To be honest, DePaul’s schedule has you, your families and your friends a bit confused. Eventually you get used to the quarter system, but the six-week long winter break still throws your schedule off balance every year.
Here are the 6 phases of DePaul’s 6 week winter break:
Phase One: Thanksgiving
This phase is exciting. You’re excited. Your family is excited. Your friends are excited. It’s been at least 10 weeks since you’ve seen each other, so you try to squeeze as much time in together into the Thursday through Sunday window of time your semester system friends have off.
When hanging out with your friends you find yourself bragging a bit. Finals? Homework? You don’t have to worry about your workload for six more weeks. Meanwhile your semester friends must go back to school on Monday.
Phase Two: Adios Amigas
Then your friends go back to school. This doesn’t bother you yet. You take advantage of your time at home. You catch up on Law & Order SVU, eat quality food and sleep 12+ hours each day.
This is the life.
Phase Three: FOMO
You’re still enjoying your time. But you see your friends from home hanging out with their friends at school via snapchat and you get a little jealous. The only person you have to hang out with is your cat. You love your cat, but your cat can’t go to Chili’s with you.
Toward the end of phase three you begin to miss your friends at school. Maybe the semester system is better, you think to yourself.
Phase Four: The countdown begins
By now you have re-watched every episode of Law & Order SVU and viewed every funny cat video available on YouTube. It’s official. You’re ready to go back to school.
But your friends from home begin contacting you to make plans. They’re almost done with finals and will be coming home soon. You are so excited.
Phase Five: Pure chaos
Your friends are back in town! With only two weeks of winter break left you cram in as many late nights out, early morning brunches and gossip sessions as possible. But with the holidays coming up, it’s hard to make time for everyone.
So you end up getting dinner with your high school best friend once and catching up with your former coworkers in the bread aisle of Target.
Phase Six: Saying goodbye
Wow. School starts in one week. You are not ready. At all. To make matters worse, your friends are just starting to discuss their plans for winter break. Plans you can’t take part in because you’ll be back at school.
As you try to squeeze in one last night out with your friends, your mom asks you to stay in because she is sad you will be leaving soon, so you cancel your plans. How could you say no?
On January 1, you say goodbye to your friends and family, pack up your things and head back to school and reunite with your friends. It’s been six weeks too long.
The quarter system may make it hard to coordinate your schedule with your semester system friends, but you couldn’t imagine a term lasting longer than 10 weeks.
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