Summer Break is a Good Length

The twelve weeks (give or take) of summer break at USD is a very nice and reasonable period of time. 

I understand some people want more days off during the school year, but the system we have now works well, and I think many people would be unhappy with a shorter summer break.

First, there are internship opportunities that may not happen if summer break is shorter. 

Here I will make a bold statement: the point of university is to meet people and build connections. 

Barring a few exceptions, most students could learn everything presented in a lecture for free on the internet somewhere. 

But that free YouTube lecture doesn’t come with a professor who knows people who can get you an internship and a foot in the door for your career. 

Being in school is kind of like being in a special club. Being a student or alumni gets you special privileges other people do not have. 

Some successful people are successful because they know people, not because of unique expertise.

Summer break gives students more time to build connections with internships or other employment opportunities.

A longer summer also means more time working. For those of us working to make money over summer, a few more weeks can make a big difference. 

Second, summer is a nice time of year. In this part of the world, good weather is a commodity in short supply. 

I’d rather spend more time inside a classroom when the weather is bad and I would be inside anyways. 

What are we supposed to do with a day off in February, shovel snow? Get drunk?

Regarding more downtime during the year, I will admit that sounds nice. 

But that requires an assumption that students would be in a position to relax. 

Summer break is great because you know there’s no schoolwork. 

During the school year, how many of you would simply use that extra Monday to further procrastinate? I know I would. That’s not relaxing or enjoyable.

Lastly, I can speak from experience on this topic. I grew up in a small town along the Canadian border, and the Canadian K-12 school districts had more days off during the school year. 

Sure, they had two weeks of spring break and there seemed to be a new holiday every three weeks that warranted no school, but their school year ended at the end of June! 

I question how much learning really took place those last few weeks.

For those of us graduating, many will get jobs where there are no summer breaks. Why not embrace the grind?