February Break: the best time of year

February 3, 2022 — by Benjamin Li and Daniel Wu
Photo by Daniel Wu
Ski week gives students a well deserved break as they prepare to tackle the remainder of second semester

Ski week: The “undeserved break” we all hail. Some people say it shouldn’t exist; we couldn’t disagree more.

Whether we’re hitting the slopes to ski, sleeping in or utilizing the time to catch up on second semester studying, February’s so-called ski week is every high school student’s savior.

Placed just over a month into the second semester, many question exactly why we need this break; however, the ominous thought of AP tests and building academic pressure cause students to cherish the extra time and rest provided in order to carry through the tedious second semester.

Given that most students endure three to four full months in the first semester without a substantial break, many assume they would be able to do the same in the second semester. However, the circumstances differ tremendously after winter break.

During the first semester, students were slowly reintroduced into in-person school, as teachers refreshed their minds with reviews of information forgotten over the summer. Not to mention, student motivation was at an all time high after being confined in our bedrooms for over a year.

On the other hand, the second semester starts at full throttle with teachers launching straight into new material, expecting students to fully retain everything from the fall. In reality, however, many of our two-week holiday breaks are spent grinding through SAT prep books or college applications — necessitating ski week as the real winter break.

Let’s not forget to mention the whole point of February break: As mentioned in the nickname itself, ski week provides a full week to journey over to Tahoe and experience the best snow of the season at the peak of winter. Considering how most companies don’t recognize ski week as a holiday and how school districts hold the break during different weeks in February, there aren’t as many massive crowds of skiers clogging the lifts.

Coming back from ski week, students also have to endure a brutal March month with only one day off. Speaking from experience, March tends to be a period of burnout with the immense academic load and AP test preparation. 

Without ski week, students would have to wait until early April for spring break, then face the next month and a half with no days off at all. This would be even more difficult for students — especially juniors who are generally taking their heaviest course load in their high school career.

Ski week resuscitates students and provides room for them to relax, allowing them to return to school with an even stronger academic rigor.

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