Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
There are many ways one can choose to spend a week off from school.
Spring break is a popular time for college students across the country to vacation.
Many U.S. locations such as San Diego, Panama City Beach and Orlando are favored vacation spots for college students during spring break, according to Dorm Therapy.
Spring break is also often characterized as a travel-filled and high-energy week. With packed schedules, students can take the week to enjoy many fun-filled events. Nonetheless, vibrant spring break travels can also make spring break feel less like a vacation and more fleeting and restless.
The condensed timing of Pepperdine’s spring semester, coupled with energetic vacations, presents more negatives about spring break than positives.
Condensed Semester
There is a noticeable difference in the break schedules between the fall and spring semesters in the Pepperdine academic calendar.
In the fall 2025 semester, including breaks, the semester’s length was 17 weeks, while, in the spring 2026 semester, the total length is 16 weeks, according to Pepperdine’s Academic Calendar. This results in Pepperdine students losing a whole week in the duration of the spring semester compared to the fall one.
With this condensed timetable, it can be easy for students to feel overloaded since there are fewer breaks that can be used to catch up on school work.
Many universities also use the weeks before spring break to hold midterm exams. The academic and mental pressure of these midterm exams is often equivalent to finals, making this a crucial week for college students.
The combined stress of the condensed semester and midterm week makes it difficult for students to achieve any true rest while classes are in session. This makes spring break a vital time for students to relax and recharge, increasing the need for students to be intentional about their time over break if they wish to get the most out of their days off.
Spring Break Vacations
While vacations on spring break can bring amusement, leisure and exploration of new places, the increased activities students have the opportunity to participate in on these trips can make it a more taxing week rather than relaxing.
As such, intentionality with spring break becomes more important than ever.
Considering the intensity of the spring semester at Pepperdine, spring break comes at a crucial time when students can take advantage of the time to reduce tension and avoid harboring long-term stress.
If on vacation for spring break, students can benefit from prioritizing low-key and nature-filled activities that provide relaxing environments.
Vacationers are shown to have increased happiness after travel. Specifically, those who travel and take part in mastery experiences — an activity that helps them acquire new knowledge and explore curiosity — consequently have increased well-being after their trip, according to the National Library of Medicine.
As many as 11.3% of travelers say they experience some mental health issues, according to Psychology Today. To help manage this stress and maximize health benefits, travelers can be intentional and prepare for their journey by making their trip more comfortable and choosing less crowded locations, according to National Geographic.
If students were to engage in these purposeful activities on their spring break vacations, it could promote a mental and physical recharge benefiting students well-being.
For students who stay home during the break, it can still be possible to not fully benefit from the week off. Prioritizing a consistent sleep and meal schedule similar to one’s college schedule can promote more restfulness and renewed energy.
If students aren’t implementing time management skills while resting on the break and maintaining some of their routine while home, they could experience more challenges when coming back to the structure of school. This could be most detrimental for students who have exams and big projects occurring the week they return, as they would need to adjust quickly back to school to be prepared for them.
High-energy vacations and a condensed spring semester can pose difficulties for students to experience a restful spring break.
To combat these struggles, students should practice intentionality and purposefulness to maximize their rest and renewal over the break.
Students should explore calming activities like spending time with nature while at home to promote relaxation. Additionally, students should maintain a consistent sleep schedule which can rejuvenate students so they feel well-rested and ready to return to school at the end of break.
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Contact Alyssa Hunnicutt via email: alyssa.hunnicutt@pepperdine.edu