It seems pretty strange for college students to give up any portion of their winter break, no matter how small, but many including myself, choose to head back to school a few weeks early and take an extra class or two. Why you may ask, would anyone want to lose such a significant amount of possible stress-free time?

My personal reason for choosing to take a course over winter break is simply being behind in my classes. I took a few classes my freshman year that ended up not benefiting me even though my academic advisor, at the time, told me they would. Taking a course over the winter or summer breaks is a good option for people who find themselves staring at an extra few years before their anticipated graduation date.

I can only speak from personal experience, and obviously, it's different at other schools in larger cities, but being in a college town during a break is one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. There are just enough people around that it doesn't feel like a ghost town, but it's far from the usual hustle and bustle of campus life. While at times it can get lonely, it's nice to feel like you have a whole town to yourself sometimes. Not to mention the reduced lines at Starbucks and the surplus of parking on campus that will immediately disappear once the spring semester is upon us.

It's also nice to only have to focus on one class. Sitting in a classroom for four hours a day is a daunting task, but it leaves a lot of free time during the day to study. It can feel like having a laser beam of information shot directly into your brain, so it's essential to use your free time to relieve some stress. As stressful as it can be to cram so much information into a short window, at least there's only one class you have to worry about.