Spring Break: a Time to Relax?

Posted March 12, 2024 by Magenta Jasinski

Ahhh, spring break.

The time when tired grad students are able to take some time off from
school to decompress and relax. Right?

Unfortunately, that isn’t the reality for most of us.

Although no classes took place this past week (3/4-3/8), that doesn’t mean that we could just put our feet up and relax. With professors assigning hefty projects often due the day before classes start again (3/10), many are forced to put these assignments together in addition to going to work.

If students opt to take time off of work and go on vacation (or a staycation) instead, like what my
fellow Simmons student and partner and I did, there are additional logistics. Is it possible to finish
these projects before flying out, and can we afford to both not work for the whole week? Well,
yes and no. I managed to finish my school projects and end up with products that I’m happy
with, but I do feel a degree of guilt over RSVPing “no” to meetings and asking for extended work
deadlines. My partner, on the other hand, was able to distribute some of his work tasks to his
coworkers and find pockets of time to work on his school projects before and after we head out
to explore Seattle.

Am I happy with this setup? Again, yes and no. I’m thrilled that we got to spend some time away
from home to visit his relatives, not drive a car, try new foods, and picture what it would look like
to live here after graduation next spring (May 2025). I’m not so thrilled that I had to cram in so
much work before we left, while he just wants to get his stuff done and not have to think about it
again.

Regardless, I’m excited to finish out this semester strong and get ready for my first practicum
(student teaching placement) in the fall!