As the holiday season approaches, so does a long awaited break for the University of Lynchburg students. This year’s break looks a little different than it has the past two years.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lynchburg, along with many other schools across the country, ended the fall semester before Thanksgiving and gave the students their holiday break through the New Year. In 2021, for example, exams finished up Nov. 23rd and students did not return to campus until Jan. 24th.
This year, like pre-pandemic years, students will get a week off for Thanksgiving then have to return back to school for two weeks to finish up classes and take their final exams.
The adjusted early Thanksgiving break was well received by many students and professors.
“It just made more sense,” Jordan Nilsen, a current graduate student who attended Lynchburg for four years said. “When it comes to school, it was a lot easier to just finish up my classes then be able to enjoy Thanksgiving and the holidays. Having a week off then going right into exams is stressful. There were times in the past where I have had to do work and study over Thanksgiving break.”
The adjusted break also makes more sense for students who live in other regions of the country.
Mia Sullivan, a senior from Connecticut said, “I never really get to go home during the year. It takes me eight hours to drive home. Having to make the 16 hour round trip drive for Thanksgiving just to come back to school for less than two weeks is kind of frustrating since it takes the whole day to make the drive. It was nice to be able to be all set with classes and just go home once for the holidays.”
Now that winter and Thanksgiving breaks are back to normal, students will have to do some adjusting and make more travel plans than they had to in the past.
