For the first time in two school years, fall break returns to the academic school year. 

“This fall break I was really looking forward [to it] because of midterms; and college, in general, has been pretty stressful,” senior Peyton Gallentine said. “Not having that break to look forward to last year was pretty hard on me mentally.”

Fall break, which was held from Oct. 14-17, allowed students and staff a five-day weekend before midterms week.

To prevent travel during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Simpson College canceled fall break during the 2020 fall term. Students said that due to this cancelation they struggled with burnout, mental health issues and homesickness.

Once classes started, there was no way for students or faculty to blow off steam and no break to relax. 

“I found it really challenging to have the want to finish my school work; the want to go to the library and study,” senior Liv Curtis said. “I felt so overworked and overwhelmed with no break. It was hard for me to keep pushing and going but ultimately, we all got through it.”

This fall break gave everyone an opportunity to wind down, see family and rejuvenate before midterms.

“My plans are to go home to Omaha,” senior Chris Honz said. “I will be surprising my parents because they don’t know anything about fall break.”

Many students took this opportunity to travel and sightsee. 

“My roommates, a couple of friends and I went to downtown Chicago from Wednesday until Saturday,” Curtis said. “On our way home, we stopped in Dubuque to go to the football game.”

For others, it was not enough time to see family or relax. Some students were still on campus either for work, sports or online classes. 

“I typically don’t go home often during [the] season, which starts next Sunday,” Honz said. “This will be one of the few times I see them before winter break.”

Whether students traveled to see family or used the extra time to catch up on homework, Fall break provided a great opportunity for students to mentally prepare for midterms. 

“I hope everyone has a good fall break and enjoys time off from school,” Gallentine said.