At just 17 days, this year’s winter break is about a week shorter than past years. Both last year and the year prior, students had 24 days between the last official final exam date and the start of the spring semester.
Georgetown University’s winter break this year is also significantly shorter than other universities in the Washington, D.C. area. For the 2024-25 academic year, students at American University will receive 29 days for their winter break, and students at George Washington University will receive 25 days.
Last semester, students expressed their thoughts on this change through a petition. Nearly 900 community members signed, conveying their disapproval of the shortened break. The university, however, left the academic calendar unchanged.
While there is nothing we can do about our shortened winter break now, it is important to observe its likely consequences on Georgetown students and how important it is for Georgetown to recognize these consequences.
According to research on the impact of family time together on family life, family time contributes positively to family bonding, communication and solidarity in a unique manner. Winter break allows students to spend time with their families, giving them the opportunity to improve and strengthen relationships with their parents and siblings. At a time where students are relieved from the stress of pending assignments, winter break finally provides students with the ability to focus on reconnecting with their family instead of on homework and papers.
International students are especially impacted by this shortened break as they need to account for the cost of international flights and the long time commitment of international travel. With the shortened break, both domestic and international students must travel within days of December holidays, increasing not only financial demands but also anxiety levels. Thus, they are often unable to return home throughout the semester until winter break.
Alessia Viscusi (SFS ’27), a French international student, said this year’s shortened winter break has changed her perception of travelling home.
“As a student whose parents live overseas, winter break is one of my only occasions to go home and see my family and friends,” Viscusi said. “Beyond shortening this rare time to reconnect with people who are important to me, having a break that is not even two and a half weeks dramatically increased the price of traveling back home, to the point of making me reconsider whether to go back at all.”
Viscusi also said the mental and financial stress from travelling closer to the holidays is “an unnecessary addition to the already high financial burden of attending college.”
Beyond the stresses of traveling and finances, mental health in general often takes a dip around the holidays.
Joe Massaua (SFS ’25) said winter break allows students to truly have time off from the semester and stresses about school.
“Winter break is called a ‘break’ for a reason; it allows students to decompress from the stresses of a semester and spend time with family and friends,” Massaua said.
Indeed, winter break isn’t just a pause from tests and homework; it’s an essential reset from the demands of college life, internships and the challenges of being away from home. It’s a time to reconnect with family and friends, engage in hobbies and reflect on personal goals without the pressure of deadlines. For many, this much-needed intermission is a key factor in returning to campus feeling more balanced, motivated and ready to tackle the next semester.
As an academically rigorous institution with a body of stressed students, Georgetown must protect the mental health of its student body. Without a standardized policy on excused mental health days, the shortening of this break is a severe shortcoming on the university’s part. It was wrong for the university to shorten the winter break in the first place. In the future, it is imperative for Georgetown to recognize the importance of these breaks on students’ mental health when creating the academic calendar.
Charlotte Hibbert is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences.