Give Students a Break
Students at Tech, and indeed at most colleges, eagerly anticipate holidays because they provide a welcome break from classes. Although some may say that breaks only take away valuable class time from students, they fail to see the educational benefits that breaks afford. Tech's sparse holiday offerings take little advantage of these benefits. Tech is harming students, who could greatly benefit from the time breaks offer for relaxation, family interaction, and studying.
Despite criticism, breaks do not necessarily have to adversely affect students' education by taking away important class time. There are many ways Tech could integrate breaks into its semester schedules without loosing any class time at all. For instance, classes could begin a few days early or end a few days late, allowing breaks to be added into the semesters. Alternatively, Tech could shorten its overly-long twenty-eight day Christmas break and use those days for breaks during the semesters. Careful planning of the breaks already offered would even help. During the fall semester, Tech currently offers one of its five breaks less than a week after classes begin and three more of its breaks less than three weeks before Christmas break begins. This poor scheduling leaves large gaps during the semester with no breaks at all.
Why, though, are breaks important from an educational standpoint? One reason is that they lightens students' stress loads. College is stressful enough with breaks; without them, students have no way to recuperate from the stress of classes. During Montana Tech's fall semester, there are over two months of straight classes that contain no breaks at all. During the spring semester, there are two more large gaps between breaks, one of which is also over two months long. Although weekends do help, these are often used for studying and homework and do little to ease the students' stress. Many students begin to dislike their classes because of the stress they cause, and as a result, some put less effort into their studying. Breaks allow students some time off from their classes to relax so that they can come back refreshed.
Another reason breaks are important is that they give students time to spend with their families. It is very important to develop social skills during college and, it is also important to become more independent. Both of these will aid the student when starting a new life after graduation. But family relationships are still very important for students.
Also a big point that most students like to attend to high school is because of prom and all the fun activities they do at their senior year. As a college student you stop caring about things like that and start caring more about getting excellent grades at school so you could graduate. now that you have greater responsibilities you would not always have free time as other normal high school student indeed you would most likely have projects or homework during the weekends or during the breaks. But all of us know that we have to leave unnecessary things in order for us to progress
As I wearily sat in my seat, writing an essay on the importance of electricity in the modern world, I caught myself glancing repeatedly at the clock that was so carefully perched above the teacher’s desk. “Ten minutes, only ten more minutes left until school is over and I get to go home!” I told myself. In most schools, the average school day is about eight hours long. Eight hours of continuously sitting in a chair taking notes during lectures, doing classwork, projects, etc. During these eight hours of school, students deserve a short, outdoor break in which they can isolate themselves from the stress of working all day and just relax. Studies have shown that people who take short breaks throughout the day to do light, outdoor breaks are more productive than those who do not. A short, outdoor break will benefit students due to the fact that students will have time to relax; students will be able to focus more, concentrate, and be more productive; and teachers will have more time to prepare for the next class coming.
Most students look forward to fall and spring break. It’s a time of rest and relaxation and perhaps for a few, a chance to get ahead on assignments. These breaks are often something that I personally look forward too, furthermore assuming that this is the same for other students as well.
Both single-track calendars and multi-track calendars make use of intersessions. As previously stated, these are the actual 3 week breaks occurring throughout the year that were rescheduled from the traditional summer vacation. Year-round education offers students the chance for instructional time during these vacation periods for the purposes of enrichment, pre-teaching, and remediation. Because intersessions occur more frequently remediation can occur in sequence, thus offering a student help in a timely manner.
middle of paper ... ... A student may lose balance when weighed down by the pressures of academics, social life, and work. These students need more help from their college to help themselves overcome the emotional demands. Schools must have programs that help students become more prepared for college and after graduation.
School is usually a huge part of every child’s daily agenda. Teenagers in high school basically dedicate their entire day to school and homework. Students in grade 8 are similarly going through the same process as high school students. As students work 2 months after the Winter Break, some of them tend to start reducing their quality of work. When we’re tired of doing school work for two straight months, why should we only receive a short March break?
...on what they have learned by attending more days in school but not getting burned out on a traditional nine month school schedule. A few short breaks allows the mind to rest but not forget everything they have worked hard to achieve educational greatness. American society will achieve great things if the education system takes a step in all schools operating on a year round calendar.
College instills attitudes, skills and other characteristics that make college graduates different from those who do not go on to college. It will help the student develop skills specific to their career path and crucial for future job success
Now looking at both these arguments, it is indeed an important decision to make whether students should take a gap year or they shouldn’t. Thus I’m conducting the research on this ...
There are several plans that schools offer in order to distribute the vacation throughout the year in many smaller breaks then in one three month block. Examples of these plans would be 45-15,60-20, and 60-15. The 45-15 plan is the most widely used plan, it is the simplest plan to use at any level of education, and also can be used for a multi track school. With the 40-15 plan student's go to school for 45 days and then have a 15-day break. Next the 60-20 plan follows the same pattern as the 45-15, students go to school for 60 days and then have a break for 20. Most teachers like this plan because it allows them a little more time on a particular subject.
A gap year is a period, typically one academic year, taken by a student as a break between secondary school and higher education. Many students consider taking a gap year because they are longing to get work experience and be sure of a career path before they make the decision to head off to college. During those one or two years off before heading to college, students have the opportunity to travel the world, work, experience different jobs, or simply take a break from school. Some parents do not agree with their young adults taking a break from school because they worry that their child will not do something productive with their free time. Although students taking a gap year run the risk of becoming inattentive or accustomed to making some quick cash, and not returning to school, there are numerous benefits for a young adults. young adults to take a gap year off before heading to college; for instance, many colleges want students that are mature and have some work experience.
Also, a longer break would let them spend time with family members. Students would like a longer summer break to spend time with family members. Students could stay with other family members and cook out with them, play games with their family members, and talk with their family members as well.
Colleges and universities such as Harvard encourage students by suggesting students to take time off before they start school (Kern, 2010). The current President’s daughter Malia Obama is taking a gap year before Harvard and more students have been encouraged from this. Taking a gap year differs in the student. If one does not plan thoroughly and prepares for the gap year, the results could be devastating, but if planning is done right, students excel
One extra day of school cuts into precious relaxation time of students and teachers alike.
We all need a break from school, whether its going from high school into college, or during college. Even though there’s a risk of losing momentum after a long layoff from school, its an opportunity to regroup and explore more before taking that next big step into college, having figured out what you want to do in the future. Not only will you able to rest your brain for what’s upcoming, this allows to be fully confident on a major that interests the student, which allows for an easy transition into their careers, and they can have a chance to explore the world at their free will without be strained.