Reba Beaudry-

Fall break is just around the corner. For many college students, this is something to look forward to. However, as the stress of midterms looms overhead, it may be hard to think about it. Once midterms are over, most of us can sit back and relax. Unfortunately, for some student workers and athletes, their break involves staying on campus and not being able to go home for the week.

Midterms are a stressful time for many students, so it is crucial that a break is in place. This break comes halfway through the semester and at just the right time.

Fall break means traveling all over to get home, but for international students that tends to be very expensive, so they may end up spending break on campus. Some students may only have a 20-minute drive, whereas others may have a three-and-a-half-hour flight. Break technically starts on Saturday the 19th, however, some students may leave earlier either on Thursday the 17th or Friday the 18th.

As the temperature begins to drop, many of us may want to cozy up inside with a nice warm beverage and a good book or movie. Now is also the perfect time for all sorts of outdoor fall activities too, so many are trying to get outside before it gets way too cold out.

There are many activities to do in the fall to fill up your break. Some ideas are: visiting a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard, going for a hayride, jumping into a pile of leaves, carving a pumpkin, along with many others. If you are into Halloween, you could start getting your costume together, maybe even getting creative by thrifting it or making it.

There are many other things to do over break, such as spending time with your family and pets (if you have any). You could get a nice home-cooked meal, something different from the cafeteria food, which some of us may be a little tired of already. Students could also use this time to get a head start on work.

Ideally, students would take this break to sit back and relax. Maybe take time to reflect on how this semester is going, whether it be your first semester on the hill or second to last one here at Gustavus. Self-reflection can help you reset, especially during stressful times, such as midterms.

Fall break also coincides with early in-person voting. So if you are registered to vote in your hometown, you might consider making your voice heard by voting over break.

Relaxation is so important, especially when we are stressed, and this is a stressful time. So try and take some time to do an activity that is relaxing to you, whether it be meditation or running, just do something that you enjoy. By doing this you might feel better rested and prepared to tackle the rest of the semester.

This is also a break for our professors as well. It gives them time to reset and take some time away from their usually busy schedules. It may be a time for them to catch up on work as well, but ideally, it is just a break for our professors.

So take this time off to yourself. It is okay to just spend time relaxing and recuperating, especially if you’ve caught one of the many campus colds. Remember that this time is for resetting before grinding out the rest of the semester.