spring break is to adjust the school rules. There should be a school-wide rule stating that there are to be no assignments due the week after spring break and there should be no exams for at least a week after spring break. That would take care of all the time spent buried in books versus buried in the sand.

Even if you’re not actually at a beach destination, a break is a break, regardless of where it’s spent. Breaks are supposed to be spent with family, friends, anyone important to us. We’re supposed to be doing things we love and catching up on sleep. Studying for an exam is not something anyone loves.

Since spring break is right around the corner, we need to plan accordingly. There’s nothing we can do about the exams and assignments, at least right now. For the time being, we have to be smart about how we use our time over break. Yes, we do need to get the work done and study, but we also need to balance that with taking a break.

Until we can figure out how to cut down the spring break load, good luck and have a great spring break!