We All Need a Break

We are all familiar with the saying “sleep is for the weak,” but have you considered that this light-hearted phrase is actually a very serious matter?

If students haven’t figured it out yet, a balanced social life, academic life and sleep schedule are all very important to maintain. Yet, between the three, sleep is usually the one that suffers when life gets overwhelming.

At this point in the semester, I think it is safe to say we all just need a break. I don’t mean a break that is only three days long, the way mid-semester break was. Point in hand, perhaps it is time for Viterbo to consider making ‘breaks’ such as these, longer.

Around this time in the semester, students are exhausted and, even if they are keeping up with their academics, they have probably had a few tearful breakdowns as a result. After all, a person can only ‘fake it until they make it’ for so long.

On top of the academic stress, sleep schedules are suffering. Sure, it is student’s own fault for cramming a night before an exam but consider this: managing a job, be involved in Viterbo’s community and clubs, be on a sports team or doing all three on top of academics and a personal life is truly a challenge.

Although professors and adults tell many of us students to ‘take care of ourselves’ and ‘make time for yourself,’ the reality is much more complicated. Every student has a different way of taking care of themselves away from classes and a certain level of doing so.

The part that is hard to understand is if all students were to take thirty minutes out of their day to have ‘me time,’ all the stress in their lives really won’t just magically go away. Having only a three-day mid-semester break really doesn’t help much, especially because many students had to stay on campus for one obligation or another.

Many students commented on this matter, claiming they spent those three days merely catching up on school work. This is unfortunate and shouldn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong, catching up on school work is definitely important.

Yet, where was the time for self-care and self-growth during that time?

Perhaps one of the issues here is what would Viterbo do with that lost class time and how would the professors make up for it? Maybe the answer is complicated but the point is, there is an answer and there is a way to compromise.

Having even two extra days for mid-semester break would be helpful--one to do absolutely nothing, if that’s what you need, and another to go out and do something adventurous. Either way, having that extra time, would be beneficial for students.

Now, as students, go out and admit what you need to your favorite adult or professor. Let them know when you’re struggling and when you just need a break. Let them know you’re trying but having a hard time with it.

There is a difference between needs and wants. Let an adult know at Viterbo that a break is what you need.