The University has reinstated the two reading days placed just around the mid-season that many students call “the fall break” this year after canceling the spring and fall break during the academic year. 2020-21. Students and faculty spent time relaxing and enjoying an extended weekend on Monday and Tuesday.

Last year, students and faculty had zero days off in the fall semester and four days off in the spring. The days off were spread over the spring semester and alternated over the days of the week. After the announcement, some students predicted the change would leave many people exhausted after months of virtual learning.

While some students used them to take a break from homework and engage in mental wellness practices, others said break days didn’t leave enough time to relax after spending hours. on Zoom or weeks locked in a dormitory or apartment. Many ended up studying and working instead of participating in other typical break activities like meeting up with friends and traveling – which the University has intentionally sought to limit due to COVID-19.

Now that the University has reinstated reading days and other efforts to reduce COVID-19 restrictions – including allowing in-person lessons and football games – students and faculty have had more opportunities to relax and prepare for mid-sessions during the break.

Some have taken advantage of this year’s fall vacation to escape the stress of college life, especially in the height of midseason.

Assoc. Engineering professor Keith Williams said in an emailed statement to Cavalier Daily that after the massive increase in virtual activities over the past year, he has come to appreciate the time offline. Williams said he plans to use the next few days of reading to play the cello and relax after being online for so long.

“For me, shutting everything down for a while and playing the cello is a therapeutic way to disconnect while keeping my brain busy enough that I don’t miss what I’m missing,” Williams said.

Some experienced heightened depression and anxiety during the virtual school months as the boundaries between school, work and home life shifted.

“There’s something pretty insidious about having so much going on online,” Williams said. “It seems to have slowly increased the expectation that we will always be available.”

College sophomore Sabrina Harjanto attended college virtually from home last year and said the days off were not relaxing for her.

“I don’t really remember what happened,” Harjanto said. “I was working back then, so I probably went to work most of those days. These days off were not enough.

This year, Harjanto said she plans to spend her breaks differently, taking time to relax and recover while exploring downtown Charlottesville and shopping.

“I hope that, because I’m not in the same spaces – I actually go to my classes and not just sit there like home last year,” Harjanto said. “It was like the same space where I slept, where I hung out, where I studied, so hopefully this year it feels more like a break.”

Some students, including sophomore engineering student Olivia Luu, have not stayed in the Charlottesville area and are instead looking forward to returning home and being with their families for the long weekend.

“I plan to go home and see my family, spend time with them and celebrate birthdays, as well as get away from Charlottesville and spend time at home.” Luu said.

Fall reading days fall at a time when many teachers are giving homework and midterm exams. This break gave students the opportunity not only to rest and relax, but also to study, write and prepare.

Second-year engineering student Deepika Sahoo planned to use the time away from the classroom to study for her classes and catch up on sleep. Sahoo found that the days off last semester didn’t give him enough time to meet his academic and mental health needs.

“There wasn’t enough time, so teachers could move exams or not give homework,” Sahoo said. “So while we might have had that day off, it was still spent on other classes. “

Sahoo, from Northern Virginia, was planning to return home for the break and spend time visiting and traveling with her family in addition to studying for classes. She felt that this year would be more conducive to relaxation than the 2020-21 school year.

“I think it will be more rejuvenating and restful,” Sahoo said. “Spending time with my family and friends will be really, really good for my well-being.”