by The Cowl Editor on December 4, 2021
Opinion
Emily Ball ’22
Thanksgiving break, a time supposedly set aside for family time, lots of delicious homemade food, and tons of relaxation.
Yet, how are Providence College students supposed to relax when professors still make the decision to assign homework over the five day break?
The two weeks following Thanksgiving break leading up to Christmas break are notably some of the most stressful in the entire semester. Finishing up any semester-long projects, writing the last few pages of a final paper, all while preparing for finals that loom over students’ heads.
PC students deserve Thanksgiving break to enjoy time with their families and to relax and unwind before their minds return to their academics for the remainder of the semester.
Some professors say that they are not assigning homework, YET, they encourage you to practice what you learned in class or review certain concepts and expect a quiz when you return. While this isn’t actual written homework, it still puts pressure on the students to do some academic work while home for the holidays.
Everybody deserves a break, especially around family-oriented holidays when some students may be struggling with their home situations. By resisting assigning homework over break, PC professors would do a great justice for the well-being of their students.
Zach Rossi ’23
Any student or staff member at Providence College is aware of the days off to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Most would agree that normally scheduled classes on Monday and Tuesday before break are more counterproductive than anything else.
Full-time students at PC only have one day off prior to this three-day relief, the Monday of Columbus Day weekend, while other institutions give at least two or three days off for a mini “fall break.” Since PC students are exceptional at staying on top of their work, that means they are spending a lot of time and energy trying to complete their assignments and prepare for exams to the best of their ability, all while balancing extracurriculars, internship and job searches, and work obligations. With the absence of a “fall break” to give some sort of breathing room to accommodate everything being juggled, there should be a full week off for Thanksgiving.
It is not just students that need this sort of breathing room, but professors as well. Not only do they face poorly attended classes on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, but the amount of work they have, whether it be prepping for lectures or grading on top of outside research, calls for just as much of a break as the students do. Therefore, for the sake of students and staff, the full week can be spared to regroup and finish the semester strong.