UCSB will have a month long winter break this year
And so will every other UC school
We all know what it’s like to go on break when you go to UCSB. The first 5-8 days are nice and relaxed but then your family starts to irritate you or you have beer die withdrawals or your friends from home just aren’t quite as rad as your friends in IV or you simply miss the SB sunshine. Whatever it may be, we’ve all been there.
Well now, all University of California schools will be having a schedule change for the 2016-2017 school year. Winter break will be four weeks long instead of three weeks for the upcoming year. I repeat, a month long break for all UC campuses.
Why you ask? Because New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will fall on a Saturday and Sunday and therefore be observed on work weekdays, making the administration add on an entire week to our break.
Some students, when asked their opinions on the change, were ecstatic because they could travel for longer, they could get more out of their mountain pass, or they could relax more with their families. “I kinda like it because I snowboard so now I’ll prolly cop a season pass and shred all break” says sophomore Maximillian Licht, Political Science and Psychology double major.
Victoria Dubeau, Environmental Science major, also agrees. “It gives time to actually enjoy the break with friends and family and take the time to fully relax without having to think about school for awhile. Going back after two weeks always felt rushed.”
On the other hand, many students were not too thrilled with the change.
Adam Barrett, second year Biological Sciences major, explains the disadvantage to his academics in having such a long time off. “HUGE DISLIKE. Winter break should be two. No one needs that long of a break from school. I lose all my good study habits and my brain turns to mush.
“That long of a break is only disruptive to the school year and shortens the summer. They should make spring break two weeks if anything.”
Adam even expressed that if there was a petition to sign to have this change be overridden at UCSB he would be in full support.
Claudia Prescher explains with a grin that: “Personally I hate the change because it means I have to go back to Iowa for four weeks and I really don’t want to do that.
“But I’d be confident to say that everyone else here probably doesn’t like it much either because this is the greatest school and campus on earth. If it were any other school though people would probably be stoked.”
Whether happy or not so happy about the schedule change planned for next winter, some consolation is that it is only a one year change and will not be occurring again until 2022-2023 school year. So enjoy the extra vacation days and try not to panic too much.