Spring break at Cuesta College, which runs from March 23 to 27, signals many things: time off to travel, quality time, or simply a rest stop that is the halfway point. However, for some, the midterms are not in “Midterm week,” which runs March 16-22. Instead, those exams will be taken the week after spring break.
The reason is that some instructors believe students will perform better after the break rather than before, because it gives them more time to prepare. Additionally, Veach pointed out that moving the midterm after the break keeps students engaged and prevents them from forgetting crucial information from the first half of the semester. “Right after spring break, if you just relax, it gets harder to remember what you learned,” said physics professor Eric Veach. “Reality is, you forget a lot of stuff in a week.”
The drawback of midterms after spring break is that it is up to the student to maintain good study habits during the structureless week and to have the wherewithal to study effectively. Again, this can also be seen as a universal lesson taught at a university: “It teaches self-reliance and time management, helps build discipline.” Veach said.
Students like Kessiah Bronson echoed that sentiment. “It is hard to get around to studying on break,” she said. “I really would have to force myself to do that rather than enjoy my Hawaii trip.”
Some students find the after-break midterm approach preferable as well, feeling that spring break isn’t so much a time not to study as a time not to learn something new. “I am cool with it,” student Michael Pascual said. “It helps me catch up and review, something that is harder to do regularly. There is always something new, and since my math midterm is cumulative, I need the time to look back at what I did in January.”
Of the 15 students asked, only five said they preferred all midterms before the break. What stood out was that all five students were humanities majors, in contrast to the 10 who were mostly STEM majors, who were fine with the midterms being placed after the break. This is partly explained by the fact that mathematics and science often involve abstract formulas that benefit from repeated practice. m “Repetition is really necessary, like in physics, makes you more familiar with it,” Veach said. “It’s like a muscle – got to exercise it or else it gets weaker.”
Others clearly see that the break is a crucial time to unwind and recharge, acknowledging that a mental reset can be the best move for some. “I like to see it as a reward,” Bronson said. “Having the time off makes all the hard work feel worth it. Plus, if I did have a midterm after the break, it would be on my mind and make the break less enjoyable.”
Students overall wished there was a choice in the matter, with some choosing to take it earlier and be done with it, while others would appreciate the break with potentially more time to study.
Spring break only goes so far, however, as many still must contend with jobs and family outside of college, while others have assignments and homework that, while not due until after break, create the illusion that the break doesn’t exist in the first place.
This uneven definition of spring break will continue, as there is no real interest in changing the status quo and students make do with the way classes are structured. “I wouldn’t even want a whole week to relax,” Pascual said. “I will take like three days, sure, but then I will get back to studying, just on a slower pace.”
