As holiday breaks like Thanksgiving and Spring break roll around, students could either feel a sense of relief for a moment’s notice or groan from the annoyance of being assigned homework to do during the break. It’s definitely a refreshing feeling knowing that you can kick back from thinking about school and just relax for a minute.

Jaden Reiter, a communications student at Sonoma State, speaks his mind on the subject, stating that he doesn’t like it when he’s assigned homework during any holiday break, as “it should be time spent with family and friends rather than doing extra work.” Reiter goes on to discuss how the work doesn’t feel very impactful in the grand scheme of the class, almost like it’s just busy work.

Reiter also expressed the concerns he has that SSU isn’t the only school that allows homework to be assigned during holiday breaks. As a matter of fact, it is a norm that a majority of students have to deal with: having to work on assignments, discussions, readings, or anything assigned by their professors at any schools.

The workload that is given to students during holiday breaks tends to impact students for all the wrong reasons. UC Berkeley student David Kamel, a sophomore majoring in political science, gives his opinion about why it’s a “negative” to have a workload during the holiday break, stating, “Adding any school work would hinder my ability to spend time with [family].” Kamel adds to his comments by explaining how he and his family all pitch in with cooking the day before and the day of Thanksgiving. School tends to impede on Kamel’s plans if he gets assigned any class work during breaks.

Are students actually entitled to rest during their holiday breaks? Kamel states his opinion, commenting, “There is a reason why they are called ‘breaks.’ They serve as buffers for students to relax and focus on themselves for a brief moment. Just like any job, one is given time off in the form of holidays and vacations.” 

Kamel explains that professors should be more understanding as breaks can help students, yet certain professors do not fully understand that students need a break, or that their time off can be used to relax and help them refresh themselves for the next semester.

There is really no need to overwhelm students with extra work when they are due for a break. These breaks are in close range with the semester’s finals, which makes it an even more stressful time for students. 

 “It really puts a damper on the amount of fun I can have and how much I can actually relax. When I have homework looming over me, it stresses me out, even if it’s not due until the end of the break,” Zach Drew states when discussing if it’s fair for students to get workloads from their professors. Drew is a student at the Santa Rosa Junior College, majoring in medical studies.

In the grand scheme of things, some argue that it is unethical to be assigned any school work that’s due during or after a holiday break like Thanksgiving. It doesn’t seem fair for the students, as they get assigned a work load from their class each week. Having an assignment loom over the students while they’re trying to spend time with their loved ones wouldn’t feel like a break.

It’s almost careless on the professor’s side, knowing how exhausting it can be for students trying to catch a break. Everyone should be entitled to a break, especially the students, as you can’t really appreciate a holiday break when due assignments break the individual’s relaxation time. The workload students are given over holiday breaks makes it feel as if there is no time to rest at all, making it feel as if the break is nonexistent.