Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The Lalastack Of Old Books And Glasses
The Lalastack Of Old Books And Glasses
Her Campus Media
Life > Academics

One Big Break

Abbey Frushay
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

Every fall semester, the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is known to all college students as the worst few weeks of the year. Just when we feel like we have been rewarded with a break for all of our hard work, we are plunged into the most stressful weeks of the semester where we prepare for finals. 

Texas A&M made a change to the academic calendar this semester that shortens this break. This semester, there is only one day of class after the Thanksgiving break and all grades are due by December 11th. Many professors are even able to end class before Thanksgiving and have an online final the week after. 

However, some students are having a negative reaction. While this change has relieved academic stress, it has complicated travel for some students who live far. It will be tedious for them to go home for thanksgiving and come back just for finals, just to go back home again for Christmas break right after. 

Many students say that they would prefer to start the semester earlier so that the semester could be completely wrapped up right before Thanksgiving. That way, academic leverage won’t be lost by the break and the amount of trips to and from school will be decreased. If this change is considered in 2025, students will save money and effort, and the finals season might even bring slightly less stress.

Abbey Frushay is a junior at Texas A&M University pursuing a degree in English with a minor in Professional Writing. She writes about trends, lifestyle, academics, and navigating life in college. Abbey plans for a career in publishing after graduating in December 2025. Outside of school, she enjoys sewing, writing, reading, and all things vintage. She’s a self-proclaimed comedian with a large mug collection and a plethora of houseplants. Abbey’s Scottish accent is top notch and nothing can get her down when she has a Pepsi in her hand.