In the days between the end of the fall semester and the start of the spring semester, Rowan University students were granted time at home for the holidays and the turn of the seasons. From Dec. 18 to Jan. 20, some students opted to stay in their campus housing, but for the most part, the month was a complete break from college and its trials and tribulations.
It was a rewarding period to be able to unwind and wake up each morning without a checklist of assignments, readings, finals, and other duties alike. Seeing family members who were miles away during most of the autumn months was a refreshing change of scenery and environment.
Who we spent our time with wasn’t the only change in environment over the winter break. With the ever-changing climate, it’s not unlike the weather in Jersey during the turn from December to January to be disappointing to some. Snow, and the “winter wonderland” that comes with it, is synonymous with the season. So it was refreshing to look outside my window on multiple occasions and see the backyard, the front yard, and everything surrounding my house layered in snow.
Even if you don’t like the snow, it sure is pretty to look at, and a feel-good mark of the season when it starts coming down.
Still, there is a bit of complexity in how the different environments of the holidays can leave an impact on a student mentally. When I’m here at Rowan, and I’m settled into my routine, sometimes I’ll become very infatuated with the idea of returning home for the holidays. It sits in the back of my mind throughout many days and nights late into the semester. Eventually, it gets to a point where I’m fed up with being in the schoolwork cycle and am looking forward entirely to going home.
Fast forward to the break arriving, and the feeling of relief sets in. It carries me through the end of the calendar year, and some change, but a phenomenon begins to occur where suddenly the tables are turned, and I’m looking forward to going back to college.
Therein lies a strange dichotomy between home life and school life that never seems to truly subside. This can be chalked up to the fact that there are significant upsides to each situation that create an exchange of being fed up with one and looking forward to the other.
The friends I have at home are not the same friends I can physically reach and see at Rowan. If anything, I end up boxing myself in at home because of this, as it becomes harder to reach out and see those people when we’re collectively scattered around the rest of New Jersey during winter break.
Being at home is stress-free and can be preferable to a pile of schoolwork, that’s for certain. At the same time, however, there is a purity to the time spent with your closest college friends, as well as attending events, clubs, and other activities on campus. Academics are the ultimate priority, but when looking past them, there is a social and productivity gold mine that winter break simply does not offer.
All in all, winter break is a fun, necessary, and refreshing experience every time it rolls around. There are definitely unique aspects to the time spent away from college, but it is still a necessary lull in the flow of academic commitments and career-building for the mind and body of a student.
For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]
