Thanksgiving break is the one week we have of the entire fall semester to finally breathe. We don’t have off for another fall break in the middle of October like most other schools do, so this is our time to relax.

So, professors, I ask you, why did you give me so much homework to do on our one week off?

To me, a break means a break. I, or anyone else, shouldn’t be working on any sort of assignment. Yet, I have multiple due the Monday we return to class and am expected to make progress on final papers and projects due a few weeks from now.

Yes, I understand that there probably will never be a time when I don’t have something to work on until the semester is truly over. I get that some things require a lot of my effort, and I should work on them over a long period of time.

The thing that bothers me is when I’m sitting in class a day before leaving for break, and professors are telling me that they expect me to spend the majority of my time off working on an assignment for their class. Yet, the next sentence they say is something along the lines of, “Take this next week to enjoy time with your friends and family!” 

How am I supposed to truly spend time with my loved ones if I am just worried about staying on track with completing assignments for class? 

Now, this might not be the case for everyone, but I take my academics very seriously. Some students might just hear their professors say to work on assignments and have it go one ear and out the other. On the other hand, I hear professors say these kinds of things, and it just adds to my stress and anxiety over getting work done.

I’ve needed this week off for a while, and now that it’s here, I was excited to come home and not worry about school for a few days. I needed a mental reset so I can return after the break and finish off the semester strong.

Instead, I’m trying to stay on top of everything so that I don’t have to lock myself in the library all day to ensure that I don’t fall behind when class rolls around again next week.

Professors, I truly appreciate everything you do. I learn a lot from you, and I value the connections I’ve made with a lot of you throughout the years. But, please, I’m begging, give me a break when a break is needed. I’m only human.