Spring break—the seemingly most awaited time of the school year. The point in the future when grades and homework isn’t on the forefront of most people’s minds. But, there is one problem with it: this ideal time of the year comes after months of waiting and suffering.

During the long, cold months of the winter and a long finals season, winter break allows for the perfect rest: two weeks of time filled with joy, coming off of the holidays and spent with family and friends. However, spring break does not look like this. Only one week of rest before you have to return to the fluorescently lit hallways. With our spring break being. Week after everyone else’s it leads to New Trier feeling like their own island. The time after winter break feels like carrying a backpack around school that is wet and full of bricks—making way through the hallways is quite the struggle.

Take January. Once the New Year’s cheer wears off, we are faced with the harsh reality of days and days of ice and snow. In the morning, students trudge into school with an exhausted look on their face; better to come to school with a jacket than to feel frozen as you walk in the door to scan your ID. Then from here until the end of February, the school days end by staring up at the clock until the minute hand finally reaches 3:30 p.m.

March buds new hope as spring rolls in: every week is getting closer and closer to the last days of the month and towards the start of spring break. Mornings and nights filled with rain, snow, and occasionally sunshine show just how hard it is to make it spring break.

If our spring break started one week earlier, maybe it wouldn’t be as bad. But, seeing posts from everyone I know outside of school in Florida or Puerto Rico-leads me to feel left out when I should be feeling excited for my upcoming break. 

Daylight savings time is another reminder of spring. “Fall back, spring forward.” Although this shift causes us to lose an hour, it brings something everyone needs: more sunlight. The sun no longer sets before dinner time and the day is prolonged past six o’clock.

Now, not to dim the light on spring break, but a week will never feel like enough. After three months of only one thing to look forward to, the week goes by faster than anyone would have thought. One week. Winter break was two weeks, which allowed for the perfect time to both travel and also relax. Spring break is hyped up, but it is truly not enough time.

Despite this, spring break is a long awaited reset and will hopefully be filled with laughter and fun. 

Have a good spring break, Trevs!!