No fall break puts strain on Ohio State students

Halfway through the semester, some Ohio State students are beginning to feel the effects of the longer term and greater stretches between breaks. Unlike many universities on semesters, OSU doesn’t have a fall break, and some students have been questioning why.

Students at schools such as the University of Dayton, Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo have a fall break in October.  
Both the University of Dayton and BGSU were on break last weekend with no class scheduled on Oct. 4 or 5.

Some OSU students thought the semester switch would bring a fall break, but they soon found out that wasn’t the case.

“That (fall break) is the one thing I was looking forward to,” said Robert Rice, a second-year in science and technology exploration. “I was a little mad when I realized we didn’t get a fall break at all.”

Since a day off classes on Sept. 3 for Labor Day, OSU has held regularly scheduled classes without any days off. The next day students have off from class is Veterans’ Day on Nov. 12.

Because of the longer period of classes and different calendar than previous years, Wayne Carlson, dean of undergraduate education, said OSU had to find a way to fit 70 days of classes into the schedule.

“We have to fit 70 days of classes from Point A to Point B,” Carlson said.

Carlson said that with the addition of a Reading Day, a day set aside by some universities to study for final exams, between the end of regularly scheduled classes and the start of finals week, and the extension during Thanksgiving break, there was no place for a fall break.

“Student Life also wanted to keep Welcome Week the same, so we start on a Wednesday,” Carlson said. “Unless we would start a week earlier, which would be really early, it’s hard.”

The extra days of class are starting to take a toll on some students.

“I have been so overwhelmed lately,” said Mariah Kasler, a second-year in livestock science. “I have so many things going on and it is getting to the point where I need a break. I am jealous of all my friends who had (days) last week off.”

Kasler said she thinks OSU should institute a fall break because it would help students regain focus and get through the second half of the semester.

Ashley Forsythe, a second-year in accounting, agreed.

“A break would help students catch up on their sleep and give them a time to relax,” Forsythe said.

Forsythe said her grades have suffered as a result of the extra classes.

“My grades have gone down since last year,” Forsythe said. “I just have so much going on at once, and it’s getting too overwhelming.”

Thanksgiving Break was extended by a day, giving OSU students the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off.  Also, regularly scheduled classes end Dec. 4, and finals are from Dec. 6-12. Students are given the extra day to study for finals.

“I am happy that we get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off,” Rice said. “Nobody has classes after the Mirror Lake jump now, and with the Michigan game on Saturday, it gives us a little extra break.”