Spring break means work from home for some students

Fernando Marca/Contributing Writer

Spring break should be a time of relaxation with no assignments, according to students, but not all professors think the same.

Dr. Cara Rockwell, an assistant research scientist with FIU’s Department of Earth and Environment, does not assign actual projects or essays, but she does make sure her students don’t totally drop the ball.

“Normally, I avoid giving out assignments that are due immediately upon students’ return from Spring Break. It is important for students to have some down time during that week,” Rockwell said. “Nonetheless, I expect that they keep up with the reading….we cover a lot of information over the course of one semester, and it is difficult to jump back in after the break if students haven’t looked at the material at all.”

Rockwell frequently assigns quizzes in her classes to ensure students are keeping up with their reading, and spring break does not change that policy. Students won’t be given actual assignments, but they will have quizzes waiting for them upon their return. Rockwell’s students are responsible for studying and keeping up with their assigned readings in order to be prepared for when classes resume.

Micah Oelze, a post-doctoral fellow for the Department of History, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in assigning any concrete work over the break, opting to allow the students time to recuperate.

“I neither want the week to be a work intensive week, nor a complete recess. Instead, I designate spring break as a week of reflection,” Oelze said.

Rather than assign any written work, Oelze asks students to use their break to unwind and allow their creative juices to flow, seeing more benefits stem from mental work rather than physical assignments.  Oelze wants spring break to be used as a time for students to reflect and for their ideas to marinate. Reflection and relaxing, Oelze said, allows students to gear up for the second stretch of the semester, and allows them to finish strong and well prepared.

And unlike professors who have mixed ideas about spring break assignments, most students agree that no work is the best type of spring break assignment.

Ricardo Ñeco, a sophomore majoring in finance, believes spring break is a time to let students recharge after a grueling first half of the spring semester. Personally, Ñeco usually doesn’t receive any work over the break, which allows him to take his annual beach retreat with his family free of worry. However, Ñeco acknowledges that work assignments is on a class to class basis as different courses require different workloads.

“It’s up to the professor because the subject of the class may alter the decision. If its a work that requires reflecting I believe there is no problem in doing so over the break,” said Neco.

Pablo Rodriguez, a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering, doesn’t think professors should assign any type of work over the break, no matter what the class is.

“I think it is important to use the break to take time to do the things we normally can’t do,” Pablo said. “We spend so much time doing school work, it’s nice to have a week to catch up on other things.”

Feature Image retrieved from Flickr.