SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va- Due to the ongoing pandemic, Shepherd University students will not be having a spring break this year. Spring break is usually sometime around the middle of March.
“I kind of feel cheated. It’s been seven weeks and I feel really burnt out. It would’ve been nice to at least have a week off to properly recuperate,” said psychology student Kady Sanogo.
This year students had an extra week of winter break instead of spring break. They will still be in school for the same amount of time, however they won’t get a break as they have in the past.
Shepherd decided against a spring break this year to minimize the spread of COVID-19. They are not the only school doing this as many universities and colleges across the nation are doing the same.
Most community colleges are still having a spring break because all of their students commute.
Nursing student, Elyssia Smith said, “Personally, I understand the university’s decision due to the COVID-19 concerns. However, they needed to consider the student body mental health.”
The lack of time off is taking a toll on many students’ mental health. With fifteen weeks of instructional days and just one Friday off, the semester has been intense for most.
“It’s [school] extremely hard and I know many others feel like this,” said Smith
“One week isn’t gonna kill us. It makes sense with COVID-19 because people actually leave the country for spring,” said Edina Hero.
While there were a few snow days early on in the semester, most students still had work even though classes were cancelled.
Final exams will begin on April 26 and finish on April 30.