With reading break coming up, I have two things on my mind. The first is how excited I am to have a “break” off of school (I use quotation marks since we all know that reading break isn’t much of a break, but a chance to catch up on our homework and hope to get some well-deserved rest). The second is that I wish we could get a reading break in the fall as well.
I remember having a conversation with a few of my peers last semester about how much we would all appreciate a break in the fall. I didn’t know that around the same time we had this discussion, there was a larger movement brewing that was (and still is) continuing to advocate for a fall reading break. Shout out to the Student Union Society (SUS) squad. I also had no idea at the time we were discussing this, that UBC had already implemented one in 2021.
I think that UFV should institute a fall reading break for the same reason that UBC did, and for the same reason that the UFV SUS advocates for one: mental health. Some of us (cough cough, me) find it difficult to detach from the demands of school if we are not forced into some downtime. When students are scheduled to take time off, I feel like I am doing my part by not studying mercilessly for once; in other words, I feel it is my duty to prioritise my mental health.
Sure, maybe not everyone, if anyone, will be able to fully take a break from studying, but (assuming that no professors decide to pile on extra work for us to do during our break) at least we will have a chance to not have any additional homework to do while we’re on our break.
On Jan. 13, SUS proposed at the UFV Senate meeting that an autumn reading break could be scheduled during the week of Thanksgiving or the week of Remembrance Day. I think that either of these two weeks would be excellent, as they are already shortened weeks due to the statutory holidays. However, I would favour Thanksgiving because this would give us a full week to connect with our relatives rather than just one weekend. For those whose families live far away, getting a full week off of school might afford the necessary travel window in order to visit with their relatives for at least a few days over Thanksgiving — something that might not be possible for many students over just a long-weekend. What is the benefit of getting to spend quality time with one’s family? You guessed it — improved mental health.
Admittedly, yes, a reading break during the fall semester would require some more logistic planning on the part of the higher-ups at UFV, but I think it would be worth it. After all, the UFV staff could probably use a break from us too.
Jade is an English Honours: Creative Writing student. She plans on pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing after graduating from her undergraduate degree. When she’s not in class or studying, she can be found doing karaoke at a local restaurant in hopes of getting noticed and signed to a record deal.
