Break time’s over
There is a mentality that we academics can sometimes still be regarded as if we are in elementary school. That’s not to be put in negative terms – it clearly shows that we are still “young at heart” – yet, this can be applied in numerous ways. Whether it’s still not knowing how to do your laundry and waiting ‘til you go home to do it (I’m sure that makes your parents super happy), belting out the words to songs created by the Disney crew (hey, it’s cool to share the same music taste of an eight year old) or having that extra day off like we did during those infamous snow days.
Unfortunately for those hoping to get an extra week off, the university will not be going on strike. This means that the semester is going the way it is suppose to be. Although I personally am relieved with not having my schedule tampered with, others seemed to be extremely disappointed for not having an extra week off. We recently just got back from our reading week – I guess we need another vacation to recover from our previous vacation? Apparently so.
This urge and desire for any opportunity to have a break is quite normal, yet hilarious at the same time. We all were in the same predicament last week when the blackout occurred. Immediately turning on my iPhone my roommates and I waited in anticipation: is class going to be cancelled?
Sure enough it was, and soon afterwards my Twitter feed exploded with students expressing their glee and surprisingly fast change of activities that include being intoxicated. Because one would immediately think that drinking during a blackout would be the most reasonable thing to do right? It does seem more fun than what I did (which was allocating enough blankets and candles to ensure that we would all be safe and comfortable during the evening). The same mentality goes when we wake up and see snow falling. Is it going to be a snow day? Will we get a break off?
What I mean to stress here is this: our minds immediately go back to when we were little, and when recess was the favourite part of our day. Although I like to think that we are all motivated academics striving for the best in ourselves to do well, anything that hints towards getting a ‘break’ immediately sends us into the mentality of dropping everything and taking advantage of that time off.
To some, it means having more time to finish that last minute assignment, or giving you an excuse to join your friends at Phil’s on a weeknight. Social media says it all: when the opportunity arises for students to get that extra few hours to do anything but schoolwork, the free speech of Twitter updates and statuses immediately fill up; showcasing our desires to go buck wild and escape academics and pursue freedom until it is time to crack back to the books.
However despite many people’s disappointments for not being able to have that extra week off and instead are lamenting over still being in ‘reading week mode,’ we really have nothing to complain about. Isn’t there only three more weeks left of school? Are we really that unable to stand three more weeks until freedom and need the blackouts, potential strikes or freak snow falls to give us that little escape and joy? Or am I just misreading everyone’s uber-exaggerated Facebook statuses?
Don’t worry my peers, we are almost there. And once you put down your pencil after writing that final exam you can start your four months of “recess time.” If that is too far away to think of, then think of this: Saint Paddy’s Day is next week and the people living on Ezra can’t wait for you to join them in trashing the streets and having that little ‘break’ to go buck wild.