The Stress Before Spring Break

Chill on us. — A North Scott Senior

As spring break approaches, many students are feeling the pressure. The final week before the break becomes a sprint to the finish line—packed with assignments, tests, and major projects all at once. Students push themselves to stay on top of work while juggling their other responsibilities.

For many students, the excitement of the upcoming break is overshadowed by the overwhelming workload leading up to it.

What is currently the most stressful thing about school?

Students reported numerous stressful aspects of their lives, but a few universal stressors appeared in the written responses.

One student described feeling overwhelmed by “the amount of last-minute ‘oh and you have this thing to get done before spring break’ homework I get.” It appears that most teachers are assigning a mountain of assignments to their students this week. Not only do students feel incredibly rushed to complete these assignments quickly, but they are also expected to do them well before the week ends. 

For some students, the timeline is even shorter. Many people leave for spring break early, meaning assignments must be completed before Friday. It is difficult to anticipate the break when it feels so far away.

Because students are receiving so many assignments at once, another student said, “It feels like there isn’t enough time to dedicate equally to every class.” North Scott students are incredibly involved and often take challenging courses. These students often struggle to give every class the attention it deserves, especially before a break.

The result is clear: burnout.

One student summed up this common feeling: “There is no drive to do the work. Everyone is tuned out from school at this point.” Motivation is fading. Many adolescents have not yet learned the most effective ways to cope with stress.

Students are tired and need a break. 

Does workload increase before spring break?

Students overwhelmingly felt that their workload increased before spring break. 

Another student compared teacher mindsets to television: “I feel that teachers think about school like it's in seasons, almost like a TV show—as if they need to come to some conclusion before the break/end of season.” Understandably, it is more convenient to end a unit before a week off, but having several classes do so simultaneously quickly becomes overwhelming.

One student said, “Teachers want to finish the unit before break, so they're packing everything into an unreasonable timeframe, and that stress falls on the students when it should have been their responsibility to plan their time better.” 

Schoolwork during this week often feels rushed compared to other weeks. Students understand that tasks must be structured in certain ways, but many wish there were more flexibility and spacing between due dates. 

Messages to Teachers

Students feel overworked by their teachers and want to send messages.

One student wrote: “Although being a teacher is your job, we have lives, jobs, and extracurriculars outside of school. You have responsibilities and complex lives outside of school, and so do we. Please be more understanding and forgiving of your students.” When students and teachers can mutually understand each other's responsibilities outside of school, it fosters a more supportive learning environment.

With that mindset, another student suggested the following: “Be reasonable. Structure time around breaks instead of putting that bad planning on the students' backs, who are already overloaded with work.” Students are not asking for less learning, but rather, fair planning that allows them to mitigate some of the stress they feel. 

If you could change one thing about school before spring break, what would it be?

Students offered suggestions to reduce stress at North Scott during the week before spring break. 

One student suggested that teachers should “[build] in an extra work day. A couple of my classes had this, and I think it did help reduce my stress from all the work at home.” Work days are never a waste of time; they expand learning and reduce stress, both of which students clearly need this week.

Tests scheduled on the same day were a widely reported concern among NSHS students. Therefore, one student suggested that “teachers work together to not plan so many tests on the same day.” Test-heavy school days are draining for students. If teachers could stagger their tests, higher grades would be much more attainable. 

What are students most looking forward to for spring break?

Despite the stress leading up to it, many students are excited for spring break. They are ready to relax, spend time with their families and friends, travel, and sleep.

As I am sure many students feel, another student is excited about “not worrying about [their] grade in a certain class or the next assignment due at 11:59.” Spring break removes the looming threat of constant due dates. It is a week for peace of mind.

Most specifically, this student said: “A BREAK. Omg. Let me sleep. I am so burnt out. You can smell the smoke radiating from me. It's so bad. Free me from my shackles for a week.” Burnout takes over lives. This student captured a feeling shared by many students: exhaustion and a deep need for a break.

Conclusion

The week before spring break has become one of the most stressful periods of the school year for students, but it need not be this way. Students and staff can collaborate to foster a supportive learning environment through small adjustments. With these adjustments, the week will be more manageable for everyone, allowing spring break to serve as a genuine opportunity to recharge.