By: Faith Yoho

Thanksgiving and Winter break are less than two weeks apart this semester, and students are stressed. 

The already stressful time of preparing for final exams and making plans to go home for the holidays is being made more stressful by the short amount of time between the end of Thanksgiving break and the beginning of Winter break. 

Students are scrambling to make travel arrangements back to back, even though they are oftentimes short of funds to begin with. Graduate students will also have to prepare for their final exams over Thanksgiving break, as their final exams take place the week before the undergraduate exams, meaning they will sit for their finals as soon as they return. 

Abby Dilly, a junior and 5-Year MBA student is not a fan of the quick turnaround. 

“The quick turnaround between Thanksgiving break, finals, and winter break makes me feel stressed and overwhelmed. I feel that the quick turnaround is detrimental to student’s mental health,” Dilly said. 

Carly Wolfgang, a junior Marketing major and resident assistant, agreed that the quick turnaround between breaks is overwhelming.

“I feel that there is not enough time in between when we come back from Thanksgiving break to when we start testing for finals. I know that we will have 2-3 days of class and then reading day happens. I like to be prepared to the best of my ability for finals and to do this I would have to study over break. Thanksgiving break is a time where you are supposed to spend time with your loved ones that you may not have seen in awhile. I would rather have good quality time with my family than stress about finals. I don’t test well so I get really anxious. I don’t want my anxiety to take over the time I should be spending loving on my parents and family,” Wolfgang said. 

Wolfgang also agreed that this timeframe could be detrimental to students’ mental health. 

“I do believe that it is detrimental because I know other students do get test anxiety. Causing unwanted stress to a student over break won’t make it feel like a break to them. Students won’t be in the moment when they are supposed to be. Meaning, they will miss out on a holiday with family and friends that talks about bringing everyone together and giving thanks. How are you supposed to give thanks when you are worried about something that happens a week later?”

To combat this, many have suggested that West Virginia Wesleyan College should finish the Fall term before Thanksgiving break. 

When asked about this, Wolfgang seemed to think it was a good idea. 

“I would absolutely love to finish the fall term before Thanksgiving. I believe that it would be stressful, but I know it would be done and all my stress would be worth it in the end. I don’t understand the point of coming back from one break to turn around and have all my finals in 2 days and then go back home. Most of my finals are group projects or papers anyways. I believe that could be done before Thanksgiving break. Plus, that would give students more time to spend with family and friends back home. That will relieve the stress they were feeling right at the end of the semester,” Wolfgang stated.

Dilly also seemed to be a fan of ending the fall term before Thanksgiving break.

“Finishing the fall term before Thanksgiving break would relieve a lot of my stress. It would enable me to actually enjoy the break and spend my time with my family rather than studying,” Dilly shared.

As the time for finals and holiday breaks is quickly approaching, we will see how this fast schedule affects students. Is this the best decision for the mental health and academic success of the students? That remains to be seen, but as the weather gets chillier, and classes pick up, these breaks loom closer and closer. 

 Photo of WVWC Campus by Faith Yoho