Colleges and universities across the country have decided not to have a spring break this year due to the pandemic. N.C. A&T says that this is a way to continue fighting the spread of COVID-19
There are quite a few students that look forward to spring break, but some are just happy for the semester to be over a little sooner.
Mekhi Hill, a senior criminal justice student, does not seem to care about missing out on his last college spring break trip.
“I am not really affected by the no break,” Hill said, explaining that he feels it makes the semester go by quicker. “Midterms are an indicator that we’ve reached the halfway mark and to keep pushing because the finish line is almost there. I believe that this time period of the semester allows you to see what classes you need to improve in before finals come around”.
On the other hand, Kayla Breaux, a senior bioengineering student, feels like midterms happened way too quickly and wishes that spring break was still around.
“Midterms snuck up very fast this year, and it isn’t great to not have a spring break to recuperate from them, but I can understand why the university would not want us to have a full week to travel in a pandemic,” said Breaux. “I am hoping for spring break in the future because that break is very needed! School can be exhausting and draining- especially in a pandemic.”
Although having a week off of school to relax from classes and midterms has been a part of the academic calendar at N.C. A&T for many years, the Student Government Association has implemented Aggie wellness days under the Caldwell Administration to give students a small break.
These wellness days have usually been on Thursdays and they are days where classes, practices, and any on-campus meetings are halted, so students and faculty can have a day to relax their minds and body.
The last “self-care day” was on Mar. 11 during midterms, which were from Mar. 8 to Mar.12.
Hill explains why mental health days are crucial for students’ well-being.
“Mental health days are very important. In a virtual environment, a lot of students can become overwhelmed with the workload and lack of assistance provided to them. Although just one random day out of the week is weird to me it was very beneficial,” said Hill. “I do think they should do it on a Friday instead of just a Thursday. This day allowed me to regroup, refocus, and realign myself for the remainder of the week. It was a great day to relax and take proper self-care.”
“I understand the purpose of the mental health days, and they are enjoyable when your professors do not try to just squeeze in everything to be due the day before them. If professors were advised (and held accountable) to move due dates to Sunday, it would be much better,” said Breaux.
On Aggie wellness day, students were able to sign up and enjoy free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at the student center while soaking the sunlit day.
The next Aggie wellness day appears to be set during April, the official day is unknown.
