In years past, the first couple months of the school year have always been difficult for students, since after the three-day Labor Day weekend, students aren’t given a break all through October until late November, when they get a day off for Veterans’ Day.

This year, the Calendar Committee and administration decided to add a 4-day weekend in October to give students a chance to relax after the end of the fast-paced first grading period.

While some students used the extended weekend as a chance to unwind, others used the four days to study for standardized tests, or get ahead in college applications.

Senior Ayush Aggarwal finished his applications for Georgia Tech, UIUC and Johns Hopkins University over the break, and he even managed to mix in a little fun at The Weeknd’s concert in the Oracle Arena.

On the other hand, junior Annie Xu spent the long weekend trying to “remember how to relax even when homework and PSAT prep were on the back of [my] mind.”

In any case, students and staff seem to agree that the new October break was a welcome addition to the school year.