Winter break is one of the things students look forward to most as the calendar year comes to an end.

They have two weeks to spend time with their families, celebrate their respective holidays, and most importantly: relax.

If the students have already taken their finals by the start of winter break, they don’t have to deal with the nagging need to study and review material from their classes.

The main concern with having finals before break is students are already time-crunched with homework, extracurriculars, and sports practice. They have to somehow set aside time to study too, which can prove difficult if someone has a job or responsibilities outside of school.

That being said, with the new schedule, the material will be fresh on their minds as they study for finals.
Not only this, but students could get extra help from their teacher(s) rather than be deprived of this opportunity and have to study on their own during break.

If students are already in a school mind-set before break, they’d be more likely to study in comparison to someone who indulged in the luxury of having no school for two weeks.

Also, students spending their break away from home may not be able to study at all, hence putting them at a disadvantage.

Think of it this way: Would you rather come home from your last school day of the year, relieved that you don’t have to think about exams or studying, or spend your entire break cooped up in your room trying not to forget everything you’ve learned this whole semester?

Personally, the former sounds more appealing.

I’ll be happy to step out of the school building on December 23rd feeling liberated for the next two weeks rather than be burdened with concern about ensuring my semester grade won’t suffer.