Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Was Thanksgiving break really helpful in de-stressing us students? Was a week enough time to take a step back and regain balance for our mental health?

Personally, I believe that the break was necessary, but could’ve been longer. Leaving the campus for a week was like a breath of fresh air, but of course that doesn’t mean I was completely off the hook.

Essays and last-minute assignments were expected to be finished over break, making the supposedly non-stressful week very stressful. So, we really didn’t escape school work over break; for many it was just procrastinated until the last day.

There is also, of course, the wonderful aspect of the break where we stuff ourselves silly with Thanksgiving food. That’s the real perk of the break.

A week-long vacation from obsessing over assignments and binging the latest heart-throb series on Netflix instead of doing an essay is pretty much a well-earned break in my book. But the constant nagging of those lingering assignments dragged down the enjoyment of our week-long paradise.

Don’t get me wrong, the break itself is beneficial to students. Catching up with friends and family, getting first dibs on the sweet potato casserole or even chilling on the couch watching the Macy’s Day Parade is all great. It’s all worth it.

But there’s also another factor haunting our Thanksgiving break.

Finals.

That awful little smug monster chilling in the back of our minds stuck with us throughout the break. As soon as we get back, it’s balls-to-the-walls studying, completing projects and stress-eating Ben & Jerry’s. So the unfortunate downfall of our long-awaited break is what waits for us when we eventually return.

A break surrounding the holidays is welcomed with open arms for us students, as it’s the pregame for Christmas. Though we have to struggle for two weeks between our Thanksgiving break and our winter break, it’s a battle we intend to win.

Thanksgiving break is a time that should be cherished with family and a decent amount of sleep. And some of us did get that, myself included. But maybe putting off assignments until we return would be a better solution for our chill time.

Before this year, Thanksgiving break and fall break were reversed in length. Fall break was earlier, and Thanksgiving was just the weekend with an extra day. Being that now the schedule for 12-week classes differs from the previous 15-week, I’d say the change in the duration of breaks is still beneficial to the sanity of the students.

Thanksgiving break is a nice trial run for winter break. Just a little glimpse of a week-long intermission is like the ultimate jaw-dropping moment. It’s like euphoria.

So just imagine, if you will, that moment when you take a deep breath and let it out. You grip the door knob with the smells of a Thanksgiving meal just on the other side, and you can’t help but smile. That’s the best part of break, that one sliver of a moment. Not to mention the most wondrous post-Thanksgiving meal nap.

I think Thanksgiving break is worth it. Time away from stress really helps students center themselves for the upcoming finals. A week seems like a long time, but it’s not the same once you’re finally free. It feels much shorter.

Break is one thing that every college student looks forward to and misses when it’s over.