We could be getting a week off after January exams

There is a student council motion to have an ‘inter semester break’ after the January exams.

Let’s face it many other unis provide this already and after your exams it’d be nice to think you could have a break before lectures start up again.

It would mean losing a week out of our current four week spring vacation but is a compromise that has been discussed at Faculty, Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Committees in each faculty.

The Student behind the motion says not only is the exam period a stressful time but it also sympathises with those who have exams across the whole exam period.

They said it can be overwhelming to finish an exam on the Friday of the examination period and then go into a seminar having supposed to have read the material for your next module on the Monday. This break could not only serve as a chance to relax, they argue, but also prepare for the start of the new semester, a luxury we currently do not have.

Given that most students can spend much of Christmas revising providing this week off can be seen as a well earned break and the first one since summer for some . Plus even the lecturers benefit, it gives them time to mark your scripts distraction free (although I doubt this will mean we get our scripts back any sooner).

The Student’s Council will vote on Thursday on the issue, and if that vote comes out in favour of a an extra week off after January exams, then the Education Officer Matt Price will be mandated to lobby the University to grant it.

Andrew, Chemistry first year said: ”I think it’s a good idea because you get a break after exams and Easter felt a bit too long anyway… The week [off after January exams] might feel a bit weird if you finish exams in the first exam week and you end up having two weeks off though.”